Many gamers have had their eyes focused on “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” for quite some time now, and it’s not hard to see why. While official information about the game is a bit scarce, there are various rumors roaming around which all point to a very solid release.
It seems to be a bit strangely positioned in the overall “Zelda” universe, but most gamers trust that Nintendo will find a way to link everything together in a sensible manner. And from what we’ve seen so far, it at least looks like the new title will be visually pleasing and will offer a world rich in secrets for players to explore.
This has been a staple in the franchise for some time now, and “Zelda” fans have actually come to expect the ability to spend their time unlocking secrets. “Breath of the Wild” will even feature what appears to be a special dedicated map showing how far players have come in their quest.
The whole setting of the game also makes it just perfect for this kind of gameplay. What we’ve been shown so far alluded to worlds full of mysterious forests, old ruins and various other kinds of details that should please even the most demanding adventure hunters.
It’s also pretty obvious that the developers behind this game aren’t afraid to take risks, and they’ve made some changes to the core gameplay formula. Whether or not these will play out in a positive manner remains to be seen, but it’s worth noting that some are so far skeptical about the potential success of the title.
Or rather, some critics seem to be a bit worried about the implications of this release for the future of Nintendo’s platforms as a whole. We’ve seen some rather dramatic-sounding claims, such as that the release of “Breath of the Wild” could make or break the Nintendo NX and Wii U right now.
This may sound like a far-fetched theory, but it could also have some roots in reality. Nintendo don’t have that many exclusives on their platforms, and the ones they do have tend to be treated with great care and attention by the studio.
It’s not an exaggeration to claim that many people have actually bought a Nintendo platform at some point in their lives just so they can enjoy a particular “Zelda” game. Taking that into consideration, along with the huge attention currently focused on “Breath of the Wild”, and it’s not hard to see why the game could indeed be a critical release for the company.
As some have pointed out, the release is a particularly important one for the Nintendo NX console, as it’s one of the flagship releases for that platform. A poorly executed game could actually make some regret their purchase of the console itself, and that would definitely be a huge problem for Nintendo in the short and long term.
It would also impact their ability to release another “Zelda” game, as people leaving their platform would directly affect the potential audience they have available for that title. It’s a tricky situation for the studio, and some have compared it to Valve and “Half-Life 3”. But at least, unlike in that case, we’re actually seeing some visible progress on the next “Zelda” game.