There were some initial worries about the new “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” among fans of the franchise, which is not unusual when a sequel is being made for a game of this caliber. But so far, we’ve been seeing nothing but positive feedback from the developers, and it’s starting to look like this game has the real potential to be a huge hit. It already got awarded “Best of E3 2016” at the show, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the final release is showered with awards in a similar manner as well.
For now, a large part of discussions among fans are focused on the size of the game’s map – it looks like it’s going to offer quite the serious potential for exploration, and those who enjoy roaming around finely crafted worlds for hours on end should feel right at home. Some have been comparing the projected map size with other popular games, such as “GTA 5” – and while it does look like the new “Zelda” will be slightly less impressive in this regard, it should still live up to modern standards nicely.
There are also rough calculations going around trying to estimate how long it would take for a player to walk across the entire map, and it looks like it will be at least half an hour of a trip in one dimension, and even more in the other. That doesn’t include traversing around obstacles either, plus there might be some additional worlds, as some publications and fans have pointed out.
Nintendo themselves have been boasting with the size of the game’s world, describing it as “12 times the size of Twilight Princess”, according to reports. That wasn’t a small game in itself, so that’s a somewhat bold claim to make. We’ll see how things turn out once the game is released and players have been given a chance to roam around.
It’s also worth pointing out that a big map doesn’t mean anything. It’s much more important how that map is filled and what kinds of paths between the different areas there are. Even a small map can feel vast and endless if it has enough areas to explore all over the place. On the other hand, a large map can easily feel empty and boring if the available space isn’t utilized properly.
But then, this is a “Zelda” game, so we have no doubts that the developers have some clever ideas in mind with regards to how they want to guide players through their world. If the game also offers enough to do, it should definitely please most players looking to relive their memories of going through the original “Zelda” titles.
Also, as some have pointed out, “The Legend of Zelda” is not a game with vehicles, so comparing it to games like “GTA 5” makes even less sense in this regard. It’s not known if the new title will include any alternative methods of transportation, but even that won’t change the context much.
Accessibility of the gameplay is another point that is being brought up frequently. Some players are seemingly worried that the game is being made too casual and mainstream, but recent previews seem to indicate the opposite. If anything, we expect a lot of depth from the new “Zelda”, and it should offer an exciting experience even for veteran players who want a serious challenge.