When looking at the changes thatThe Legend of the Zelda: Breath of the Wildbrought to the franchise, it’s easy to see how different it is when compared to its predecessors. In the moment,Breath of the Wildstill feels like aLegend of Zeldagame, and many of the characters that fans have come to know are present, but its overall approach to gameplay is unique compared to its predecessors. Dungeons and puzzles are changed, and while still an important part of the game, they aren’t necessary. By design,Breath of the Wilduses a nonlinear approach that complements its world, but allows for other mechanical differences to be highlighted if players focus on them.
One thing that this affects is the crafting thatBreath of the Wilduses. While not entirely new, as upgrades and materials have been present inLegend of Zeldabefore the approach used inBreath of the Wildis deeper. Crafting is intended to be something that can directly affect gameplay and if invested in becomes an invaluable asset as players travel through Hyrule. Focused on elixirs and food items crafting provides different benefits to Link inBreath of the Wildand like theenemies that should return inBreath of the Wild 2, crafting is something that the sequel should expand upon as well.
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Crafting in Breath of the Wild 2
A great way forBreath of the Wildto do this is to take inspiration from the mechanics used inThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Much like withBreath of the Wild, crafting inThe Witcher 3can be optional but still provides an invaluable resource for players. While this mostly relates to the usefulness of items like elixirs, and oils it also applies to armor and weapons. This is something thatThe Witcher 3also has overBreath of the Wild. Instead of being limited to consumables, players inThe Witchervideo gamescan build their gear, scouring the world for recipes to specific armor and weapons as they play.
Crafting that can get as deep asThe Witcher 3’s might be a lot to ask ofBreath of the Wild 2, but it’s still something that should be considered for the game. Crafting in the firstBreath of the Wild, while useful, could feel shallow when compared to other franchises. Weapons needed to be scavenged throughout the world rather than players making them, which could makeBreath of the Wildfeel limited.
Instead, by giving players the option to craft more than food and elixirs, finding recipes could be used to flesh outBreath of the Wild 2’s map and encourage players to explore in the same capacity thatcollecting all the Korok seedsand completing shrines does. In turn, this could develop the original’s approach of nonlinear gameplay even further.
It would be a major change, but in the sequel to a game that was a rather new approach for theLegend of Zeldafranchise, it could be a good one.Breath of the Wild 2will likely build on a lot of the foundation thatBreath of the Wildprovided, and could even reprise past features, likemusic mechanics in theLegend of Zeldaseries. Expanding it even more by implementing a crafting mechanic that’s richer and rewards players for the time they put into the game only feels like a natural evolution forBreath of the Wild 2.
The implementation of deeper crafting also has more pros than cons. While not something likely to be added if not already implemented, given how far along development is, crafting could still be a key part of developingBreath of the Wild 2in post-release updates. It could allow players to apply the knowledge they’ve already gathered and let them discover even more of whatthe world inBreath of the Wild 2might have to offer, helping to build on the endgame experience as well.
The unnamedLegend of Zelda:Breath of the Wildsequel is currently in development for Nintendo Switch.
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