While many fans are focused on the new title starring Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf that was released today, many are still thinking about the past and how things from “way back when” will affect the future of the franchise. To that end, many still think about Breath of the Wild and how the game changed everything we knew about the series and how it could be enjoyed. It was due to the success of that game that today’s release of Tears of the Kingdom was so anticipated. Naturally, gamers wanted to see if the team at Nintendo could make the sequel even better than the original.
In an interview with GameInformer, franchise producer Eiji Aonuma talked about why Breath of the Wild is so special in the context of the series. He noted that it’s not just about being a great game but redefining what it meant to play the series and how this new baseplate can shape what comes next:
“With Ocarina of Time, I think it’s correct to say that it did kind of create a format for a number of titles in the franchise that came after it. But in some ways, that was a little bit restricting for us. While we always aim to give the player freedoms of certain kinds, there were certain things that format didn’t really afford in giving people freedom. Of course, the series continued to evolve after Ocarina of Time, but I think it’s also fair to say now that we’ve arrived at Breath of the Wild and the new type of more open play and freedom that it affords. Yeah, I think it’s correct to say that it has created a new kind of format for the series to proceed from.”
He’s not wrong. Moving things to the open-world setting and giving players the creativity and freedom to choose how to do things and when to proceed with them is something players adore. The team noted in recent interviews that they could take what they did in the previous title and throw in new ideas and themes for its sequel, given that the foundation was so strong.
The reviews of Tears of the Kingdom speak for themselves, as it’s already being hailed as one of the greatest games of the year if not one of the best ever.
So if BOTW is the new “format” by which we can see all future adventures with Link, the real question is, “What will the team come up with next for him to do?
