Eiji Aonuma Discusses Breath of the Wild Development; Communication & Time Keys to Success

In an interview with Producer Eiji Aonuma, Eurogamer has dissected The Breath of the Wild’s story and development cycle, as well as the game’s origins.

Until now, all the former titles in the Zelda franchise have featured ‘reincarnations’ of Link and Zelda in various different forms, from the cel-shaded toon Link of Wind Waker to the hyper-realistic wolf of Twilight Princess. However, as Aonuma reveals, the Link in Breath of the Wild has simply been asleep for 100 years, a sharp divergence from Nintendo’s traditional formula which apparently plays a large role in the narrative.

The idea to make Breath of the Wild a large, interconnected world came from feedback Nintendo received on Skyward Sword, where players expressed a desire to explore “the gaps between the areas.” Because of the gigantic scope of the game, it was crucial for the large team of developmental staff to play the game as much as possible, which sometimes resulted in delays to the production schedule.

Aonuma also explained that the footage of Zelda crying in the game trailer is not necessarily indicative of her character throughout the entire story, “I would ask fans not to read too much into just that one scene from the trailer, and to please play the game and appreciate Zelda as she is in all her aspects.”

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be the last Nintendo title for the Wii U. It is scheduled for a March 3 release date for Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo Switch.