Breath of the Wild was a revolutionary title. It changed both the conventions of Zelda and introduced Zelda to a brand new generation of fans. This was monumental. The only thing missing from the title, unfortunately, was a cohesive narrative. Yes, the game had an incredible open world, but without proper dungeons and a deep story, it fell flat in some areas. This is not to say that the game isn’t a marvel of our time; it is. Exploring Hyrule from end to end is nothing short of magical. Without a true story though, the game feels hollow. Yes, there is a “narrative”, but, it takes place 100 years before the game actually begins. This is boring. Breath of the Wild 2, however, last limitless potential. The assets are already created, a massive open-world already exists; all there’s left for Nintendo to do is mix up the landmarks, add traditional dungeons, and flesh out a compelling narrative, which it seems like they are already doing. This is why Breath of the Wild 2 will be better than BOTW.
The Return of Ganondorf
Ganondorf last made an appearance in the Zelda lore 13 years ago in Twilight Princess. By that point, many were sick of the character and longed for the series to be taken in a new direction. That’s exactly what Nintendo did…until now. The teaser trailer from E3, which was the surprise of the show, implied that the game will, in fact, be story-driven, combined with the massive overworld introduced in Breath of the Wild. Ganondorf’s return is intriguing and sheds a new light on the Ganon seen in the first game. Was Ganon merely a puppet? Is this the Ganondorf from Twilight Princess, as we speculated? There are so many unanswered questions, but if the game lives up to its potential, there is no doubt that it will not only build upon what was established in Breath of the Wild, but surpass it.
Traditional Dungeons
One of the biggest complaints of Breath of the Wild was the lack of traditional dungeons. This was a valid criticism, as dungeons and puzzle-solving have been a staple of the Zelda franchise since its inception. The Divine Beasts were a nice twist on the dungeon formula, but, there were only four of them and were lackluster. Shrines were fun, but they were so short and didn’t live up to the Zelda legacy. If Breath of the Wild 2 were to add traditional dungeons, items, and a superb narrative, it won’t simply surpass Breath of the Wild, but Ocarina of Time as the greatest Zelda game of all-time. The return of Ganondorf is almost enough to ensure this. Not to mention Zelda herself could end up being your companion throughout the game, which would be a very nice twist on Zelda’s long-running gameplay mechanic and would make the title much more personal compared to previous entries in the series.
Breath of the Wild 2: The New Ocarina of Time
Ocarina of Time is still regarded as the most prolific Zelda game of all-time, but Breath of the Wild 2 has a good chance of overtaking it and claiming the number one spot. The return of Ganondorf is one of the most anticipated returns by any character in modern video game history, and if handled correctly, could craft a narrative that has been unseen in video game history. Zelda may not be renowned for its stories, but, the beauty in its storytelling is its simplicity. Skyward Sword has the best story by far, but the reason why Ocarina of Time is so good is not only because of the superb gameplay but because of the simplicity yet stellar execution of the narrative.
Something awakens underneath Hyrule Castle..
Given the fact that Breath of the Wild 2 will both have a stellar narrative (so it seems, given the return of one of the most popular villains in video game history) and a completely open world, the game has all the makings of one of the all-time greats and will surpass Breath of the Wild, as it will include so many aspects the original lacked.