The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, which will undoubtedly get a much cooler name from Nintendo when the time is right, made a star appearance in this year’s online-only E3. The trailer above made clear that it’ll be an ambitious follow-up to the much-loved original, with Link seen up in the skies and doing all sorts of interesting things; great hair too, it really is a thing of beauty.
Interestingly, Gamereactor.eu has been digging around and come across patents published by Nintendo that reinforce some of the fascinating features we saw, and in one case gives us thoughts of epic sky-falling showpieces.
The patents themselves are all about the concepts and technicalities around gameplay moves. For example, in the trailer we see Link go through the bottom part of a platform and emerge out of the top via a portal. This patent addresses that, suggesting that when conditions allow (and of course when the game makes it accessible) Link may theoretically be able to do it with any surface. The detail goes into how the game will calculate the target destination and whether there’s a valid endpoint for the player to transport themselves.
Next we have a rewind feature, described in the patent as a return movement. This has been used in many games of different types, and in a Legend of Zelda game could be utilised for some interesting puzzles and dungeon designs, and could also be pretty enjoyable if it’s incorporated into combat.
Finally, a patent addresses different approaches to Link falling, which is more important than it admittedly sounds. It shows paragliding, of course, and also a sky-diving style as was prominently shown in the trailer. Link is also shown shifting his stance / positioning, and the patent talks about all of this in relation to how the bow shooting mechanic will be implemented for each stance. Again, this sets up some potentially thrilling sequences that would go beyond anything achieved in the original.
It’s interesting to see these patents, and to consider how much this new entry looks set to shake up and evolve the formula. Considering the impact of the original and how it revolutionised the franchise, it’s exciting to consider that Nintendo seems eager to take its ideas further.
Let us know what you think, as always, in the comments!
[source gamereactor.eu]
