The Legend of Zelda is a beloved franchise dating back to 1986, yet Breath of the Wild has a notable staying power. The game's take on open-world mechanics inspired numerous developers, from Ubisoft's Immortals Fenyx Rising to miHoYo's Genshin Impact. Even smaller aspects have spread to other projects, such as Dreamside Interactive's Frozen Flame implementing cooking like Breath of the Wild's. With this level of impact, fans are curious to see how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 improves upon its formula.
Interest in Breath of the Wild has not waned over the five years since the Nintendo Switch launched, despite news regarding its sequel being sparse. In fact, fans may be playing more than ever thanks to the advent of community content like PointCrow's Breath of the Wild multiplayer mod, new discoveries about its physics, and impressive combat clips. The game's open nature means there are plenty of ways to go about exploring Hyrule, but Breath of the Wild 2 should consider a New Game+ mode that gives even casual fans another reason to keep the game running after credits roll.
Typical New Game+ Conventions
Many titles include New Game+ as a sort of victory lap, or a way to make subsequent playthroughs more convenient. The name dates back to Square's Chrono Trigger from 1995, and this perennial RPG exemplifies what people expect from modern iterations. Those who beat the game could restart their adventure on the same save file, carrying over the equipment, items, and other upgrades accrued over that first run. This was particularly valuable for Chrono Trigger because of its multiple endings, and Square even included an ending called The Successor of Guardia, or the "Frog Ending," that can only be seen in New Game+.
Even titles that don't include extra content provide reasons for fans to jump back in. For example, Guerrilla Games released a Horizon Forbidden West update during the June 2022 PlayStation State of Play that unlocked New Game+ with an optional "Ultra Hard" setting. Aloy can tackle this harder challenge with collected endgame armor and weapons, and there were further additions like armor transmog to entice players.
Zelda's Complicated History with Post-Game Content
Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series has also included variants of New Game+ modes. The Legend of Zelda on NES let players embark on a "Second Quest" which upended their mental map of Hyrule by changing where dungeons and items are found, as well as rearranging the layout of each dungeon. Ocarina of Time's Master Quest mode, included on The Wind Waker's pre-order bonus disc for GameCube and later available via Ocarina's 3DS remake, similarly revamps dungeons while mirroring the map.
Other entries have included New Game+ progression features, such as The Wind Waker letting Link keep figurines for the Nintendo Gallery or Skyward Sword retaining collectibles like bugs in the more difficult "Hero Mode." Perhaps the most traditional New Game+ mode in the franchise is Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link's Second Quest. As most Zelda titles are built around narratives with item-based roadblocks, it wouldn't make sense for Link to carry all his upgrades into second or third playthroughs. Yet Zelda 2 incorporates more RPG elements, so Second Quest retains his level ups and magic spells - despite not changing anything about the actual adventure.
Breath of the Wild did not include a New Game+ mode, but it was still possible for players to restart and have a whole new experience. Plenty of challenge videos show people collecting certain items or running straight to Calamity Ganon after finishing the Great Plateau. The Breath of the Wild Expansion Pack adds the closest thing to a New Game+ option with Master Mode. Similar to The Legend of Zelda's Second Quest, Master Mode remixes enemies and structures across Hyrule to create a harder challenge, and now enemies regenerate health. However, there's no way to carry items over from a normal playthrough, and Master Mode's story is identical.
The Benefits of New Game+ for Breath of the Wild 2
Plenty of details remain to be seen regarding Breath of the Wild 2, as Nintendo has provided sparse showcases even before the next Zelda game was delayed to spring 2023. One could assume its level of content will be similar to the first game, with extra modes coming in DLC. However, given Nintendo has been building atop the original Breath of the Wild's foundation, a Master Mode with more traditional New Game+ features could be included at launch.
One of the biggest lingering questions about Breath of the Wild 2 that could hamper a New Game+ mode is what content carries over from the original adventure. Link is seen wielding the Master Sword despite the blade technically being optional in Breath of the Wild, which leaves items like the Hylian Shield in flux. If the sequel does a cold open with Link being depowered ala Metroid Prime, this could make it harder to add New Game+ features like retaining items - unless subsequent treks begin at a later point to avoid the repetition caused by Breath of the Wild's unskippable Great Plateau tutorial.
The potential for a New Game+ mode in Breath of the Wild 2 speaks for itself. Master Mode in Breath of the Wild was perhaps too challenging for casual fans to really get into, but giving the sequel a tweaked "Second Quest" while retaining whatever weapons, Rune upgrades, or Blessings that Link collects could be more enjoyable. New additions like Hyrule's floating islands could also be canvases to remix in greater detail, and if Breath of the Wild 2 has traditional dungeons these could feature new layouts and puzzles.
Ultimately fans will have to wait and see what Nintendo has in mind for this anticipated sequel. It should be clear to developers just how popular Breath of the Wild is to replay though, especially as the universe expands via games like Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Hopefully this encourages the team to include a lot of permutations that keep people coming back for more.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 releases in spring 2023 for Nintendo Switch.
