Of the numerous upcoming Nintendo Switch games on the horizon, Breath of the Wild 2 arguably takes the top spot as the most highly anticipated of the bunch. The original launched day and date with the Nintendo Switch, serving as a premier game to kickstart the lifecycle of Nintendo's newest console offering while also being another solid entry in The Legend of Zelda series. It went on to sell an abundance of copies worldwide and raked in numerous awards during end of the year gaming celebrations.
After pouring so much time and resources into the first game, coupled with its immense success, it makes sense for Nintendo to revisit he open world style for the upcoming sequel. Breath of the Wild 2 is scheduled for 2022 based on the most recent E3 trailer, a countdown that has fans on the edge of their seats. While much of the game remains a mystery, a startling new revelation was Link falling through the sky in the latest trailer, revealing that Hyrule will contain an entire location high in the clouds above the world below. While nothing is confirmed, Nintendo likely has some clever ideas up its sleeve for the game. This new environment presents an opportunity for a bevy of fun franchise easter eggs to be sprinkled around for eagle eyed fans to notice.
Breath of the Wild 2 - New Sky Environment
The newest Nintendo E3 2021 trailer begins with a bang as Link skydives through the clouds onto a series of floating platforms below. Naturally, there will be some narrative reason for this new world above the pre-existing Hyrule, but that remains a mystery unless Nintendo sheds light on this leading up to the eventual release. However, The Legend of Zelda franchise is no stranger to changing up the formula over its many years on the market, with shifting environments and new spins on old locales being a recurring theme.
It is also an interesting coincidence that the next two major Legend of Zelda releases feature the sky as a prominent setting for the action in the game. As of the writing of this article, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is due for release in a matter of days, bringing the now decade-old title back into the limelight. As should be evident by the game's subtitle, the sky plays a large part of that game's storyline and gameplay, with Link travelling between Skyloft and the world below quite frequently throughout the journey.
Based on speculation and theories for Breath of the Wild 2, the initial teaser trailer seems to hint at a supernatural force within the game. Whether it be time travel or reality manipulation, there is a hint at a darker tone similar to Majora's Mask. With this teaser in mind, it seems like Breath of the Wild 2 could very well be one of the stranger, more mind bending outings in the beloved series. For this reason, perhaps this new sky locale in Breath of the Wild 2 is just one giant easter eggs to Skyward Sword as a whole, but whether or not it is the exact same place remains to be seen.
Breath of the Wild 2's References to Older Zelda Games
The Legend of Zelda has a vast mythology, boasting lore that is filled with potential for callbacks and references to other games. Each game in itself is technically a "legend" within this universe of games, with the Link from Ocarina of Time often being referred to as the Hero of Time in other installments. These references and winks to the player are nothing new, as the series has connected each game to another to some capacity over the years.
The original Breath of the Wild had a far more subtle approach to this tradition, as it did not make the references at hand incredibly obvious. This ranged from villages in the game borrowing names of past characters or items, such as Darunia Lake in the Eldin region being a clear nod to the Goron leader from Ocarina of Time. Many of this callbacks pay tribute to characters and places that serve as iconic pinpoints in the overall storyline of the series, adding further layers of depth and intrigue to the experience. Still, the references were rarely on the nose in the 2017 game.
Having a new sky location in Breath of the Wild 2, likely brought into creation by dark forces, can result in even more interesting easter eggs than before. While Breath of the Wild's references stick to aspects within Hyrule itself, this new sky location, due to its subject matter, can reference more weird and unexpected elements. The magic being tapped into to lift a world into the sky is perhaps linked to ancient, long forbidden powers, which could connect itself to the Twilight realm or even the dark sorcery imbued into Majora's Mask. What Nintendo plans to do with Breath of the Wild 2's sky location is currently up in the air, but based on the franchise's habit of leaving easter eggs scattered everywhere for players to find, some surprises are sure to be in store come 2022.
Breath of the Wild 2Â is set to release in 2022 for Nintendo Switch.
