Zelda fans have been optimistic that Breath of the Wild 2 will continue what the first game started, shaking up traditions of the Zelda franchise by introducing whole new mechanics. Breath of the Wild was highly innovative, introducing deep survival elements and a weapon looting system completely unlike other games in the series. Nintendo has made it clear it's keeping some elements the same, since it's using the old map. Even so, it could still make some major adjustments to way that a Zelda game is played. The bold changes made in Breath of the Wild were so well received that Nintendo might take it as encouragement.
Maybe one of the biggest wish list items circulating in the community is multiplayer co-op. The Zelda franchise is no stranger to co-op and actually has a pretty rich history offering it to players, but it would be a completely different story to get multiplayer in BotW's sprawling incarnation of Hyrule. Of course, multiplayer means that Nintendo will have to choose some playable characters to cooperate with Link, unless the Four Sword returns out of the blue. A lot of fans are hopeful that Zelda will be playable, but she's not the only ally Link could team up with. Nintendo could also find a way for Link to fight alongside the other Champions again.
Return of the Champions
The obvious obstacle to playable Champions is the fate they met before the start of Breath of the Wild. It's no secret that the four Champions besides Link and Zelda were killed defending Hyrule from Calamity Ganon. Their presence in the game is mostly through flashbacks and encounters with their ghosts, although they leave a major impact from beyond the grave. The utility abilities they provide when Link liberates their Divine Beasts show just how valuable they are as team members. They're never too far from him, and always have his back.
It's unlikely that Nintendo would make the Champions playable as ghosts, unless the game treads some seriously uncharted territory. Instead, it could come up with a reason for the Champions to be alive. There's more than one way to make that possible. Ganon's knack for necromancy indicates that there's no shortage of magic in the setting that could bring the Champions back to life. There's also a popular theory that Breath of the Wild 2 will involve time travel. If Link and Zelda travel back to a time where the rest of the Champions are still alive, they would have the perfect chance to work together again.
Working Together
A lot of possibilities open up if the Champions become committed members of Link's adventures once again. All of the Champions have very different skillsets, so Nintendo would be put to the test coming up with unique variations on gameplay for all of these people. There's lots of design questions to answer. Would they use preferred weapons, or pick up equipment like Link? How would combat change from the first game if Nintendo has to offer a challenge for more than one player this time, instead for four or maybe as many as six? Will co-op be limited to certain parts of the game, or available throughout?
If co-op is always available, Nintendo will have to address how it works in Breath of the Wild 2's plot. Certain Champions might only be available at certain times or in certain places. Zelda games haven't generally had to make the player lock in a character for quests, and that type of change still probably won't show up in another open world adventure game. In single player, one might get the ability to exchange control between available characters freely. That'd be an ideal way to introduce rich puzzle elements -- Revali's flight might help in one area while Daruk's durability helps in another.
Combat in particular would be very exciting working together with a group of Champions. Assuming Nintendo were to turn up the volume of enemies for multiplayer, there's really something to be said for standing back to back with fellow heroes while fighting off a tide of Bokoblins. Although it would really be pushing the boundaries of the Zelda franchise's style, Nintendo could consider things like combo abilities between all of the Champions, including Link and Zelda. Considering how diverse that cast of six is, there's a ton of possibilities for taking control of the battlefield.
RELATED: Breath of the Wild 2: Co-Op Zelda Has One Big Limitation
Hurdles to Overcome
When it comes to co-op, Zelda does have the advantage of simplicity. As a fellow Hylian, she's on the same scale as Link, so Nintendo doesn't have to design areas or equipment to fit a tremendous characters like Daruk. In fact, Mipha is the only Champion who's the same size as Link and Zelda, which might be a bit of trouble. Breath of the Wild also indicated that all of these characters have pretty different fighting styles. While it's not impossible, keeping those styles would definitely be a lot of work for Nintendo, but completely abandoning the Champions' familiar styles in favor of everyone looting weapons might disappoint some fans.
There's also the risks related to performance. It's already come up that multiplayer featuring just Link and Zelda is going to have to find a way to keep the stress on the Switch low. It might not have the necessary power to render and process so many instances of the expansive Hyrule at once. If it's difficult with two people, it'll be much harder for four or six people. Nintendo might limit how far players can travel from one another. There are rumors circulating that familiar areas of the returning map will be cut off by an evil miasma summoned by Ganon, which could easily justify keeping players close to each other.
Considering how important the Champions were in Breath of the Wild, even long after their defeat, they'll almost certainly be involved somehow in the sequel. So little is known about the game's plot besides the fact that it's picking up where the last game left off. If Breath of the Wild 2 is in the same setting featuring many of the same characters, it doesn't seem likely that the restless spirits of the Champions will just let Ganon rise to power a second time. They'll find a way to help Link and Zelda again, and maybe this time, they'll be more than side characters.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2Â is in development for Switch.
