Breath of the Wild Is Worth Replaying Before BOTW 2 Comes Out

After The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released in early 2017, it quickly became one of the most popular games in recent history. This was due in part to its expansive open world and excellent gameplay. As 2022 approaches and the release date of BOTW 2 draws closer and closer, players may be considering replaying the original game.

Breath of the Wild is absolutely massive with plenty of aspects that make it worth another replay for fans who are eagerly awaiting the sequel. Aside from defeating Ganon, finding all of the Korok seeds, and beating all of the Ancient Shrines, Breath of the Wild is packed with content that players may have easily missed on their first playthrough. Much of Breath of the Wild’s storytelling is done through its environment, making exploration not just a crucial aspect of the game but the main method of experiencing this iteration of Hyrule’s lore, and the game is definitely worth replaying before BOTW 2’s release date.

The history of this Hyrule is woven into its ruined landscape, and it’s nearly impossible to experience it fully in just one run. With the details shown in Breath of the Wild 2’s trailers, there are already clues as to what the sequel’s story may involve that players likely missed, not knowing what they were looking at in their first run of BOTW or why it would be important later. These bits of lore can be found by re-experiencing the world of Hyrule, which grants players a fresh perspective in each area they visit.

Replaying Breath Of The Wild Can Reveal Its Lore For BOTW 2

While there’s plenty to do in Breath of the Wild’s main storyline, simply revisiting Hyrule and exploring the world all over again will give players fresh insights into the game and BOTW 2‘s potential place in the timeline, especially with the context provided in the sequel’s trailers. Breath of the Wild is designed in such a way that exploring the environment is the most crucial aspect of experiencing the game’s story and lore.

Not only does Breath of the Wild require players to seek out Link’s memories in certain parts of the world, but some of the most important details about the game’s story and lore are told through environmental details, especially in the case of the sequel’s potential plot ahead of BOTW 2‘s release date. For instance, the mysterious Zonai Tribe, whose name was hardly mentioned in Breath of the Wild, may have a major role to play in BOTW 2. Even though there seems to be no one in Hyrule who knows about this ancient tribe, their ruins can be found across Hyrule, distinguished by their unique Aztec-inspired architecture. The Zonai Ruins, just north of the Pagos Woods, are the only mention of their name in BOTW, though their architecture can also be found in other prominent areas, such as the Labyrinths and the shadow-shrouded Thyphlo Ruins.

However, the Zonai may play a crucial role in Hyrule’s lore as their architecture was also featured in the first Breath of the Wild 2 trailer released at E3 2019. The dragon heads seen on the wall mirror those of the Zonai ruins, and one of their pillars can be seen as Link and Zelda stop for a drink. For players who wouldn’t have known about the Zonai Tribe, considering that their ruins in the first game are the only hints that they existed at all, this detail may have easily gone unnoticed despite the fact that it may contain a major clue about the BOTW 2‘s story. If fan speculation proves true, the Zonai Tribe may even tie Breath of the Wild‘s sequel to Twilight Princess, placing both of the franchise’s most recent games within the established Zelda timeline.

The Zonai Ruins are only one example of the bits of important lore that can be found hiding in plain sight in Breath of the Wild. With the amount of detail woven into every aspect of the game’s design, there’s something new to be found in every playthrough of the game. Even the small bit of context provided by the trailers released for the sequel so far can be illuminated by environmental details that players find by exploring, and with the expanse of BOTW’s open world, it’s impossible to explore the same way twice. A replay is definitely worth it for fans who can’t wait for Breath of the Wild 2’s release date to discover more about The Legend of Zelda’s lore and know a bit more about which details they should be looking out for after the release of the sequel’s trailers.

Breath Of The Wild Has Plenty Of Replay Value Before BOTW 2’s Release Date

Not only does Breath of the Wild promise a new perspective on Hyrule’s history with each run, but the game has a lot of replay value between its hidden details and interesting game mechanics. Breath of the Wild isn’t as story-driven as many previous Zelda games have been. Instead, it integrates its story into the details of the environment, gameplay mechanics, and even its music, often leaving it up to the player to connect the dots for themselves rather than taking them through linear events of a story.

This style of open-world not only complements Breath of the Wild’s serene post-apocalyptic setting but also puts the player completely in control of how they want to play the game. As such, people have discovered that there are plenty of ways to play that keep the game fresh with each playthrough. While some fans use self-imposed limitations like playing with only one type of weapon or doing a classic three-heart run, others may attempt a speedrun or a 100% completion of the game. Playing the game in a new way can definitely help time pass while waiting for BOTW 2‘s release date to become official.

With a wide variety of weapons, combat techniques, armors, and stat-boosting items that players can utilize, there are plenty of new ways to approach the game that players might not have attempted during their first run. Returning to BOTW with the knowledge of its ins and outs, as well as familiarity with many of its areas and mechanics, promises a new experience without much of the early game’s experimentation that people would go through during their first time playing.

For those dedicated to exploration, Breath of the Wild also has the option to turn off the UI, which allows for a more immersive gameplay experience, though potentially much slower. Players must rely on landmarks and environmental details in order to explore Breath of the Wild‘s Hyrule, which will make them pay much closer attention to the game’s design. Additionally, some players opt for an extra challenge by limiting their use of the game’s teleportation function, map, and glider, relying not just on the game’s environmental cues, but the NPC’s directions as well.

Not only does Breath of the Wild offer a massive open-world experience and varied gameplay, but there are plenty of Easter eggs and side objectives that aren’t required to beat the game. There are rare mounts, treasure hunts, and puzzle-filled areas like Eventide Island that players may not have made it to the first time they played the game. Breath of the Wild’s huge amount of content makes the game extremely replayable ahead of BOTW 2‘s release date, not to mention that simply spending time in Hyrule can be a delight in and of itself.

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