Daily Debate: Did Breath of the Wild Set Up Future Zelda Games for Failure?

Let’s play devil’s advocate. Breath of the Wild was indeed one of the most monumental Zelda games in recent history. It shattered sales records and scored top on review charts. With such an excellent and near perfect game, is there a chance that the franchise may now actually be in danger?

Hindsight is always 20/20 and I’m sure this debate topic will not age well in about 10 years. But when games like Breath of the Wild come along, I always wonder: how will Nintendo ever top this? I’m sure we’ve all felt this feeling before, especially with games like Mario Galaxy (and then along came Mario Galaxy 2). The sheer detail and magnificence of Breath of the Wild captures so much more than just a traditional game in the Zelda series. The game carried an air of serenity with the waves of lush grass and vivid landscapes filled with wildlife. I felt I could get lost in the hills, valleys, and rivers of Hyrule, wondering all the while if any other player had “found” this unique area in the game.

This sense of mystery and discovery was deeply incorporated into the arteries and veins of Breath of the Wild. But now, I am hesitant if Nintendo can recreate this surprise of exploration again in games beyond Breath of the Wild (and Tears of the Kingdom). 

So I challenge our community to ponder this question: Was Breath of the Wild so good that it sets the bar a bit unreachable for games beyond this specific era in Hyrule’s history? Leave your thoughts below!

Sid

Blogger with a dog