Daily Debate: In Breath of the Wild 2, Would You Prefer To Control Zelda Alone, Or As An A.I. Companion?

Every day, I find myself hoping Nintendo will drop little tidbits of information regarding Breath of the Wild 2. Unfortunately, since its announcement at E3 2019, all we have are rumors and conjecture. Here’s what we DO know: Ganondorf was sealed away below Hyrule; Link and Zelda are exploring some sort of underground cavern system together; the game will serve as a direct sequel. Anything beyond that is all speculation, and our imaginations are left to run wild.

It certainly appears as though Zelda will be a playable character, in some way. If that is the case, the most likely scenario would be co-operative play. Let’s think outside the box, though. Once the game officially launches, would you prefer to play the entire game as Zelda alone, or have her serve as an A.I. controlled partner for Link?

Both options feel quite compelling for me. On one hand, we haven’t had a main-series Zelda game where we play as the titular princess. In fact, the only games where that is an option are spin-offs (Cadence of Hyrule and Hyrule Warriors) or the infamous CD-i games (Wand of Gamelon and Zelda’s Adventure). For over thirty years, the Zelda games have been a single-player affair without allowing us to control our princess. Zelda is due for her very own adventure, and now seems as good a time as any.

An A.I. controlled partner is not a bad idea, in theory, as long as the programming is done correctly. The series has always revolved around the relationship between Link, Zelda, and Ganon/dorf. In that case, having the heroes work in tandem makes sense. Nintendo’s challenge would revolve around the puzzles and combat. Puzzles would need to be challenging but accessible. We would need to make use of both characters, having a challenge similar to what fans have come to expect. Combat would be a bigger challenge, making sure both characters prove useful without distracting from the flow of traditional Zelda combat.

Between these two options, I would rather see an adventure where we control Zelda alone. Outside of the companions Link has traveled with since Ocarina of Time, the series has always maintained a single-player scheme. With Zelda coming in to her own power at the end of Breath of the Wild, now seems like the perfect time to feature our heroine as the lead protagonist.

Do You Hope To Be Able To Control Zelda at all In Breath of The Wild 2? Do you think we’ll see the game again around “E3 time?” Let us know in the comments!