Daily Debate: Was Breath Of The Wild’s Cut Hunger Mechanic A Mistake?

In a recent interview with game director Hidemaro Fujibayashi and series producer Eiji Aonuma, the duo commented on how the initial cooking system of Breath of the Wild included a survival mechanic where Link would get progressively more hungry until it became difficult to move. This would then encourage players to cook food and eat in order to restore his maneuverability. Ultimately, this feature was cut from the game and replaced with the healing mechanic in order to make it less of a “chore.”

As a fan of games that include a bit of reality where it makes sense, I must admit, I’m a little sad that this feature was cut from the game. Features like this have experienced a kind of resurgence recently with even a mod for Skyrim that introduced something similar becoming extremely popular. Bethesda then created their own official version of the mod and has released it for their Skyrim: Special Edition. With Breath of the Wild’s focus on open world, exploration, and reinvigorating the adventurous feel of the Zelda series, it seems like this mechanic would’ve felt right at home. Granted, I understand where the developers were coming from concerning making it a chore, but what if they retained the hunger element and added in the healing effect as well? After all, they did include a weapon durability system that could be viewed as just as much of a chore as cooking and eating.

What do you think Zelda fans? Was Breath of the Wild’s cut hunger mechanic a mistake? Should they have included it with some alterations or as is? Let us know in the comments below!