Daily Debate: Would You Have Cut Anything from Breath of the Wild?
Posted on August 09 2017 by Rod Lloyd
There is no denying that Breath of the Wild is a massive game, touting more geographical real estate than any other game in the series and offering enough quests for even the most exploration-focused player. If one was to set out to see all there is to see in those Hyrulian wilds, he or she will find a daunting task indeed. But with all there is to explore and do in Breath of the Wild, was there anything that should have been left on the cutting room floor?
For all the most dedicated Zelda completionists among us, there probably aren’t many things they would point to as superfluous in the Breath of the Wild experience. To them, everything in the game had a role and a place. Granted, I would agree that every feature and collectible was important to Link’s latest quest, but I would also argue that removing a handful of them would have made the game more streamlined.
For example, I believe that there were just too many Korok Seeds scattered around Hyrule. The collectibles did serve an important purpose in encouraging and rewarding exploration, as well as making the game’s gargantuan map more plentiful with secrets. But I also admit that considering the sheer amount of such things to find left me more overwhelmed than in awe of the environment. They seemed to be counter-productive to exploration near the end of my playthrough, especially considering my issues with anxiety.
Some players may feel that Breath of the Wild‘s map was just too big, leading to various pacing issues throughout the adventure. Others may feel that certain gameplay elements like the Hyrule Compendium were too underdeveloped to justify their inclusion. And others still would rather see divisive features like weapon durability removed entirely.
But what are your thoughts? Was there anything in Breath of the Wild that you would have cut? Were you satisfied with everything in the game? Let us know, and join the Daily Debate!
Rod Lloyd is the Editor-In-Chief at Zelda Dungeon, overseeing the news and feature content for the site. Rod is considered the veteran of the writing team, having started writing for Zelda Informer in 2014 as a Junior Editor. After ZD and ZI officially merged in 2017, he stepped into the Managing Editor role and has helped steer the ship ever since. He stepped up to lead the writing team as Editor-In-Chief in 2023.
You can reach Rod at: rod.lloyd@zeldadungeon.net
