ZELDA sequel: Absolutely everything on the next Zelda game – release date, graphics, rumours, Nintendo Switch, Wii U version and more
A Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel is in development – so it won’t be long before Link kicks off another adventure on Nintendo Switch.
We’ve pulled together everything we know about it – from release date, to graphics, gameplay changes and much more.
Let’s get started.
The new Zelda game will use the same engine as Breath of the Wild
A new game is coming, right?
Yes. Nintendo producer Eiji Aonuma recently confirmed that a new Zelda game is in production.
Game director Hidemaro Fujibayashi also told IGN: “I can’t say at this point if it will be in sequels or in continuations, or what form it will take, but I definitely have lots of ideas and lots of motivation right now.
Zelda looked stunning on the switch but was arguably held back by the Wii U
“I think while we were working on both the main game and the DLC, it was a process of constantly getting lots of different, new ideas as we refined the game, and finding new things we wanted to do. Even in situations like this, talking to people and finding out that people want to pet dogs gives me a lot of motivation, a lot of ideas for things we could put into the game.”
Anything else we should know?
Speaking to IGN, Aonuma gave a firm answer when it came to how the team want to deal with Link games in the future.
“You know, I can’t speak to what other people, other companies will do in their own games, but I think for me, especially just in terms of the Zelda series, the incredible freedom that this game offers you and how well that’s been received…to me, it means that freedom, that level of freedom is something that needs to be maintained in Zelda games going forward,” Aonuma said.
“My eyes have been opened to how important that is.
“So one of the things that we definitely consider is that we always wanted to make sure the player could understand what their challenges or what their hurdle is.
“We always wanted to make sure the challenge could be challenged. So we always wanted to make a linear way of [overcoming] a hurdle.”
If the sequel is on the Switch it will likely have similar graphics to Breath of the Wild
Why there will almost definitely be a new Zelda game next year
A new Zelda has been released at least every two years since 1998.
As Breath of the Wild came out in 2017 we will almost certainly see a Zelda game come out in 2019.
Whether this will be on the 3DS as the last instalment was more lavish we are yet to see.
Will this be another full fat game or a smaller project, like ‘A Link Between Worlds’?
There’s always a chance the “next Legend of Zelda” Aonuma was referring to was smaller project – perhaps something for the Nintendo 3DS.
Alternatively, it could form a ‘add-on’, much in the same way as A Link Between Worlds or TriForce Heroe
Will it be open world?
Yep – Nintendo won’t want to mess about too much after the success of the last one.
It will likely keep the same rough layout for Hyrule from Breath of the Wild.
the fans really want the sequel to go back to Hyrule largely due to the trains, planes and the modern fantastical feel the land has.
Where and when will it take place?
Hyrule, most probably set after Breath of the Wild.
You’ll be able to ride horses and other animals in the next game
How much will it cost?
A lot of the game would be rebuilt with similar assets, which could well bring the cost down.
But then, why would they flog it for less when they know it’ll make tons of money?
So, does that mean graphically it’ll look the same?
Most definitely – it’ll still have the cartoony, cell-shaded look – but will probably just be more refined and detailed.
One point to note is that the last game was developed with the Wii U in mind, which may have held back the visuals somewhat.
We’re almost certain there will be no Wii U version for the next Zelda game.
Making camps and searching for items will once again form a big part of the game
What’s going to happen with Breath of the Wild?
Two expansions have been released so far, including the Master Trials and the Champions’ Ballad.
“The world of Hyrule, which we created for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is so large and vibrant that we wanted to offer more for players to experience within it,” said Aonuma. “With this new Expansion Pass, we hope that fans will play, explore and enjoy the game even more.”
There’s even a new update that’s just been released, which fixes a load of bugs and smooths out the gameplay experience.
When it comes to new quests and DLC proper, though, Aonuma has confirmed that BOTW won’t be receiving additional content – possibly as they’re focusing efforts towards the next game?
We’ll be updating this piece with new information every day – so stay tuned!
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