Breath of the Wild 2 Could Show Nintendo Was Right to Not Give Up On Skyward Sword

gamerant.com:

Though many game franchises stick rigidly to a formula, The Legend of Zelda has never been afraid to go in bold new directions, from the 2D sidescrolling of Zelda 2 to the motion-controls of 2011's Skyward Sword. Link's adventures across Hyrule and beyond have been delivered using plenty of different mechanics and control schemes, wrapped in unique art styles each time, and fans are never quite sure where the series will go next. Many say Skyward Sword's unique design was a bridge too far, but the upcoming sequel to 2017's Breath of the Wild could give it a sorely needed redemption.

Skyward Sword's Nintendo Switch port brought a number of quality-of-life changes in 2021: Gameplay was refined, textures updated, and the often criticized motion controls were dampened to better suit the Switch hardware. It was a significant step to rehabilitating Skyward Sword's reputation, and Nintendo seems to be taking some cues from the Wii's only exclusive mainline Zelda title with Breath of the Wild 2. It's apparent that the company is not willing to give up on the game, and the upcoming release could be a chance to prove it correct.

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The yet-untitled Breath of the Wild sequel may be more narrative heavy, with developers having discussed Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2 as a possible influence. Not only would this improve one of the few drawbacks of Breath of the Wild, but it also plays to the strengths of Nintendo's background, as Skyward Sword has arguably the best story in the series to date. The 2017 Zelda title feels cryptic in comparison, and merging the strengths of the two would give Skyward Sword a more legacy that it deserves.

As was apparent from the E3 2019