Remember that time in 2019 when Eiji Aonuma mentioned the sequel to Breath of the Wild will be darker than Majora’s Mask? Well, we now have more clarification. After the E3 Nintendo Direct earlier this week, Nintendo Treehouse hosts Nate Bihldorff and Bill Trinen took time to talk about the exciting sequel with IGN reporters in an interview.
Zelda fans have a knack for being serious theorizers, and of course, the Breath of the Wild sequel is among the hottest topics. Some fans have even surmised that it may directly connect with the Majora’s Mask narrative. Given what little information we have on the sequel, that connection is certainly natural. But according to Trinen, a direct correlation with Majora’s Mask is not a truly accurate depiction.
“I would say it’s an easy comparison or conclusion to jump to at this point in time, just given what’s been shown so far and given the nature of it being a direct sequel. So I understand people making that conclusion,” Trinen clarified. “But at the same time—and I don’t want to delve too much into it—but this is its own game.”
Trinen continued to emphasize how the sequel to Breath of the Wild is a unique title in its own right. The game is so unique, in fact, that Nintendo already has a title for it but decided to not announce it just yet because of its connections with the unique plot. For now, Trinen says, it’s perfectly fine to continue calling it “Breath of the Wild 2” as a shorthand placer.
Indeed, it appears that the Breath of the Wild sequel is already an extraordinary exclusive. Normally, sequels in the Zelda series feature our hero Link saving bizarre parallel worlds in one-off adventures, never to visit them again. But not this time around. Here, we see a direct sequel unlike any other—a continuation of the Hyrule in Breath of the Wild, Link and Zelda venturing together, and a dangerous foe who most fans believe is Ganondorf rising from his last great defeat. No Zelda sequel has ever done that before. The closest likening to it would probably be The Wind Waker, an original title proper that picked up close to where Ocarina of Time left off. In spite of its colorful, cheery graphics, The Wind Waker had harrowing moments that even made players jump out of their seats. It is also heralded as having one of the strongest Zelda plots in the entire series.
Trinen also noted that as more of the Breath of the Wild sequel is revealed leading to its release, the more apparent its unique features will be. If that’s true, we may not have to wait as long as we thought for more info about this remarkable title that might be the darkest Zelda yet. More was discussed in the full interview with IGN, including Trinen’s thoughts on how this new installment builds on Breath of the Wild’s existing features.
Fasten your theorizing seatbelts, folks. We may be in for a real treat—and one banger of an emotional roller coaster ride.
