After several years of knowing naught about the new Zelda game, Nintendo finally
showed off The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild during E3 2016, giving fans a
look at the game in motion. It wasn't only a thirty second trailer or brief gameplay
demo.
We were treated to over five hours of the game's open-world venture. In that time,
we got plenty of info on how Breath of the Wild's new gameplay mechanics break
the traditionalistic customs of the Zelda franchise. Here's ten things Link can do in the Breath of the Wild.
Swap Clothes
Speaking of breaking customs, not a single moment has Link been shown wearing his traditional green tunic and pointy hat, but there's a valid explanation for the wardrobe change. Breath of the Wild includes a loot scheme that allows Link to gather different
sets of clothing and equipment.
It seems that everything from dirty torn rags to full suits of plate armour can be found
in the world and equipped for improved stats. Link's power will be largely determined
by what you're wearing and which weapons you have equipped.
Pick up Weapons
Traditional Zelda weapons like bombs, bow, sword and shield return but not in
the conventional way. Your swords, shields, and bows come in a wide variety
that can be obtained by taking down enemies or stealing from treasure chests.
So you won't be given a specialized shield or pull a fabled blade out of a supernatural
pedestal to be used throughout the entire game. Rather, you'll have to regularly switch around your weapons, because sooner or later they'll wear down and break.
Slow-mo Mode
Link can activate Flurry Rush mode whenever he successfully executes a perfect dodge. When this occurs, everything around Link becomes slow-mo, giving him the opportunity to perform rapid attacks that do great damage .
Link can also trigger off the slow-motion mode by leaping into the air and aiming his bow, much like what appeared in the early demo with Link vaulting off his horse. This unique aiming ability gives players loads of time to line up a shot before falling back down on
the ground.
Cook Meals
Before you venture into the massive field on a grand escapade, it's a keen idea to
be prepared. Link is no longer able to collect floating hearts, rupees, and other items
by slicing grass. Alternatively, he actually has to consume food to recover health
and exchange items for money, putting a restraint on his hardened landscaping skills.
In order to obtain powerful healing items, you'll have to find ingredients like animal flesh, vegetables and even bugs, then roast them over a fire to create health-refilling meals,
stat-raising elixirs or spicy nutrients that make you exempt to the game's freezing
weather conditions.
Explore Shrines
It wouldn't be Zelda without puzzle-filled labyrinths. In Breath of the Wild there are ample sized dungeons overflowing with puzzles, enemies and bosses, but besides this there's also smaller dungeons called Shrines.
Entering a Shrine from the main world will transport you to a Sheikah trial created by one of the mystical order monks. Fundamentally, the early shrines are a fanciful way of teaching you the basic fundamentals of the game, without all those prolonged speech bubbles.
Use An Tablet…Sort Of
Link obtains a new device called the Sheikah Slate. It’s evidently not an tablet, but Zelda's producer Eiji Aonuma has defined it as a kind of technology and suggested that technology is the replacement to magic in terms of importance and relevancy.
In terms of gameplay, the Sheikah Slate is where Link will handle and seek out his inventory, world map and quests. From a thematic outlook however, the enmity between technology and nature looks to be a crucial theme to Breath of the Wild.
Manipulate fire
From starting camp fires to setting things on fire, Breath of the Wild serves up a ton
of the hot stuff. Link can set alight grass and watch gusts of wind spread the flames
towards explosive barrels, which go out with a bang.
Fire is also a pretty useful technique in dealing with and defending yourself against relentless enemies. Like previous games, flames can interact with certain weapons
in your inventory like bows and bombs. You also can burn down wooden doors
which block the entry to hidden areas in the game.
Climb Almost Anything
Nintendo has taken another leaf out of Ubisoft's notebook by adding a robust climbing system to Breath of the Wild. Just like Assassin’s Creed, this means that if it isn't level
and smooth, Link can climb it. So buildings and mountainsides can be climbed onto.
Still, it must also be known that climbing consumes your green stamina bar, so you won't be able to do it indefinitely. As stated Link can scale just about any unsmooth surface in the game, and that also applies to enemies.
Sneak Around
Previous Zelda games allowed you to sneak around, but Breath of the Wild takes it to a whole another level. For instance, you’ll want to conceal yourself in grass and crouch-walk to take out enemies/animals by surprise. The game also gives you a one-button kill opportunity when an unmindful creature is standing beside you.
As for enemy AI, they’ll promptly rush for their weapons when you intrude on their camp (no mysteriously poofing weapons out of thin air here). If they don’t have access to
weapons then they’ll toss stones/rocks at you or just use their hands for close range combat.
Beat The Game Without Playing It's Story.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild includes a monolithic open world that is just waiting to be explored in a number of different ways. Eiji Aonuma confirmed that players can reach the game's end content without experiencing BOTW's integral story.
Aonuma also said that players will have the chance to take on the game's final boss instantly after the opening cutscene, but was sure to point out that he doesn't commend
this method to players looking for the overall best experience.
