Everything We Know About “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”

Nintendo revealed the first gameplay trailer for “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” at E3 2016 (as well as around 6 hours of the Treehouse team playing a demo), and the only thing we have to say is “WOW.” The trailer gave us chills and watching all the demo gameplay has revealed layer upon layer about just how complex the the game is going to be. This is the Zelda game we’ve all been waiting for! Here’s everything we know so far.

1. “Breath of the Wild” takes place in a massive open world.
Just look at it. It’s beautiful. It’s huge. It’s Hyrule, sort of. As you’ll notice in the trailer, the kingdom of Hyrule has been destroyed. Why? We’re not sure yet, but we’re sure we’ll find more about the game lore soon. Until then, let’s just be excited about all the amazing things you can do in the game.

From towering cliffs to peaceful fields to fallen ruins and even oceans, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” isn’t just the most gorgeous Zelda game yet, it’s definitely the biggest adventure Nintendo has ever taken us on. Judging just from the trailer you can see that the world goes on for miles and miles, spanning all different types of terrains. You’ll be able to go pretty much anywhere you want, when you want to, even if you’re not quite ready to be there yet. Sure, you’ll probably need to level up before you hit a certain dungeon or take on certain areas, but you can still get a feel for them at any point, letting you know what you’re in for so you can strategize.

Nintendo of America President (and overall best dude ever) Reggie Fils-Amie said “Where you go, how you get there, the order in which you do it, and the items, weapons and approaches used to solve puzzles and defeat enemies are all up to you.”

2. You’ll have to use that massive world to your advantage.
Rather than collecting hearts to replenish your life, you’ll have to forage for food and even learn to to cook. Hungry? Go hunting and then cook up what you catch. Want to see what’s at the top of a cliff? Climb that baby. Need shelter? Craft yourself one. Need a weapon? Steal one from a fallen foe. Want to ride a horse? You’ll have to tame it first. Is it raining? Better make sure your fire doesn’t go out.

Everything you find and collect in the game can be used to your advantage in ways you’ve never experienced before in a Zelda game. Oh, and there’s a paraglider, which is maybe our favorite thing so far. You can literally soar through the skies of Hyrule. And did we mention there’s jumping? For the first time ever, Link will be able to jump!

3. There will be over 100 dungeons in the game.
The game will contain 100+ Shrines of Trials, and you can play them in any order your heart desires. As you’d expect, the ones you’ll find earlier on in the game are definitely a bit easier, but you can access any shrine at any time – it’s all up to you. Getting inside them won’t be easy though, as you’ll have to solve puzzles in order to gain access to the shrines. The shrines themselves are filled with puzzles, traps, and tons of hidden items to find. Oh, and enemies, of course.

4. See those beautiful graphics? They’re inspired by watercolor paintings.
The reason the game looks so gorgeous is because, well, it IS. The designers who worked on “Breath of the Wild” were inspired by watercolor paintings and an art style called en plein air, which literally means “Open Air”. That’s why everything looks and feels so free and breezy and light. It was designed that way, and it works really well with how much landscape and nature is in the game. It’s also heavily inspired by classic Japanese animation styles.

5. There’s a few different outfits Link can wear, each with a different purpose.
If it’s hot out, you’ll want to don your lighter lighter clothing so you don’t overheat. Cold? Put on something heavier so the poor kid doesn’t freeze. The weather plays a factor in this game and so do the day and night cycles, so you’ll always need to be aware of your surroundings. We even saw a suit of armor during one of the demos. Pretty cool.

6. In this game, Link will have a tablet device called a Sheikah Slate.
This device will hang from Link’s belt, where you can access it at any time. The Sheikah Slate contains a map, so you can always know where you are and where you’re headed. It will also help Link craft things like bombs, magnets and other useful items.

7. Three new amiibo will be released.
Archer Link, Rider Link, and a Guardian amiibo will all be available in 2017, likely on the same day the game is released. When tapped on the Gamepad, the Archer Link amiibo will give Link a bow and arrow and the Rider Link amiibo will give Link a horse. We’re not sure what the Guardian amiibo does just yet, but we do know it’s one of the enemies in the game and the very first amiibo to have moveable parts. Watch this video to see an up close look at the new amiibo.
If you have a Wolf Link amiibo, you can import the character into the game and it will stay by Link’s side until it’s defeated. After you lose Wolf Link, you’ll have to wait 24 hours to add him back in. The wolf character will help you with hunting, battling, and can even sense things Link can’t.

Sadly there’s no release date yet, but since this game will be available on the NX, it’s only a matter of time before we find out when. The NX is set for a 2017 release and will have it’s own Nintendo Direct announcement sometime later this year. “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” is set to be one of the release titles for the NX, and will also be available on WiiU.