Hyrule Castle from Zelda fans in Animal Crossing and other building games. However, BOTW 2 will need to change Hyrule Castle from the first game's design.
Because of this location's significance in the larger gaming mythos, many fans may have expected more from its appearance in Breath of the Wild. Many previous Zelda titles have used this castle to great effect, making it the setting for various puzzles, major story beats, or unique bits of side content. Breath of the Wild's implementation of Hyrule Castle is comparably pared down and mostly optional, which feels like a missed opportunity and an underwhelming use of such an important location.
When Breath of the Wild's sequel launches next year, there are several ways they can revitalize this location and make it worthy of standing amongst some of its best iterations, including the debatably useless Hyrule Castle of Ocarina of Time. To do this, Breath of the Wild 2 needs to avoid some of the pitfalls of its predecessor and take notes from previous Hyrule Castles. At the same time, there should be a way to implement a cool, memorable, new version of this iconic location without betraying the spirit of Breath of the Wild.
What BOTW 2's Hyrule Castle Should Avoid
The Hyrule Castle that players can explore in Breath of the Wild is quite interesting from a visual standpoint. Unfortunately, the castle has fallen into disrepair following the apocalyptic events brought about by Calamity Ganon. Because of this, the castle, while retaining much of its regality and opulence, is mostly a shell of its former self.
Breath of the Wild 2 can give players a glimpse into what this castle was like before the Calamity, offering opportunities to explore the space, converse with friendly NPCs, and complete side content, expanding the list of side quests found in BOTW. BOTW 2 can accomplish this through some form of time travel, or through Link's memories. Breath of the Wild had an extensive questline relating to Link uncovering all his old memories, which would play as cutscenes. BOTW 2 could have a similar questline, but these segments would be playable.
However Breath of the Wild 2 brings players back to a pre-Calamity Hyrule Castle, it would open the doors to a bevy of unique possibilities from both a gameplay and narrative perspective. If BOTW 2 can offer a more impactful and memorable Hyrule Castle, it would not only be a nice piece of fan service but would serve to better the worldbuilding as a whole. And as long as it doesn't retread too much of the territory seen in Age of Calamity, it could work. When it comes to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 the gaming community knows surprisingly little, so fans of the franchise will have to wait until more light is shed on the next version of Hyrule Castle.
