From its specs to its potential launch lineup, the Nintendo Switch 2 has been heavily discussed. The longer this discussion goes on, the more fans expect from the console, as their expectations are left unchecked by Nintendo, which is still yet to even reveal what it looks like. Naturally, fans have begun thinking about what games will be launching for the Switch 2, whether it will get any graphically intensive third-party releases, and what first-party games they should expect.

Many may look to Breath of the Wild as a prime example of a perfect launch title, one that has gone on to sell well over 32 million copies in its lifetime. However, as much as everyone would love to see another groundbreaking release come from Nintendo, it seems highly unlikely that the Switch 2 will get something of that scale and ambition. While the Nintendo Switch 2 is poised to fix the Switch's biggest issues, it likely won't replicate its industry-changing success in quite the same way.

BOTW Was A Groundbreaking Launch Title

It Changed Open World Games Forever

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was such a groundbreaking achievement that completely revolutionized both the gaming industry and open-world game design as a whole. Its launch cemented the Nintendo Switch as a console worth having for both casual and hardcore gamers, introducing those who were used to the cozier side of Nintendo's output to more traditional game design and those who had become fatigued with open worlds to a breath of fresh air. Breath of the Wild is one of the best-reviewed games of all time, and it remains a truly impressive feat to this day.

The many innovations of BOTW have been discussed at length, but most importantly, it changed the way that players and developers approach environmental and open-world design. Rather than littering a map with a plethora of map markers, as had become the trend since the late 2000s, BOTW gave players a world filled with genuinely interesting things that were, at almost all times, visible on the horizon. There was an incentive to go out and explore and a sense of fulfillment from doing so.

Naturally, with the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, players are wondering what kind of exclusives will launch on it, and whether any of them will have quite the same impact that BOTW had. When a developer creates something as truly tremendous as Breath of the Wild, there is a lot of pressure to deliver equally incredible experiences, especially when attempting to sell players on a brand-new console in an era of financial strife. However, living up to those expectations is a futile effort, as the Switch 2 won't have a BOTW moment, and Nintendo has already proven why.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Won't Have A Game Like BOTW At Launch

It Was A Lightning In A Bottle Moment

Tears of the Kingdom was the audacious follow-up to Breath of the Wild, and it, too, had a lot of expectations on it. Not only did it have to deliver an enjoyable and innovative sequel, but it also had to prove that Nintendo understood what made BOTW so great in the first place, and what it needed to improve upon. While, for the most part, Nintendo succeeded on both fronts, TOTK has not left a lasting legacy, at least when compared to its predecessor.

In fact, while Tears of the Kingdom's reviews were generally positive, there was an air of disappointment that, despite all the newfangled gameplay mechanics, it never captured what made the original so special. It lacked its own BOTW moment, and, as a result, has failed to captivate audiences in the same way. It's not fair to say that it won't go on to inspire other developers like BOTW did, as its various innovations are rather spectacular to behold. However, TOTK became more about mechanics and technical creativity rather than atmosphere and exploration, and that's, ultimately, what let it down.

Nintendo's other Zelda title, Echoes of Wisdom, was similarly very good but failed to have as lasting of an impact as BOTW has. In fact, there really hasn't been another Switch game that has had such an immense and industry-altering effect as BOTW. Even within the wider industry, on any platform, the only game that comes as close to BOTW is Elden Ring, and even it was BOTW-inspired. So, it isn't that unreasonable to state that the Nintendo Switch 2, despite its enhanced specifications and new features, will lack that game-changing BOTW moment.

It's Okay That BOTW Was A Lightning In A Bottle Moment

The Switch 2 Doesn't Need An Industry-Changing Game To Succeed

The Nintendo Switch 2 is in a unique position, as it's not revolutionizing the console space like the original Switch did, in large part thanks to the recent boom in PC handhelds saturating the market. With both Xbox and PlayStation reportedly planning handhelds, it's clear that Nintendo is no longer the creative outlier. It may have started the trend, but now it feels like it's chasing it. So, it stands to reason that what will set the Nintendo Switch 2 apart from both its predecessor and its competitors is its exclusives.

Breath of the Wild was a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, and it's okay that the Nintendo Switch 2 will never have something as good.

This was always the case during the early years of the console wars, something that is, thankfully, slowly fading out. However, with Nintendo largely producing games for a specific demographic, a BOTW-style game that caters to both traditional gamers and cozy ones feels like a necessity. So, it's not hard to understand why players feel like the Switch 2 needs its own BOTW moment, a game that completely redefines players' expectations and makes investing in a new console a worthwhile experience.

Yet, despite the immensely creative talent at Nintendo, it doesn't feel like that will happen. Nintendo's Switch games were largely remakes, remasters, or iterative sequels that rarely delivered something that felt truly new. Whether it was the Mario Kart 8 remaster and subsequent DLC, the ultimate Smash experience, the plethora of Mario Party games that eventually got it right with the last entry, or the various Zelda titles that either hearkened back to the classics or attempted to enter the mainstream, Nintendo has proven that it knows how to capitalize on its innovative formula, but not break free from it.

However, that seems to be enough for most players. TOTK performed well critically and commercially, much like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a game that similarly prioritized mechanical innovation over what made the series great in the first place. The Switch 2 doesn't need a BOTW moment to succeed; it just needs more of what Nintendo does best. In many ways, that's fine, as expecting an Elden Ring, BOTW, or Baldur's Gate 3 every time is a futile endeavor. Breath of the Wild was a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, and it's okay that the Nintendo Switch 2 will never have something as good.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube