There are still several months before the May 12, 2023, release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Aside from this, little is known about the new game, leaving fans to speculate about how gameplay and story will have been improved from the previous installment of the franchise.
Of course, waiting for a direct sequel has made many fans return to Breath of the Wild for a replay, but this is easier said than done given the game's massive size. It might be fun to revisit the story or start the game with a little more experience, but this also means letting go of previous progress. From being reduced back to simple, fragile weapons to having to fill the map in all over again, there are several harsh realities gamers should be aware of before restarting Breath of the Wild.
The Fragile Weapons In Breath Of The Wild Are More Frustrating
Breath of the Wild introduced a new feature that was largely unpopular with die-hard fans: breakable weapons. Just as players finally find a decent sword to use (instead of just beating monsters with sticks), it would shatter, leaving them to have to search for another one.
After some time, players could collect far more durable tools, but the early-game weapons in Breath of the Wild could only be used on an enemy or two before they would break. So, if players start the game over, they will have to get themselves used to infuriatingly fragile swords and bows again.
Starting Over Searching For Korok Seeds Is Overwhelming
Throughout Breath of the Wild's massive map are 900 little Koroks who can be found by solving various puzzles. Once the little sprites have revealed themselves, they will give Link a seed that can be traded in to gain more inventory space for weapons and armor.
Some gamers casually find these seeds as they explore Hyrule, but others make it their mission to get every one of them. Either way, it can be overwhelming to start from the beginning. To make matters worse, starting the game over means that players are back to their basic storage allowance, which is quite an inconvenience when trying to collect durable weapons.
Exploration In Breath Of The Wild No Longer Seems Limitless
Breath of the Wild was revolutionary for open-world gaming. Nintendo had stretched the limits of in-game exploration so if something could feasibly be climbed or explored in real life, it could be done in the game— no more glitchy mountain slopes or invisible barriers.
This was an exciting concept when the game was first released, but as players explored, they realized that there were still only a limited number of things that they could find. Such a vast map would have been challenging to fill with unique monsters, items, and landscapes. So, when restarting the game with realistic expectations, the game is suddenly missing that "limitless" feel.
Minigames Have Poor Replayability Compared To Other Zelda Games
Past Zelda games like Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time had nearly countless minigames on which players could waste hours. The real benefit to these was the prizes, which could be anything from great riches to Link's trusty steed, Epona.
While Breath of the Wild had plenty of minigames and sidequests, there wasn't much motivation to replay or perfect them. The ability to forage ingredients for food, elixirs, or armor enhancements meant that the prizes offered for games and quests were far less valuable and, therefore hardly worth the effort.
Bosses Or Larger Zelda Enemies Are Too Easy To Master
The benefit of replaying other Zelda games is the chance to once again face off with difficult dungeon bosses. This allows players to hone their skills until they can take the beasts down with minimal effort. However, since there were no official dungeons in Breath of the Wild, there were few unique enemies to master.
The Divine Beasts each had a version of Ganon to fight, but these were nowhere near the challenge Zelda fans were used to in a boss. The more challenging monsters were Lynels and Guardian Scouts, but since these covered the whole map, gamers were already bored of them by the time they started a replay.
Refilling The Map Of Hyrule Is A Major Inconvenience
Once players have visited all the towers in Hyrule, they will have a map filled in with some convenient locations to fast travel to. Then, once a majority of the Shrines have been discovered and more fast travel locations unlocked, it nearly becomes unnecessary for Link to travel anywhere manually.
This means that gamers must once again travel everywhere on foot when they start over with a blank map. This was fine when they first played the game since the beautiful sights of Hyrule were brand new. Now, it will just feel like a significant inconvenience.
The Rewards Are Not Worth The Effort In Breath Of The Wild
As Link discovers more fantastic and durable weapons, regular items lose their appeal. This means that beating a whole gaggle of enemies just to get a simple bow out of a treasure chest is a significant letdown by the end of the game.
Since these enemy "fortresses" are essentially just copied and pasted throughout the map, they eventually become frustrating to run into. When restarting the game, these easier monsters are useful for restocking monster parts or basic weapons, but they will quickly become a a neusance all over again.
The Breath Of The Wild Story Is Uninteresting When Replaying
Breath of the Wild is summed up by it's open-world concept and industry changing mechanics, but in the area of story, many fans were left wanting more. While it was exciting to see Princess Zelda play a more prevalent part, the out-of-order story itself just didn't add up to previous games.
The stories in Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess are complex enough that players notice new details every time they play. However, since Breath of the Wild's story took a back seat to game play, there just wasn't enough there to make it interesting a second time through.
The Lack Of Unique Zelda-Like Items Is Even More Noticeable
Traditional Zelda games award players with a unique item for most dungeons that they play. The item will often be the main tool for solving puzzles within that dungeon, and will also give players more opportunities outside of the dungeon (like using the hookshot to reach previously unreachable locations).
Breath of the Wild switched this up by giving players Runes near the start of the game. Like dungeon items, these are the main tools used to solve puzzles within Shrines. However, since these are so much more limited and players get access to them so early in the game, they aren't nearly as fun to unlock a second time through.
The Shrines In Breath Of The Wild Are Even Less Satisfying
Traditional large, unique, and sometimes scary Legend of Zelda dungeons were replaced in Breath of the Wild by Shrines containing bite-sized puzzles or mini bosses. These provided a variety of new ways to have adventures, and the low structure of the puzzles meant that there were several different ways that a single puzzle could be solved.
Still, since there are so many and they tend to be quick to finish, Shrines are typically easy to forget. In past games, Zelda fans might pick a favorite temple that they enjoy beating over and over again, and they can argue with fellow fans about which is the best. In Breath of the Wild, however, replaying Shrines isn't nearly as fun since players are more likely to immediately forget about them, even after a second time.
