In a strange turn of events, the controversially priced Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Both the Zelda games – Switch 2 versions only – will offer the Nintendo-equivalent of achievements (on Xbox and Steam) and trophies (on PlayStation), but the feature is not being implemented in the way most people would think.

According to VGC, the Switch 2 versions of both Zelda games will get "achievement" in the form of an update to the Nintendo Switch App, called Zelda Notes. This is a game-specific service that can help players navigate Hyrule and find hidden Shrines and will also feature commentary from Zelda herself that was not part of the original game. The achievements will track things like weapons collected, the number of shrines completed, and other in-game metrics. Another achievement system, medals, will be awarded for reaching certain in-game milestones.

Breath Of The Wild And Tears Of The Kingdom Have “Achievements” On An App

Not The Traditional Achievement Experience

The Switch 2, along with Nintendo's ecosystem as a whole, is continuing to break away from what many would call a more traditional experience with its "achievement" system being limited to an app and only for the Zelda games. Achievements have been long-requested for the Nintendo consoles, giving s goals in their games to accomplish, with a lot of people becoming "achievement hunters," aiming to accomplish as many achievements as possible. Some of the BOTW and TOTK achievements include traveling a great distance across the map, defeating enemies, and collecting a certain amount of rupees.

This experience on the Switch 2 is exclusively for the Zelda Notes update to the Nintendo Switch App, and while it does have some features players will find neat, like being able to track achievements against their friends, it may also leave a lot to be desired, especially with its competition.

Nintendo Still Seems Resistant To Traditional Achievement Systems

This Is Not What Was Expected

Needless to say, the achievement features are quite popular on PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam. But with Nintendo's equivalent being exclusive to an app and only to the two Zelda games, it seems Nintendo is quite resistant to an official achievement system, similar to other consoles and PC. Nintendo seems to be going its own way with the Switch 2, and with games like Mario Kart World costing $80, achievements may not be the first thing on fans' minds right now.

Still, this is a step in the right direction (albeit a small one) for fans of achievements, so if it is well-received and the fan-demand is there, it's possible the Nintendo Switch 2 may see more games get an "achievement" feature in the future.

Source: VGC