There's a good reason the Switch's memorable launch title, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has become the best-selling Zelda game of all time—it's just that excellent. Naturally, millions of Zelda fans were overjoyed when Nintendo snuck in their surprise announcement of a sequel during its 2019 E3 showcase. This follow-up looks to take on something of a more darkly-tinged motif more akin to Majora's Mask. The epic E3 trailer shows Zelda and Link gazing into a vortex of darkness revealing what appears to be a zombified Gannon.
This teaser has already invoked the imagination of many fans, endlessly speculating about this sequel's potential. And while it'll be tough to top the epic nature of the original, there are still some areas in which BoTW2 can improve upon. This list will venture into the deep, lush reaches of Hyrule and cover ten key things many fans hope to see in this epic sequel.
Updated August 1, 2021, by Stephen LaGioia: After nearly two years, little more is known about Nintendo's anticipated sequel to the sprawling Switch adventure, Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Most details revealed since the initial announcement comes in the form of a brief, yet action-packed teaser from Nintendo's Direct presentation of E3 2021.
Despite being well under two minutes, the trailer teased a few eyebrow-raising tidbits, such as some Skyward-sword-esque floating islands. It also showcased what seem to be a few new abilities and weapons, including the power to pass through a platform—and blast foes with a flaming arm cannon. This new unveiling has spurred the imagination and inspired the refreshing and expansion of this list.
14 Wider Selection Of Weapons And Equipment
There is no shortage of weapons to be had in the original Breath of the Wild. Still, given the massive scope of this epic adventure—which will likely be eclipsed by the sequel—it would certainly make sense to include an expanded lineup.
A more diverse palette of weapons more in line with the darker, sci-fi bent that seems to be more present in this sequel would surely be welcomed. The trailer did tease at least one awesome new addition; a fire-breathing arm contraption that seems to resemble a flamethrower.
While some purists may cry foul, many fans would likely revel in playing with an arsenal of weapons that expand beyond bows, swords, spears, and other blunt objects. This applies to armor and shields as well; various additions could come with perks, magic, or other augmentations for Link.
13 Clearer And More In-Depth Storytelling
One universal quality that most have picked up from the teaser footage released thus far is the sequel's darker, more ominous look and feel. This would seem to imply a deeper, more emotional core this time around; all the more reason to put more emphasis on the narrative elements this time.
The original Breath of the Wild did offer subtle glimpses into the plot, but largely had the narrative take a backseat to the player's own experiences and discoveries. While this could still work going forward, some clearer, more detailed storytelling would also likely benefit this climactic sequel.
While Age of Calamity revealed some more backstory, fans would surely yearn to know more about Calamity Ganon and the catastrophe that led to this near-apocalyptic setting. This could come in the form of readable artifacts or other collectibles, which could uncover more and more of this cryptic tale.
12 Floating Islands And Air Traversal
One of the many thrilling glimpses in the latest trailer showed Link soaring through the skies towards a cluster of floating islands. This naturally invoked Skyward Sword comparisons by fans, many of whom were giddy by the notion of a return to this exhilarating (and convenient) air travel.
While Breath of the Wild 2 will surely continue to harp vast open-worlds to its benefit, the trailer definitely spurs the imagination with regard to these majestic sky islands. Being segmented landmasses, each of them could come with their own unique foes, wildlife, and other environmental trails.
11
New Abilities 
Being the fantasy adventure that it is, one would think that its chief protagonist would be able to wield more than a handful of abilities (Rune and Divine Beasts). At the very least, alterations and expansions on powers like Magnesis and Cryonis would make for fun additions for the purpose of combat, puzzles, and exploration.
The trailer did tease something like this, with a brief scene of Link using a super-powered Magnesis move to steamroll a Moblin with a spiked ball. It also showed a glimpse of the hero seemingly teleporting through the bottom of a platform and instantly emerging on the top.
Features like this should surely add a new dimension and entertaining twist on the formula.
10 Repairable Weapons
One of the biggest criticisms BoTW received is the frequency of breakable weapons. For a game that leans so heavily on combat, it was bizarre and a bit frustrating to have the sword or bow you've learned to love just implode on you after five minutes of using it.
While it might feel a tad cheap and simplistic for the sequel to remove this feature entirely, Nintendo may be well served to implement a weapon repairing feature in a similar vein as Skyrim. Perhaps you could even upgrade them over time to improve their strength and durability. This way players can hang on to their preferred weapons rather than constantly nabbing new ones. Something outside of the odd Rock Octorok polishing of Rusty gear would be ideal.
9 More Enemy Varieties
While the latest Zelda entry featured some dynamic enemies that were fun to take down, there certainly could have been more variety. There isn't a ton of diversity in the hostile creatures beyond varieties of Moblins, Octoroks, and pesky Guardians.
Not only didn't we see many new baddies, but even many from previous entries were also missing in BoTW. How about the return of Like-Likes, Baba Plants, or Redeads? This would make the already enjoyable combat even more interesting.
It seems that quantity was somewhat sacrificed for quality on this front, with the dynamic open-world and smarter AI. Hopefully with the sequel—and their increased time and experience working with the new engine — Nintendo will be able to give more of both.
Based on the latest trailer, there does at least seem to be an effort in adding depth and unique twists on existing foes, as shown by the Stone Talus holding a platform of Moblins.
8 A Richer Soundtrack
On one level, it makes sense that Nintendo would emphasize a more stripped-down, borderline ambient soundtrack for Breath of the Wild. After all, this simplicity complements the desolate, ruined feel of a post-apocalyptic Hyrule.
But as the sequel will take place during a time when Hyrule will likely be rebuilding from Calamity Gannon's destruction, hopefully, we'll get a richer, more melodic soundtrack to follow. After all, much of this iconic fantasy series' charm lies in its gorgeous classical melodies.
7 More Emphasis On Action
BoTW's open-world elements and freedom in the gameplay was a step in the right direction for many in returning to the series' exploration-based roots.
But while the game had dialed back the more linear, puzzle-based elements, classic Zelda's other core trait - arcade-style action - was a bit lacking. Even many of the enemies - and particularly the bosses -- often have puzzle-like gimmicks that you need to work around to defeat.
It'd be nice to see this sequel embrace more undiluted fast-paced action that's at least somewhat closer to, say, Hyrule Warriors.
6 Retro Graphics Mode
This one may seem a bit unorthodox - but since a similar fantasy epic which is soon to release on Switch, Dragon Quest XI S, has the ability to switch to 16-bit graphics, why not Zelda? The series, like Dragon Quest, is a long-running franchise that traces back to the 1980s.
Thus, it'd be cool to be able to change the graphics and art style to adhere to the game's retro sensibilities with an overlay of 16-bit or even 8-bit pixel art. This would likely be well received by the retro fans of the Switch. On top of this, a simplistic, top-down display of retro graphics would mesh well with the smaller handheld screen of the Switch.
5 More Developed Hyrule
The vast, wondrous nature of BoTW's ruined landscapes and decimated buildings of Hyrule truly made for a gripping experience in its own way. It invited players to explore while invoking a tinge of eeriness.
At the same time, it would be a welcomed addition to see a more fleshed-out and detailed version of these lands. After the defeat of Calamity Gannon and the inevitable rebuilding of Hyrule, perhaps we could see more developed and even industrialized areas. The ominous trailer scene of the large Hyrule castle rising from the ground certainly invokes the imagination when it comes to fantastical new regions.
4 A Co-Op Companion For Link
Obviously, the Zelda series has never been known for its multiplayer features - but there's a first time for everything, right? If Nintendo truly wants to make this sequel stand out, rather than feel akin to "BoTW 1.5," a major addition could be some sort of co-op feature.
Venturing around with another player - perhaps a Midna-type, or even Zelda herself - could add an interesting new dynamic. Even if your companion played a lesser role, it'd still be great to have another player get involved in some fashion.
3 More Activities In Villages
Again, this ties in with the post-apocalyptic, desolate nature of Breath of the Wild's version of Hyrule, but it'd be nice to have villages and cities that were larger and "busier."
There could perhaps be a wider variety of things to do, like more sidequests, minigames, and more elaborate upgrades provided by town NPCs. Bustling, elaborate towns more in the vein of Kakariko Village and Goron City would add some more character to the experience. Many areas in the wilderness could do with a bit more filling out as well.
2 More Interesting Bosses
Sure, you had the massive Divine Beasts, and the "minibosses" in the form of Lynels, Stone Taluses, and a few others. Yet, seeing as this sequel will take place in a darker, more hostile version of Hyrule, it would make sense to see a greater diversity of more ominous bosses.
This isn't to say they should be Divine Beast-level in terms of their scale. However, there could be additional bosses in dungeons or hidden areas that reside somewhere in between the Lynel-esque minibosses and massive Divine Beast monsters.
1 More Elaborate Dungeons/Temples
This leads us to our final point - the addition of more elaborate dungeons and temples. Although BoTW was known for its shrines - standing at a whopping 120, most of these felt like "mini-dungeons," or glorified puzzles.
You also had the 4 Divine Beasts, but again, these favored puzzle tinkering over exploration or monster-slaying. It'd be great to see fleshed-out temples that more closely resembled the ominous Hyrule Castle dungeon at the end of BoTW.
More temples that reside in-between the Divine Beasts and bite-sized shrines in scope would be a nice change for the sequel. Thankfully, this does seem likely, as the game appears to emphasize underground exploration.