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Kotaku: BotW sequel coming because the team had too many ideas for DLC and wanted to start from scratch

Phendrift

Phendrift

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Oct 25, 2017
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Article here.

Aonuma: When we released the DLC for Breath of the Wild, we realized that this is a great way to add more elements to the same world. But when it comes down to technical things, DLC is pretty much data—you're adding data to a preexisting title. And so when we wanted to add bigger changes, DLC is not enough, and that's why we thought maybe a sequel would be a good fit.

Schreier: Was this sequel originally planned as DLC?

Aonuma: Initially we were thinking of just DLC ideas, but then we had a lot of ideas and we said, "This is too many ideas, let's just make one new game and start from scratch."
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This kind of mindset got us the GOAT-tier Galaxy 2 so I'm hyped

The phrase "starting from scratch" is curious. Wonder what he means by it?
 

Deleted member 23212

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So, it sounds like there are certain mechanics that they thought weren't possible within BotW that they'd need a new game for.
 
Tansut

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This was basically the same reason that they made Super Mario Galaxy 2, which is my favorite game of all time.

So needless to say I'm pretty psyched about this being the same logic for a direct sequel to my favorite Zelda game.
 

Deleted member 5853

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I love how simple his answer is. "We had more ideas, so we just made a new one."

This part is pretty interesting though:
Aonuma: One thing we learned from Breath of the Wild is that when we focused on creating a dungeon that has multiple solutions, it turned into this great title. That's one thing I want to polish up and use for inspiration going forward.

Schreier: I thought Breath of the Wild was a masterpiece—a lot of people did. But is there anything you wish you could've done better?

Aonuma: I can't really speak to that too specifically—I might use the ideas I have for a next Zelda, or whatever series I might be working on in the future.
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Seems like there'll be a bigger focus on open-ended puzzles with multiple viable solutions.
 

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So new mechanics, new story, new map... stuff like that.
Sounds good enough. This is the kind of stuff that got us Majora's Mask and Super Mario Galaxy 2, and those are great.
 
ChaosXVI

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OP took the words right out of my mouth. I kind of thought this was a Galaxy 2 type situation where the game was so unique that there was too much potential for new stuff in that same style. And Galaxy 2 is the superior game so hey, I'm on board!
 
-Pyromaniac-

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Makes sense. Nothing to read into this other than what is explicitly stated in the interview. They had so many ideas that rather than incorporating them into existing game code they preferred to just build an entire new game around these ideas (and presumably more).
 

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I just hope they give it its own identity and not call it "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2"...
 
grosbard

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I love Nintendo.

"On my business card, I am a corporate president. In my mind, I am a game developer. But in my heart, I am a gamer. " - Satoru Iwata
 

Zedelima

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Heh, Mario team had the same way of thinking for Galaxy , and see how the sequel turned out
Hyped!
 

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Scrawnton said:
I just hope they give it its own identity and not call it "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2"...
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Unlikely that they do that, given that they have avoided direct numerical sequences in the series since Zelda 2 (unless we count ALBW's Japanese title, but that was more of an homage to an all time great than anything).
 
KtotheRoc

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Sounds good to me. And given the sales of BotW, I imagine this was an easy decision for the bosses to approve, lol.
 
Tansut

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Scrawnton said:
I just hope they give it its own identity and not call it "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2"...
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In Japan A Link to the Past is known as Triforce of the Gods. A Link Between Worlds was released there as Triforce of the Gods 2, so it's not impossible they do that again. But odds are it would have a different name here regardless.
 

srtrestre

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I hope they keep the shrines (I mean alongside dungeons). Some of my fondest memories with BotW are of me clearing a shrine or two during a break or lunch. They were the perfect length for breaks, and shrines give room to those gameplay or puzzle concepts that work well in small doses as opposed to used as a basis for entire dungeons.
 
HeRinger

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I'm pretty excited either way, but I wish they would go like 10-15 years later with the story, showing older Link and Zelda and some long term repercussions to the original story.
 
Amnixia

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MilesQ said:
Hopefully a new take on Hyrule. Maybe it's decades later and everything has changed.

Just gimme mah dungeons and we good.
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My take on the trailer is that it's not long after the first game, and by disturbing Ganondorf's remains old buildings will come up from the ground (hence why we saw Hyrule Castle being raised).
 

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On a separate note, I hope one of the DLC ideas was rebuilding Castle Town. If the new game doesn't include a large central refurbished Hyrule Castle and a large Castle Town, it's not going to feel like the world moved on from the first game and that momentary peace wasn't attained.
 

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BizzyBum said:
Hopefully the same thing is happening with Odyssey.
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hhh4.png
hopefully not
 
Enduin

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Sounds great. There's so much potential with the BotW setup so I'm glad they didn't just limit themselves to a DLC expansion. Throw everything you got at this thing. Also make Zelda the lead.
 

Deleted member 36708

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Yeah I can't get too excited because I want to know how far out this will be. Are we talking 2020 release? I think best case scenario is holiday title 2020.
 
Richietto

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Scrawnton said:
On a separate note, I hope one of the DLC ideas was rebuilding Castle Town. If the new game doesn't include a large central refurbished Hyrule Castle and a large Castle Town, it's not going to feel like the world moved on from the first game and that momentary peace wasn't attained.
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I wouldn't mind an expanded Tarrey Town like quest.
 

ZiggyPalffyLA

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torre_avenue said:
I love how simple his answer is. "We had more ideas, so we just made a new one."

This part is pretty interesting though:


Seems like there'll be a bigger focus on open-ended puzzles with multiple viable solutions.
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People are STILL coming up with new solutions to some of the shrines 2 years later so I can't wait to see some of these puzzles.

Scrawnton said:
As a direct sequel, shrines really would be lazy and make no sense narratively. I bet the sequel deals with the resurrection of Ganondorf and 8+ classic style dungeons emerging and some town / world expansions due to time lapsing.
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They better not mess with Hateno Village *shakes glowing fist*
 
Enforced

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I hope they will bring back the time shift stones from skyward sword. I really like that idea. So I hope it will return. Also hope they will let us swim underwater this time.
 
Alienous

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Cool, I like 'refinement sequels'. Games like Uncharted The Lost Legacy, which grew from DLC to a standalone game. Working from a well received base and directly addressing the weaknesses of the prior game.

It will be interesting to see what choices they make to reduce familiarity. For instance I can imagine having to find an alternative to shrines, to avoid replicating the same game flow in a familiar map, and that could be interesting.
 
UltraMagnus

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Saw this coming from 10 miles away. It's good business anyway, a new game will make Nintendo a lot more money than DLC would. Mario Galaxy 2 was a similar type of thing.

Some of this is just business too, by summer 2017 it was clear as day the game was a monstrous success and the Switch was completely sold out everywhere. The "business side" of Nintendo probably didn't have to push too hard for a sequel.
 

sanstesy

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Scrawnton said:
As a direct sequel, shrines really would be lazy and make no sense narratively. I bet the sequel deals with the resurrection of Ganondorf and 8+ classic style dungeons emerging and some town / world expansions due to time lapsing.
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Why is that lazy? In the same vein dungeons are lazy but of course they aren't. Shrines coming back doesn't mean they will be completely the same just as dungeons aren't the same every Zelda game.

And shrines don't exist for the narrative; it's more like they will just invent a narrative reason for them to exist (just like with dungeons).
 
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