With the announcement that Breath of the Wild will be receiving a prequel in the form of a new Hyrule Warriors game, fan speculation has skyrocketed to extreme levels. What will the game be like? How will it add to the story? What characters will be playable? These questions and many more have been on the minds of many in the ensuing days.
Those who have played the original Hyrule Warriors have their own expectations for the game apart from BOTW players, too, leading many to debate what will and won’t be included. Here are some things that would be great to bring over from BOTW, and some things that we hope stay in the past.
10 Keep It: Deep Back Story
The story and plot of BOTW are amazing and have lent themselves well to fan theories about the “before” side of the picture since the age in which the game takes place is 100 years after a ton of huge, calamitous events. Since Age of Calamity will take place during this earlier period, fans will finally have answers to what really happened.
Hopefully, the game really delves deep into this storytelling and narrative. Hyrule Warriors in its original format served as a bit of a tribute to the series, and it didn’t dive too deep on the storytelling.
9 Leave It: Stamina
Every action beyond walking requires some stamina from Link. Running, climbing, swimming, paragliding, and many combat actions all require the use of some of his stamina wheel, which can be upgraded, but which ultimately feels limited.
With the fast-paced hack-n-slash nature of Hyrule Warriors, this would not serve the player well. The game would be entirely ruined if its main purpose was removed, so stamina limits need to stay far away.
8 Keep It: Outfits
The original Hyrule Warriors had a bit of character customization that could be unlocked. Most of the characters had a handful of outfits that they could have on top of their standard looks.
Age of Calamity absolutely needs to keep this mechanic, and it hopefully will. There are so many outfits for Link alone from all the different BOTW armor sets. Let’s hope that at least some of them make it in, even if they don’t have their other effects.
7 Leave It: Gyro Puzzles
Some shrines in BOTW had gyroscopic puzzles, which required the player to move the Wii U gamepad or the Switch in strange ways to roll a ball or achieve another type of goal. They were kind of hilariously fun while also being incredibly frustrating and time-consuming. It’s unclear if there would even be a way for Age of Calamity to utilize this mechanic, but it had better not try, for the sanity of all the players involved.
6 Keep It: DLC
Both Hyrule Warriors and BOTW had DLC packs that came out after the game itself, and both times, the added features were fantastic. Hyrule Warriors’ DLC focused on adding new characters and weapons, and it would be cool to see Age of Calamity do the same.
Whether this DLC could include characters from other games is up for debate, but it’s definitely something to consider. While DLC can be controversial, it typically adds a breath of fresh air to a game that many people are starting to get bored of.
5 Leave It: Lack of Enemy Variety
One of the most prevalent and enduring criticisms of BOTW is the lack of enemy variety. For the most part, the same few enemies appear in almost every region of the game. Sometimes they’ll be icy or electrified, but, for the most part, it’s the same few faces everywhere.
Hopefully, this isn’t the case in the new game. This is especially worrisome, as Warriors games require you to fight thousands of the same enemy in huge hordes. If it’s the same few over and over, it’s not going to be very enjoyable.
4 Keep It: Physics
BOTW has been renowned and praised for its attention to detail on the physics of the world: blasting air up from Revali’s Gale knocks apples off of trees, attaching Octo Balloons to items makes them float away, and much more.
As a primarily combat-focused game, Hyrule Warriors might not be able to make obvious and clear use of the many physics mechanics from BOTW, but, in an ideal world, they will.
3 Leave It: Slow Pace
BOTW can be a very relaxing game; it encourages slow, deliberate exploration through a quiet, serene world. Most of the time, the player can relax while roaming through meadows or taking leisurely strolls through forest glades.
This is amazing in BOTW, as the slow pace fits perfectly within the game’s parameters and overall vibe. However, Warriors games are incredibly-high-speed and fast-paced, so a slow pace would not fit at well. Here’s hoping that the progress and pacing of Age of Calamity isn’t slowed down to match the pace of BOTW.
2 Keep It: Open World
One of the biggest questions in the fan community right now is whether Age of Calamity will be open-world or not. BOTW is famous for being one of the best open-world games ever made, but Warriors games are notoriously set in deliberate stages with boundaries.
How the team behind Age of Calamity could keep the same open world is unclear, but it’s one of the biggest wishes among fans at the moment.
1 Leave It: Weapon Durability
Love it or hate it, weapon durability was an interesting new mechanic in BOTW. Having to forage for a new sword after breaking yours forced players to get creative and always be scavenging. However, this mechanic would absolutely ruin a Hyrule Warriors game.
These games, again, are about being fast, decisive, and linking together combos. Having a sword break in the middle of that would be ridiculous, and there doesn’t seem to be an immediate way to get a new one. Add the fact that Warriors games allow you to upgrade and alter weaponry, and it would be maddening to lose something you spent time and resources on.
NEXT: Nintendo: 5 Reasons Twilight Princess Is The Best Zelda Game On The Wii (& 5 Why It’s Skyward Sword)
