Blogs
on November 13, 2025
<br>Whether it’s Link, Zelda, or something completely out of left field like Waluigi - I just hope the Princess isn’t left to gather dust as a prisoner beneath Hyrule Castle. As I mentioned earlier, Breath of the Wild’s timeline now exists in the present, offering a level of dramatic agency that simply isn’t possible with flashbacks. Our emotions will react to an ongoing story we’re an integral part of, instead of pondering on flashbacks whose participants have long since met their end. Princess Zelda is the strongest character of the whole lot, and pushing her aside purely so Link has a passive damsel to save is woefully archaic writing this series could do without. Who knows, I still have a feeling she’ll be playable. Or there will be time travel. Screw it - do whatever you want, Ninte<br><br>Nintendo has built up a cast of beloved supporting characters, so expand upon them and make them matter. Age of Calamity did a solid job of this, although I wasn’t a fan of its more eccentric approach to storytelling - still, it’s a good blueprint to follow if the overall tone is given a few much-needed adjustments. Breath of the Wild was so compelling because of the mystery that defined it, each hesitant step into its sprawling world rewarding us with riches and a freeform experimentation in gameplay that nothing in the open world genre has been able to match since. It’s a marvel, and something the sequel should build upon as opposed to replicating with only a few key changes.<br><br>As much as I love them, flashbacks simply don’t facilitate an approach like this. They’re an elusive manner of storytelling by design, providing brief snapshots of memories as we’re left to fill in the blanks for ourselves. It informed the overall tone and thematic delivery of the last game, but now that enigmatic atmosphere has subsided, it’s time to commit to something more definitive.<br><br> <br>Playable Zelda likely isn’t coming in Breath of the Wild 2. I’ve made my peace with that eventuality, even if it could help push the series forward in some truly meaningful ways. When all is said and done, Link is the hero of this story - the Hero of Time if you haven’t heard - and his presence is more than enough to carry an <a href="https://Adventuregameland.com/posts/elden-ring-s-revolutionary-impact-on-fromsoftware-games">Elden Ring open world</a> world adventure we’ll spend hours being enamoured with when it arrives in 2022. Another mystery protagonist could be waiting in the wings, but whether they are related to Zelda remains to be s<br><br> <br>I’ve touched on Breath of the Wild’s ending before, and how it's an almost perfect example of melancholic hopefulness. The evil is vanquished, and now Link and Zelda are tasked with forming a new life together, with rebuilding Hyrule and comprehending what’s next after hundreds of years away from home. Hyrule is both keenly familiar and an unknown quantity, with so much changing over the past century while many of its core fundamentals remain the same. Now they need to move onward and figure out what to do next, carrying all of their past losses on their shoulders while adding further responsibilities to the p<br><br> <br>It would be impossible to talk about indie games without mentioning one of the biggest titles that fans still can't get enough of to this day. Undertale is an amazing title full to the brim with innovative combat and endearing charact<br><br>Final Fantasy 9 ’s Princess Garnet is the closest comparison to Zelda in the gaming world, largely because their circumstances, personality, and overall drive are so similar. Garnet takes a dagger to her hair at a pivotal point in her character arc. Her kingdom is approaching ruin and her mother is gone, so this moment is a reclamation of agency that has long been kept away from her. Gone is the received pronunciation and royal procedures that have long held her back from living a normal, fulfilling life. Travelling with Zidane and company has taught her the importance of this heritage while simultaneously inspiring her to walk away from it. However, blood remains thicker than water, so returning to the city that helped shape her only to solemnly leave it behind is poetic.<br><br> <br>However, the recent gameplay trailer has me concerned about Princess Zelda’s exact role in the story, and whether she will once again act as a passive heroine who finds herself trapped in Hyrule Castle until Link can muster up the power to save her. Breath of the Wild saw Link venturing into Hyrule Castle to rescue Zelda, who had been holding the evil of Calamity Canon at bay for 100 years. Her power was fading, and she required Link’s help to prevent her kingdom from falling into an inescapable state of r<br><br>Men are already in positions of power in these scenarios, so women are left to comprehend the opposite gender’s mistakes and find a way forward of their own accord. It’s empowering to an extent, although the fact that women are made to throw away what is seen as conventional beauty purely to grow into something one would define as independent still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. On the flipside, this rejection of traditional femininity is equally as groundbreaking, showcasing that societal norms aren’t something these heroines have to abide by. Other characters are often left shocked and outraged at these changing tides, but that’s the whole point - it’s a statement that’s supposed to inspire.<br>