4 things that will make Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 on Nintendo Switch OLED legendary

If you are in any way like me, then you'll know it's hard to go a day without thinking about the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Every word in the dictionary has been said about the original game – and rightly so. It's a fantastic experience and one that I've spent nearly 200 hours with. 

This year alone I felt it was time to replay the game from the beginning to see if my feelings had changed since its original launch in March 2017. Was the magic still there, or was I simply caught up in the hype of a new Nintendo console? Has it been built up in my head only more over time that it could never meet my expectations again? Well, I'm glad to say the magic is still there, and if anything I appreciated the world, gameplay, and discovery element, even more, this time around. It's really something special.

With that, my thoughts have once again been drawn to its unnamed sequel. After seeing such a tantalising trailer at E3 2021, as well as the prospect of enjoying it on the new Nintendo Switch OLED, I couldn't help think about what needs to happen to really take it to the next level. While only 98 seconds long, the trailer does give us plenty of ideas to speculate from, but really all I need are these four things. 

 A darker story 

Zelda stories are very rarely (if ever) the focal point of the experience. Breath of the Wild placed more of an emphasis on this but still, the idea of climbing every mountain in sight along with that wonderful sense of what's over that next hill was clearly the biggest draw. 

From what we've seen so far, the sequel looks to be a darker tone with a mysterious figure seemingly reviving Ganon from out of the shadows. As the case with Ocarina of Time to Majora's Mask, I wholeheartedly hope Nintendo embrace this. While parts of the story look to go up to the heavens, that doesn't mean the narrative has to be happy-go-lucky. Let's unravel what happened to Ganon and how he became this possessed evil being, no matter how dark it may be. 

Return of dungeons 

While the Shrines were a welcome change of pace, giving us these bite-sized dungeons to undertake, the same can't be said for the Divine Beasts. Again, a very cool idea and story-wise made a lot of sense. 

It's just none of the Divine Beasts were that memorable, leaving many of us wishing for the dungeon designs of yore. Skyward Sword HD solidified that, so let's get some new, creative dungeons that you spend a good couple of hours in before stepping back at the end and basking in whatever genius puzzle design that only Nintendo could concoct. Let's not forget that the new lighting and enhancements to offer true black from the OLED Screen would make all of this look gorgeous too. 

The stunning vistas 

Sticking with the technical advancements. Thanks to the introduction of the Switch OLED, Breath of the Wild 2 is set to be unbelievably beautiful. Climbing to the highest mountain in all the land, jumping off into the breeze and deploying your glider to admire the stunning visuals is really peaking my interest in the new upgraded console. Its art style is so timeless already, this will only elevate its look. Imagine the capabilities with almost a 30% bigger screen too!

Make Zelda playable 

It's time. A mainline Zelda game where Zelda is actually playable for a big portion of the game is long overdue. Breath of the Wild's Zelda, in particular, feels such a key component to the story and has previously fought in battle with Link and the Champions, as seen in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. 

The character is pivotal, deserving a chance in the spotlight – not just the title. Honestly, at this point, I'd be so down for a Metal Gear Solid 2 'switcheroo' that sees Zelda take over as the lead character halfway through the game. We've been getting closer and closer to this for a while now, Nintendo just needs to take that one final step.

The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is scheduled to launch sometime in 2022 on Nintendo Switch. It's undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest games of the year and one of my most anticipated. Let's hope we don't have to wait that long to find out more.