The newest installment in the iconic "The Legend of Zelda" franchise is the least "Zelda"-like game yet, and that's what makes it so interesting. Shown off at Nintendo's E3 presentation with a pair of playable demos and a trailer, the game was revealed to be named "Breath of the Wild" and will be available on both the Wii U and the upcoming Nintendo console only known as the NX.
"Breath of the Wild" eschews traditional "Zelda" gameplay in favor of new survival features and a massive open world, in a dramatic move that completely changes the feel of the game compared to other entries in the time-honored franchise. The open-world map is described as being 12 times as large as the environment of "Twilight Princess." Link, the protagonist of the game, can now craft weapons from resources that he gathers from the game world, and can cook food to heal him.
The environment and weather now play a part in survival as well, with severe temperatures needing appropriate changes in clothing to mitigate their effects, and other weather effects like rain putting out fires, and windy days spreading In addition, there are various stats like a stamina gauge, which can be improved over the course of the game with upgrades.
There's also a rather involved stealth system that uses crouching, and enemies drop weapons that can be picked up and used. The game is also implied to have a day and night cycle, with enemies going to sleep at night.
So much has changed with "Breath of the Wild," and we're only getting started. We'll be able to see more about it when the game for both the Wii U and the Nintendo NX in March 2017, alongside the launch of the NX.
