In Nintendo's E3 Direct, we finally got a new look at the upcoming sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It was an intriguing trailer for lots of reasons – not least because it seemed to hide Link's face at every opportunity. What's up with that?
Our lovely video team have been hard at work dissecting and analysing every single frame of the new clip, hoping to come up with some answers to the many questions the trailer left us with. We've already seen plenty of wild fan theories surrounding the new footage, so it can't hurt to add our own, right?

Make sure to check out the video above to see what we were able to uncover, and feel free to share your very own thoughts and theories in the comments. Oh, and if you're looking to get yourself even more hyped for Link's next adventure, why not read up on everything we know about the game so far?
Comments 40
Can’t wait for this game to be released so all the nerds can complain about how the sequel wasn’t as good as the first one.
Honestly not too excited about this. I thought the exploration of the first one was absolutely something that kept me hooked. Reusing the same map, but adding a level on top, just strikes me as incredibly lazy and uninspired.
@thechetearly Might be a little premature to judge the game based on that. It's a mainline Zelda game that will have taken over 5 years to develop by the time it comes out. I doubt it's as simple as using the same map and adding some floating bits.
The most striking thing to me about the trailer was how much better it looked than Breath of the Wild graphically. It's partly expected due to the extra amount of time they have had with the hardware but it looks to be a pretty significant leap to me.
Kinda surprised they went with a trailer like that. It barely told us anything about the game, there were so many quick cuts that forming a proper opinion on "what" it is actually going is impossible and I don't think it showed us that "wow"-factor we all expected, given that this game obviously reuses tons of BotW assests, is evidently built on the same engine and has been in development for years now.
I'm also profoundly confused by the parts of the trailer, that suggest that we will at least to some degree go back to the overworld we have already spend hundred(s) of hours exploring. I kinda just assume that forms those sky islands, will also reshape the surface, but why would it make key locations or shrines of "re-exploring".
Maybe I am all wrong about this, but the idea of offering up an entire open-world Hyrule for exploration always seemed like a one-off thing. That's why I was kinda intrigued by the initial teaser, because it suggested - to me at least - that we were headed underground, which I mentally associate with some of the best parts of games like BG2, where you go to the Underdark and deal with the Drow.
I figured that pushing that exploration and SURVIVAL theme even further with a complete dark underworld to Hyrule would be insanely cool! 😍 But apparently that is not what they decided to go with or only a very small part of it. So yeah, very curious to see how they'll make the BotW Hyrule feel fresh and new again 🤷♂️
@thechetearly
Wow. Is "lazy" the insult of the year? Everyone is using this as an insult, no matter how much work may have gone into something.
It is pretty clear a lot of work has gone into this.
What you probably mean is "I wish this didn't have the same map as the first one". Just because it has the same map, doesn't mean it is lazy.
We don't even know how similar the map will be.
Imo, it is lazy to call something lazy just because you don't like something.
I think they'll do a The Last of Us 2 twist by killing off Link and making us play as a Bokoblin.
😜
We only saw a small handful of clips actually featuring the 'overworld' from the previous game; is it a little premature to judge the similarity of the entire kingdom off these couple of snippets?
Anyone else think a Nintendolife podcast would be great?
No actual gameplay shown on the video which makes me think it’s still a long way off.
Did the goblin rock formation rose because of the black stone?
@HamatoYoshi umm did you miss the parts with the bokoblins and the new stasis/time reversal ability and the flamethrower shield and the...
@AlexOlney did you spot the Master Sword being consumed by malice at the start when Link's arm is covered in the stuff? I reckon that's how they deal with the issue of Link being too overpowered with all his equipment!
The visuals looks absolutely amazing. But I think that of Breath of the Wild too. (Haven't played it yet).
I really love the orange autumn looking stuff in this trailer. And Link flying down towards islands in the sky.
I have nightmares to "Hhheeeeeloooo there lovely peeeeople" lol
@Otoemetry watch it properly, it’s not actual gameplay, no HUD etc.
@HamatoYoshi
Developers can very easily alter the camera positioning and turn off the HUD to make the gameplay more trailer-friendly.
I expect time reversal to play a big role in the gameplay and story, as that's what the trailer really seems to imply.
Floating islands are also very exciting.
The volcano is no longer erupting. Looking forward to see if that's part of the plot.
About the Bokoblins having horns, remember that they also had horns in BotW 1. They were just much shorter.
Moblins also had horns in BotW 1. I wonder if it might mean that BotW 2's Bokoblins might be about as tough as BotW 1's Moblins.
@HamatoYoshi what @westman98 said.
@HamatoYoshi In BotW 1, you could disable the HUD entirely. It not being there in those shots doesn't necessarily mean that it's not actual game play, but it could mean that they've made some significant changes to the HUD that they don't want to show off yet.
Really, lets not.
I honestly hope that the spaceship trick still works, it will suit the floating islands when you want to use another way of traveling.
I’m not going pass judgement yet on potentially rehashing the overworld. There have been some minor hints and rumours that could prove it’ll be different (maybe I’m just being hopeful):
I think even though there are going to be parts where you are in the sky, there will still be underground parts as well. And if so, we have no idea how involved the cave systems could be. First trailer had Link and Zelda exploring a cave & this trailer showed a scene with Link using that fire shield that looked to take place in a cave (which to me would allude it wasn’t a shrine since those normally all looked futuristic in a way)
I’m also hearing possible time travel involved here. It’s possible the overworld will be similar but maybe different due to different timelines (depending how far in the past or future this can take place). I guess that depends on how far back or forward you go in time. If we’re only talking about a couple of years to explain the haircut changes then obviously that wouldn’t change much (other than maybe camp placements). Mind you, maybe Ganondorf rising could set off a chain of events that changes the topography.
I wish you can play also as Zelda.
The symbol in the middle of the blue stone creature's chest looks like a clock or a timer
At this point all they have to do is give the fans twice the empty space and they'll eat it up. A sad time for actual Zelda fans.
@VegasToad so are people not allowed to have an opinion?
@Kevember ocarina of time hyrule field. Thoughts on that?
A hunch of mine is that as there are parts of the world floating in the sky for whatever reason, there'll be explorable cavern divots in the landscape where these landforms came from. We see the castle floating into the sky, maybe they intend for exploring through the sky and spelunking through a newly opened cavern system.
@PickledKong64 Yes, I do have some thoughts on that. OoT Hyrule Field is the space that connects all the places in the game, which happens to have an excellent structure. This Hyrule also has amazing BGM. You're probably too young to even understand how impressive Ocarina's Hyrule was at the time.
@Kevember your glasses are on.
@Kevember Dear lord pulling the age card is funny. What do you want me to do? Be born earlier? Stfu clown
@PickledKong64 SHUT UP NERD!!
@PickledKong64 Two separate replies makes you look so weak, kiddo.
@VegasToad grow up kid
@Kevember we are discussing video games. I’m sure neither of us are the strongest individuals. Is that all you can come up with? Blind nostalgia and insults?
@PickledKong64 Blind nostalgia? If your best argument to defend BotW's empty wasteland is bringing up a 22 year old game then what does that make you? Ocarina of Time executed the genre perfectly. Breath of the Wild lacks most of the elements that define the franchise.
You can be young and still be able to appreciate older games for what they are, but you probably lack a good level of perception. I was born long after the original Zelda and ALttP came out and I still thini they are better games than Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild.
@Kevember You ignored Hyrule field point I brought up. I was saying that it is barren and empty. Again keep insulting me. Majora's Mask is my favorite Zelda, DKC2 is my favorite game of all time along with super Metroid and kingdom hearts. But keep at it with your insults. Damn, grow tf up. Bet you are so happy with your lonely self if you need to insult people who are younger than you to feel good.
@PickledKong64 I reread my last comment and I can't seem to find the insults you're talking about.
And I repeat, OoT's Hyrule is mostly empty but it connects the different locations of the game. There are actual places to go to, with their own special music and charm, whereas Breath of the Wild you're just left to explore the big empty space without actual destinations. Even the original Zelra gave us a better sense of adventure.
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