Eiji Aonuma presented gamers with their first extended glimpse of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild during the Nintendo Treehouse: Live at E3 event, saying that he created the game in an attempt to “break the conventions” of the series.
The Zelda: Breath of the Wild presentation starts with our hero waking up, bathed in a glowing blue liquid. He’s in a mysterious chamber called the Shrine of Resurrection. He finds a Sheikah Slate, a piece of technology that will help Link in his quest, illuminating his path at points through the game and opening locked doors. Supposedly this item serves a number of functions. There is a focus on technology in this game, Aonuma said.
Link then finds a set of clothes. Links wardrobe is more involved than it has been in previous games. Players will be able to swap out shirts and pants, each with their own individual stats and characteristics. I imagine the classic green tunic will make an appearance at some point, though I doubt we’ll see it during this demo. The trailer below shows Link wearing some shiny armor, which I imagine buffs his defense while hindering his mobility.
The narrator says: “Link, you are the light – our light – that must shine upon Hyrule once again.”
For the first time, Link will be able to jump. Link leaves the Shrine and enters Hyrule’s quite literally sprawling overworld.
On the subtitle Breath of the Wild: items and character names have traditionally been used, but in this case, they wanted to showcase the game’s world. A sweeping panorama shows how much of a character the world is itself.
Link can scale almost any surface and seems to have a grip meter that depletes as he scales. There are a number of systems that the player can employ throughout the game. The Shikah Slate seems to serve as a navigational device. The game’s map is enormous. The E3 demo will allow us to explore only a fraction of the world.
We see our first NPC: an old man who explains that the kingdom is in a state of decay. Soon after, Link finds an axe that allows him to chop down trees, allowing him to use its resources – collect firewood and apples, etc.
The Koroks from The Wind Waker make a return in Zelda: Breath of the Wild. They will be hidden. throughout the world, providing link with items and advice throughout his journey.
Link finds a rusty broadsword and begins engaging in combat with a bunch of imps. It uses a classic Zelda targeting system. During combat, Link starts using a pot lid as a shield. Aonuma reveals that weapons in this game are breakable – the game allows you to steal your enemies weapons after you fell them. Link regains hearts by consuming food he collects from the environment.
It is incredibly exciting to see a game match the scale of The Legend of Zelda‘s explorative spirit conceptualized with the release of the first game over 25 years ago.
We went inside the Nintendo booth on the E3 show floor to give you a peak at the full Zelda E3 experience.
Read more about today’s reveal below: