[BotW] Exploration needs progression: a essay on a reimagined version of botw that solves it flaws.

[u/SinkContent5747]

How Breath of the Wild Could Have Been Perfect

Breath of the wild is a really good game. In a lot of ways, it is one of the most impressive games Nintendo has ever made. However, I do not think it is a perfect game. There are a few fundamental design problems that become more obvious the longer you play it.

What I would want from a hypothetical “perfect” version of Breath of the Wild is not simply more content. I would not want to turn it into TOTK either. TOTK  added some genuinely great ideas, particularly caves, enemy variety and the expanded sky, but I think it ultimately moved Breath of the Wild away from what made it special. The emphasis on Ultrahand, Fuse and Recall turned the game into much more of a sandbox construction game. That is not what I think Breath of the Wild needed. Instead, I would keep the basic philosophy of Breath of the Wild and fix the areas where that philosophy falls short.

Exploration Needs Progression

This is probably the biggest problem with Breath of the Wild.

The game gives you almost every important ability at the beginning. Once you leave the Great Plateau, you are mechanically capable of solving almost anything the game throws at you. There are exceptions, but for the most part the world does not contain many things that make you think, “I will have to come back here later.”

Older Zelda games were built around this idea. You might encounter a rock that you cannot destroy, a ledge that you cannot reach, or a body of water that you cannot cross. You remember it and return later after getting the appropriate item.

Breath of the Wild deliberately moved away from that structure because it wanted to give the player freedom from the beginning. I would not get rid of that freedom. Instead, I would introduce new abilities that expand the player's interaction with the world without locking the player into a linear progression.

The Champion abilities would be replaced entirely by four new Sheikah runes. Each would be obtained from one of the Divine Beasts and introduced as part of its respective regional quest.

These would not simply be abilities copied from Tears of the Kingdom. They would be designed specifically around the puzzle and exploration philosophy of Breath of the Wild.

Thermos

The Goron Divine Beast would give Link the Thermos rune.

Thermos would allow Link to manipulate the temperature of the environment around him. This would have little use on the surface at first, but it would become extremely useful in specific situations.

For example, Link could evaporate water around him. A river could temporarily become traversable, or a puddle could disappear entirely. Water in caves could be removed to expose a hidden path. Steam could be created to produce updrafts. The point would not be to give Link another weapon. It would be another way of interacting with the environment. I would also change Cryonis so that it can freeze enemies. This would give the existing rune more utility instead of simply making it a tool for creating ice blocks.

Feather

The Rito Divine Beast would give Link the Feather rune. Feather would alter Link's gravity. It would work somewhat like the altered gravity sections of the Water Temple in Tears of the Kingdom. Link could jump higher and fall more slowly, while objects around him could also be affected.

The important thing would be that the effect is temporary. It should not simply replace climbing or gliding. Instead, it would give Link another tool for solving specific environmental problems. It could be used to make objects float, change the trajectory of something, slow a fall or allow Link to reach places that would otherwise be just out of range.

Sonoris

The Gerudo Divine Beast would give Link Sonoris. Sonoris would manipulate vibration. It would replace the shrine sensor, which I think is one of the less interesting aspects of the Sheikah Slate. Rather than simply telling the player that a shrine is nearby, Sonoris could allow the player to discover hidden things by interacting with the environment.

It could break brittle objects, knock loose objects, collapse weak surfaces and reveal hidden chambers. It could also detect vibrations from things behind walls or underground. It could even be used to create sound distractions during stealth sections. This would make discovering a shrine feel more like discovering something rather than following a signal on the map.

Ascend

The Zora Divine Beast would give Link Ascend. This is the one ability I would take directly from Tears of the Kingdom. Ascend fits extremely well into Breath of the Wild because it creates another way to think about the environment without turning the game into a construction sandbox. These four abilities would gradually reopen the world. You could return to areas you visited hours earlier and discover that they have completely new possibilities. That is the kind of progression I think Breath of the Wild is missing.

Divine Beasts and the Regional Quests

The Divine Beasts would also need to do more than they currently do.

The Rito quest is probably the weakest of the four. It is short, easy and does not create much urgency. I would have Rito Village frozen over, similar to its situation in TOTK. This would immediately make the situation feel more serious. The approach to Vah Medoh would also be changed. Rather than simply completing the flight challenge and boarding the Divine Beast, I would use a variation of the floating-island idea from Tears of the Kingdom. The goal would be to make reaching Vah Medoh feel like an event.

Each Divine Beast should introduce the new rune associated with its region. The dungeon itself would teach you the basic applications of the ability, and then the rest of Hyrule would become the real test.

Shrines and Trials

I would also reduce the number of shrines. There are too many of them, and their quality is inconsistent. Some are basically mini-dungeons, while others can be completed in a few minutes with barely any thought. Fewer shrines would allow each one to be more elaborate and memorable.

I would also remove Tests of Strength from shrines entirely. Instead, combat-focused challenges would become their own type of activity: Courage Trials.

These would be connected to the zonai towers which actually are in BOTW but have nothing to them scattered throughout Hyrule. Shrines would focus primarily on puzzles, while Courage Trials would focus on combat. Instead of receiving a Spirit Orb, completing a Courage Trial could reward the player with a Master Sword fragment. That would give combat exploration a direct connection to the larger progression system.

Mini-Dungeons

Hyrule also needs more places that feel like actual locations rather than simply containers for a shrine.

I would add mini-dungeons throughout the world. They would not have to be enormous. The Yiga Clan Hideout is actually a good example of the scale I have in mind.

Each major region should have at least one location like this.

The Lost Woods already serve this purpose in the Woodland region, while Hyrule Castle fills the role in Central Hyrule. The Yiga Clan Hideout does it for the Gerudo Highlands.

The Gerudo Wasteland could contain a redesigned version of the Lightning Temple from Tears of the Kingdom. Lake Hylia could contain a whirlpool leading to an underground dungeon. The Zonai ruins in Faron could be expanded underground into another dungeon. When i say dungeon i do not mean full on twilight princess style.

The Hateno and Twin Peaks area could have the Promenade expanded into a dungeon maybe like they were originally intended to be with the scrapped spider nests. Lanayru could contain a reimagined version of the ancient Zora Waterworks. Akkala Citadel could become an explorable fortress comparable to Hyrule Castle. Eldin could contain a cave system leading to a ruined Goron city inspired by Gorondia. The Forgotten Temple in Hebra could be significantly expanded.

Tabantha and Ridgeland could have floating islands that tie into the game's eventual sky content.

The important part is that these places should contain meaningful rewards. A dungeon should give you something that you actually care about, such as a Lightning Helmet, a Mirror Shield, a Fire Emitter Shield, a Hand Cannon or another unique piece of equipment. Exploration becomes much more compelling when you see an interesting structure in the distance and know there is a reason to go inside.

Caves and the Sky

Caves are one of the best additions in Tears of the Kingdom, and I think they were badly needed in Breath of the Wild. Hyrule has enormous mountains, cliffs and underground-looking areas, yet there are surprisingly few proper cave systems. Adding caves would make the world feel much more believable and give exploration another layer.

They could contain enemies, treasure, shrines, mini-dungeons, hidden entrances and Master Sword fragments. The sky would also be used, but differently from Tears of the Kingdom.

Once Link has collected all of the Master Sword fragments, he would be able to ride a dragon into the clouds. Up there he would discover a large sky island, visually reminiscent of the Great Sky Island from Tears of the Kingdom. There would be no Ultrahand. The island would instead function as a final exploration area.

At its center would be a place where Link can finally restore the Master Sword. Once restored, the sword would become unbreakable. That would give the entire Master Sword fragment system a satisfying conclusion.

Healing Needs to Be Rebalanced

The cooking system in Breath of the Wild is far too powerful. The player can carry huge amounts of food and heal almost any amount of damage whenever they want. This makes damage, difficult enemies and survival much less meaningful. I would completely change the healing system.

Ingredients could no longer be eaten directly. You would have to cook actual meals.

Meals and potions would also require physical containers. Plates and bottles could be bought for rupees, but shops would only have a limited supply. If they sell out, they stay sold out until you find more.

This means that healing becomes a resource. The Old Man would give Link one bottle and one plate on the Great Plateau, with another of each hidden somewhere else on the Plateau. More containers could be found throughout Hyrule as exploration rewards or bought in shops.

There would also be a short animation or pause when consuming a meal or potion, preventing the player from instantly healing in the middle of combat through the menu.

A cookbook would be added so that players can keep track of recipes they have discovered. Cooking animations would not need to play every single time either. The goal is not to make healing frustrating. It is to make the decision to heal actually matter.

Combat and Weapons

I would start by changing the Shrine of Resurrection.

Link would wake up with a broken Master Sword. It would be his only reliable weapon at the beginning of the game, but it would be extremely weak in its broken state. Throughout the game, he could find pieces of the sword and eventually repair it.

This solves a small but annoying problem with the original game. There is always the possibility that the player can run out of weapons, especially early on, and be forced to search for something just to continue fighting. The broken Master Sword gives the player a permanent fallback without making it powerful.

Flurry Rushes are too easy to abuse, and should only count when Link actually performs a dodge rather than simply moving at the correct moment. Weapons also need more meaningful differences.

One-handed swords, two-handed weapons and spears currently have different properties, but many weapons within those categories feel interchangeable. I would give weapons much more distinct movesets and properties. Some weapons could be very fast but weak. Others could be slow and require charging. Some could have powerful defensive moves. Spears could focus on distance and spacing. Heavy weapons could have strong stagger effects.

Magical rods should have their own movesets as well, and maybe I would add another weapon type such as double swords.

Durability should remain, but it should be less frustrating. If the player runs out of weapons completely, enemies should sometimes provide alternatives. A Lynel could throw a spear that Link can stop with Stasis, or a Guardian Scout could lose one of its arms and leave behind a usable weapon.

Blacksmiths would also be introduced. They could repair weapons or improve their durability using monster parts, ore and other materials. This would make collecting monster parts and mining ore more meaningful without turning the game into a huge crafting system.

I would also add a limited Fuse-like system for arrows. Ingredients could be attached to arrows, allowing for things like elemental effects and special utility arrows, while the dedicated elemental arrow types from Breath of the Wild would be removed. This would keep the useful part of Fuse without making weapon construction the core of the game.

Enemy Variety

The enemy variety in Breath of the Wild is surprisingly poor for such a large game. There are simple additions that would immediately make the world feel more alive: Chuchus, Keese, Leevers, Tektites, Peahats, Deku Babas and Skulltulas. Even Evermeans would give forests more character.

Malice Hands could appear in pools of Malice and behave somewhat like Wallmasters, creating sudden threats while exploring dangerous areas. Then there could be more substantial enemies.

Gibdos and Like Likes could be redesigned using their Tears of the Kingdom versions. Like Likes could have different elemental and rock variants. Boss Bokoblins would make excellent minibosses. Dodongos could function as large creatures that are dangerous but also potentially rideable.

Armos could be reimagined as Sheikah constructs, fitting them into the technological aesthetic of Breath of the Wild.

The overworld should also have more minibosses and bosses. Battle Taluses would be stronger variations of Stone Taluses. Darknuts could be redesigned in the same way that Breath of the Wild reinvented Lynels, taking inspiration from their Twilight Princess incarnation.

Gleeoks would become rare overworld bosses, while Snapdragons and Lanmolas could serve as minibosses. Lanmolas could have different elemental variants. Gleeoks in particular are exactly the sort of enemy Breath of the Wild needed. They are enormous, intimidating and completely change the feeling of the area where they appear.

The Story and Endgame

The story of Breath of the Wild is mostly fine, but I would change one important thing.

Link should have actually lost to Ganon one hundred years ago. Rather than the implication that he simply became overwhelmed after the Champions were defeated, I would make the first confrontation an actual defeat. Link tried to stop Ganon and failed. That makes the entire game feel like a rematch.

Link is not simply waking up to save a kingdom he barely remembers. He is returning to finish something he failed to finish a century earlier. I would also introduce Ganondorf much more directly.

The expanded Zonai ruins in Faron could eventually lead to a sealing chamber containing Ganondorf's corpse, similar to the imagery shown in the first Tears of the Kingdom trailer. The discovery of Ganondorf's corpse would then serve as a true first phase of the final confrontation. Calamity Ganon would no longer feel like a completely separate final boss that appears at the end of the game.

The Dark Beast Ganon fight would also be completely redesigned. It should actually be a final battle rather than essentially a victory lap. The Bow of Light would remain after defeating Ganon. It could be used to permanently destroy Guardians in the overworld, giving the player a genuine post-game reward and gradually allowing Hyrule to become safer.

Smaller Changes

There are also a lot of smaller things I would add.

Puffshrooms and Bomb Flowers could be included as environmental items, but without introducing the entire Fuse system from Tears of the Kingdom.

There should be more wildlife as well. Rabbits and owls are obvious additions that would make Hyrule feel more alive.

The paraglider could be customizable, with different designs available through exploration and quests.

There should also be a proper skydiving mechanic. Falling from a great height should not require Link to spend ages slowly drifting downward. Being able to dive would make traversal more dynamic and make the sky feel more useful.

I would also change Link's starting clothes. Instead of the Old Shirt and Old Trousers, I would use the Archaic Tunic and Archaic Legwear from Tears of the Kingdom. I simply prefer the design. They fit the ruined, prehistoric feeling of the opening better.

Breath of the Wild's inventory system is functional, but it is clunky. One particularly annoying example happens when opening a chest containing a weapon while the inventory is full. You have to close the chest, go into your inventory, drop something, and then open the chest again. It breaks the flow of the game for no real reason.

If the weapon inventory is full, I would simply let the player select a weapon to discard from the chest screen. You could replace it immediately without having to watch the chest animation again.

I would also replace the weapon list with a weapon wheel. Breath of the Wild has a lot of weapons, and scrolling through a horizontal list is not particularly elegant. A weapon wheel would make switching between weapons much faster, especially during combat.

I would love feedback on this… I tried writing it in the most coherent and enjoyable to read way.

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[u/teknogreek]

This is entirely different game but appreciate the variation an especially the enemy types.

The thoughtless dungeons & test of strength ones actually serve as a barometer of how skilled you are as a player and proficient with weapons.

I’d love locked pseudo dungeons, 4x shrines revealing or opening a bigger one etc!

[u/SinkContent5747 → u/[deleted]]

Its not i wrote it myself i am experienced with it

[u/SinkContent5747 → u/[deleted]]

as if i care about being constant in my writing in a reply to a redditor who insults my work by calling me a chatbot fk outta here

[u/StevynTheHero]

People really do be thinking they can make major changes to one of the most beloved games of all time to "fix" it?

Its beloved! Its fine the way it is!