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The formula for Breath of the Wild can be applied to other gaming franchises. Some of these already have the seeds of that experience, and others that may not seem so at first glance but, upon closer inspection, are more like Breath of the Wild than one might think. Nintendo’s properties and third parties can find inspiration from Link’s most recent adventure.
6 Metroid Could Provide A Fight For Survival
The Metroid franchise already took one big risk with Metroid Prime in transitioning the franchise to a 3D first-person perspective. Metroid mixed things up again with Team Ninja’s Metroid: Other M, featuring a more comprehensive narrative and giving Samus a voice. Critical reception of it was controversial, to say the least. So another departure for the Metroid franchise, after finally getting its footing back with a Metroid 2 remake on the 3DS and Metroid Dread on the Switch, would be risky.
However, when comparing The Legend of Zelda franchise to Metroid, they do have a lot in common. Both place a heavy emphasis on exploration, unlocking new tools and abilities that can be used in different areas of the game world later on. For a Breath of the Wild-esque experience, Samus Aran could be stranded on an alien world, having to navigate the local civilizations and wildlife, while building a new suit and tools completely from scratch. This would fit nicely with the franchise’s formula of taking away the player’s major abilities and having to work through the game to reclaim them.
5 It’s Time To Revisit Dinosaur Planet
When Rare released the Star Fox Adventures game for the GameCube, fans were hoping for some more of the classic Arwing action from Star Fox on the SNES and Star Fox 64 for the Nintendo 64. While Arwing missions were part of the game, the bulk of the gameplay was more of a Zelda-like adventure game on a planet populated by sentient dinosaurs.
While Rare is no longer working with Nintendo, it might not be a bad idea for Nintendo to revisit the Star Fox Adventures concept, but flesh it out more. Nintendo could vastly expand the Dinosaur Planet world, expand the culture of the planet’s residents, give Fox Dino Mounts, as well as allow Fox to fly around on his trusty Arwing.
4 Enslaved: Odyssey To The West Deserves A Second Chance
While Ninja Theory’s post-apocalyptic romp reimagining “Journey to the West” enjoyed nowhere near the success of the Horizon franchise, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is essentially a Horizon prototype. The brutish Monkey and tech-savvy eco-enthusiast Trip wander across a United States where nature is reclaiming the remnants of human cities, and animalistic machinations wander the landscape.
With the incredible success of Horizon, it might be worth revisiting the world of Enslaved, but give it a Breath of the Wild facelift. It would be great to explore more of an eco-punk United States and unravel more of the mysteries of the time before the Fall. A greater emphasis could be focused on crafting and survival mechanics. Expanding the world would also give Monkey more opportunities to surf around on his hoverboard.
3 Okami Has A Beautiful World To Explore
Okami is one of those games whose praise is constantly sung but has not received an equal level of commercial success. The game puts players into the paws of Amaterasu, the Japanese Sun Goddess reincarnated as a white wolf. Armed with the Celestial Mirror and Celestial Brush, Amaterasu must travel through a cel-shaded Japan, slaying demons and restoring beauty to the land.
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Given that Okami is similar in gameplay and themes to Breath of the Wild, Okami is due for a revival that builds upon its foundation. A BOTW-styled incarnation would provide the opportunity to travel all of Nippon, as well as interact with more cute animals. Perhaps Amaterasu would be able to make some of Kamiki Village’s famous sake as well.
2 Prince Of Persia Could Be One Giant Playground
UbiSoft’s Prince of Persia games are known for their beautiful architecture and high-flying acrobatics. The franchise has taken the Prince on numerous adventures, including an emo phase, as well as a Wii spinoff that is criminally underappreciated.
If UbiSoft were to give the Prince a needed revitalization, then Breath of the Wild would provide great inspiration. All of Persia could become one big playground for the Prince. Traversal challenges could be found in towns or integrated into the natural landscapes. Secret rewards could be hidden in any nook and cranny imaginable.
1 Tomb Raider Would Be An Archaeologist’s Dream
Lara Croft is the world-renowned British archaeologist of Tomb Raider who gives even Indiana Jones a run for his money. She had a successful string of mainline games on the computer and PlayStation, a few not-as-good titles, two series reboots, and a few spinoff games.
The most recent reboot of the franchise has dabbled in the open-world concept, but a new title would be an opportunity for the franchise to fully embrace it. Lara Croft could use her diverse skill set from wall-climbing to diving to explore a game world with several archaeological sites scattered throughout. The shrines in Breath of the Wild form a basis for hidden tombs to be scattered throughout the land, encouraging thorough investigation. To fuel up for the adventure, Lara could use local ingredients to cook up some international cuisine.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available for the Switch and Wii U.
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