The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild presumably releases alongside the Nintendo Switch, but there are a few hints that make us skeptical about that idea. In the absence of concrete info, here’s why watchers of Link’s next quest may want to manage their expectations.
1) Nintendo Refuses To Confirm A Window: A few months ago Nintendo told us that Breath Of The Wild had been delayed and that the Nintendo Switch would launch in March of next year. Initially press pages suggested that Zelda would release then too, but the month was swiftly removed and replaced with a plain “2017” date.
There are two ways to look at this, admittedly, and both of them could be true. For the optimist, the assumption is that maybe Nintendo accidentally leaked more details than intended and plans to share a full release date closer to the Switch’s launch. Another possible reason, however, is that Nintendo still isn’t sure how complete the game is and wants to keep options open for a pseudo-delay to any point in the year. Considering fans have been burned by this game before, Nintendo wants to get its final release date right. The fact that we’ve heard nothing might mean a later arrival than we think.
2) Performance Issues: Another sign that Breath Of The Wild might be a bit far out comes from its obvious performance problems cited in hands-on reports. Digital Foundry performed an in-depth benchmark of the E3 2016 demo, and its framerate was far from stable. Clearly we were looking at an unfinished game, but the fact that a vertical slice couldn’t even be totally polished suggests the full title may not be as ready as we assume.
In fact, analysts even pointed out low framerates in the simulated footage from the Nintendo Switch reveal trailer. It appears those kinks are still present as of this summer, and they may take time to iron out.
3) We Keep Seeing The Great Plateau: One of the hallmark signs of a game’s development status is gauged by how much of it the press and fans get to see. The E3 2016 demo was a promising sign in that regard given its vastness, but we haven’t been introduced to anything noteworthy beyond that area since.
Fans may point to a desire to keep other areas secret, but at some point we have to see more of what this experience has to offer. Variety in locations is what makes mainline Legend Of Zelda titles great. We’ve seen absolutely no hint of that yet. Nintendo has said that the Great Plateau is just one percent of Breath Of The Wild’s total content. If that’s true, where’s the rest? Is it not finished yet?
4) Even The Demo Looked Empty: The E3 2016 representation of the Great Plateau was very big, but it was also really empty too. Nintendo officials said NPCs were removed from the demo to preserve plot elements, but no self-respecting gamer should absorb statements from company representatives so easily.
Scrapping characters to avoid spoilers is a totally valid excuse, but it might not be the only one. It’s equally possible that these story-based elements weren’t, and still aren’t, ready to show. If that’s the case, a late release seems likely.
5) We Haven’t Really Seen The Switch Version: The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild is the first game shown in the Switch reveal trailer, but we don’t know for sure if that footage was even accurate. Fanatics have pointed out differences in color saturation to signify a different build, but those adjustments could have easily been applied to the Wii U version too.
Nintendo said all Switch game footage may not be representative of final products. In that case, what was shown could easily be a pasted-on Wii U clip. We’ll likely see the Switch version in action during Nintendo’s January event, but, until then, it’s been totally hidden. Secrecy doesn’t often bode well for release dates of games that have already been announced.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild comes to Nintendo Switch and Wii U in 2017.
Do you think Breath Of The Wild will be a Nintendo Switch launch game? Would you be surprised if it came later? Tell us in the comments section!
