New The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 gameplay mechanic details might have been revealed through a couple of freshly-published Nintendo patents.
We already saw it in Nintendo’s E3 2021 teaser trailer for the upcoming sequel, but we know might have some additional information about the new gameplay mechanics in the game, including Link’s new “Rewind” power, the ability to perform special action when “falling”, and Link being able to move freely through platforms.
The new patents were published earlier this month and spotted by Gamereactor.
For those unaware of Link’s new abilities as seen in Nintendo’s teaser, we’ve included the E3 2021 teaser down below. We’ve also included some screenshots from the video that show the gameplay mechanics from the new patents.
As can be seen in the video, Link is skydiving from the Sky in Skyward Sword style, and based on one of the new patents, falling is actually a special mode in which Link can perform special actions, including shooting.
Diving/Freefalling
In a special operation mode which receives an operation input for causing a player character that is falling, to perform a special action including a shooting action of shooting a predetermined object, an example of an information processing apparatus changes the posture of the player character that is falling, according to a component, regarding at least a pitch direction, of the direction of a virtual camera based on a camera operation input. In the special operation mode, the information processing apparatus sets a shooting direction of the predetermined object during the shooting action, according to the direction of the virtual camera based on the camera operation input. Moreover, the information processing apparatus controls the player character to perform the shooting action and control the predetermined object to move to the shooting direction, based on a shooting operation input performed by the player.
The “rewind” patent details how Link will be able to “return” certain objects to previously recorded positions. Likely, this new power will be a Rune ability like Link’s Magnesis, Stasis, and Cryonis powers in the original Breath of the Wild.
Rewind power
Movement-related parameters used in virtual physical calculation are changed such that a designated object selected based on an operation input is caused to perform return movement to return to previously recorded positions and orientations, sequentially backward from the time of giving a start instruction based on the operation input. A state in a virtual space including a player character, the designated object, and other objects is updated based on the virtual physical calculation.
The final patent that was published details Link’s ability to vertically move through platforms, as seen in the teaser trailer when Link warps from the ground to a floating temple in the sky and moves through the stone.
Vertical movement
An example of an information processing apparatus performs, in a virtual space including at least a player character and a terrain object, a control of moving the player character on the terrain object, based on an operation input performed by a player. If it is at least satisfied that the terrain object serving as a ceiling is present above the player character and that a destination, on the terrain object, at which the player character is placeable is present above the ceiling located above the player character, the information processing apparatus moves the player character to the destination, based on an operation input performed by the player.
Based on this description, we can assume that Link will be able to perform this new movement action where he/she chooses and not at predefined points. With Breath of the Wild 2 still quite the mystery at this point, these new alleged details are quite interesting for sure.
Following a delay, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 is now slated for a release next year on the Nintendo Switch.
