Video games aren’t “one-off events” anymore. It’s no longer the case that you buy a game from a store, play it until it’s complete, and then either sell it or put it back on your shelf and never touch it again. The internet has changed all of that forever. Most games have an online mode that adds playability to a game long after the story mode has finished, and even if they don’t, they might have downloadable content. Through downloadable content, the lifespan of a video game can be expanded by several years. Take “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” for example. It was hailed as one of the best-designed games in history when it was released in 2017, but that was four years ago. Times have changed a little since then in the fast-moving game of video games, but “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” is keeping up with them thanks to the timely release of new content.
Video game companies releasing new content to keep an aging game alive is nothing to write home about under normal circumstances. “Street Fighter V” is still getting new content this year, six years after the release of the original game. “Grand Theft Auto V” (perhaps there’s something special about the fifth game in a series) is also getting brand-new content, including a souped-up next-gen version of the game later in 2021. It’s been a full eight years since that game was released. The key difference between those two games and “Zelda,” though, is that in this case, the new content isn’t coming from the people who made the game. It’s coming from the fans who play it.
We shouldn’t be surprised by the level of devotion that “Zelda” fans show toward the game series. This is, after all, one of the longest-running series of video games in the world. At the risk of making a few of you feel old, the first-ever Zelda game “The Legend of Zelda” was released in November 1987. That will be 34 years ago this year. Since then, “Zelda” and the character of Link have appeared in animated television shows, board games, print media, and an online slots game. While we suspect that the online slots game was made without a license (it’s called “The Legend of Link” rather than “The Legend of Zelda”), it’s still proved to be extremely popular with players. It’s even sometimes included in the long list of online slots promotions you’ll see at some of the better sites as a hook to get new players interested. Wherever “Zelda” and its characters go, people follow. There are still millions of people playing “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wind” who are desperate to get new content – and they’re about to receive it.
The new expansion is actually only one half of a gigantic mod codenamed “Second Wind,” the latter half of which is expected to be released later in 2021. If this is only half of it, we can’t even begin to imagine what the rest looks like. The newly-released mod includes new bosses, modifications to the combat system, new areas, and new quests to go on within those areas. It’s no exaggeration to say that, graphics aside, it feels like a whole new game. This is more like a lookalike sequel than it is an addition to the original, and it should keep players occupied for days. In fact, some of them will probably still be playing their way through it when the second half of “Second Wind” is released.
The first half of the mod is called “Labors of the Hero.” By the time it’s joined by the second half, fans will have access to 35 new pieces of armor and weapons, twenty new NPCs, a further thirteen boss characters, 28 new animals, eight new areas, and fifteen new quests. The biggest change, however, is the new and improved combat system Hand to hand combat is now possible with martial-arts style fight sequences. When you see this written down, it probably sounds like it doesn’t work in the context of a “Zelda” game, but we assure you that it does. So does the new “Blacksmith” system, which, for the first time, gives you total control over the armor and weapons that Link can build from scratch. There are even a whole 38 new meals for him to cook. We know that’s not exactly a game-changing feature, but it’s a fun addition, and it underlines the level of attention to detail that fans have gone into with the new content.
At the time of writing, we’re not sure when the second mod will be released. We know its name, which is “The Ancient Island,” and probably gives us a clue about at least some of the content, but we don’t know when it’s going to turn up. There isn’t even a trailer available for it yet, so we suspect it’s still quite a long way from being ready. The best place to keep up with news about that is to find the official “Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” Discord server, where several thousand people post and discuss the game every day. If you’d rather just get on with playing your way through the new content, though, find your way to YouTube and search for the “Labors of the Hero” official trailer. You’ll find a download link underneath it, along with instructions on how to go about installing it. Don’t worry – you don’t need to be a technical wizard to get it working!
As for the “Zelda” series as a whole, the latest news is that there will be a new game released for the Nintendo Switch on July 17th this year. As always, the release date is subject to change until it happens. The game is called “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD.” That should be enough to tell you that while this game is new, it isn’t brand-new. It’s an HD remaster of a 2011 game that was a huge hit on the Wii. We’re probably overdue for a “real” new “Zelda” game, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see or hear something confirmed within the next three or four months. If we do, we’ll make sure that you hear about it right here.
