The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the best games to come out in a very long time. Players have put countless hours into exploring every nook and cranny of the world that Nintendo has crafted. We all knew that two DLC packs were coming, but the information was shrouded in ambiguity. That shroud has officially been lifted, because Nintendo has officially announced the details for the first DLC pack that will be coming out this summer.
I know that some people have expressed concern that the DLC pack would be light on content, but take a look at the list below and see what you think.
Trial of the Sword
By accessing this location, players can challenge the new Trial of the Sword (previously known as “Cave of Trials Challenge”), where enemies appear one after another. Link starts without any armor or weapons, and if he defeats all of the enemies in the room he can proceed to the next area. Trial of the Sword will include around 45 total rooms for players to complete. When Link clears all of the trials, the true power of the Master Sword will awaken and always be in its glowing powered-up state.
The Trial of the Sword is, for all intents and purposes, a horde mode. This is a game mode where players are tasked with battling waves of enemies that grow progressively stronger. Fourty five rooms is a lot so this should be a very significant challenge for players, but a fully empowered Master Sword is a worthy prize.
Hard Mode
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is already considered one of the most thrilling games in The Legend of Zelda series, and fans looking for a challenge are in for a treat with the new Hard Mode. In Hard Mode, the “ranks” of enemies in the game are increased (i.e. Red Bokoblins change to Blue), and players might even encounter higher-ranking enemies they wouldn’t find through normal play. Enemies will also slowly recover health in battle, forcing you to defeat them more quickly. They will also more easily spot Link as he approaches them, making these enemies tougher to sneak up on. In addition, floating planks held aloft by balloons will be scattered around Hyrule. By successfully reaching these planks, players can battle enemies and collect treasure.
Breath of the Wild is already a very challenging game. I was curious what Nintendo meant when they said they were adding a Hard mode from the second it was announced. This sounds like a daunting challenge. This will be the playground for some of the very best players. I know we’ll give it a shot, but I suspect our family won’t get too far.
Hero’s Path Mode
Exploring Hyrule is exciting, but with such a large world it’s sometimes hard for players to remember where they’ve been. To help with tracking progress, the new Hero’s Path Mode will document every step players take, and mark their path in green on the map. The route taken will be tracked for the player’s last 200 hours of play time, with an included slider to track footsteps on a timeline. This even works retroactively, so players that have already put many hours into the game will be able to see where they have traveled. This feature will help in identifying the locations they haven’t visited in this vast world, and may help players find those Shrines they haven’t encountered yet.
This may be the coolest part of this whole expansion. One of my biggest problems towards the end of the game is that I just didn’t know where to go. This will solve that problem. I doubt that anyone will find the exact footsteps all that useful, but I strongly feel that this will help explorers find their way when it comes to hunting down missing temples.
Travel Medallion
There will be a new treasure chest somewhere in the game world which contains the Travel Medallion. With the Travel Medallion, players can create a temporary new travel point on the map where they are currently standing. Link can then transport himself to that point at any time. Only one travel point can be registered on the map at a time.
This is a welcome quality of life change. This gives players the ability to set transportation markers in areas they are exploring without being dependent upon shrines
Korok Mask
By finding the new Korok Mask, players will have a much easier time finding Korok locations in the game. When equipped, the mask will shake, indicating that a Korok is hidden somewhere nearby.
I don’t feel like the game was designed with the intention that players should get all of the Korok seeds. There are just too darn many of them. However, It looks like Nintendo has listened to their fans and created a tool to help complete the impossible.
New Equipment
Eight new pieces of equipment inspired by previous characters and games in the series will be added to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild after downloading the first DLC pack. Once discovered by the player, they will yield equipment themed after fan-favorite games and characters such as Midna, Tingle, Phantom and Majora’s Mask.
One of my favorite parts of Breath of the Wild was the variety in the equipment I could collect. This just adds to that experience. We don’t know what this gear does yet, but I am sure they will be interesting.
What do you think? Is this enough content for a DLC pack for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild? Will you and your family be picking it up? Sound odd in the comments and let us know!