The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild just got a new screenshot courtesy of Nintendo’s Facebook page, and it may tease the inclusion of seasons in Link’s next quest. The post can be viewed in its entirety below.
To the casual onlooker this image may appear innocuous, but, as the Nintendo faithful know, this developer rarely does anything without a specific purpose. In other words, out of all the moments that could have been selected, this is the one that went live. Maybe it’s because it looks great, or maybe it’s something more.
If there is a hidden message to be found, it’s been commonly suggested that the screenshot may be a soft confirmation of seasonal environments in Breath Of The Wild. It seems appropriate that these brightly hued trees and darker skies would be on show just before winter begins. The image may be an ode to the season we’re currently in. Its colors certainly give it that vibe. The post promises more of these, so could we see others highlighting winter or spring?
It’s also worth noting that there were similar shots of these trees during the Breath Of The Wild Game Awards trailer earlier this month. If Nintendo is showing this specific element a second time, it must be a pivotal part of the product from a narrative or gameplay standpoint.
It’s unclear how seasons might work in Breath Of The Wild, but they have played a role in The Legend Of Zelda before. Most notably is 2001’s The Legend Of Zelda: Oracle Of Seasons for Game Boy Color. In that Capcom-made entry, Link manipulates seasons to free Din, the Oracle Of Seasons, from Ganon’s evil clutches. Considering Breath Of The Wild is so overtly focused on nature, the same mechanic could work very well in 2017’s game. Different environmental factors for each season would theoretically require players to manage equipment for all temperatures.
It’s worth reiterating that this is just speculation on our part, but it’s still a worthy discussion to have. At the very least we get another glimpse of how gorgeous this game will be.
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild comes to Switch and Wii U in 2017.
What do you think of this new screenshot? Will Breath Of The Wild will have seasons? Tell us in the comments section!
