Board 8 > So what the heck is actually happening with BotW2

(+) Yeah! (+)

Now that BotW2 is basically confirmed to not show up for Nintendo's notE3, it's time to ask what the heck is going on with the game. There's been more time between now and BotW than there has been between SS and BotW and we still don't even have a title for BotW2. Assuming an optimistic March 2023 release would still put a 6 year gap for a game that started off as BotW DLC and whose trailer so far has shown a largely remixed BotW Hyrule.

So what's going on? COVID? Development hell? Extreme ambition that hasn't been revealed? Nintendo holding it back as a launch title for Switch 2?

it takes a long time to make Zelda games

It's Zelda, this is what they do.

I would be incredibly surprised if an enormous factor isn't the Switch hardware limitations for what they're wanting to accomplish.

I guess that could mean launch in the next console is my answer, but I don't think it's artifical. Or they're trying to scale the game back as little as they can to make it actually work WITHOUT delaying the game to the next console.

SHINE_GET_64 posted...

it takes a long time to make Zelda games

andylt posted...

It's Zelda, this is what they do.

Eh this is the first time since Majora's Mask that they can reuse so much of what they already built based on what's been presented so far. BotW1 took 7 years to be released after Skyward Sword, it's a little strange that it's taken the exact amount of time to make a game like that. Majora's Mask development was much shorter than OoT for example.

What's weird about saying "it takes a long time to make Zelda games" is that they have an entire foundation to make a new BOTW already. It's more like a Ocarina of Time to Majora's Mask situation, where they have the entire framework and assets there already.

I have no doubt they're trying to get ambitious with it, and I wouldn't doubt if Switch hardware is limiting them too, but it IS a little weird we're getting this level of delay from it.

Japan didnt handle the transition to remote work well. Its probably mostly a covid issue.

It's a lot of these as well as MonolithSoft (who helped with BotW1) being busy with Xenoblade games. Game dev is hard.

The outdated Switch is making it difficult to realize their ambition.

HeroDelTiempo17 posted...

It's a lot of these as well as MonolithSoft (who helped with BotW1) being busy with Xenoblade games. Game dev is hard.

I think it's the opposite. BotW2 has priority over XBC3, so BotW2 would have a bigger impact on XBC3's development than the other way around. The majority of XBC2's dev team got drafted to work on BotW so Monolith ended up having to outsource large parts of the game because their own artists and programmers kept disappearing when Aonuma called. Was a miracle XBC2 actually came out on time.

I mean XB3 is coming out almost right after getting announced and looks to be pretty damn polished and feature rich, so it's pretty clear they put their all behind it this time after XB2 was kind of a mess.

I don't doubt that Monolithsoft is going to get dragged right over to BotW2 now that XB3 is done, though.

They realized it's too similar to BOTW1 so they had to come up with other ways to make the game unique and worth being a sequel

Covid mostly, but I absolutely don't believe for a second it would've been a 2021 release without

Monolith Soft has expanded a lot since XC2. They definitely have more internal devs working on XC3 than for XC2, but they also still have a separate support studio that's been helping on BotW2. They didn't have to choose which one to prioritize like with XC2 and BotW1.

SHINE_GET_64 posted...

it takes a long time to make Zelda games

andylt posted...

It's Zelda, this is what they do.

This is why Zelda games are all at least decent. They make damn sure they're ready to release.

when is the next mainline Mario game

Leonhart4 posted...

when is the next mainline Mario game

There's usually 4 years between games and we got Bowser's Fury last year so probably 2025?

So Bowser's Fury is considered a full mainline Mario game? Feels like we got a raw deal then!

A delayed game is eventually good etc

They will probably have spent 3 years on full production dev for it. Maybe 4 due to covid delay.

They probably spent a LOT of time redesigning it. They realize that the BOTW formula is fundamentally bad, and had to figure out a way to keep the good stuff and fix the bad without pissing off all the BOTW fanboys.

It's pretty much a miracle MM was able to get done in 1 year so that's a bad comparison.

I'd say 1 and 3 combined

My guess is it was delayed, then pushed to be a switch 2 release game, then switch 2 was obliterated by Covid.

Combination of 1, 3, and 4 I think. I voted 1 because I think the game is ambitious but not that ambitious, and it's only being held back a few months for the next Switch, is my guess.

Leonhart4 posted...

So Bowser's Fury is considered a full mainline Mario game? Feels like we got a raw deal then!

It's not, it was actually developed by NST, the Nintendo Studio in Washington State that got put on Mario vs. Donkey Kong duty for a decade after they fucked up Project H.A.M.M.E.R. and it got cancelled. No idea what the team that did the other 3D Marios is doing. The rumor is that they're making/made a Donkey Kong game since Retro's been busy with Metroid Prime.