Breath Of The Wild Mods Proved That BOTW 2 Would Be Better On PC
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild proved to be a massive success for the Nintendo Switch, but its vibrant and ambitious community of modders have demonstrated that its sequel might be better suited for a PC release. BOTW, while aesthetically pleasing and well-designed, is held back by the Nintendo Switch's hardware in more ways than one. While its unlikely that Nintendo will ever release an official PC version of 2023 potential GOTY contender BOTW 2, there are several ways in which a hypothetical PC release would be better than one on the Switch, as evidenced by Breath of the Wild's multitudinous mods.
Nintendo doesn't seem to be very fond of modders, as the legendary Japanese gaming company has proven to be quite litigious when it comes to tech-savvy consumers altering their products. Setting that aside, however, it's clear that there are countless passionate Zelda fans out there that have managed to not only improve upon what Breath of the Wild has already established, but expand upon it by adding content that fits with the rest of the experience. Through mods, Breath of the Wild has been made more beautiful and unique, and players have been given a greater degree of freedom.
Popular mods gave Breath of the Wild ray-tracing capabilities, higher-quality textures, and have increased the game's max framerate, but it doesn't stop there. Fans have been able to leverage mods to add substantial content to the game, along with implementing new features and mechanics that expand what BOTW already has to offer. BOTW might be a Nintendo Switch darling, but its many mods show that both it and its sequel might be perfect for a PC release.
It's undeniable that Breath of the Wild is a visually stunning game and one that makes good use of the hardware limitations of the Nintendo Switch. However, if BOTW 2 were unshackled from these platform restrictions, it could look even more beautiful. Mods have already shown that areas like BOTW's Eldin Region can look gorgeous with things like enhanced lighting effects, and there are a number of other ways that this iconic rendition of Hyrule can be visually enhanced.
If BOTW 2 were to be released on PC rather than on Switch, it could have a better resolution, framerate, draw distance, and more. This could make the game look breathtaking without losing its essential visual characteristics or charm. Aside from simply looking better, BOTW 2 on PC could offer a potentially infinite amount of visual diversity thanks to mods that would highlight or mitigate certain design elements of Hyrule. These visual mods would be a nice addition, but it's just one aspect of what would make Breath of the Wild 2 on PC a great idea.
The dedicated Breath of the Wild modding community has been relentless in their attempts to build upon the foundation laid by the base game. Perhaps the best example of this can be found in the Second Wind mod, which adds an entire new questline and town to BOTW, along with numerous original NPCs with unique backstories and personalities. Games like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim prove that having a dedicated modding community can do wonders for a game's longevity, as the gaming world is still buzzing with Skyrim discussions surrounding its innumerable mods, even more than a decade after the game's release. A BOTW 2 on PC with accessible, meaningful mods could lead to a similar outcome.
Second Wind might be the most substantial, high-profile Breath of the Wild mod as far as new gameplay and quest content is concerned, but making BOTW 2 easier to mod by releasing an official PC version would open the doors to even more modding possibilities. There have been mods that expand Link's customization options, add new dungeons, and even one that brought a Mario Kart track to BOTW's Hyrule. These are some truly significant and impressive mods that add a lot of unique gameplay opportunities and features to the game, but a PC release of BOTW 2 could make for some even better user-generated content.
Breath of the Wild gave players an expansive, charming sandbox to explore, and its sequel looks to build on that through new environments, mechanics, and features. While this will make for a more interesting base game, it also means more opportunities for modders, as there are more factors and variables that can be altered. Vanilla BOTW had a number of official inclusions that were further fleshed out and enhanced through mods. For example, a BOTW mod added new features to Link's house, introducing robust personalization options, mini games, and even a pet for players to interact with. A significantly more rudimentary version of this player home was found in the base game, and this mod made it more appealing and interesting. Thus what will likely be a more feature-rich base game with BOTW 2 would likely lead to even more intriguing and fun mods.
Breath of the Wild 2 will surely receive mods regardless of what hardware it's released on, but a version of the game on PC would not only make these mods easier to make, but also easier for players to access and enjoy. Unfortunately, a PC version of BOTW 2 seems less than likely, as Nintendo is perhaps the most reluctant of the major gaming companies when it comes to releasing its first-party titles on other platforms. Rumors of BOTW 2 releasing on a new Nintendo console also makes it seem unlikely that the game would be released anywhere else.
Still, it's interesting to imagine what Breath of the Wild 2 could look like on PC, not only from a graphical and technical perspective, but also through the lens of potential mods. BOTW 2 on PC could boast visual fidelity that would elevate its already beautiful art style, while opening the door to a bevy of unique, player-created content that would expand upon its solid foundation. It looks like the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is still a ways away, but it is sure to inspire some cool mods - even if its potential is a bit limited by releasing exclusively on Nintendo consoles.