WEAR IT’S AT

Link has been able to increase his health, stamina and/or magic gauges throughout the series, but Skyward-Sword introduced a series first: upgradeable gear. Crafting has been significantly expanded in Breath Of The Wild, encompassing a Monster Hunter

like cooking system that lets you combine ingredients – from food to plants to monster parts – and there are various items of clothing, such as a quilted shirt that protects Link against the cold. Like the open world, these features are designed to give the player a greater feeling of freedom, Fujibayashi explains. “It’s up to you how you want to play

Breath Of The Wild. These systems, such as ability boosting, items and equipment, are there for that purpose. This quality also means that different people might experience the game very differently. There will be players who might gather lots of food and potions to recover hearts and stamina, so they can recover from any mistake. Other players might try to overcome difficulty by improving and strengthening their clothing and equipment.” In other words, players can exert a degree of control over the challenges they face in accordance with their individual play styles – and Fujibayashi is well aware that will include an audience that would rather raise the difficulty than lower it. “Some may rely on their bow-and-arrow technique and complete the game wearing just underwear!” he says. “Breath

Of The Wild’s systems make all of these approaches possible.”