Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Magical Runes

Ever since it has been revealed at E3 in 2016, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, has received multiple reveal trailers that have given us more insight into how the game works and how it will be played when it eventually comes out. Previous reveal trailers have focused on different aspects of the game such as the Woodcutter’s Axe, the new Temple of Time ruins, and the Koroks. This latest trailer reveals what was shown in the last one, the Magnesis ability, plus a bunch more “runes.” Take a look at the trailer below and then check out our take on what these new abilities will be like in the game.

The first “rune” that is shown in the trailer is the Cryonis ability, which we have seen before, but not in the context that it is going to be one of the “runes” available. This ability allows Link to freeze rectangular shaped sections of water which he is then able to climb and move across. To us this ability reminds us of the staff that was used to control water in The Legend of Zelda a Link Between Worlds. In that game the ability was used in dungeons where water was encountered, and on the world map where lakes and rivers had to be crossed. This ability has also made an appearance in the last Zelda game, The Legend of Zelda TriForce Heroes, where it was used in an almost identical way. It appears, according to this trailer and the others that we have seen, that in Zelda: Breath of the Wild it is also going to be used in a similar way. This ability also reinforces the concept that Link will be unable to swim in water that is near freezing temperatures, something that has been confirmed from other gameplay videos.

The next ability that is shown in the trailer is the Magnesis ability, which allows the player to use a magneto like power to control items that are made of metal. In this trailer it shows links removing a magnetic treasure chest from under the water. This ability also reinforces the idea that this Link will be unable to swim.

The next “rune” that is shown in the trailer is the ability to use bombs. This is the “rune” that we found to be most interesting in the trailer. We thought this because in previous Zelda games the player would be able to use bombs without an ability, but would require an item to be able to hold them in your inventory. The fact that in Breath of the Wild this ability is being transferred over to the “rune” concept is an interesting fact that makes us very curious to learn more about what these “runes” are and how they are acquired.

The final “rune” that is shown in the trailer is the stasis ability. In the video the player places a barrel bomb and then used the stasis rune on it. This causes the barrel bomb to freeze, then the player hits it multiple times. After the stasis ability wears off the bomb is launched at some enemies in the distance. This “rune” shows just how interesting Breath of the Wild is proving to be, and how the player can choose which abilities to use and when depending on their play style.

Overall this trailer has gotten us even more excited about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and is making us unable to wait for the next reveal trailer!