Nintendo has officially revealed the contents of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s first DLC pack, which is scheduled to release later during the summer months.
Expansion Pass owners can look forward to undertaking the Trial of the Sword, which pits a disadvantaged Link against challenging waves of enemies. Players begin the trial without weapons and armor, so you’ll be at the mercy of enemy drops while running the gamut of “about 45 rooms.” Completing the Trial of the Sword will upgrade your Master Sword to permanently glow in its powered-up state.
A new map feature, dubbed Hero’s Path Mode, will allow players to display their footsteps for the last 200 hours of gameplay. This handy addition should make it easier to determine which parts of Hyrule you’ve been neglecting, especially those of you still on the hunt for 900 pieces of Hyrule’s hottest commodity: Korok poop.
As the name implies, Hard Mode aims to crank up the challenge a bit in a variety of ways. Enemies will now regenerate health if they’re not dispatched in a timely manner, in addition to having their level increased by one from their Normal Mode variants. The maximum level for Normal Mode enemies will also be increased in Hard Mode. If you’re not sure how enemy levels work in Breath of the Wild, Nintendo gave the example of Red Bokoblins in Normal Mode now appearing as Blue Bokoblins in Hard Mode. Players will want to keep their eyes to the skies in Hard Mode, as floating enemies and treasure chests are being added as well.
A new Travel Medallion item can eventually be found inside of a mysterious treasure chest “somewhere in the world,” which allows players to create a permanent fast-travel point at their current spot on the map. Though Nintendo is being incredibly vague about its actual location, the reward itself seems quite beneficial. It’s worth noting, however, that the Travel Medallion can only be used once.
Another item hidden somewhere within Hyrule is the Korok Mask. Whenever Link dons the awkward foliage across his face meat, the player’s controller will rumble if an undiscovered Korok is nearby. This, in addition to the aforementioned Hero’s Path Mode, should make hunting down those mischevious little Koroks considerably easier.
And last but not least, eight familiar pieces of armor are being added to the game by way of (you guessed it) hidden treasure chests. This generous slice of nostalgia pie includes Majora’s Mask, Midna’s Helmet, a three-piece Phantom Armor set, and, most importantly, a three-piece Tingle set. Have a look!
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Expansion Pass is available now for $19.99 USD ($28.19 CAD). While no specific release date was given, the DLC pack detailed here in this very post should make its way to Nintendo Switch and Wii U during the summer. A second DLC pack is currently planned for the holiday season which, as of now, will include a new dungeon and an original story event.
Purchasing the Expansion Pass now adds three new treasure chests to the Great Plateau area that include helpful adventuring items and a red Nintendo Switch logo t-shirt for Link to wear in-game. DLC Pack 1 and DLC Pack 2 cannot be purchased individually, so if you’re fiending for more Hyrulian hijinx the Expansion Pass is the only way to go.