Nintendo dropped a new trailer for the highly anticipated new game in its storied Legend of Zelda series, Breath of the Wild on Thursday night when the 2016 Game Awards kicked off. The new, dramatic spot teases an epic storyline filled with strange enemies and airships — and it offered our first fleeting glimpse at the titular Princess Zelda.
The trailer starts with several atmospheric shots of the game’s world, including some locations and types of environments that we haven’t seen before. It really plays up the exploration and immersion possibilities that helped make Skyrim such a big hit.
After setting a thoughtful, sweeping stage, the action kicks in. A figure flies past a blue-clad Link and up into an airship that’s more Miyazaki than it is steampunk, but it’s still unlike anything we’ve really seen in a Zelda game before, as are the almost cybernetic foes Link battles in a fleeting, thrilling horseback fight.
There are some explosions, and the world that seemed so lush and full of life have been reduced to gray ruin as something happens to Link. The trailer closes with a shot of Link on his knee, looking rather despondent, as just the tiniest bit of (what we assume to be) Princess Zelda’s arm enters the frame. Zelda balls her hand into a fist with a steely resolve. It’s on.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which will be available for Wii U and the upcoming Nintendo Switch, is scheduled for a 2017 release.
