Zelda: Breath Of The Wild - Second Wind Fan Mod Explained

When hardcore fans of "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" have thought of the game's modding community, they may have envisioned Zelda as a playable character, longer-form dungeons devoid of the Sheikah aesthetic characterizing the Divine Beasts and shrines, or one of the many bizarre "Zelda" mods bringing in characters from other franchises. In terms of a freestanding mod that enhances the gameplay of "Breath of the Wild," few mods have grown so ambitious as the one in development on GameBanana thematically titled "Second Wind."

GameBanana has operated as a fan site for PC and console gamers since 2001, dedicated to propping up mods and other fan content. Creator of the Second Wind mod, CEObrainz, has worked on "Second Wind" since at least 2019, the same year Nintendo debuted its first trailer for "Tears of the Kingdom." The in-progress mod has over 50 people working on it although the beta has been open for some time. CEObrainz referred to "Second Wind" as a major expansion to the base game bringing fixes to bugs, new quests, new creatures, new and returning areas, and even greater depth to the combat system of "Breath of the Wild."

CEObrainz divided the Wiki page of "Second Wind" into two sections: The Ancient Trials and The Ancient Island, the latter having no information yet. Ancient Trials, however, has already delivered on several of its promises. Aside from test of strength-based shrines, the team has completed their goal of revitalizing all shrines in the game with new puzzles to tackle and a reimagined aesthetic, featuring forests, overgrown ruins, and icy caverns.

In addition to the shrines, the ecology of the game's over-world has benefited from new creatures. Link can now encounter desert ostriches and large boars. He can even fight and ride Dodongos, the infernal lizards from "Ocarina of Time."

On the subject of enemies, the mod has implemented over half of the boss enemies in its Labors of the Hero questline. The quest calls on Link to find and defeat Big Octo, a large Octorok; a Grand Minister Wizzrobe; and Sooga of the Yiga Clan, among other baddies. Moreover, Link finds these enemies within new locations on the map, including Central Hyrule Underground and the returning Ordon Village from "Twilight Princess."

These add-ons have only scratched the surface, with Second Wind touting new weapons, masks, and a martial arts expansion of the combat system. Features like the martial arts expansion have not yet released in the open beta. Still, the modders' efforts with this expansive "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" mod have definitely impressed fans, making one of the best mainline "Zelda" games somehow even better.