Boomerang Prototype (for BotW)
Prototype created in
2022
Programm
Unreal Engine 4
Type
Proof of concept
My Goal
Breath of the Wild became one of my favorite games but one feature I really missed was the classic LoZ Boomerang!
So I decided to make it myself.
First I created a one-page design to simplify and document my idea
After I was satisfied, I used it as a guideline for this prototype.
The Boomerang Throw
I started with the classic boomerang mechanic, which means the player can throw it and it comes back after reaching a max. travel range.
If the player moves Link to a different position, the boomerang follows until it catches up to him.
I also immediately included, that the boomerang bounces off of objects after colliding with them.
Things such as projectile speed and bounce-off time are adjustable variables.
The Call Back Feature
Next, I wanted to make sure the player can also call the boomerang back manually, simply by pressing the same button as before.
This gives the player more control over the boomerang but also makes finding/collecting it way easier.
You can imagine it like Thors Hammer or like the axe from God of War.
Use Case: Switches
The classic boomerang from other LoZ titles can activate switches just as good as arrows can in BotW.
The difference between the two is that arrows hit the target immediately, while my boomerang has a slower travel speed.
This could be especially useful for timed events/quests since the player could already act or move while the boomerang is still on its way to hitting the target.
Use Case: Dealing Damage
The boomerang is a weapon which of course means that it can deal damage, defeat enemies, and destroy breakable objects.
In this case, we are simply defeating a weak enemy or destroying a breakable object with one hit.
Use Case: Items
Another feature of the classic LoZ boomerang is that it can be used to retrieve items that are out of Link's reach or to open/collect treasure chests.
Almost all of my features work similarly/the same, it mostly depends on what we are hitting.
This makes the boomerang versatile and I could imagine relatively easy to implement.