Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game filled with flowing fields of grass through which Link can traverse. However, unlike previous Zelda titles, Breath of the Wild's grass yields no items when cut. This is a different approach for the series, as most entries allow the player to replenish their resources via the grass.
The removal of this feature in Breath of the Wild seems reasonable on a functional level. After all, BOTW features a number of varied locations and environments, some of which contain sparse amounts of grass, if any at all. More importantly, however, taking away Link's greatest source of items forces players to reconsider how to obtain the supplies they need. Here are some of the ways this change affects gameplay and why it might have been implemented.
Early on in the game, Breath of the Wild teaches players to earn what they need instead of always just finding it. Instead of scouring the grass around Hyrule for rupees, Link must make money a different way, such as seeking out and selling precious ore. His limited supply of arrows must be replenished by methods such as purchasing more at a shop or looting them from bow-wielding enemies (though some clever members of the BOTW community have found an exploit to obtain arrows.) What Link can find in the grass are cooking materials: creatures like dragonflies, frogs, and crickets. These found resources do not provide much immediate benefit. On the contrary, Breath of the Wild insists that players properly prepare and combine these materials in order to enjoy the benefits they provide.
A noticeable consequence of removing items from grass in Breath of the Wild is the absence of restorative hearts. In previous games, hearts are readily available if Link cuts tall grass while not at full health. No matter how much he does so in Breath of the Wild, however, none will appear. With this lack of easily accessible healing, players must utilize Breath of the Wild's unique cooking mechanic to regain health. If Link could recover from a nasty fall or a perilous monster encounter with a few swings of his sword through the grass, players might be de-incentivized from exploring the numerous food combinations and recipes available in the game.
While it does break tradition, removing items from the tall grass of Breath of the Wild does offer new challenges for fans to enjoy. Players must engage with what makes the game unique in order to succeed, which forces them to plan and prepare more carefully while traversing Hyrule. Additionally, players might learn to appreciate the grass - as well as Hyrule's many other beautiful locales - if they're not always focused on cutting it down.
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