SIX YEARS ON...STILL STUNNING
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild came out back in 2017 which, in the video game world, means it’s already old. Released on both the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Wii U, Breath of the Wild was an immediate hit. It’s been reviewed, scored and awarded over and over, so why do I need to tack on, especially so late in the game?
Well, in the lead up to the long-anticipated sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I’ve been replaying Breath of the Wild. And it holds up. The six-year-old game still feels as fun and exciting as the first time I logged in.
The success of Breath of the Wild is not due to one thing in particular (storyline, graphics, mechanics) but the cumulation of all the elements seamlessly working together.
With no memories and armed only with a Sheikah slate (essentially a tablet), Link is thrust into an open world masterpiece that extends as far as the eye can see.
[Image description: View into the distance off the Great Plateau with a Sheikah tower in the foreground.]
He must recover his memories and defeat Calamity Ganon, finding Shrines and taming Divine Beasts along the way. That is the most straightforward approach.
But the beauty of Breath of the Wild lies in its non-linear gameplay. You can do anything you want in almost any order you wish. The title encapsulates the game perfectly – it’s an exploration of the wild, ravaged, beautiful land of Hyrule presented in an impressive level of detail. You can see the scars left behind by Calamity Ganon and the ruins of a peaceful Hyrule.
[Image description: Sunlight streaming through dense trees illuminating the Master Sword half buried in a slab of stone.]
The main storyline thrusts puzzles and monsters into your way, and plenty of hilarious dialogue. In addition to your standard monsters, there are mini bosses appearing across the far reaches of the map: Molduga, Hinox, Talus, Lynel. Each is distinct and helps you hone a battle tactic.
[Image description: From left to right, Molduga, Hinox, Talus and Lynel]
There are minigames, monsters, loveable characters, animals and a surprising enemy, the weather. If vanquishing a blight gets too much, you can eschew all the stress of being a hero for a simpler life. Move to Hateno and decorate your house. Go fishing in Lurelin and discover new recipes. Hunt in the snowy peaks of Hebra. Soak in the restorative hot springs peppered throughout Eldin. Travel the roads, discovering Hyrule on horseback. Or find the perfect spot in Akkala to build an entire town!
There is a near-endless number of things to do meaning that it is difficult to finish absolutely everything the game has to offer. So, you’ve finished the main storyline, but have you completed all the shrines? There’s 120 of them. What about side quests? Have you filled your compendium, fought every monster, upgraded every item of clothing, and found every korok? Chances are there is some element of the game left unfinished, even if you have found all 900 koroks. If you played the game when it first came out, or at any point in the last six years, I would highly encourage you to pick it up again before the sequel. And if you’ve never played Breath of the Wild, or any Zelda game at all, I couldn’t think of a better game to start with.
It’s not too late!
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All images are in-game screenshots taken by the author.