I know a lot has already been said about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BOTW) since it came out over three years ago. But having not played a Zelda game since Skyward Sword (and not reviewed a game in over 15 years), please allow me to express my opinion on the adventure I completed.
I was not an owner of a Nintendo Switch until this past December (2021) and I had the drastic decision on which game out be the first I slotted into the new console. As I browsed at the limited stock on the shelves, I noticed BOTW. Now I knew before I even purchased it, I had high expectations. I have had three years to understand that: yes, it received a lot of perfect scores from a lot of media outlets I follow; yes, I knew that this game has been a big influence on the "open world" structure we see in games today (i.e. Elden Ring, which I am waiting patiently for); and yes, I knew that it will be about a young hero named Link that has to save Hyrule from the dreaded Ganon. I have watch videos, reviews, and listened to a lot of podcasts that always praise the world this game has created. But obviously watching videos and listening to people who have played and loved the game is quite different than actually playing it yourself.
...and boy was it a ride.
Throughout the 40 plus hours I spent on this game, I conquered every shrine, unsheathed the Master Sword from its slumber, rescued the Divine Beasts from the grasps of evil, and slain the Dark Beast Ganon once and for all...well, at least in this Zelda game. Truth be told, I could have spent another 10-15 hours just exploring the vast open world before taking my final stand in the depths of Hyrule Castle. BOTW deserves all of the recognition it deserves...but let's dive deeper into the why.
Story
In typical fashion (as I described before), you play as Link and your job is to rescue Princess Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule from Ganon. That is the barebones synopsis of the majority of Zelda games; that being said, BOTW does switch it up slightly that makes the familiar formula a little more interesting. While you do play as Link, the story begins with you waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection with no memory as to why you got here. As the name of the Shrine may hint at, you died...100 years...fighting Calamity Ganon for control of the kingdom. In present day, you realize the forces of good perished and Ganon has smothered Hyrule Castle in his dark cloud surrounded by ancient machines under his control. As the hero, you are tasked with saving the four Divine Beasts under the forces of evil, destroying Ganon and saving Hyrule and after accomplishing a few mandatory tasks, your adventure begins and goes wherever you want it to. The one complaint about the story is that it does end abruptly after the final confrontation. I would have loved to see more of what happens...but I guess I have to wait for the un-titled Breath of the Wild Sequel to come out.
Gameplay
"Wherever" is extremely important to understand in BOTW. After completing the first area of the game, the open world truly comes into play. You are given two main questlines to choose from and all of a sudden, the world of Hyrule is yours to explore. There are no places of interest already pinged to your map and there is no direct way to get to your points of interest. BOTW is truly an open world experience everyone needs to play. The game gives you the power to do whatever you want in the world. You want to go and save the four Divine Beasts from the grasp of Calamity Ganon's grasp? Go forth! You want to uncover the treasures hidden within the 120 shrines across Hyrule? Why not! You want to try and find the legendary Master Sword hidden somewhere in the kingdom? Absolutely! You want to test yourself right out of the gate, travel to Hyrule Castle and take on Calamity Ganon with nothing on you but what you find in the world on the way? Good luck! (Seriously, you'll need it.) BOTW gives you a type of freedom that I, personally, have not experienced in any other video game before. Nothing was out of bounds. You don't need to finish a certain number of quests in order to "open up" the rest of the world to explore. From the high peak of Death Mountain to the Gerudo Town within the desert wastelands, you can go anywhere. The open world is definitely the highlight of the game, but the gameplay does not stop there.
It's hard to say in past Zelda games you "level up" Link along your journey. Technically you do because as you enter new areas / dungeons, Link finds new equipment that would then be key to defeat whatever evil entity is blocking your path. In BOTW, not so much. In fact, Link becomes stronger by acquiring new weapons and armor as you explore Hyrule. Weapons vary in BOTW to include swords (single-handed and two-handed), spears, axes, tree branches and arrows (which can also range from regular to the typical fire, ice and much more). None of which are technically required to beat the game. Some weapons are better when facing certain enemies (especially if you have certain weaponry that has elemental traits infused within them) but no weapon is necessary to complete the game. You don't even need the Master Sword to beat it either! But even though you may find an arsenal of weaponry right away, don't think they will last. Weapons and shields break if they are used too much (and they will break often). I never found myself without a piece of equipment to finish a fight, but I definitely finished quite a few and lost a decent amount of equipment. But as you continue to explore the world, you will find better and more durable weaponry that will last longer during combat. But even if you find a rare piece of equipment, don't think it will last forever if you use it in every battle!
Finding specific armor is also not required but BOTW makes it almost necessary as every piece of armor has some extra abilities that can make you a more powerful warrior. Abilities can range from making your movements quieter to raising your defense amongst certain enemies. And they are necessary. I found quite a few pieces of armor that I switched into during certain circumstances. And if you are really into your armor, you can even upgrade your pieces of armor at one of the four Great Fair Fountains hidden within Hyrule.
The only mandatory pieces of equipment you receive in the game is your Sheikah Slate and paraglider. The paraglider is a handy tool in which you can jump off high vantage points and glide around the world. It makes traveling across different terrains much easier, especially if you cannot fast travel to a specific area yet. The more important piece of equipment is the Skeikah Slate, which you find in the Shrine of Resurrection at the beginning of the game. This multipurpose tablet is basically your go-to device where you can equip your weapons, shields, armor and eat your food as well as a map of the world. In addition, the Sheikah Slate is home to Runes, which bestow certain abilities you can use throughout the game. Such abilities include the use of bombs, magnesis, stasis, cryonis (aka create blocks of ice in water), and taking pictures. The Slate is also the only equipment required in the game. This device is necessary to open shrines and activate fast-travel options as well as cleanse the Divine Beasts from Ganon's control. It's a neat little tool that proves to be very useful throughout your journey.
The combat system is fantastic. Throughout the fields of Hyrule you will come across groups of enemies (ranging from spear-headed foes to half-man, half-horse beings with axes) that are looking to knock you down once and for all. In the early stages of the game, do not be surprised if you see a "Game Over" screen once or four times. The game can be quite a challenge as you get your bearings on the combat system and the fact you don't have a lot of resources available to you right out of the gate. Enemies hit hard if you don't have the right armor on and they can hit even harder if they have elemental weaponry that can even disarm you of your sword and/or shield. The combat is not overbearing as, again, the game encourages you to explore the world and find weapons and armor that will help increase your chances of surviving enemy encounters. Link also has some cool new moves in combat. In addition to the traditional sword slashing and shield blocking, Link can now parry and dodge attacks and, if done correctly, will allow you to attack multiple times while the rest of the world (and enemy) is in slow motion. This new ability is great in depleting an enemy's health bar much quicker than typical.
One controversial thing to discuss are the dungeons. Technically there are four dungeons in the game (not including Hyrule Castle). These dungeons are found within the four Divine Beasts, which are large ancient machines that are under the control of Calamity Ganon. The dungeons themselves are puzzles where you need to activate a certain number of terminals to retake control of the structure and cleanse it of Calamity Ganon's grasp. The dungeons are disappointing because they do not take long to complete and are not very hard to figure out. When the game makes the Sheikah Slate one of two mandatory pieces of equipment, you need to develop your dungeons around that limitation. The game tries to add a little more to these areas by giving you the ability to alter certain angles of the Divine Beast itself to change the terrain within the dungeon. But other than that, there's not a lot differentiating the Divine Beasts from one another. That being said, there are optional mini-dungeons you can complete in the form of Shrines that sort of alleviate this concern (if slightly). There are 120 of these Shrines (132 if you include the DLC) that hold different treasures for you to find.
Returning from Skyward Sword is your stamina bar, which is shown by a green wheel that depletes when you run, climb, glide and use heavy attacks. Managing your stamina bar is very important because if you deplete it completely, Link will get tired and will be unable to run and use heavy attacks until it is fully restored in combat or lose his grip when climbing walls or mountains. You are able to upgrade your stamina bars (as well as your hearts) by completing the Shrines scattered across the world and trading the Spirit Orbs collected within them at specific areas.
Graphics & Audio
I think it goes without saying BOTW is a beautiful game. Is it the best-looking game I have ever played? No, probably not. I also think it goes without saying that compared to the Xbox and PlayStation consoles, the Nintendo Switch does not have the same level of power to create the high-level graphics depicted in some games, such as God of War 2018. I have not played a lot of this game outside of handheld mode because I have yet to set up the docking station with my TV. That being said, BOTW is gorgeous. Instead of going to graphic realism seen in a lot of games these days, BOTW goes in a more artsy way using a bunch of bright colors to create the world. I am probably one of the very few gamers that didn't like the cartoony look of Wind Waker and this game definitely has a similar vibe. However, BOTW is able to add just a hint more realism into its vision that I actually quite enjoyed. One minor challenge with the graphics are the pop-ins. As you glide through the air or ride on horseback, you can see textures and enemies pop in that sort of takes you out of the world for a second. But that is a small complaint for a world is truly breathtaking.
The audio is appropriate for the type of the type of world you are entering. A lot of the high tempo music you are used to in other Zelda games replaced with a piano-based soundtrack. It fits the overall narrative of a world where the fate of Hyrule is dim and Calamity Ganon is one day closer to consuming everything.
Verdict
It has been a while since I have played a truly great Zelda game. My childhood included the classics Ocarina of Time, and Majora's Mask. I mentioned my unfavorable criticism with Wind Waker, though I think I need to give it another shot. I thought Twilight Princess was an excellent attempt to create a darker tone of a familiar tale. I couldn't finish Skyward Sword...sorry. But BOTW is probably the only Zelda game that I could not wait to get back into. After my Switch was finished charging, I quickly allotted the battery life in my next play session with the game (though that's not too crazy as I probably get about 5 hours of gameplay before I need to charge it again). From the perfect open world structure to the fantastic combat and beautiful graphics, I thoroughly enjoyed BOTW. I mentioned a couple of complaints but none of that should stop you from picking this game up now (still $60 by the way) and diving into Hyrule Kingdom once again.
Score: 10/10