The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review

Released in 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was simultaneously one of the launch titles for Nintendo Switch and Wii U’s Swan Song. As such, this game marked Nintendo’s rebirth and return to form. for the company. Breath of the Wild captures the essence of what has made Nintendo an industry leader since the release of the Famicom in 1986. It is so influential and well received that it will be compared to every title to come.

Still, Breath of the Wild is anything but groundbreaking. Instead, it’s a distillation of everything that has made the Zelda series a success up to that point. In many ways, it’s the logical modern update of the formula established in Ocarina of Time, the franchise’s first 3D entry. It’s familiar enough to tickle the sense of nostalgia in longtime Nintendo fans, while introducing enough new features and content to make the experience brand new.

History

The timeline of the Zelda series is confusing. Breath of the Wild is one of the first to introduce the concept of Multiple Links and Zelda. The crux of the plot is that at some point in the past, Link is locked up in a cave. He wakes up with no memories. He must explore Hyrule and reconstruct exactly who he is and why he is in a cave. Obviously, being the hero of Hyrule, Link ends up getting involved in a fight against Ganon.

Breath of the Wild has a more complex storyline than most entries in the series. Instead of just collecting X number of medallions, triforce pieces or jewels, there is a lot of history to be found. You must uncover Link’s story and the mystery behind the calamity that left Hyrule in ruins.

Each small settlement in Breath of the Wild has its own story. As such, this version of Hyrule feels more intimate than previous games. It makes you want to get to know every villager you meet and go out of your way to find out whoever lives out there in the vast desert.

Game

Breath of the Wild goes far beyond the previous entries in the series in terms of gameplay as well. Combat and item usage are similar to other 3D titles, but the range has increased enormously.

One of the most significant changes is that Link no longer wields a permanent weapon. Instead, there are over 100 swords, spears, clubs and other melee weapons scattered around the world that you can pick up and use or obtain from a treasure chest to take down a villain. Each enemy has a weapon that suits his character. A humble Bokoblin can be found with a simple wooden club, but a more advanced enemy, such as a Guardian, could drop a sword with a blade of pure light.

In between fights, you’ll spend most of your time exploring. Breath of the Wild is a true open world game. While there are prerequisites for entering certain areas, you will find yourself stuck much less often than in previous Zelda games. Although some areas of the map have easier enemies than others, you are free to head in any direction after a short tutorial period.

This freedom isn’t just great for a Zelda game, it’s impressive overall. Only games like Skyrim have provided a similar experience in the past. Link’s high mobility, with the ability to climb almost any surface and glide using Korok Leaf, allows for a true feeling of open exploration. If you can see a place in Breath of the Wild, chances are you can reach it.

Visual

Breath of the Wild is a beautiful game, but the only place where it somehow falters is the graphics. What Nintendo has done with the game is impressive, but the Switch simply doesn’t have the hardware specs to match other consoles or PCs. For the most part, art direction and land placement mask some of the system’s shortcomings. However, sometimes the tricks to avoid loading textures like haze in the distance are incredibly obvious.

Most importantly, Breath of the Wild is gorgeous. Despite the technical glitches of the Switch, Nintendo optimized the game fabulously and managed to get some incredible visuals from what is essentially an Nvidia Shield with a screen and a little more RAM. The art style leans on the pastel side with an attractive cel-shaded look. It’s like a blend of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which gives the game a realistic fantasy feel.

Final verdict

If you own a Switch, buy Breath of the wild. If you own a Wii U, buy Breath of the Wild. This game is a systems vendor and it’s a smart idea to buy a Switch just to play it. Those are all things that make The Legend of Zelda such a fantastic series, distilled into a sublime experience.

Somehow, Nintendo managed to nail it down with one of the launch titles for the Switch. Nintendo consoles already had great games available when their consoles came out, such as Super Mario World and Super Mario 64. However, we usually have to wait until about half the life of a console before we start seeing titles like Breath of the Wild. Almost two years after launch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is still a major selling point for Switch. It’s a game you’ll often find yourself returning to, long after the credits roll.