Nintendo The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Wow, who would have thought that after thirty incredible years of Zelda, with some of the best and most critically acclaimed games ever, Nintendo would manage to create what is, hands down, the best Zelda game to date in the form of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, it is time to step aside. The Zelda series has a new champion. Breath of the Wild is a Masterpiece, and feels destined to be a classic. The Legend of Zelda series is, I must admit, my favorite video game series of all time (which is my favorite past-time) I have been absolutely obsessed with Zelda since I first played Ocarina of Time at the age of ten, sometimes obsessed to a rather unhealthy degree. I have loved every Zelda game, and especially every 3D Zelda, though none of them quite captured the same feeling of wonder and exploration. Until very recently, I would rank Ocarina of Time as my favorite video game of all time, but it looks as though that mantle is finally being passed to another game. Breath of the Wild feels like the Zelda game Nintendo has always wanted to make, but hasn’t been able to do to technological constraints or what have you. This game feels like the essence of what Zelda is, and always has been, about. While this is a lengthy review, this is a game that warrants such a lengthy review. Story: The story to this game begins in a place called the chamber of resurrection. Our hero, Link, has been asleep in a form of stasis for 100 years. When he awakes, he finds the land of Hyrule in ruins, starting with the desolate Temple of Time on the Great Plateau, the starting location. Link is told by a voice in his head that he must be the light to shine upon the land of Hyrule. After meeting a mysterious old man (throwback to the original Zelda game there) Link sets out on his quest to save Hyrule from the evil monster inside Hyrule Castle, known as the Calamity Ganon. Without spoiling too much of this story, I will only say that it is probably the most cinematic Zelda story to date. The fact that this game has voice acting, which is a first for the Zelda series, adds a lot of weight to the key story moments. The characters feel far more fleshed out, and they feel genuinely human. This game’s version of the titular princess Zelda might be the most relatable and interesting incarnation of the character to date, as she has genuine depth to her character. The other pivotal characters also feel uniquely more fleshed out as well, providing some of the most memorable story cut-scenes in a Zelda game, or any Nintendo game. Though Wind Waker and Skyward Sword might rival it, this is probably the best Zelda story to date. It does a great job of immersing you into the Gameplay and the world itself. Moreover, as you explore the world, you feel as though a story is being told through the exploration itself. One of the ingenious methods to the story-telling in this game is how it is told in a nonlinear nature, meaning that you can track down different pieces of the story in any order, and still have it all make sense in the end. Parts of the story are also optional, so it doesn’t ever feel like it’s spoon-fed to you, which is a good thing. Presentation: Right off the bat, I must say that Breath of the Wild is one of the most Gorgeous looking games that has ever been made to me. The simple, soft and vibrant colors also contain a hidden elegance and sophistication that can convey lots of emotion both in terms of story and Gameplay. The style feels reminiscent of Skyward Sword’s, which I also adored, but taken to the next level. This is the first Zelda title to be made in HD, and it shows. The character designs are flawless, and unforgettable. The stunning lighting effect, particularly when the sun rises and sets, remain beautiful to watch from start to finish, and the whole game just looks fantastic. This is magnified on the Nintendo Switch, with longer draw distances and a better performance overall than the Wii U version. There were still some frame-rate drops during moments in the game, particularly during battle moments against the Moblin enemies. While the frame-rate hiccups are still noticeable on the Switch, the game runs noticeably better overall. This minor complaint never ruined the game, or the immersion for me. I for one love the choice of music in this game. The subtle but brilliant use of piano cords make the world feel more natural and organic, and is contrasted brilliantly with the high-energy guardian themes and shrine theme. This, in a way, helps the thematic element of nature versus technology play out in its sound design. While the music may not be something you would listen to outside of the game in the same way you would with previous Zelda games, I believe the music and sound design is perfect for this game. That said, the horse riding theme, Hateno village, and Hyrule Castle are amazing pieces. The Hateno Village theme is simple and beautiful. The voice acting is also very solid, and I would love to see future Zelda games expand on it even more. What it comes down to is that the visual style choices, and the music help to make this, arguably, the most immersive and atmospheric open-world game I have ever played, and it serves the gameplay perfectly. Gameplay: This is the best and most top-notch Gameplay I have ever experienced, period. The controls are so darn good that you could bounce a dime of them and get change leftover. As a veteran Zelda player, there was a learning curve to the controls at first, but after getting accustomed to them, they really did feel like second nature. This is the first 3D Zelda to have a jump button, a simple addition that changes the Gameplay mechanics significantly. Furthermore, the ability to climb in this game also adds a whole new dimension to the Gameplay. This time around, the enemy AI is quite advanced for a Zelda title. The enemies also do quite a bit more damage to Link than they ever have before in a 3D title. What this means is that every encounter, and combat situation feels dangerous, and as though something is at stake. Link’s arsenal of weapons this time around includes far more than just a single sword, but many swords, as well as sticks, axes, spears, clubs, magic rods, and more. You also have a plethora of shields to use, and bows to use. The weapons in this game do break after being used a bit, which might be a point of contention to some. I love this mechanic, and feel that it forces you as the player to think and be strategic as to how you approach every encounter with an enemy. Link can also use stealth to sneak up on his enemies, destroy exploding barrels nearby and watch the enemies scream in horror (such as satisfying feeling,) or even use his rune abilities to take the enemies out before they know what hit them (more on that later.) The possibilities in this game feel almost endless. The coolest move Link can pull off in this game is the flurry rush; when fighting an enemy close-up, if you dodge just in time, Link will do a dodge or backflip in slow-motion, and proceed by striking the enemy several times, ending them in the process. It’s the coolest thing ever. In this game, Link uses a plethora of abilities known as the Rune abilities. With these abilities, Link can create remote bombs that he can explode upon impact whenever desired. You can also use Cryonis, which creates ice blocks from water, which can be used as platforms to climb. You can use what is called stasis, which temporarily freezes objects in place, allowing you to hit them several times, after which point they go flying every which way. Then there is Magnesis, which is my favorite. This allows Link to push, pull, and lift heavy metal objects from afar, and use them to make paths, or even drop them on enemies from a distance. You’ll often stumble upon scenarios, particularly in the dungeons and shrines, that allow you to find your own clever ways of solving puzzles with these brilliant and fun mechanics. Like every aspect of the game, the experimentation alone will soak up hours of your life. Speaking of shrines and dungeons, the dungeons in this game are vastly different than in previous Zelda games. Whereas previous Zelda’s had you collect keys, a key item, in order to make it to the final boss fight, this game’s dungeons are more based around experimentation and manipulation. Through using Link’s powers and abilities, as well as the map in this game, it allows Link to manipulate the layout of the dungeon, and essentially bend them to his will. This is another aspect of this Zelda that feels so fresh and fun. The bosses at the end of the dungeon are also really fun to fight. While the game only has four main dungeons, there are more than 100 mini shrines throughout. The shrines are essentially bite-sized dungeons, and play-out as such on a micro level. Many of them require you to use your rune abilities to solve them and progress, while others have you engage in a little boss fight of sorts with a guardian robot. Needless to say, these shrines are fantastic and provide some of the most enjoyable and mind-bending scenarios I’ve ever encountered, and manage to surprise at every turn. Moreover, the whole over-world almost feels like one giant, outdoor dungeon. What I mean by that is that while it isn’t literally a huge dungeon, you begin solving puzzles and thinking about where, and how you want to proceed to the next shrine or dungeon right of the bat. Simply getting to these shrines and dungeons feels like a puzzle in and of itself. Being a truly open-world game, this game’s real obstacle, beyond even the enemies and the dungeons, is the world itself. This game is an open world adventure game, but it’s also a survival one. This world feels alive. The weather changes, the wild-life has a mind of its own, and the world will try to kill you in a multitude of ways. Whether it be by falling from foolishly attempting to climb massive heights, to lightning striking your metal items, to the wild animals such as bears and wolves that see you as their next meal. Furthermore, the realistic and ingenious physics engine makes the game world feel more natural. The trick then, is to use the world to your advantage. By hunting wild animals and gathering supplies and ingredients, Link can cook a multitude of dishes and elixirs to refill both his heart meter (no hearts in pots or grass in this game) or his stamina gauge. You can hunt just about any wild animal you see in the wild. Cooked meat is always more effective than raw meat in straightening you, and you can combine it with other ingredients like fruits, vegetables, or grains and wheat to increase their effect. You can make potions by combining critters such as lizards, frogs, or bugs with monster parts that provide different temporary stat boosts. Just look out for the dubious food! You can also break chunks of rocks to find minerals, ore, and other materials. By buying and selling these goods, you create your own in game economy of sorts. The other aspect of this game that makes it truly feel like the “open air” experience that Eji Aonuma called it is none other than the glorious climbing mechanic. You can climb almost anything in this game, whether it be a rock face, a cliff, buildings, towers, Hyrule Castle itself, the Temple of Time, you name it. You can even climb trees, and certain rock monsters that appear throughout the world. Climbing is yet another big component and aspect to this game that Nintendo really got down pat, and it does feel like a game changer. I’ve played several games where you can climb certain things, like Assassin’s Creed or Uncharted, but never has it been this freeing in how you can do it. This simple yet elegant mechanic really makes the already huge world feel even bigger. Climbing will slowly eat up your stamina gauge, so it’s up to you to figure out how you want to approach it, and finding little footholds is always a good way to rest when you need to. The only places you can’t climb every wall is in the dungeons and the shrines. The other open-air aspect to this world is the paraglider. When you reach the top of the mountain or a tower, you don’t need to worry about climbing all the way back down. Now, Link can simply jump off the cliff, and glide down to the world below ala Batman. This mechanic remains euphoric from start to finish. It is also an ingenious way to fix what could have been a potential problem before it happened, by allowing you to breezily get down a mountain pf tower right off the bat without having to climb all the way back down. In this game, you can catch any number of wild horses, tame them, and check them into a stable. In past Zelda’s, your horse was Epona, and it was the only horse you could get. Here, there are several horses, some are harder to get than others, and they all have different stats. When you do catch your horse, it really does feel like your own horse, since you caught it, tamed it, and gave it a name. You can hold up to five horses at any given time, and ride around the world, into the villages, and even approach combat while on horseback with your melee weapons and bows. As someone who finds joy and excitement by simply exploring the game world, and doing random things, riding around Hyrule has never felt more fun. I used to love doing that all the way back in Twilight Princess, and this aspect puts that game to shame. The Horses can die, which may seem annoying to some, but I love it as, once again, it offers more strategy and thinking than previous games. When fighting a Guardian, it’s better going up against it on horseback as you have the element of speed on your side. Unlike previous Zelda games, where boss battles were restricted to the dungeons themselves, here in Breath of the Wild, you will often encounter boss like enemies in the world. These come in the form of giant rock monsters (Stone Talus,) Centaur-like creatures (Lynels, another throwback to Zelda on NES,) and the now iconic game enemy known as the Guardian’s (octopus-like robots that attempt to kill you throughout the game.) You can approach these enemies however you choose, or not approach them at all and leave them be at first. Throughout the game, as you become more powerful, you may be bold enough to take them on, it is all up to you. The first time I killed a Guardian was a defining moment for me, as was my first Lynel kill. What’s amazing is that even after you have several of the key upgrades, the enemies still feel like a threat. What makes the Gameplay in Breath of the Wild so good, and so perfect, is that you as the player can literally approach it however you want. The whole world is your oyster, and it’s up to you to figure out how you want to use it. Replay value. This game has lots of reason to play even after your first initial playthrough, which will likely take at least forty hours if you just do the main story. I have played this game from start to finish a few times already (and probably will several more times.) As it stands, you can find all of the optional things in the game (the Master Sword itself is optional,) Find and beat all of the shrines, collect all of the Korok seeds (plant like creature fans may know from Wind Waker,) and do any number of side-quests. The side-quests I have done have all been tremendously fun, and while the rewards may be simple, just playing them feels like a reward. You can help herd cucoos for a chicken-freak in Kakariko village, catch a royal white-steed, help a man start a village from the ground-up, and even build your own house in Hateno Village. This game has tons of replay value, apart from just the urge to go back and play it again. Because of the open-ended nonlinear nature of this game, you can replay the game from start to finish, and take a completely different path, even so far as taking on the last boss right away (though not a good idea if you value your life.) Just experimenting with all the different weapons, finding all the different locations and using your rune abilities will keep you distracted for quite some time. **Nintendo Switch differences: Having played this game on the Switch as well as the Wii U, I can safely say that either version will deliver an incredible experience. That said, the Switch version is probably ever so slightly the superior version. Apart from running a little bit better, I found the switch controller very comfortable, particularly with how easy it is the detach the joy-cons from the controller slots to the tablet-screen. Speaking of which, playing this game on the go is a lot of fun. I would recommend saving the key story moments for the TV, but playing the game casually undocked with the Switch screen has felt great. ** Verdict: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a Masterpiece, and a game I feel will be looked at as a timeless classic. While it isn’t literally “perfect,” it has its occasional frame-rate issues, and the very occasional camera issue, it is, to me, as close to flawless as video game’s get. I haven’t been this immersed, this addicted, or simply had this much fun with a single player game in years, if not decades. This is the best game Nintendo has made in likely the past twenty years, if not ever. I have no regrets in saying I am ready to move on from Ocarina of Time being my all-time favorite video game, as Breath of the Wild now takes the cake. This is the game that really feels tailored to be played however you choose. It feels like the fully realized Zelda game that Nintendo has always wanted to make, and the one we as fans have been salivating for. A new Zelda of any kind is always a big deal, but this one feels uniquely special. I hyped this game to Death Mountain and back, and not only does it meet expectations, it defies them. This feels like a giant playground full of joy, wonder, discovery exploration, and fun. This is a game of survival, action, adventure, comedy, sadness, joy, and excitement, all wrapped into one package. To say it bluntly, this has everything that makes Gaming such a great past-time to me, and millions of people, and it manages to capture the essence of Zelda most of all. This is an absolute must-buy, and a must play. I would honestly encourage you to get a Wii U, or a Nintendo Switch if you do not already have one, to experience this Masterpiece. So get it, play it, enjoy it, and take a Breath of the magnificent Wild. Cons: Occasional frame-rate issues Pros: Sublime Controls Perfect, Flawless, and incredible Gameplay Masterful Open-World Exploration Freedom and personal choice Mechanics encourage experimentation Fresh new dungeon design Amazing art direction Brilliant music and sound design Great Voice Acting Great Story and awesome characters Lots of secrets to find Lots of replay value Overall: 10/10 Peace, Dana