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Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Review for Switch

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Review for Switch

Breath of the Wild May Be the Best Legend Ever Told

It is a very rare and special thing when you have a game that wholeheartedly embraces the past, learns from its contemporaries, and paves the way for a new future. The Legend of Zelda is an over 30-year-old series. It has grown and adapted over the years. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild feels like the culmination of many great things. It manages to capture the feeling of this classic series, while also offering the breadth and experience of games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim , Xenoblade Chronicles X and even something like Dark Souls . It never feels as though it is copying these concepts from other open-world games, but rather is incorporating ideas and making them their own.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes place in a Hyrule that is at its worst. Ganon has taken over Hyrule Castle and filled the world with his monsters and toxic influence. As the Champion, it is Link’s job to save the kingdom after a 100 year rest in the Shrine of Resurrection. However, this isn’t a job he can do immediately or alone. Rather, he will need to journey across the kingdom, providing aid to the Rito, Zora, Gerudo, and Goron people and completing shrine challenges along the way, all in the name of gaining the forces, abilities, and equipment needed to properly take the fight to Ganon and defeat him once and for all.

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While The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an absolutely massive game that eventually gives you the tools and freedom to take aid those four races and begin your quest to restore the world in any way you’d like, it wisely starts you off slowly. Link’s awakening and first few hours on the plateau are designed to teach you how to use the Remote Bomb, Magnesis, Stasis, and Cryonis abilities, fight the most basic Bokoblins, and traverse terrain. These initial moments are giving you the keys to the kingdom. A wise move, since every shrine thereafter is a one-room dungeon relying on a puzzle that will probably involve one of those runes or a brief fight against some sort of Guardian enemy.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ’s world is absolutely massive. The map is divided into districts, each of which has a rather prominent tower placed within it. When Link ascends the tower and plugs his Sheikah Slate into it, the whole map of that district will be loaded in. From this vantage point, it is also possible to see other glowing shrines and temporarily mark them on your map or glide to an area to cross it in a safe and prompt manner. Though, people can also sneak up on and mount wild horses to tame and add them to one of the many stables scatter across the land or use previously unlocked shrines and towers as fast-travel points.

The nature of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ’s world means that the open-world experience often isn’t as freeing as you’d expect. Likewise, Link starts out rather weak, with only three hearts and a single stamina ring. For every four Spirit Orbs collected from a shrine, you can visit a Hylia statue and trade them for an additional heart or more stamina. Cooking become quite essential too, as using plants and monster parts or meat and seasonings is critical to boost defense, lightning resistance, cold resistance, and heat resistance. After all, you might not always have or be able to afford the sorts of outfits that would otherwise offer the elemental protection you need.

This means that certain dungeons might be easier to reach and visit than others, simply due to the precautions you might need to employ to even reach and survive in those areas. The area in which the Gorons live is so warm, the heat will damage you and destroy any wooden equipment you happen to be holding. The Zoras live in a more temperate climate, making them an appealing group to visit first. Once you actually do gain access to certain dungeons, you’ll find they’re essentially upgraded versions of shrines. There are multiple challenges within, tied to mechanics that see you actually manipulating the nature of each space both with the Runes you have on your Sheikah Slate and dungeon-specific abilities made available after you acquire a map. They’re engaging experiences that make you think. Nothing is better than the “Ah ha!” moment that comes from figuring out exactly what you need to do to further proceed through a space.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Screenshot

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game that makes you think. While some of the challenges that come ahead of entering dungeons and boss fights follow traditional The Legend of Zelda patterns, where once you see the pattern in a situation you exploit it and win, others require a bit more nuance. Knowing how to properly guard and counter is a necessity, as is having food on hand that boosts defense or temporarily offers you additional hearts. There are bosses that will have tendencies, but will require skill and proper swordsmanship or archery to best. It isn’t as simple as hiding in one corner while the opponent tires himself, running up to smack a weak spot, then retreating to that corner until an opportunity arises again. In this way, it reminds me of Dark Souls . You need to always be learning. Knowing how to properly fight and see how your enemy works matters, sometimes more than looking for the patterns you might expect from a The Legend of Zelda game.

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Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Screenshot

This is also one of the first times where I’ve been in a The Legend of Zelda game and felt like a part of a living, breathing world. Link is usually above such things. Yet here, there are daily routines you can follow and lifestyles you could pursue. Once I reached a village relatively untouched by the disaster from 100 years ago, I ended up using Remote Bombs to completely decimate the surrounding forest. It was all in the name of acquiring materials for one of the many side quests, as I wanted to accomplish a goal that would help me feel like Link was a member of the community. After completing the Rito and Zora questlines, I dedicated about two hours to observing the wildlife around me and unlocking towers. Knowing that some people would have a telltale red exclamation point next to their name, showing that talking to them would give me a quest and be worth my while, made the prospect of interacting with everyone more appealing. I wanted to go everywhere, even if there wasn’t a particular point of interest related to any quest.

I also felt like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offered some of the most memorable characters I had ever met in a The Legend of Zelda game. I know, there are all people we’ve known and loved over the years. Nintendo introduced us to people like Saria, Midna, Marin, Impa, Fi, Malon, Linebeck, Navi, and even Tingle over the years. But the new friends I’ve met here feel even more realized and important. The memories I made after going through experiences with my new Zora, Rito, and Gerudo friends, in particular, left me taking multiple screenshots any time one of them appeared on screen. Moreover, I felt like Link mattered as much to them as they did to him. There’s a sense of connection here between every possible ally that not only makes them feel more important, but me feel more important as well.

There’s a fullness and richness here. While there are expanses of land that might temporarily seem empty, I couldn’t help but find a sense of purpose no matter where I was. There are always activities to enjoy. Maybe I could forage here. Perhaps it’s possible to gather information about my environment in that space. I could wipe out an enemy camp. A shrine could show up on my radar. Maybe I’d even be fortunate enough to stumble across another traveler. Could Link scale that mountain and find something new? Absolutely, so long as his stamina doesn’t give out. Something is always happening. There is richness and life in every moment of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild .

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Screenshot

This is accompanied by a sense of purpose. While games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Xenoblade Chronicles X can leave you feeling sidetracked and lost in the minutiae, I felt like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was giving me the opportunity to enjoy these supplemental extras on the way to major plot points. The way in which story-based quests are scattered throughout the world encourages you to get lost in such a way that it always feels like even an excursion to visit an out of the way rock formation or shrine is part of some greater plan.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild could very well gone down in history as the best The Legend of Zelda game ever made. I genuinely feel it is the best entry in the series I have ever played. The characters are amazing, the world is gorgeous, the enemies make you become a better fighter, and the shrines and dungeons constantly force you to pay attention to your surroundings and think. It is an absolutely extraordinary game, one that is a fitting end to the Wii U and glorious beginning for the Switch.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 5.0 Graphics
The world is absolutely gorgeous, filled with details and inhabitants that act as though they’re actually alive. 5.0 Control
It’s easy to control Link, switch between weapons and runes, cook up food and elixirs, and explore Hyrule. 5.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Turn the sound up, because you don’t want to miss the superb voice acting and soundtrack. 5.0 Play Value
The story quests are meaty, the side quests varied, and the shrines plentiful. Hidden secrets abound in this wonderful world. 5.0 Overall Rating – The Best
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Ingenuity is the key to survival: find multiple solutions to tons of dynamic puzzles
  • Surprises hide around every corner: scavenge weapons, armor, plants, animals, and more
  • Live off the land: find weapons and armor, cook food, and brew elixirs
  • Utilize special technology: the in-game Sheikah Slate controls objects and enemies in fun ways

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    Razer Blackshark V2
    • Compatible across virtually all gaming platforms and devices
    • An unmatched, immersive gameplay experience (THX 7.1 surround sound capable, detachable mic, and more)
    • Gel padding is incredibly comfortable across a wide range of head sizes


    We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
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