Platform: Wii U and Switch (reviewed on Switch)
Genre: Action Adventure
No. of players: 1
ESRB: E10+
Nintendo may be the target of criticism for their habits of adhering to the past and relying on the same IPs, there is a grain of wisdom in these actions. Their franchises have the ability to stand the test of time. This is proven by “The Legend of Zelda.” The long-standing formula of traveling between dungeons, getting new items and defeating the bosses is a solid formula that people respond well to. However, even the greatest of series run the risk of getting stale. Nintendo’s response? Reinvent the Zelda formula with the latest game, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” And it works very well.
The game opens with Link waking up in a location called the Shrine of Resurrection with no explanation of how he got there. After getting some clothes and basic supplies, he learns his mission is to destroy Calamity Ganon, the being that destroyed the Kingdom of Hyrule 100 years ago. How you get to do so is up to you. Thanks to the new open-world gameplay, the player is given an unprecedented amount of freedom for this series. You can follow the main quest line if you want or just spend hours upon hours exploring the game world. There are many side quests to pursue, as well as 120 shrines to challenge. Completing these mini-dungeons grant Spirit Orbs that can be offered at Goddess Statues to increase health or stamina. You even have the option of just going straight to the final boss, despite being woefully under equipped and knowing nothing about the story.
The massive scale of the world is impressive, but it would not be worth much if the world was difficult to traverse. Fortunately, “Breath of the Wild” makes the journey just as enjoyable as the destination by giving plenty of ways of getting around. Most notably, Link can climb almost any surface as if he were Spider-Man. Climbing a large mountain is worth it for the view alone. When it is time to come down, players can use a paraglider to gently reach the ground. Players can even find and tame wild horses to ride, however it takes time and effort to reach the point they will perfectly obey the rider, adding a degree of realism.
Other more realistic part of the game include the need for specific clothing or potions to survive harsh environments, such as snow-covered mountains, a volcano or a massive desert; and how there is no way to save yourself if you fall from a great height, especially if you run out of stamina when climbing or using the paraglider. This even extends to objects reacting as physics would demand them to. Furthermore, players will no longer find supplies just by cutting the grass like in past games. They will need to sell various collectables to get rupees, eat food for health and buy supplies such as arrows and ingredients in town or scavenge for them. Furthermore, every weapon in the game has limited durability, keeping players from getting too comfortable using a single weapon and forcing them to try different kinds.
Weapons are an absolute necessity, as the enemies are even more relentless than ever. They will rush you in groups in hopes of overwhelming you with numbers, set wooden weapons on fire to increase their effectiveness, resort to throwing rocks if they cannot find a weapon of their own and even kick bombs back at you before they explode. This forces players to be smarter when it comes to facing enemies. Luckily, the game gives you plenty of options as well, such as using the Magnesis power to drop metal objects on unsuspecting enemies, shoot fire arrows to detonate explosive barrels foolishly left out in the open, or just plain sneaking up on the enemy and potentially kill them in one hit with a stealth strike. If all else fails, the player can just avoid enemy camps altogether.
In addition, there are various foods and potions that can be prepared at cooking pots around the world that can benefit the player in various ways, such as restoring health, increasing attack power and defensive strength, restoring stamina, proving resistance to heat or cold temperatures or a temporary increase in maximum health. Fortunately, experimenting with different ingredients is always an exciting diversion, with the benefits of increasing survivability and being hard to mess up.
If there is anything to complain about, it would be the lack of new abilities and tools throughout the game. In past Zelda games, items would be given to the player through out the game, which would also open up new hidden areas and just keep things exciting. In “Breath of the Wild,” players are given every ability they need during the first hour or two, which complements the open-world gameplay, but leaves people wanting for more in the middle of the game. The minimalist approach also means that fan favorite items, such as the hookshot, are nowhere to be found. Also, there are occasional, but brief, drops in the frame rate, which disrupts the flow of the game. Furthermore, the four main dungeons have a variety of puzzles, but all share the same machinery theme, making them feel a little too similar. But these are really just nitpicking and hardly make the game any less fun.
Overall, “Breath of the Wild” is a masterpiece that everyone should play at least once in their lifetime, like “Ocarina of Time” before it. It sets a new standard for the “Zelda” series at a point where things were getting stale. Which ever system you play it on, it is the perfect swan song for the Wii U and hands down the best launch title for the Switch.
Score 10/10
Gentleman Gamer 