Looking Back on Breath of the Wild

Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Introduction

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is easily one of my all-time favourite games, and for a good reason. Breath of the wild is truly a work of art, and playing this game feels like an experience comparable to no other.

But before I dive into all the reasons why I love the game, it’s worth noting that I have somewhat of a bias when it comes to Zelda games. Growing up, I was not much of a gamer. I played Mario kart, the Sims, and some other games, but when it came to actual storylines or combat of any kind, my childhood self tended to take a backseat. However, that all changed when my family got the Nintendo Wii, and I was introduced to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

Jumping ahead a few years and quite a few games in the franchise later, I found myself overcome with excitement when Nintendo announced their first fully open-world Zelda game, Breath of the Wild (BOTW). Once I finally got my hands on a copy of the highly anticipated game, I was immediately hooked, not only because it was a Zelda game but because it was a Zelda game that was utterly unique in art style, gameplay, and, most importantly, gave me a seemingly endless world to explore.

Gameplay

The game begins with Link, the playable character throughout the franchise, waking up in a temple with a mysterious voice guiding him to the outside world. As you start to follow the given tasks and explore the world, you will eventually learn that you have been asleep for over 100 years while Zelda is trapped within the castle fighting Calamity Ganon, the monstrous creature looking to take over the beautiful world of Hyrule.

Now it is up to Link to gear up, learn the essential skills needed to defeat Ganon from the four giant guardians found across Hyrule and when ready, return to the castle and fight to free the princess.

Do you have what it takes to take on Calamity Ganon? While the game allows players to head to the final boss mission almost immediately after starting the game, it’s essential for players to upgrade their armour, learn the four guardian skills and earn spirit orbs to increase Links health and stamina before taking on this challenge if they want to survive. That means there is LOTS to see and do before coming close to the end.

One of my favourite aspects of the game is its use of shrines, which are locations on the map where the player usually must overcome a challenge or quest of some sort in order to obtain a spirit orb. After the player collects four spirit orbs, they can exchange them for an extra heart container or increased stamina. In total, there are 120 different shrines located across the map, and having completed all of them, I can say that they each provided a unique experience to the game that was almost an escape from the sometimes draining routine of fighting the various enemies across Hyrule.

Conclusion

With so much to do and see, my priority was rarely trying to save the princess (Sorry Zelda, hang in there!) but instead, how many Korok seeds I could find or how many side quests I could complete. BOTW is a fantastic game that breaks boundaries for Nintendo, and I’m very excited to see what the company has planned for the next game in the series Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which is expected to be released on May 12th of this year.

Are you excited about the next Zelda game? Let me know below!

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