Imagine it: you emerge from a dark, gloomy cave, clad in clothes frayed at the seam﷽s, to a sprawling landscape and a radiant dawn. You have no memories, no context for what you’re doing here or why, with your only direction coming from a weird, futuristic tablet that rings with a strange woman’s voice. You look to the horizon and see forests, mountains, and oceans teeming with the promise of adventure.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The ♏Legend of Zelda: Breath of the💃 Wild is one of the most lauded games ever made, distilling the essence of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Legend of Zelda series into its crucial promise of an unforgettable journey. It shoves you into the overgrown Kingdom of Hyrule with little more than a paraglider, a tablet, and bare-bones knowledge and tells you to defeat Ganon. If you’re curious about Breath of the Wild after hearing over a🙈nd over again for years that it’s one of the best games ever made, but you’ve never played it yourself, then this guide will hopefully help you make a decision.
Review
There’s no formal review of Breath of the Wild at TheGamer, but numerous features deep dive into the game’s mechanics, storyline, and setting. One such piece, Kirk McKeand’s “Breath Of The Wild Is The Best Designed Open World Ever Made,🍸 And The R🍌ain Is Partly Why,” explores🌺 one of Breath of the Wild’s crowning jewels atop a well-adorned crown: its dynamic, open world, and the mechanics that allow that world to shine al🦩l the brighter.
It’s a game designed with “if”. “If Link does X, NPC does X,” and that design ethos makes the world feel alive in a w🅺ay most other games could only wish fo💖r.
Breath of the Wild doesn’t make things easy on you; sometimes, it feels like it is purposely messing with all your carefully considered plans. ♏It’s a game that will see you climbing the tallest mountain in the Lanayru region and promptly dump buckets of rain on you. You are constantly adapting to everything around y💞ou — whether by eating a plate of hot peppers to brave the cold or putting all your metal items away during a thunderstorm. Despite the majestic beauty of Hyrule, you can never get too comfortable.
That’s one of the main things McKeand celebrates in his feature piece — that Breath of the Wild forces you to adapt without it feeling like a 𒈔chore. Instead, he argues, it adds to the realness of the world, guiding you not through waypoints but through points of interest. It’s a bit of a cliche to say, “See that mountain, you can go there,” yet Breath of the Wild uses these focal points to encourage you to explore and, with that, discover more of its beautifully plotted world.
The land of Hyrule is not a static place, as McKeand notes, but a living, breathing space that creates a real sense of adventure. The obstacles it offers, either by rain or lightning, may feel cumbersome, yet it will ultimately take you on a new path. Who knows what you’ll discover there? A shrine, an interesting NPC, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a heart-shaped lake that you somehow find hours beforღe realizing that there’s an entire village nღearby? There’s joy in not knowing what you’ll find every time you take a few steps off the beaten path.
McKeand particularly praises how Breath of the Wild rewards thinking outside the box, especially regarding puzzles in the Sheikah Shrines. While the shrine may be built around using a specific power, or a complex puzzle, it doesn’t mean you have to solve them that way. One shr▨ine, as McKeand notes, asks you to connect electrical currents — but no one said you couldn’t just arrange your conductive weapons to bridge the gap.🐲 Sometimes, you just get frustrated, but if the game allows different methods, there’s no reason to stick to the status quo.
This is a reactive world that thrums with life on every level. NPCs react to you and your actions - calling you rude for standing on tables, rushing to your aid on a particular bridge, and quivering from certain DLC clothing. You can set fires in the grass, which create updrafts for you to ride into the sky for quick getaways, and those fires can spread rapidly or be quenched by sooth🐬ing rain.
There’s a freedom in Breath of the Wild, as McKeand remarks, one that likens it to immersive sims like Dishonored or Deus Ex. To McKeand, it's a game built on “ifs,” and that is its greatest strength. Breath of the Wild is a game that wants you to approach it not as a set of objectives to check off but as one that offers a genuine adventure. There is no wrong path; the wilderness will welcome you wherever you go.
Time Expenditure
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The best thing about Breath of the Wild is its versatility. It can be as long or aꦕs short as you want - there are no rules or mandatory quests once you leave the Great Plateau. Do you want to c🌟harge right into Ganon’s Castle, armed with little more than sticks, with only roasted apples to keep you alive? That sounds incredibly difficult, but hey, it’s your save. If you can roll credits two hours into playing, more power to you.
Or, you could take the 'long' way — free the Divine Beasts, unsheath the Master Sword, and only confront your destined enemy once you’re comfortable. So, if you want the more traditional Zelda experience, where you complete the dungeons, find most of the story content, and upgrade your hearts and stamina until you can take on at least a Red Lynel, then you’re looking at 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:around 50 hours of playtime.
Even then, that’s when you’re being prompt about it and not taking every opportunity to explore every nook and cranny of Hyrule. And, since Breath of the Wild is a game built on the idea of directionless exploration, why would you rush yourself? There are plenty of shrines to solve, Korok seeds to collect, and sidequests to complete. If you’re doing a more exploratory playthrough, you can expect to spend more than 100 hours running, climbing and gliding around Hyrule — with plenty to do even after you've defeated Ganon. Meanwhile, full completion wi🏅ll take you upwards of 200 hours.
The Master Trials DLC, which offers a roguelike dungeon experience, is about adaptability and runs for around four hours. The DLC also brings Master Mode, which takes the base gꦇame&rsqu𝓀o;s difficulty and cranks it up to 11 — if you were to start a new game from scratch in Master Mode, expect to have more than 100 hours of playtime. And, you know, good luck.
The Champions' Ballad DLC takes everything Breath of the Wild was, and shakes it up. With new trials, upgraded enemies, and story content that further fleshes out Link’s mysterious past, you can expect to spend around 10 to 15 hours in this DLC. However, there’s much to see and do, so don’t hesitate to take your time.
To add to all these hours, Breath of the Wild is endlessly replayable. Since you can do the dungeons in any order — or, indeed, not do them —𝕴 you may find yourself trying new pathways to your end goal. There are endless combinations to try out, different strategies to employ, and countless things to discover.
Cost
Despite being a few years old, Breath of the Wild maintains its launch price of $60 on the Nintendo Switch. It's also available on the WiiU, though that's a little tricker, considering the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:WiiU and 3DS eShops are forever offlin🧔e. Still, you may be able to findꦏ a physical WiiU copy out in the wild. Pun 🍬unintended.
The DLC bundle, which contains The Master Trials and The Champions’ Ballad, is currently only available for purchase on Swit🅘ch and comes in at $20. Luckily, with the content available in Breath of the Wild, you can be sure you’re getting your money’s worth.
What Players Are Saying
A Zelda That Almost Doesn't Even Feel Like Zelda - Gabrielle Castania
And that's a good thing! A truly open-world Zelda felt like it was a long time coming, and I don't think the pure majesty of Hyrule in this game can ever be understated — find me someone who doesn't remember their first steps from the Shrine of Resurrection looking out over the kingdom. The ability to do things at your own pace most comfortable to you was so freeing, after so many games on rails in this series! You'll meet unforgettable characters, explore high and low throughout the land, and barely notice the hours slipping away as you do. While I did find myself kind of missing the traditional dungeon-crawling from Zeldas of yesteryear, seeing Nintendo taking steps to revitalize and modernize one of their most storied franchises was good. It feels like they're off to a strong start, so it's exciting to see where the series will go with the high bar it set for itself with Breath of the Wild.
One Of The Greatest Sandbox Open World's There Is - Hilton Webster
I came late to Breath of the Wild, after plenty had been spoiled on me, but it didn't affect my enjoyment at all. Sure, it's weaker than other Zelda Games in terms of enemies and dungeons, but the sheer creativity of the world is unmatched. Approaching anything from anywhere in any way you want is something so many games promise, but Breath of the Wild truly delivers on. It's a world you need to experience in all its freedom. It doesn't offer much guidance, but gives you the keys to Hyrule right from the beginning.
Masterclass Adventure At Its Absolute Finest - Sam Hallahan
Even if you've never played a Zelda title before, Breath of the Wild will take you by the hand and show you child-like wonder as no other game could. The less you know, the better — this vast and desolate kingdom is packed full of secrets, amazing characters, and every corner will have you in awe. With Tears of the Kingdom following up this colossal game, you have no reason to not dive in, explore Hyrule, and face down the greatest threat it has ever known.
A Breath Full Of Win - Quinton O'Connor
I fell in love with Breath of the Wild. Head over heels, this game is my jam. That love didn't happen in a hurry, though, and ultimately that's what Breath of the Wild is about — the slow and steady journey through a wonderful world with something cool around every corner. I lost well over a hundred hours to Hyrule's vastness before realizing I may never experience a video game like this again. The gameplay's an all-timer, but there's even more to adore — special shoutout to the ridiculously charming characters. Talk to them all!
