The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Year: 2017
Rating: E10
Time Played: 90+ hours
I’ve been a fan of the Legend of Zelda series for a long time. While Ocarina of Time started my love of the series, I looked forward to each new iteration to see how the items, puzzle-solving, and combat would satisfy my need to visit Hyrule. Consequently, while Breath of the Wild snuck under the radar for me (in part because I didn’t own the consoles it released on at the time), I almost have trouble going back and playing the older Zelda titles because of its mold-breaking success. Needless to say, this game was what impelled me to finally buy a Switch a few years ago.
I could continue to sing the praises of this game heaped upon it by other reviewers. But, instead, I’ll point out that it’s a game I’ll still occasionally pull out and play, even when I have newer titles that I haven’t even played yet. Part of this is because, while I did eventually beat the game (at my own pace and on my own terms), I still have bits of the DLC to accomplish that challenge my skills. Plus, the VR mode with the Nintendo Labo add-on is a neat addition, and I found myself more fully immersed when I played that way.
As Breath of the Wild was my first introduction to games that were more “open-world” than the standard linear Zelda format, I’ve found that I enjoy this genre and have even jumped into games like Shadow of the Colossus and The Witcher 3 as a result. The fact that I want to start a new game of Breath of the Wild to experience all the little things all over again speaks volumes of its greatness. Granted, it’s not entirely perfect, with some mechanics and content feeling flawed or lacking, but I can’t wait to see what the sequel has in store as a result.
The mold-breaking, definitive Zelda experience, I give The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 4.5 stars out of 5.
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