Breath of the Wild is a game for all
Legend of Zelda has always been a series that focused on exploration and puzzle solving but Nintendo expanded that with Breath of the Wild, a game that provides the player with some of the most freedom I’ve ever seen.
Breath of the Wild is an open world adventure game set in the kingdom of Hyrule 100 years after a calamity that cleared a majority of civilization.
You wake up as Link, a champion with amnesia, and are tasked with a singular goal to “Destroy Ganon.” This is the end goal after the Great Plateau, an area intended to be an appetizer for the level of exploration the entire kingdom has.
The game offers vast mountain ranges, arid deserts, a scorching volcano and many more for Link to conquer on his quest to save Hyrule.
However, you will need to solve the first four of 120 available shrines to get special runes (bomb, cryonis, stasis and magnesis) before getting off the plateau. These runes will be the primary tools used to explore and solve various puzzles across the kingdom.
Initially, they may feel difficult to use but you may begin using them in combat after enough practice. The plateau provides many situations to test the runes so the player can get a feel for what to expect on the adventure. Some towns you visit will inform you of possessed mechanical beasts that threaten their lives. These machines can be freed to help you with the final battle but you can completely ignore them and the other 116 shrines.
The choice on what to do is completely up to the player. You can challenge the final boss from the beginning if so desired. You do not need the series staple Master Sword despite its usefulness in combat.
Aside from his usual sword and shield, Link can use anything he comes across ranging from greatswords to tree branches. There is also a wide variety of armors to find and wear.
The only issue I have is the weapon durability system. Weapons break after enough use and sometimes it feels like you’re losing something you just picked up. There is also a weapon inventory limit (that can be increased by solving small puzzles) which I think limits the room that players have to experiment. Regardless of my issues, Breath of the Wild is a game that I’m able to get lost in and enjoy for hours on end whether it is riding a horse through the kingdom, scaling mountainsides for secrets or completing quests found while exploring.
I recommend this game to anyone even if they are not interested in video games.