The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

 Switch
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 20981 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17,830 out of 20981
  2. Mixed: 1,176 out of 20981
  3. Negative: 1,975 out of 20981
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  1. DrMartinSweden
    Mar 24, 2017
    10
    This game single handedly brought me back to gaming.

    It's a must play for anyone, but especially for those of the n64 era who may have gotten caught up with "life" and forgotten that magical feeling only the best games can bring.
  2. ShannonEric
    Mar 8, 2017
    10
    I've been playing video games for as long as I can remember. My favorites have always been open world experiences. This game captures the wonder and awe that I first experienced playing huge games like World of Warcraft, but in a mobile format! The world is vast and engaging, but not overwhelming. There are corners of the world that can feel secluded. Literally everything you can see withI've been playing video games for as long as I can remember. My favorites have always been open world experiences. This game captures the wonder and awe that I first experienced playing huge games like World of Warcraft, but in a mobile format! The world is vast and engaging, but not overwhelming. There are corners of the world that can feel secluded. Literally everything you can see with your eyes, you can travel to. I can spend hours just walking around aimlessly, not moving towards any specific goal, but just experiencing the world and fully enjoying myself. If you have not tried this game, please do so. You are missing out on something truly special.… Expand
  3. SileSixEcho
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    After more than 10 hours with this masterpiece, I can say that it's not without flaws but ultimately that doesn't matter becaue it's still miles ahead of anything else I played in the last 5-10 years. The liberty you have is just great, the world is beatuiful and there are so many different approaches to reach your target. I seriously can't understand why people are rating this so low (AreAfter more than 10 hours with this masterpiece, I can say that it's not without flaws but ultimately that doesn't matter becaue it's still miles ahead of anything else I played in the last 5-10 years. The liberty you have is just great, the world is beatuiful and there are so many different approaches to reach your target. I seriously can't understand why people are rating this so low (Are that desperate because the Xbone doesn't get any good exclusives any more?). Don't let yourself be fooled by this sad console wars and people **** about the game doesn't run at 30 fps all the time. This is a truly unique game that needs to be experienced to really understand its beatuy. Thanks Aonuma san, thanks Nintendo!… Expand
  4. donuts842
    Apr 19, 2017
    10
    Never got to play the original Zeldas due to not having my own money as a child, but dang, this game is gold. There is so much to do and see in the world. Any corner you go to has new and exciting things to do.
  5. rushiosan
    Jul 26, 2017
    7
    A beautifully crafted world, with engaging combat and lots of small details, hurt by lack of substance where previous installments succeeded. Breath of the Wild often feels too big or too ambitious for its own good. Some important aspects were left aside in favor of picturing a vast, lively Hyrule, and while they undoubtedly achieved that, this Zelda entry felt lackluster at times - bossA beautifully crafted world, with engaging combat and lots of small details, hurt by lack of substance where previous installments succeeded. Breath of the Wild often feels too big or too ambitious for its own good. Some important aspects were left aside in favor of picturing a vast, lively Hyrule, and while they undoubtedly achieved that, this Zelda entry felt lackluster at times - boss fights, enemy variety, story, dungeons, music. Although all of these aspects have memorable moments in the 50h main quest, they never reach the quality level of its predecessors.… Expand
  6. garyc
    Apr 16, 2017
    6
    A fairly competent and interesting open world game with a focus on melee combat instead of weapons combined with a bunch of irritating gameplay mechanics.
    I've heard this called the best game ever and I have seen all the 10/10 scores and I can say now these people must have been blinded by it being a Zelda game or a Nintendo game or the first game they got to try on their Switch. It's not    A fairly competent and interesting open world game with a focus on melee combat instead of weapons combined with a bunch of irritating gameplay mechanics.
    I've heard this called the best game ever and I have seen all the 10/10 scores and I can say now these people must have been blinded by it being a Zelda game or a Nintendo game or the first game they got to try on their Switch. It's not a bad game at all it's perfectly playable but all I can think when playing it is how much people seem to have overrated it.

    The open world is fine, there is a lot to see, lots of nice locations to go to, there are shrines to do which are like puzzle rooms, there are potions to cook and quests to do and there are enemy camps with loot in them. It's got all the good and bad things you get with any Nintendo game - lots of nice little touches here and there and well polished along with the bad stuff like crappy basic story, unskippable dialogue, annoying short cut scenes for every minor interaction like pressing a button and a very childish presentation etc.

    If you take away all the polish and the attention to detail then this would quickly be reduced to a mediocre example of an open world game. The inventory management is bad, weapons break after a few uses so you end up with good weapons you don't really use and spend most of the game switching in between various standard weapons, meter watching ruins the fun and most of the loot is simply boring.

    But the Nintendo polish is there, clearly aspects of this game have been thought through a step above than what many others would have done. This does not lift the game to greatness, but it does lift it out of mediocrity.    … Expand
  7. dmtrlbdv
    Jul 19, 2018
    6
    many many things.... but boring. Avery time I am trying to play I see : "run, run, run.... fight, puzzle.... run, run, run...."
  8. tybyrd93
    Mar 17, 2017
    10
    A masterclass in open world gaming, and quite possibly the best Zelda game of all time. Incredible world design and exploration, deep cooking and crafting systems, rewarding side quests, charming characters, fantastic new mechanics, I really can't praise this game enough. The minor technical shortcomings in the form of frame rate drops and pop-in do not take away from the fact that this isA masterclass in open world gaming, and quite possibly the best Zelda game of all time. Incredible world design and exploration, deep cooking and crafting systems, rewarding side quests, charming characters, fantastic new mechanics, I really can't praise this game enough. The minor technical shortcomings in the form of frame rate drops and pop-in do not take away from the fact that this is a near perfect experience that fully delivers on the hype.… Expand
  9. Lucius_13
    Mar 22, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gotta admit after playing Skyward Sword and absolutely hating it I found I really enjoyed this Zelda game, the Open World is breathtaking, The Map is Massive so getting lost is easy, combat is really simple although the weapons exploding quickly bugged me, as of writing this review I'm just half-way through the game, some of the Shrines are challenging especially the ones where you have to move the controller around.

    I absolutely love all the easter eggs towards past Zelda titles like the very first game in the series when you find an old man who bears great resemblance to the Old Guy who gives you the Wooden Sword in the first game and later on you find the Master Sword is in The Lost Woods just like in A Link To The Past.

    The Voice Acting could be better especially Princess Zelda's voice I didn't know she was British lol but that's just a tiny detail I turned a blind eye to. Graphics are amazing and I don't generally judge a game based on its graphics as I believe in gameplay more than graphics but its beautiful. The Game does have slight lag issues but as said there just slight and you hardly notice them if you aren't very observant.

    all in all I think this is one of the best Zelda Games of all time right behind Ocarina of Time I think it deserves a nod for Game of the Year and It definitely deserves all the 10s It got from reviewers and I don't normally agree with reviewers especially IGN they lost all credibility when they gave Street Fighter V a 8 out of 10    … Expand
  10. Fenir8
    Jun 2, 2017
    10
    An amazing game. I've put more time into this game than any previous Zelda game. While it may have eschewed some series 'traditions', it's a better game overall for it. There are a few things I would change, but with the sheer amount of hours of enjoyment this game has given me.. it's one of the best games i've ever played.
  11. Tazcat2011
    Oct 21, 2017
    7
    The reviews for this game are ridiculous, there are too many glaring flaws to merit a 10. The music, which is usually epic in past games, is all but missing here. There is no real story, no major dungeons, and the weapon durability is awful. Getting better gear is almost a slap in the face as you know it will break sooner than later. Why there is no repair mechanic in this game is aThe reviews for this game are ridiculous, there are too many glaring flaws to merit a 10. The music, which is usually epic in past games, is all but missing here. There is no real story, no major dungeons, and the weapon durability is awful. Getting better gear is almost a slap in the face as you know it will break sooner than later. Why there is no repair mechanic in this game is a baffling design choice. How this game gets a pass for bad mechanics is amazing. This is the most UN-Zelda, Zelda game ever and surpasses Skyward Sword for worst in the series. The game is beautiful and exploring is fun though, I do enjoy just heading off and seeing what I can find. I would have enjoyed this more if it were a new IP, im convinced this game started life as something new and someone at. Nintendo demanded it changed. It is 7.5-8 tops. So many claim this is the best open world design ever, they are wrong. This game doesn’t do anything that hasn’t been done in other games and in some cases others have done it much better.… Expand
  12. njja02
    May 15, 2018
    9
    In terms of game-play, this game is insanely open for different ways to play. It's incredibly fun and rewarding. The story however was very lackluster along with the characters. Still fantastic though.
  13. Memulatron
    Mar 16, 2017
    10
    I'm gonna start off by saying that this game is not perfect. Going in and out of the inventory screen constantly is tedious, the weapons breaking is irritating, and there are several parts of the world that are empty and uninteresting. I'm giving this game a 10, however, because of what it's done for the Zelda series, what it's done for Nintendo, as well as the fact that it's the best,I'm gonna start off by saying that this game is not perfect. Going in and out of the inventory screen constantly is tedious, the weapons breaking is irritating, and there are several parts of the world that are empty and uninteresting. I'm giving this game a 10, however, because of what it's done for the Zelda series, what it's done for Nintendo, as well as the fact that it's the best, most approachable, and most consistently brilliant and beautiful open-world game ever made. There are so many different and unique locations, every minor NPC is on a schedule that helps the world seem alive, the combat is interesting and challenging, the customizability of Link's loadout is mind-bogglingly diverse, and the game is just so much fun to play. I don't ever want to put this game down. There's always something new to do, and that's something that not many open-world games exhibit nowadays. If you have a Wii U or if you're still debating whether or not to get a Switch, get it for this game. It is so good, you won't regret it.… Expand
  14. ArchTalko
    Mar 15, 2017
    10
    I've rarely played a game that treats me with the level of respect Breath of the Wild gives. I'd argue this game isn't as hard as people make it out to be; the puzzles are genuinely challenging and the combat encounters can be brutal, but the amount you struggle is directly related to the amount of time you devote to preparing for these encounters. The fact that there are, at any givenI've rarely played a game that treats me with the level of respect Breath of the Wild gives. I'd argue this game isn't as hard as people make it out to be; the puzzles are genuinely challenging and the combat encounters can be brutal, but the amount you struggle is directly related to the amount of time you devote to preparing for these encounters. The fact that there are, at any given time, a couple dozen ways to go about fighting any enemy or clearing any puzzle speaks volumes to this game's replayability and ingenuity.

    It's not a perfect game. The frame rate is horrendous in plenty of spots (at least when docked; I haven't experienced any slowdown in those same areas when playing on handheld), the voice acting is just okay at best, and more often than not bland and rushed. The ost does a wonderful job of setting this game's mood and compliments the gameplay perfectly, but leaves a lot to be desired with the crazy amounts of catchy tunes found in previous Zeldas.

    But honestly, none of these nitpicks matter. BotW is a masterpiece in engaging combat, in creating a fully-realized hyrule teeming with puzzles to uncover, and in wrapping it all around a story that had me invested from the moment Link opens his eyes. You owe it to yourself to play this game, even if you've never played another Zelda in your life. Despite the flaws, every other strength is massive enough to still warrant a 10. Play it - we all need a fish boyfriend in our lives.    … Expand
  15. Dibaryon
    Jun 19, 2017
    10
    There's no such thing as a perfect game. 10/10 for me means that if you are a gamer then you have to make space in your schedule to play this game. Either buy a used WII U if you're on a budget, or do buy a Switch because it's well worth the cash they ask for it.

    I've never played a Zelda game before and this is one my favourite games of all time. Other titles IMO would be: TESV:Skyrim,    There's no such thing as a perfect game. 10/10 for me means that if you are a gamer then you have to make space in your schedule to play this game. Either buy a used WII U if you're on a budget, or do buy a Switch because it's well worth the cash they ask for it.

    I've never played a Zelda game before and this is one my favourite games of all time. Other titles IMO would be: TESV:Skyrim, Half Life series, Unreal Tournament, GTA series, Age of Empires, Pokemon, Mass Effect trilogy, Max Payne 2, Colin Mcrae 2, Doom, Super Mario World, Portal 1 and 2, Tomb Raider series. BOTW deserves a spot on this list. None of them were perfect, some were ahead of their time, others were simply well designed and fun to play, or unique, but all of them are "must plays".

    I'm a PC gamer and I have been one for about 15 years. The last console I've owned was the SNES.
    The switch is the perfect console to complement PC gaming, as it's portable and will support famous titles that can't be played on PC. BOTW was a great comeback to console gaming, and I'm looking forward to the SWITCH's future.    … Expand
  16. Ljungman
    Mar 18, 2017
    10
    I'm a long time Zelda fan and my favourite Zelda has always been Ocarina of Time. The feeling I got when I first played Ocarina of Time and completed it is the best feeling I've ever had in my gaming life. The story, the music, the characters and the world are just so impactful in that game. Didn't expect to find a game that gave me that feeling ever or at least for a long time. I'm happyI'm a long time Zelda fan and my favourite Zelda has always been Ocarina of Time. The feeling I got when I first played Ocarina of Time and completed it is the best feeling I've ever had in my gaming life. The story, the music, the characters and the world are just so impactful in that game. Didn't expect to find a game that gave me that feeling ever or at least for a long time. I'm happy to say that Breath of the Wild has given me everything I was hoping for and it is now my absolute favourite game of all time. I'm not saying that the game is perfect, but the feeling you get while playing with everything combined (world, music, characters, puzzles, bosses and so on) is truly amazing.

    For people rating this game a 0 because of graphics or high Metacritic score: When did graphics become more important than fun? Try the game yourself, and you truly will understand what an amazing piece of art this is. Even if you don't like the game because it's not for you or for other reasons, you can't say that there is no beauty in it or that it is a bad game.

    I would say this game is worth a 9.6 score because nothing, in my opinion, is perfect. It is, however, close to perfect and it is definitely closer to a 10 than a 9.    … Expand
  17. ChaseInY0Face
    Mar 16, 2017
    10
    Wow, what a game. Recently I've become somewhat bored of gaming in general, and have put if off to focus on college, but when I heard a new Zelda was coming out I knew I had to play it. Playing this game reinvigorated a part of me I haven't felt in years. The world is so beautiful filled with the magic Nintendo provides in all their main titles. The story is light in some aspects, but youWow, what a game. Recently I've become somewhat bored of gaming in general, and have put if off to focus on college, but when I heard a new Zelda was coming out I knew I had to play it. Playing this game reinvigorated a part of me I haven't felt in years. The world is so beautiful filled with the magic Nintendo provides in all their main titles. The story is light in some aspects, but you really get involved with side missions and shrine quests which spreads out the length considerably. The world reminds me of a beautiful painting, and I can definitively say right now that this is one of my favorite games Ive ever played, and it is definitely my favorite Zelda game by far. Do yourself a favor and enjoy this game, it is well worth it and I guarantee you will find something you will enjoy. Have fun gamers, Im glad I reignited my passion.… Expand
  18. Nairdan
    Mar 16, 2017
    10
    Freedom, the word that defines this game... You can do almost everything you want to do. This game makes you feel like a child discovering a new world. Despite some technical issues, this is the best video GAME ever made.
  19. phenom_cs
    Mar 7, 2017
    10
    I own a WiiU and have only 1 game for it - Super Mario Maker, which came with the console bundle. This is the only other game I bought for it and I am quite glad. This is easily one of the best, if not the best game to be released in the last 10 years. Performance issues aside there is so much **** to do, it's unreal. The game world is absolutely huge. Main quests, side quests, freedom toI own a WiiU and have only 1 game for it - Super Mario Maker, which came with the console bundle. This is the only other game I bought for it and I am quite glad. This is easily one of the best, if not the best game to be released in the last 10 years. Performance issues aside there is so much **** to do, it's unreal. The game world is absolutely huge. Main quests, side quests, freedom to do whatever, whenever you want. There are no limitations. They went all out with this and they are going to have an extremely hard time ever matching such an experience in another Zelda game. I can't see them ever going back to a Zelda game that isn't open-world. The combat is fun too, the bows, swords, elemental effects, man. There is just so much **** that is good about this game. You really have to experience it for your self.

    Pros -
    Honestly, too many to list, just buy this.

    Cons -
    Serious performance issues in some areas can really bring down your experience, but I can't knock it for taking away from the overall experience they offered in this game.

    8/10 - If performance issues annoy you.
    10/10 - If you can ignore some of the performance issues in certain areas of the game.    … Expand
  20. Profr_anime
    Mar 19, 2017
    10
    En ‘Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ no hay un camino marcado, cada partida es única, y es el jugador el que decide qué hacer, por dónde ir, si enfrentarse a un enemigo o si evitarle y dar un rodeo. Existen puntos marcados que ayudan a ganar experiencia: escalar las torres permitirá al jugador desvelar las distintas regiones de Hyrule y desde ellas podrá divisar los santuarios que, además deEn ‘Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ no hay un camino marcado, cada partida es única, y es el jugador el que decide qué hacer, por dónde ir, si enfrentarse a un enemigo o si evitarle y dar un rodeo. Existen puntos marcados que ayudan a ganar experiencia: escalar las torres permitirá al jugador desvelar las distintas regiones de Hyrule y desde ellas podrá divisar los santuarios que, además de poderes, otorgarán a Link puntos de vida o resistencia. Difícil elección.… Expand
  21. Aggeaf
    Mar 11, 2017
    10
    Great game. One of The best legend of Zelda titels Evert with a huge open world, great physics, amazing story and beautiful graphics. My only complain is that the sound track is not as good as older titles but it's not a big deal.
  22. reaperzone
    Mar 9, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's completely not a perfect game because with the breaking weapons every five seconds and not so great horse riding and the fact that it is a Zelda title it does get in my opinion higher ratings than other games "Cough Skyward Sword not a 9.3 game Cough" but I think it's atleast 8/10 game.… Expand
  23. cNyeTheColorDye
    Apr 18, 2017
    6
    Vast empty map with a handful of enemy's to kill and a subpar story. A big departure from when nintendo used to make great zelda games, this one is just okay.
    The game is lacking in pretty much every category, the graphics suck, the level design okay, the variety of enemies is hilarious, the story is short and dumb, the replayability is nonexistent, and finally it can't run well on    Vast empty map with a handful of enemy's to kill and a subpar story. A big departure from when nintendo used to make great zelda games, this one is just okay.
    The game is lacking in pretty much every category, the graphics suck, the level design okay, the variety of enemies is hilarious, the story is short and dumb, the replayability is nonexistent, and finally it can't run well on nintendo's new console!
    The game cannot run at 4k with 60 fps, it cannot run at 2k with 60 fps, it cannot run at 1080p with 60 fps, it cannot run at 720p with 60 fps, no no no my friends this is 2017 you have to play your games a 900p at 5-25fps! (Occasionally you can get 30fps, it's rare though)    … Expand
  24. marvs869
    Mar 19, 2017
    10
    BotW manages to ignite the feeling of being a Zelda game while at the same time not being a Zelda game. Its open world aspect is a new direction for the franchise however, it still manages to exude the charm-- be that from timeless art styles or puzzle solving that is very famous in previous Zeldas. What truly stood out for me was the sense of agency I was given that isn't very common inBotW manages to ignite the feeling of being a Zelda game while at the same time not being a Zelda game. Its open world aspect is a new direction for the franchise however, it still manages to exude the charm-- be that from timeless art styles or puzzle solving that is very famous in previous Zeldas. What truly stood out for me was the sense of agency I was given that isn't very common in today's open world RPGs. Its physics sandbox + wide array of things to do, places to see and people to discover is the reason I consider this to be the best game I have ever played to date.… Expand
  25. NelchaelSS
    Mar 21, 2017
    10
    This is for me the first Zelda game I ever played, and it made it into my top 10 games instantly. It's a very good and different experience that everyone must try!
  26. Sephiroth12345
    Mar 20, 2017
    10
    The last time time i felt like this when i played a game was in 1998 when Zelda Ocarina of Time came out. This is the best game of all time. Everyone should play it.
  27. JJBP
    Mar 5, 2017
    10
    Es uno de los mejores juegos de que he jugado, un mundo abierto sublime y lleno de vida, muy hermoso el juego, además que si te agrada explorar, este es sin duda la mejor opción, ademas que es facil olvidar la mision principal por explorar los lugares.
  28. Dorigan23
    Mar 9, 2017
    10
    This is a review not only to cancel sone undeserved negativity but to also praise an incredibly well done game.. the environments are invredible and i wasnt sold on the voice acting until i heard it. Anyond giving this game a zero hasnt played it, if you want actual worthwhile criticisms check out the mixed reviews.
  29. jonnyd_94
    Mar 6, 2017
    8
    I'd give this game a 10, but the story and fighting aren't great. I love the large open world possibilities. It's the first time in years I've played a Nintendo game (not named Mario) that feels like it stacks up with Sony and Microsoft gaming. I think they should build on this with the Zelda series and that's why I give it a higher rating. Not that I didn't like the other ZeldaI'd give this game a 10, but the story and fighting aren't great. I love the large open world possibilities. It's the first time in years I've played a Nintendo game (not named Mario) that feels like it stacks up with Sony and Microsoft gaming. I think they should build on this with the Zelda series and that's why I give it a higher rating. Not that I didn't like the other Zelda titles, but they just didn't have that pop. You can add DLC for this game and probably improve everyone's opinion.… Expand
  30. Cosmonauta
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    This game is amazing, The exploration is very good and the combat is fine. I, personally, think that the frame rate drops are very low and are irrelevant as they only occur when walking around, or in villages.
    The amiibo feature is very cool in my opinion as I have got Epona from a Link amiibo and you can get a lot of great in-game items for using amiibo that is compatible with the game.    This game is amazing, The exploration is very good and the combat is fine. I, personally, think that the frame rate drops are very low and are irrelevant as they only occur when walking around, or in villages.
    The amiibo feature is very cool in my opinion as I have got Epona from a Link amiibo and you can get a lot of great in-game items for using amiibo that is compatible with the game. If you use an amiibo that isn't compatible, you will just get food and ingredients, which i think is quite cool.

    Overall, i strongly believe that this game is THE BEST Zelda game that has been made so far as it does everything good about previous games, and so much more    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Switch Game of 2017
1
#1 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
1
#1 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
97

Universal acclaim - based on 109 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 106 out of 109
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 109
  3. Negative: 0 out of 109
  1. GameGrin
    Dec 12, 2017
    100
    Where it takes mechanics from others in the industry, it improves upon them; where it introduces new ones, you slap your forehead in amazement that it hasn’t been done before. Breath of the Wild is development done right, and damn near the best game you’ll play all year.
    Read full review
  2. Wired UK
    Aug 30, 2017
    100
    Breath of the Wild is a masterpiece.
    Read full review
  3. Games Master UK
    May 19, 2017
    96
    Up there with the finest Zelda games, Breath of the Wild is bold, liberating, and utterly astonishing. [Apr 2017, p.60]
See all critic reviews »