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. bradward
    Mar 6, 2018
    9
    Simply amazing. This game balances exploration, puzzle solving, and combat expertly, and has a decent story to boot. An achievement in gaming, and a must-play for anybody who is looking for an adventure game to sink hundreds of hours into.
  2. salmansohail_
    Mar 3, 2017
    9
    Breath of the Wild is exhilarating and beautiful, its cell shaded graphics work incredibly well for it. The open world is detailed and amazing. Nintendo's first game on the NS is extremely close to a masterpiece. The story is unique and goes deep. The characters are incredible and have a lot of depth. The open world has endless opportunity. Only con is frame-rate dips low sometimes.Breath of the Wild is exhilarating and beautiful, its cell shaded graphics work incredibly well for it. The open world is detailed and amazing. Nintendo's first game on the NS is extremely close to a masterpiece. The story is unique and goes deep. The characters are incredible and have a lot of depth. The open world has endless opportunity. Only con is frame-rate dips low sometimes.

    Verdict: 9.4/10    … Expand
  3. iamevilhomer
    Mar 3, 2017
    9
    I never give perfect 10's. That being said this game is about a 9.7 or 9.8 lol. It really is. I haven't even played it yet to be honest so don't take my review seriously. I have however seen plenty of reviews and seen lots of game play. Enough to say that well... It's been a long time since a console launched with a game that rivals the likes of halo ce, metroid prime, chrono trigger, andI never give perfect 10's. That being said this game is about a 9.7 or 9.8 lol. It really is. I haven't even played it yet to be honest so don't take my review seriously. I have however seen plenty of reviews and seen lots of game play. Enough to say that well... It's been a long time since a console launched with a game that rivals the likes of halo ce, metroid prime, chrono trigger, and ocarina of time. A game like this goes down in history as a time less classic.

    So call me names for giving a score to a game I haven't played yet but hey... I been a gamer for almost 30 years and my instincts and research prove that this game is great and will probably win game of the year.

    I will admit that playing the game would give me a more in depth idea of the games quality but hey... Research and gameplay videos give you a good enough idea... A good enough idea to know if the game is bad, mediocre, good, or great and clearly this one is great.

    So you can hate on me for scoring the game high without even playing it but please don't. Not when there are xbox, pc, and playstation fans giving it 0/10 scores. Those are the real unreasonable jerks. I'm a ps2 fan and don't care for the ps3 and ps4 but you don't see me bashing last of us... I know last of us is a great game...

    It just saddens me to see that fanboys can rage so hard and bash something so hard just because the reviews are good and that nintendo isn't all about multiplayer online only trash like over watch and cod. Multiplayer online gaming is pretty much dead anyways. Lag, cheaters, betrayers, trollers, gankers, unbalanced crap, nube friendly games, extra expenses, micro transactions etc etc... Games like Botw don't have anything to do with that crap and deliver what gamers truly need and want deep down. A fun single player game that you will remember forever.

    So like I said... Don't take this review too seriously. Hell... don't take any review seriously lol. But please ignore the red scores on this site. They are clearly just trying to make nintendo look bad because they have some sort of blind hatred for nintendo which is stupid because nintendo has screwed over gamers financially far less than pc, playstation, and xbox. Morons...

    Glad to see a console launch with a must have game. Nintendo hasn't done this since the N64 with Super mario 64. Glad to see it at 98% from the critic reviews. Games like Witcher 3, Doom, Blood born, and this don't screw the customer over with micro transactions. You wont see buying hearts for 5 dollars a piece in this game lol. More games like this need to exist and less games like over watch. I know over watch can be fun but it does so much to poop on the customer in exchange. Botw on the other hand does next to nothing to mess with the customer financially and offers a experience you wont get anywhere... Especially not in a generic online shooter.    … Expand
  4. MarceloBuenoRJ
    Mar 10, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Não joguei ainda ,mas tudo que vi achei ótimo , dei nota 9 apenas porque acho nenhum jogo é perfeito ,esperando o preço baixar pra poder jogar essa maravilha de jogo. Uma pena que a Nintendo abandonou meu país e n temos o jogo localizado em português ,lamentável!… Expand
  5. Vpupkinv
    Dec 12, 2020
    9
    This is a good a game. But not 10 out of 10, because it has flaws in its core mechanics.

    We all know what this game is good for. So I'll share what it is bad for:
    First and foremost - weapon destruction and inability to repair them.
    Second - boring bossfights and very mediocre boss designs.
  6. LonixoESP
    Mar 3, 2017
    9
    Great game, one of the best zelda i've ever played. The only problem that i have with it is that the optimization on the wiiu, its just a little bit bad, but it ok
  7. VTL
    Nov 20, 2019
    9
    Que decir... es un imprescindible. No he jugado muchos celdas... Windwaker, Link to the past, Breath, Link between worlds y links awakening NS. Pero este a mi modesta opinion da un salto a lo moderno impecable. Gran juego la verdad.
  8. moncikoma
    Mar 10, 2017
    9
    9/10 i never played zelda since Nintendo... this is my 2nd time..
    and im in love with the world, visual, and exploration.. i hate far cry, im bored with sandbox gaming... except horizon and nier.. but this zelda seems to fit quite well with me..

    its almost the same with Xenoblade X but with more detail on the world..
  9. Ishi123
    Jul 29, 2019
    9
    As close to perfect as any Zelda game has come. Breath of the Wild is what open world games should be; a vast expanse in which your skill ceiling is the only limit, able to go anywhere and everywhere right from the outset, and packed to the brim with things to do and see and explore without feeling stale and empty like the likes of Skyrim. No moment in this game is boring, and the freedomAs close to perfect as any Zelda game has come. Breath of the Wild is what open world games should be; a vast expanse in which your skill ceiling is the only limit, able to go anywhere and everywhere right from the outset, and packed to the brim with things to do and see and explore without feeling stale and empty like the likes of Skyrim. No moment in this game is boring, and the freedom the game affords you is limitless.

    I only have a few gripes about the game and they're minor. I wish that we had more actual dungeons in the same vein as the old Zeldas. As it is, we get 120 mini-dungeons that are just a sequence of puzzles and 5 main dungeons, the last of which is probably one of the coolest of any Zelda dungeon, though the other 4 don't feel as grand and expansive as the older dungeons. The lack of things to do after you've completed the main game and have done all the shrines and all the sidequests makes the world feel much smaller than it actually is once you know where everything is, and a New Game Plus mode wouldn't go amiss, or at least the ability to make a new game without having to make an entirely separate Switch profile. Whatever happened to the three save slots you get in the older games?

    In any case, I had an absolute blast with Breath of the Wild, being my first Zelda game since the ye olde days of Twilight Princess on the Gamecube, and now that I actually truly own my own Nintendo console, I'm hyped up for the sequel, which I'm willing to bet will earn the last point that its predecessor barely misses.    … Expand
  10. destinyfan1
    Nov 5, 2017
    9
    So yeah, last week i bought a nintendo switch , this game and fire enblem warriors
    This game is amazing so far it brings the best nintendo switch graphics to the table with a stunning but sometimes repetitive world.
    The combat is good that in my opinion doesn't get old But then there's the amazing story and dialogs what makes this game so great I also think the camera could have been    So yeah, last week i bought a nintendo switch , this game and fire enblem warriors
    This game is amazing so far it brings the best nintendo switch graphics to the table with a stunning but sometimes repetitive world.
    The combat is good that in my opinion doesn't get old
    But then there's the amazing story and dialogs what makes this game so great
    I also think the camera could have been better if you fight multiple enemies but overall its great
    There's also a lot of content that keep you up for weeks
    And that you can take this game to an airplane is just the tomato sauce on the spaghetti
    A must buy    … Expand
  11. EmirKhorasani
    Sep 2, 2017
    9
    There are so many "oh cool" moments. Its a lot of fun. The story is shallow and lacking which is a shame considering the lore they have to work with. Hopefully the expansion pass will add a lot of gameplay.
  12. likevin96
    Jun 23, 2017
    9
    Completion: 100% Dungeons, 100% Memories, 79% Shrines, True Ending

    Pros: - The open world is truly free. Climbing in this game is one of the most enjoyable mechanics I have ever experienced. Exploration is rewarding and genuinely surprising. The upgrades dovetail perfectly with these factors, creating a gameplay loop that doesn't let up and continues to be exhilarating. The freedom    Completion: 100% Dungeons, 100% Memories, 79% Shrines, True Ending

    Pros:
    - The open world is truly free. Climbing in this game is one of the most enjoyable mechanics I have ever experienced. Exploration is rewarding and genuinely surprising. The upgrades dovetail perfectly with these factors, creating a gameplay loop that doesn't let up and continues to be exhilarating. The freedom to truly go anywhere never gets old. This is, without a doubt, the greatest open world game I have ever played.
    - The dungeons are a blast despite being on the short side.
    - Only game I have played that does weapon durability right. The entire battle system is centered around this mechanic and thus it feels organic to switch in and out of your arsenal.
    - Shrines are fun and inventive. There are a few that truly push you to the limits of your abilities.
    - Measured and impactful economy that makes every resource count.
    - Beautiful art style that impresses despite technical limitations.

    Cons:
    - The late game becomes a bit of a grind. Acquiring more materials can be tedious, combat becomes unnecessary, and rewards no longer invite excitement.
    - English voice acting is not great. Most egregiously, Zelda's VA simply does not match her character
    - The story lacked impact and by its very nature felt disjointed. I was unable to develop a significant emotional connection to any of the characters.
    - It rains WAY WAY too much. Incredibly annoying mechanic that will occasionally halt progress and gameplay entirely.
    - Bosses are uncreative and the same tricks will generally work on every single enemy in the game
    - Significant and noticeable frame rate dips. Although this was patched, occasional issues persist.

    I played this game for over 70 hours and I was not bored for a moment of it. That's the highest praise I can offer for any title.

    Final Score: 9.4    … Expand
  13. BoomaTron23
    Feb 23, 2018
    9
    This is a game that will be remembered for changing a lot of norms in the Zelda franchise like the dungeons and the world this is an incredible game with good gameplay that will keep you interested for a long time the problems are that the frame rate will go down in certain areas and that even after you get all the shrines and korok seeds in the game it might become boring and you mightThis is a game that will be remembered for changing a lot of norms in the Zelda franchise like the dungeons and the world this is an incredible game with good gameplay that will keep you interested for a long time the problems are that the frame rate will go down in certain areas and that even after you get all the shrines and korok seeds in the game it might become boring and you might lose interest but when you start to the moment you decide to stop i can guarantee it will be an amazing experience… Expand
  14. weskergamer
    Apr 15, 2018
    9
    Es uno delos mejores juegos q ha salido en los ultimos tiempos pero no es perfecto. Los errores de framerate en verdad no me importa pero lo q de verdad hace q este no sea el mejor zelda de la historia es q le falta epikicidad, es super epico este juego pero comparado con otros juegos tiene 0. Para mi o q combierte epico un zelda son los jefes, la historia, las mazmorras y los personajes.Es uno delos mejores juegos q ha salido en los ultimos tiempos pero no es perfecto. Los errores de framerate en verdad no me importa pero lo q de verdad hace q este no sea el mejor zelda de la historia es q le falta epikicidad, es super epico este juego pero comparado con otros juegos tiene 0. Para mi o q combierte epico un zelda son los jefes, la historia, las mazmorras y los personajes. Y lo siento pero todos los zeldas anteriores le ganan a este en jefes, mazmorras y historia. en personajes no porq los campeones son los putos amos. a pesar de q lo he criticado fuerte en ese sentido, sigue siendo el mejorjuego q he jugado en los ultimos anos, es el primer mundo abierto q juego y me facino, las fisicas son supergeniales nunk antes vistas en ningun otro juego, al menos yo, su diseno grafico, hyrule se ve super hermoso, super largo, in monton de coleccionables y misiones secundarias q hacer. Es el juego de un solomultijugador q mas horas es jugado y sigo sin aburrirme de el. uper recomendados para fans de zeldo y no fans de zelda, para fans de nintendo y para no fans de nintendo.… Expand
  15. Draconell
    Mar 4, 2017
    9
    I love this game, but there is one thing that is realy bad in it- freezes. Yes, when theres is a lot of grass and many trees, game start to freeze just for a second, but freeeze
  16. PythonHaunter
    Mar 5, 2017
    9
    We have to be honest about Breath of The Wild, as a game, its just incredible and very well made, but as a Zelda game, it fails, and it does very bad. We all know that the developers wanted this game to be an experience more like the original The Legend of Zelda for the NES, but over the years, the fans would expect something more like we waited for years, an experience with a lot ofWe have to be honest about Breath of The Wild, as a game, its just incredible and very well made, but as a Zelda game, it fails, and it does very bad. We all know that the developers wanted this game to be an experience more like the original The Legend of Zelda for the NES, but over the years, the fans would expect something more like we waited for years, an experience with a lot of dungeons, history and memorable characters, something we didnt really got it here. Despite all of this, Breath of The Wild is an awesome game, i really cant complain about it much.… Expand
  17. Benhd08
    Mar 13, 2017
    9
    Can't stop playing it. There is so much to do it is nuts!! You plan something out like " Ok, I see that tower in the distance, lets go get that now." and 3 hours later you find yourself 10 shrines in, doing side quests, and catching that awesome Black and orange horse that seems impossible to tame, without even touching the tower.
    Yes this game has some flaws.
    -Frame rate is great most    Can't stop playing it. There is so much to do it is nuts!! You plan something out like " Ok, I see that tower in the distance, lets go get that now." and 3 hours later you find yourself 10 shrines in, doing side quests, and catching that awesome Black and orange horse that seems impossible to tame, without even touching the tower.
    Yes this game has some flaws.
    -Frame rate is great most the time, but does tend to dip down every once in a while.
    -Resolution could be better being 2017.
    -There is a lot of unused space in the game, but I think that adds to the beauty of the game.
    -I do have to say some of the voice acting (En Language) does seem cheesy at times. (I'm probably gonna get ripped a new one for that.)
    **There are probably more, and I'm sure there is, but this is, so far, what I have ran into personally. I haven't watched any spoilers, botw lets plays, or streams, not even a review.**

    -The amount of Pros for this game is too much for me to put on here.
    -The subtle music will give you goosebumps.
    -The quiet landscape gives you a sense of a giant open world.
    -The combat is punishing at times, but with the items that you receive from shrines and chest found in the wilderness, you can go to that camp of Bokoblins that have been destroying earlier and take them out once in for all!!!
    -The shrines test your mind in simple, or seemingly impossible puzzles that make you go "Ooohh I see how I can complete this" after about 5-30 minutes of looking around.
    -The 4 Divine Beasts, with challenging puzzles and Epic rewards. sure there is only 4, but there are also 100 shrines and world bosses, ganon. Not to mention the side quests, collecting materials, picture taking, Korok seeds, mini games, the master sword!!!... I guess what I'm trying to say is that this game has content, and more content on the way.

    I do have to say I am very impressed by this game, and look forward to more adventure, and upcoming content.    … Expand
  18. Jozeph
    Apr 13, 2017
    9
    Amazing in every way... Nintendo have brought back the Zelda magic from old. A must have for Nintendo/Zelda Fans. The art work and open world is just what the franchise needed to revitalise the appeal for long time Zelda players. Hats off to Nintendo. I find it hard to believe that some people on here feel the need to give it a 0... Obviously just trolls trying to bring the score down... tut tut
  19. Atherpey
    Mar 3, 2017
    9
    Despues de algunas horas de probarlo, el juego engancha mucho te da ganas de seguir explorando y ver que puedes encontrar, el sistema de combate es muy intuitivo, y las fisicas hasta ahora son realmente buenas ya que cualquier cosas en el ambiente te puede ayudar a resolver o volverte mas dificil las incognitas, aunque probando el juego en el dock he tenido unas liveras caidas de fps, peroDespues de algunas horas de probarlo, el juego engancha mucho te da ganas de seguir explorando y ver que puedes encontrar, el sistema de combate es muy intuitivo, y las fisicas hasta ahora son realmente buenas ya que cualquier cosas en el ambiente te puede ayudar a resolver o volverte mas dificil las incognitas, aunque probando el juego en el dock he tenido unas liveras caidas de fps, pero en modo portatil funciona muy bien incluso se ve aun mejor en ella que en tv, los colores muy vivos y el estilo artistico es bello, sin duda el juego cumple lo que promete incluso lo supera, no le pongo un 10 porque no existe la perfeccion, sin mas que decir no importa de que plataforma seas, un juego de estas caracteristicas alegra a cualquiera viendo que la industra de los videojuegos entrega juegazos como este y muchos otros de la competencia.
    PD: Lastimosamente nunca falta los que ponen nota de 0 simplemente por odio hacia el juego (lease la reviews de los que ponen 0 y se daran cuenta el porque), es una pena gente asi, no son verdaderos gamer's, destruyen esta maravillosa industria como son los videojuegos.    … Expand
  20. plop40
    Mar 3, 2017
    9
    Pretty good game, awesome graphics fon an hybrid console. Never played a 3d Zelda game (only Four swords in Nintendo ds). Awesome gameplay and a lots of secrets to be found, I've been playing around 7 hours now and i really enjoyed the game, i Scored(?) 9 because there's a small FPs drop in Kakariko Village, when Nintendo releases an update to fix that I'll change my review to 10 cause itPretty good game, awesome graphics fon an hybrid console. Never played a 3d Zelda game (only Four swords in Nintendo ds). Awesome gameplay and a lots of secrets to be found, I've been playing around 7 hours now and i really enjoyed the game, i Scored(?) 9 because there's a small FPs drop in Kakariko Village, when Nintendo releases an update to fix that I'll change my review to 10 cause it deserves it :)

    PD: i speak spanish, you will see some mistakes in gramma or words :).
    PD2: I've to check the "spelling" twice for your understanding
    Thanks for reading

    ~plop    … Expand
  21. chamainu
    Mar 4, 2017
    9
    Soundtrack ✔️ ✔️
    Gameplay Mechanics ✔️ ✔️
    Beautiful Artstyle✔️ ✔️
    Story ✔️ ✔️

    Llevo 5 horas y no puedo salir de la segunda zona.. hay demasiadas cosas que hacer y explorar. Simplemente maravilloso.
  22. Madponiez
    Mar 3, 2017
    9
    Skyrim + Dark Souls + Zelda = Breath of the wild.
    It feels new, it feels great, it's great. It's not perfect, but it's great.
    The framerate feels constant enough, the game is beautiful, it plays really well.
  23. Crysawn
    Jul 27, 2021
    9
    Absolutely amazing. Story is rich, the gameplay can go from relaxed to extremely difficult in a matter of seconds, and the graphical achievement is beyond words. This is a masterpiece, however I miss the old dungeon design, for that, I give it a 9/10
  24. driscoll42
    Sep 3, 2017
    9
    Open World Zelda, a concept that actually is a natural extension of the series but for the first time done and it's amazing. Gone are the linear dungeons unlocking items to progress further in the game. You want to fight Ganon in the first half hour? Go for it. You want to spend 200 hours exploring every side quest, nook and crany? Go for it.

    The core concept is the same tried and true    Open World Zelda, a concept that actually is a natural extension of the series but for the first time done and it's amazing. Gone are the linear dungeons unlocking items to progress further in the game. You want to fight Ganon in the first half hour? Go for it. You want to spend 200 hours exploring every side quest, nook and crany? Go for it.

    The core concept is the same tried and true story, Ganon has conquered Hyrule, and it's up to Link to rescue the Princess and Kingdom. However this time, Link lost 100 years before, and now he needs to save the kingdom he didn't before. Honestly the story itself is only... good, not amazing. It's nothing truly new. But no one ever really played Zelda for the story alone.

    What makes the game amazing is everything else. A brilliant starting area, the "Great Plateau" which naturally teaches you the core mechanics you'll use in the rest of the game. Instead of just one weapon, one or two sets of armor you use throughout the whole game, you hvae a plethora of armors which grant you better climbing, stealth, defense, attack, swimming, cold or heat resistance. Weapons which have different strength, two handed, one handed, set things on fire, freeze them, shock them, etc... You'll never use just one weapon or armor forever. Of course a huge part of this is the durability system which makes your weapons break after a while. A clever is often annoying system, but a good way to handle it.

    Probably the best part of the game is exploring, and discovering shrines. The world has everything from artic wastes to deserts and forests, mountains (you will be climbing, all the time), people everywhere with stories and side quests. But most of all you'll be hunting for shrines, mini dungeons, more puzzles than dungeons, to test your skills and unlock extra hearts or stamina. There's 120... and each one is worth searching for.

    All in all, this is probably the best Zelda game ever, and is a system seller. I played this every day for a couple months on my work train commute, which made it so much more enjoyable. Even though I put over 60 hours in the game I'm looking forward to a chance to play some more of the story DLC (though just doing all the various side quests doesn't entice me as much)    … Expand
  25. shihrux
    Mar 4, 2017
    9
    for me this zeda is the third best of saga.The world is pure magic and new features enhance the experience.
    Nevertheless the music ,the variability of npc and the possible dlc have reduced the content of the game.
  26. imobvslykickass
    Mar 4, 2017
    9
    FacePalm at the 'reviewers' giving this game a low score after playing it for an hour. The game is absolutely immense. The surprises keep the experience fresh. There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to gameplay, which is a good thing. Stop crying that the game is too hard or there isn't enough voice acting. Its a Zelda game. This was also released on the best handheld consoleFacePalm at the 'reviewers' giving this game a low score after playing it for an hour. The game is absolutely immense. The surprises keep the experience fresh. There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to gameplay, which is a good thing. Stop crying that the game is too hard or there isn't enough voice acting. Its a Zelda game. This was also released on the best handheld console ever made, so, there's that.

    I'm jus keepin it real with you guys.

    Oh and look how the user score goes back up the longer the game is out. Interesting development....

    Instant classic.    … Expand
  27. Nephrited
    Mar 4, 2017
    9
    I'm now about 18 hours into BotW and thus far it's worth every piece of the praise it's been given by reviewers. An excellent world, possibly the first time I've ever played an open world game where the open nature has been truly positive, interesting puzzles (the Zelda element), and new gameplay from a series I had previously thought to be getting stale. An incredible comeback from theI'm now about 18 hours into BotW and thus far it's worth every piece of the praise it's been given by reviewers. An excellent world, possibly the first time I've ever played an open world game where the open nature has been truly positive, interesting puzzles (the Zelda element), and new gameplay from a series I had previously thought to be getting stale. An incredible comeback from the mixed bag that was Skyward Sword.

    The only negative I've found so far, and what's preventing this game from being a solid 10 is the lack of music in the game - the ambient noise of the world is gorgeous, but I miss the orchestral backing of Twilight Princess.

    Should my opinions on the game change by the time I complete it, I'll be back, but assuming this hasn't been edited by the time you read it, I can only recommend this game.    … Expand
  28. QuantumPelican
    Mar 5, 2017
    9
    Firstly, I'll start by addressing some complaints I've seen in negative reviews of this game:

    "There are no dungeons." Yes there are. There are 4 dungeons, accompanied by a myriad of shrines. "It's too easy/hand-holdy." I'm sort of baffled by this one, and all I can say is that is that the people saying this must not have engaged in any exploration whatsoever. A lot of the    Firstly, I'll start by addressing some complaints I've seen in negative reviews of this game:

    "There are no dungeons."
    Yes there are. There are 4 dungeons, accompanied by a myriad of shrines.

    "It's too easy/hand-holdy."
    I'm sort of baffled by this one, and all I can say is that is that the people saying this must not have engaged in any exploration whatsoever. A lot of the main-quest and areas around towns, etc. contain relatively easy puzzles and fights, but if you take the time to leave the beaten trail, you'll probably come across a fair challenge pretty quickly. Reviewers who specifically mention hand-holdiness have clearly not played nearly enough of the game to piece together an educated review.

    "The music sucks."
    A quick read through of comments in this vein shows that the actual meaning behind this criticism is that the music is different. Music plays a different role in this game than it does in previous titles. Here, it gives the game a bit of flavour and atmosphere rather than blasting the player with overt, repeating musical themes. It's fine to not like the music in this game, but it's useful to note that a thorough playthrough of this game will be far longer than the typical 20-40 hours of previous 3D Zelda titles. It's likely, given enough play time, that catchy, repetitive themes in the context of this game would end up being incredibly grating. As it is, there is a clear emphasis on the environments here and the use of music to simply enhance the mood set by the environmental sounds works extremely well (plus there are some really great musical moments where music is present).

    "There's nothing to do."
    There are over 100 shrines to discover, a bunch of sidequests if you look in the right places, over 300 unique photos to take in-game, and a number of diverse and engaging areas to explore. I'll concede that if you don't enjoy exploration, this game isn't for you.

    "It looks terrible."
    It doesn't have the best graphics on a technical level. It's low-res by modern standards, with some pop-in and frame drops, and it could do with a bit of anti-aliasing, but the game's art style stands out from its technical limitations, as was the case in The Wind Waker, and even Skyward Sword to some extent. The frame drops are a a fair complaint, however I haven't found this factor to have any effect on gameplay since they mainly occur in places with a lot of NPCs, which tend to be less timing-sensitive areas. They do occur in forested areas quite a lot, but this isn't an online FPS, and not every frame is critical in combat, to be brutally honest. It's a valid complaint, but I don't think it's a big enough issue to make this particular game less enjoyable by any significant measure.

    That's pretty much every complaint I care to cover. Now for some reasons to like this game, rather than reasons to simply not hate it.

    1. Combat/Gameplay
    The enemies in this game vary significantly in difficulty. Some are extremely easy to beat, and areas of the game that have high proportions of these enemies can begin to feel a bit too easy after a while, but what's interesting is that the combat never gets boring. The combat in this game requires a lot more strategy to deal with than in previous titles and keeps you on your feet since dodging becomes a really important aspect of swordplay. Coming off a 40 hour play-through of Twilight Princess HD, this a breath of fresh air to me as enemies have different attack styles that require adaptive strategies, unlike in Twilight Princess, and these strategies are often based around your fundamental moveset rather than gimmicky items and gameplay mechanics (I'm looking at you, Skyward Sword).
    Speaking of which, the basic controls are surprisingly deep for a game of this nature. Hours in, I was still learning new things about the controls. It could be argued that the game not teaching this to you from the outset is poor design, but in my experience, these elements are unnecessary for the progression of the game, and I'd argue that it's a plus that the early game doesn't get bogged down in tutorials or hint panels.

    2. Shrines
    The shrines can be divided into two categories: Combat and puzzles. The puzzle shrines have a wonderful amount of diversity, though they are not all particularly challenging. As stated above, the more isolated or out of the way a shrine is, the more likely it is to pose a challenge. The combat shrines are pretty homogeneous, but a lot of them pose a really great challenge, taking the aforementioned combat mechanics to their limits. Some of these shrines feel like dedicated boss arenas, and it's a lot of fun to employ all the strategies you've accumulated up to these shrines in defeating their enemies.

    3. There's a great sense of progression in this game, even without an experience or leveling system.

    4. I have reached my character limit. The game is great.    … Expand
  29. SMBA
    Mar 5, 2017
    9
    The game looks great, perfect graphics, perfect gameplay, good story, is one of the best in the series probably in the top 3, but not the best of the franchise
  30. Robed_Joe
    Mar 5, 2017
    9
    First of all, ignore the trolls that are running amok trying to lower the rating score of the game for whatever reason.

    Anyways, this has been one of the best Zelda games since Link to the Past. It feels like Nintendo peeked out their windows and saw the progress and concepts used by other open-world games. Then they took the concepts they liked, went back to Zelda's roots, and added in    First of all, ignore the trolls that are running amok trying to lower the rating score of the game for whatever reason.

    Anyways, this has been one of the best Zelda games since Link to the Past. It feels like Nintendo peeked out their windows and saw the progress and concepts used by other open-world games. Then they took the concepts they liked, went back to Zelda's roots, and added in their Nintendo magic to breathe new life to the standard 3-D Zelda formula. There are a few cons like minor frame-rate drops around tall grass, but overall the game has so far offered great story, gameplay, and music.    … 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

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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.
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  2. Wired UK
    Aug 30, 2017
    100
    Breath of the Wild is a masterpiece.
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  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]
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