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. Zas11s
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    If i could give this game an 11 I would. Graphics are beautiful, soundtrack is impressive, and the gameplay is timeless. Definitely worth the wait. I suggest any open world rpg fan to play this game. At this point it's easily game of the year and don't see anyone coming close to the magic that Nintendo brings unto our homes.
  2. romeupaz
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    Its simply beautiful and giant like a Studio Ghibli movie, the visuals, the sounds, the music and the beasts.
    Played only 5h so far but its magnificent :D
  3. danopkt
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    Absolutely stunning. Breath-taking visuals, incredible soundtrack, fantastic gameplay, this game lives up to the Zelda legacy and then some. This is right up there with some of Nintendo's best work.
  4. Louthais
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    Absolutely Astounding. Breath of the Wild lives up to all of the hype surrounding it, and as I sank my teeth into this game it became clear that the lengthy development time and numerous delays were well worth the wait.
  5. Rixstar
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    This game is awesome. Just play it and you will remember it well and want to keep playing. The soundtrack is pretty good. The game play is great and there is so much to do, even after the campaign.
  6. newrandomage
    Mar 17, 2017
    7
    This is the most overrated game of 2017 so far, and I doubt that any other game in this year is going to be so expected and cause such dissapointment. This is the biggest bet on open world games from Nintendo until this day and while it isn't poorly executed and implements some interesting ideas, the reality is that it is far from the masterpiece everyone is selling that it is. The worstThis is the most overrated game of 2017 so far, and I doubt that any other game in this year is going to be so expected and cause such dissapointment. This is the biggest bet on open world games from Nintendo until this day and while it isn't poorly executed and implements some interesting ideas, the reality is that it is far from the masterpiece everyone is selling that it is. The worst part of all that should kill it for most people is performance; if we would ignore that 720p 30FPS is unnacceptable on 2017 (or 900p with bad performance), the game has unnacceptable fps drops and a graphic style that while it is unique, it isn't impressive at all. I'll overlook the last part just a bit to give it a 7/10. Strong contender for "Most overrated game of 2017" without any doubt.… Expand
  7. pittu
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    Incredible artstyle, polish and fun. The world is immense and the attention to every single detail is amazing. I don't think I've ever seen a game so beautifully crafted as Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
  8. Bennabus
    Mar 4, 2017
    10
    I admit to only having put about 5 hours into it so far, so things may change, but I so seriously doubt it. Based on how solid the mechanics are and how much variety I've already seen, how much I've seen that I know I'll come back to once I've gotten Link a bit stronger, this game is amazing. Gone are all the hand holding repetitive messages and announcements from the last severalI admit to only having put about 5 hours into it so far, so things may change, but I so seriously doubt it. Based on how solid the mechanics are and how much variety I've already seen, how much I've seen that I know I'll come back to once I've gotten Link a bit stronger, this game is amazing. Gone are all the hand holding repetitive messages and announcements from the last several installments, the game does a great job of letting you discover how to do things while giving you mild hints to help you figure it out. As others have said, killing bad guys with the environment is great fun! It looks pretty damn good as a WillU game, and while I'm sure it looks a bit better on the Switch, I'm not sure it's worth all the monies for getting the Switch just yet. I've got it for the WiiU, and yeah, there are some frame rate issues, they've been rare, but the WiiU doesn't like water effects at all, so that hits it hard. These issues are rare, and not enough to detract from the amazingness of this game. It give me the same feeling the first 5 hours of the original Legend of Zelda did, or when I first cracked open A Link to the Past. Wonderful game!… Expand
  9. jrchoqque
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    simplemente, perfecto.... los haters a jugar su horizon y dejar de opinar con el higado y la pedanteria, que sinceramente, un juego nos eclasifica con el odio o los gustos personales, si no con lo que ofrece para que mucha spersonas lo disfruten y vean poequre es considerado una verdadera obra maestra atemporal
  10. 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
  11. TurboDGaming
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    Absolutely the best game that I've ever played. The art style is amazing, scenery is incredible, combat is deep and rewarding, yet challenging. Dying is no longer as cruel as past games, and it's overall highly polished.
  12. Matvasques
    Mar 4, 2017
    10
    Probably the best Zelda game since Ocarina of Time in my opinion. The game offers so much that is possible to spend tons of hours playing it. Nice puzzles, beautiful graphics and new mechanics makes this game awesome.
  13. TULFrich
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    When we talk about today´s game developing standars we all know the big N always choses a different path. Breath of the wild not only improves as it should but it takes all what has mae the franchise so succesful and mashes it up in a masterful way. It all takes off in a traditional way of unraveling Link´s story and it´s past events, a 100 yeas ago to be precise, but instead of taking theWhen we talk about today´s game developing standars we all know the big N always choses a different path. Breath of the wild not only improves as it should but it takes all what has mae the franchise so succesful and mashes it up in a masterful way. It all takes off in a traditional way of unraveling Link´s story and it´s past events, a 100 yeas ago to be precise, but instead of taking the usual linear or semi-linear path, it just leavs you out on this massive open world to explore and to survive as you get usual RPG elements like weapons and other gear.

    The game itself is gorgeous in watercolor artstyle, but don´t get me wrong, it is not just an artstyle for hardware "limitations" but a style this itteration of Zelda that managed to nail all it´s details on an intriguing way. As far as the game goes in terms of processing power it has a lot of things going on even on the portable mode tof the switch, and a lot of times you can get beautiful sceneries with particle effects going on, an excellent physics engine, weather conditions, etc. It´s scale is just massive, and mostly if you can see it you can reach it, even on large open areas where nothing appers to be going on, the pure scenery and music gets you the chills of a relaxing spot leaving behind all the frantic things that are going on, and it is truly appreciated. Even animals behave in natural ways. And, damn!!! the music on this game is just masterful, check it for yorself.

    The way the weapon system works and the durability of each weapon works in a bastly fair way, as they break over and over but you never feel like it will leave you on a bloked position, and what it makes it even better is your management, as you you might want to leave your better weapons for later or tougher situations, just see it for yourself when affronting guardians.

    Cooking in tha game not only is the mechanic to replentish your health but to give you certain boosts or extra temporal hearts, and you have to think through your recipies as it can be bad for link in a funny way too. And this is only the tip of the iceberg as you inmerse to find out other collectibles and crafting materials.

    Talking about gameplay, it is a superv polished experience as weapons are handled in differnt ways, parring and dodging are simple but you need to polish your skill as the enemies behave acorrding to their equipment and your moves, unlike the rest of the other zelda games were they have a determined move pattern (yes even in skyward sword). So is up to you to interact with your environment and improve your reaction skills to master the game itself, and there ar a lot of options to do so.

    Storywise, Breath of the Wild, is as charmy and goofy (at times) as you would expect from a Zelda game, but don´t get fooled, it really goes into deep emotional scenes and reelations as you explore the world and meet unique characters that well are part of the main story. The voice acting in this games works wonders, specially in japanese and latin spanish, as I found a little less emotive dialogues in english, specially Zelda´s emotions (and we all have seen it on the trailers, so it is not spoilers). So I can say it has been an improve to include it, FINALLY, and talking it to a great level of quality overall, and even if it´s still not fulle voice acted it does a magnificent job all the way, cuz it still gets the nostalgia feeling of all zelda fans. Thou, I would have preffered a Hylian made up language for it, but that is just me hehe.

    It is hard to say if it takes Ocarina of time´s spot as Breath of the Wild has been crafted in modern standards and with a more integrate overall experience, but is easy (foer me) to say is the best Zelda game ever made, if not, THE best Nintendo game ever made!!!

    P.S. I Really don´t get how people give this game 0s and 1s? I can just imagine that they have not even played it yet or just based their opinions on trailers or even just nintendo hate, Metacritic should do something about that, for all games in general.    … Expand
  14. Lorenzo92_
    Mar 13, 2017
    7
    I'm a great fan of Zelda series;
    I have completed most of Zelda's games from "A link to the past" to "The wind waker".
    I have bought Zelda and the Nintendo Switch to revive my old passion for this beautiful series, but it has really disappointed my expectations. After entering more and more on the real gameplay of Breath of the Wild, i feeling annoying and unsatisfied. After i have    I'm a great fan of Zelda series;
    I have completed most of Zelda's games from "A link to the past" to "The wind waker".
    I have bought Zelda and the Nintendo Switch to revive my old passion for this beautiful series, but it has really disappointed my expectations. After entering more and more on the real gameplay of Breath of the Wild, i feeling annoying and unsatisfied.
    After i have discovered first villages and played "dungeons", i feel playing another game.
    Zelda of the past years contains long and difficult dungeons, in those Zelda they are only mini games and four - five dungeon.
    Let's talk of the World Map: what the meaning of having a really extensive world map but with only few contents?
    This is not the game that i expect;
    This is a Zelda too different from other games.    … Expand
  15. andisart
    Mar 7, 2017
    10
    I've clocked in around 30 hours since release 5 days ago, but barely scratched the whole content of the game. There is so much still left to explore and discover, yet the time I spend so far was filled with wonder and excitement. The world of BotW is the star of this game! This is the best designed open-world I have ever played. Beautiful, alive, rewarding. What a pleasure to take in onI've clocked in around 30 hours since release 5 days ago, but barely scratched the whole content of the game. There is so much still left to explore and discover, yet the time I spend so far was filled with wonder and excitement. The world of BotW is the star of this game! This is the best designed open-world I have ever played. Beautiful, alive, rewarding. What a pleasure to take in on breath of this wild after the other.… Expand
  16. Exanthius
    Mar 7, 2017
    10
    I tried very hard not to get too hyped, despite all the footage of the game, all the early reports of how good the game is and the great trailers Nintendo released. As a Zelda fan since 1998 with Ocarina of Time being my favorite game of all time, I was of course looking forward to the release of Breath of the Wild. A huge part of the excitement is caused by nostalgia, of course.
    After    I tried very hard not to get too hyped, despite all the footage of the game, all the early reports of how good the game is and the great trailers Nintendo released. As a Zelda fan since 1998 with Ocarina of Time being my favorite game of all time, I was of course looking forward to the release of Breath of the Wild. A huge part of the excitement is caused by nostalgia, of course.
    After playing the game for around 20 hours I can already announce this game as my new favorite game of all time. It blew me away from the first steps. Every 2 minutes I encounter a new feature or detail that just makes we stare at the screen with an open mouth. It's not only the major features of the game, like the vast world to explore, the intelligent enemies or the well placed music. It's the little details that Nintendo obviously put a lot of effort in. All so often I think "Hmm.. let's see if this works" ... and it DOES. Every single time. I was in need of a fire to prepare some food, so I read the description of the flint and I just put some wood on the ground, placed flint next to it and hit the flint with a metal weapon. The wood caught fire and I had a nice cozy place to roast some apples. 10 seconds later the fire went out and I wondered why. Of course, because it was raining. I set up the next camp fire under a tree.

    The graphics of this game are stunning. Yes, it's a special art style but they really did a great job at creating moody atmospheres, detailed models and oh my god, the lighting is incredible. Besides Witcher 3, this game has the most beautiful sun sets that I just enjoy watching at for minutes.

    The game has flaws. But none of them justify a 0/10 rating. I don't understand why Metacritic allows that. THe performance on the Switch in TV mode varies, but is satisfying over all. The controls are difficult to learn and it happened that I died because I hadn't mastered the control layout, yet.

    On a side note: The sound design is on point. Everything makes sounds as you would expect them to do. Your wooden bow on your back makes wooden sounds as it continuously hits your wooden shield. The wind blowing through the grass while animals make their own noises made me forget how little music is actually played throughout the game.

    I have only made a few steps into the main story so far, but what I have seen up to this review made by jaw drop to the floor. Of course, a lot of nostalgia is causing this (and the tears in my eyes) but the story they're are building up from the beginning is compelling and makes me find out more about it.

    What I probably love most about the game is the feeling of being rewarded. You get rewarded for being curious, for exploring new places, for experimenting with techniques and gameplay mechanics and for taking that additional step through a forest, over a river or down a cliff. Not in Skyrim, not in The Witcher 3 have I felt this sense of adventure.

    Despite not being flawless this game deserves nothing but a 10/10 rating, for all the positives easily outweigh the negatives.    … Expand
  17. Richtea87
    Mar 9, 2017
    10
    One of the best games in recent years. Im not even a big Zelda game and this game has had me hooked since day one. Don't believe the 0 scores on here. This game is truly magical. 10/10
  18. Captivate
    Mar 5, 2017
    10
    This game is absolutely amazing! I'm playing on the Wii U and it looks gorgeous! The colour palate, the sound design, the character design are some of the best I've seen in quite a long time. The story itself is beautifully told with a more mature theme behind it and Link's portrayal is done beautifully. I can't say anymore without spoiling the game. I can't say anything about frame dropsThis game is absolutely amazing! I'm playing on the Wii U and it looks gorgeous! The colour palate, the sound design, the character design are some of the best I've seen in quite a long time. The story itself is beautifully told with a more mature theme behind it and Link's portrayal is done beautifully. I can't say anymore without spoiling the game. I can't say anything about frame drops since I'm playing on the Wii U but I haven't noticed anything jarring or game-breaking. This is quite possibly the best Zelda game ever made, and maybe even one of the best games Nintendo has ever made.… Expand
  19. Shrekening
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    Lol at these dumbass kids giving a 0/10 to a game they've never played. I hope Metacritic fixes the trollish scores, Breath of the Wild is a beautiful, outstanding addition to the Zelda series, and the best of the series, and one of the best games of all-time. This is why I started playing games in the first place.
  20. Lumostark
    Mar 9, 2017
    10
    I see a lot of envy in the reviews. The 0 rates to drop the score are shameful. Why cant you just be happy because a great game has been released and stop embarrassing yourselves? This is the game of the year, the best game I´ve played without doubt, and one of the best games of history, you like it or not. And your zeros won´t change that.
  21. Alexzxzx
    Mar 5, 2017
    10
    Mai visto un gioco del genere, riprende tutto dei precendenti capitoli, personalizzabile in qualunque cosa, una liberà d'azione immensa, openworld stupendo, dettagliato in tutto e per tutto, perita il 98/100, a parer mio il miglior videogioco di tutti i tempi, al passo con ocarina of time
  22. Soberaddiction
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    This game checks all the right boxes for me. It's easy to just explore and find things. This game takes adventuring to a whole new level and you can move at your own pace.
  23. VoicedReason
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    For those who just dont get it, its not because the game lacks in any way. its because salty people lack imagination. The game deserves a 10 and future games will incorporate a lot of BotW's innovations. Just know the game is good. anyone who says otherwise just got offended by its greatness.
  24. licorice
    Mar 15, 2017
    7
    Breath of the Wild is a very fun game, and it has voice acting which is generally pretty good but can be dodgy at times. However it loses major points with its weapon durability system that proves to be nothing more than an enormous headache. Aiming is a bit of a pain in the ass as well and arrows never seem to go as far as you'd expect.

    It's a good game and it looks like a lot of fun,    Breath of the Wild is a very fun game, and it has voice acting which is generally pretty good but can be dodgy at times. However it loses major points with its weapon durability system that proves to be nothing more than an enormous headache. Aiming is a bit of a pain in the ass as well and arrows never seem to go as far as you'd expect.

    It's a good game and it looks like a lot of fun, but the intense frustration of the poorly designed weapon durability system is no end of frustration.    … Expand
  25. blakehaas
    Mar 24, 2017
    7
    This game looks beautiful, has some good game mechanics but has a pretty boring story (didnt grow up playing zelda). Ontop of the boring story, it quickly gets lonely in this large world. The primary fun things are the ruins but after a while the puzzles get tiring and you dont have much left to do but to fight random enemies that are scattered around the land.
    This feels like a lord of    This game looks beautiful, has some good game mechanics but has a pretty boring story (didnt grow up playing zelda). Ontop of the boring story, it quickly gets lonely in this large world. The primary fun things are the ruins but after a while the puzzles get tiring and you dont have much left to do but to fight random enemies that are scattered around the land.
    This feels like a lord of the rings game without the ring.. I just dont feel any compelling reason to beat the game. I feel like this was beyond hyped and really is only for zelda fans.

    Overall i was disappointed.
    Snipperclips is the hidden launch title gem btw.    … Expand
  26. maccarnold
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    This game surely deserves every 10 that critics or fans have given. You have a massive game but not empty. You have lots of things to do, explore and to experiment. Nintendo has created a groundbreaking game that shows only one thing, they know how to do games and they can deliver great experiences for the players. I am glad to be a Zelda fan.
  27. GuerillaTaktics
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    nostalgia aside, this is easily one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had in gaming over the last several years. It has the textbook legend of Zelda charm and whimsy but with a grander scope to the adventure than ever before. I highly recommend it, and please ignore the 0 reviews of the sad cynical members of the gaming community, many of whom I doubt have played the game. This gamenostalgia aside, this is easily one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had in gaming over the last several years. It has the textbook legend of Zelda charm and whimsy but with a grander scope to the adventure than ever before. I highly recommend it, and please ignore the 0 reviews of the sad cynical members of the gaming community, many of whom I doubt have played the game. This game is objectively better than a 0 at least from a design stand point if nothing else.… Expand
  28. ReeferMadness
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    Greatest Open world game to date and it's also Zelda. What more is there to possible say? It's everything you love about open world games but more polished and with a coat of Zelda paint

    Enough said.
  29. chocochobi
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    10/10 in order to counteract one of the troll 0/10 user reviews that are flooding in. They just think Nintendo paid everyone to give their game a 10/10, for which they have zero evidence, and even if it were true, implies that they are the only ones who do it. Guess what also isn't even close to a 10/10? Any of the GTA games. Whatever.
  30. Castigear
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    So far, an absolutely stunning game that, oddly enough, feels completely new and yet completely Zelda. Nintendo has outdone itself. Zero scores should be disregarded, the only way a game should warrant a zero is if it is non-functional...so those are the result of silly trolls.
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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]
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