The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

 Wii U
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2573 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,021 out of 2573
  2. Mixed: 222 out of 2573
  3. Negative: 330 out of 2573
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  1. Melonlamink
    Apr 17, 2017
    9
    This game is pretty amazing. Right out of the gate the game's theme of breaking typical Zelda conventions shows. The moment you hop out of the shrine of resurrection and view the vast depths of Hyrule is mesmerizing. I believe this moment is iconic. The Great Plateau is a game design marvel. Tutorials in open world games are just a hindrance but you can see how the developers crafted aThis game is pretty amazing. Right out of the gate the game's theme of breaking typical Zelda conventions shows. The moment you hop out of the shrine of resurrection and view the vast depths of Hyrule is mesmerizing. I believe this moment is iconic. The Great Plateau is a game design marvel. Tutorials in open world games are just a hindrance but you can see how the developers crafted a wonderful tutorial. The Great Plateau teaches you about shrines, towers, Guardians, and combat. It has an abundance of detail so exploration in it makes it enjoyable. It's the most linear part of the game yet it still feels non-linear. You can attack the shrines in any order, discover enemy encampments and gear at any point. I appreciate how the game sets up props you can use in combat situations that highlight the superb physics engine.

    After The Great Plateau, the game truly opens up. The fact you can go and destroy Ganon at any point is amazing because it lets you play the game at your pace and skill. I think Hyrule is a regionally very diverse and it contains so much to explore. I'll admit after 70 hours it becomes a little repetitive because you just go finding shrines, korok seeds, and towers. However, those first 70 hours are magical. Finding overworld bosses, watching enemies detailed animations, finding crazy loot, and discovering wonderful landscapes is so addictive. Climbing, especially, is extremely fun. Breath of the Wild is at its best when this beauty of exploration glistens off the screen.

    Combat in this game is overall pretty good. The environments in the overworld when you use the physics engine for creative kills is super rewarding and fun. The normal swordplay with the 3 main variants of weapons is fun. The one-handed sword, spears, and two-handed heavy swords are fun at first. The perfect shield bash has fairly strict timing, especially compared to Skyward Sword's mechanic. The problem with combat is the perfect dodge. It works really well with swords and two-handed swords however with spears the timing feels bugged and too easy to use. The flaw in the perfect dodge is apparent to the final boss. I won't spoil anything but I will say that many times I found I performed a perfect dodge that didn't deserve to go into the cool matrix-esq animation. The main flaw with combat is weapon durability. I found that in early the durability was fun because you could smash your broken weapons into an enemies skull and pick up other weak weapons on the fly. However, in the later game, you have really strong weapons that feel like they break way too quickly and sometimes it's hard to find equally rare weapons. I understand the reason why durability is in the game. It makes you master a multitude of different weapons and I think it does achieve this. I don't think durability is as bad as people make it out to be but it does have some flaws. The bow combat is snappy. On the mention of quick and snappy, the UI, at least for hot keying weapons, is very fast and efficient. Overall combat in the game is good but there are some things the developers could have done to make it better.

    The shrines and dungeons in the game are a mixed. The incentive to beat them is basically to obtain new skills and increase your heart and stamina capacity. Too many of the shrines are combat oriented. They become stale really fast. There are some really astonishing puzzles in the shrines and I found the main bulk of them to be excellent. I especially appreciate the ones that can be broken by using the mechanics the game gives to you. The mechanics the game gives are the runes. All three of them are used very well throughout the world, however, sometimes Cyanosis is a tad underutilized(but just a little). Anyways, I think it is a positive when you can use them to break puzzles because it highlights the beauty of multiple solutions. My main gripe with past Zelda games is that too many puzzles are one solution based. So this is a positive. The negative however are some of the shrines that having nothing but a chest. These shrines are good sometimes when a quest getting to them is really long and strenuous. Yet, some are a little too easy or short thus making the reveal of the shrine being a chest one kind of underwhelming. I won't spoil too much but the dungeons are really good puzzle wise, Length wise they are disappointing especially if you are a hardcore Zelda fan and have experienced some long amazing dungeons. The design of these dungeons is amazing, however somewhere in development length was discarded. The bosses are pretty good and don't rely on using the one dungeon item to beat them, like other Zeldas that are infamous for doing that.

    I won't go into the story much but it's pretty shallow. For a game like this, I think it overall works because with such a non-linear structure it is hard to create an engaging story. It's not terrible but I still think something was missing to make it good.

    The game is great but not flawless.    … Expand
  2. l_miguel_c
    May 20, 2017
    9
    Es un buen videojuego, que renueva totalmente a la franquicia; ideal para aquellos que, por primera vez, se introducen al ahora vasto reino de Hyrule. Con limitaciones, admitamoslo, pero que para nada interfieren en la experiencia de juego y la aventura que es explorar cada detalle que este titulo ofrece, en sus versiones para nintendo wii u y la nueva consola switch.
  3. Boros
    Apr 19, 2017
    7
    En Español, In English too, at the end:

    El juego es bueno, no hay duda, pero como siempre, las notas de la prensa inflada a golpe de talonario. No es necesario que os compréis la Switch por este juego, no merece, ni de lejos, en mi opinión, lo que cuesta. Os cuento que yo he jugado a la versión Wii U durante 5 horas, y podéis decir que es poco tiempo para hacer una crítica, pero la    En Español, In English too, at the end:

    El juego es bueno, no hay duda, pero como siempre, las notas de la prensa inflada a golpe de talonario. No es necesario que os compréis la Switch por este juego, no merece, ni de lejos, en mi opinión, lo que cuesta. Os cuento que yo he jugado a la versión Wii U durante 5 horas, y podéis decir que es poco tiempo para hacer una crítica, pero la verdad es que es el tiempo que he tardado en hartarme del juego. Aparte del apartado gráfico (bonito pero básico) y los fallos, hay cuatro cosas que no soporté del juego:

    1. la primera su dificultad; a mi me gusta ponerme los juegos en difícil o muy difícil y este juego me pareció super sencillo. La única vez que morí fue por agotamiento en una charca y que me quedaba poca vida por saltar de sitios altos, etc. Eso de poder pausar el juego y comerse cualquier cosa para subir vida, es un modo dios en toda regla, mientras tengas comida, no te matarán los enemigos. Solo hice dos mazmorras y los "puzles" que había en ella, si se pueden llamar puzles a eso que era más fácil que pegarle a una piedra con un palo, puede que se pongan más díficiles al final, pero viendo las del principio, no tengo esperanzas de que los puzles supongan un reto de habilidad real.

    2. La segunda, su mundo está vacío!!!! Solo hay hierbas, unas cuantas ruinas desperdigadas y nada más. Vi a un Jabalí al inicio del juego y tras 5 horas no he visto nada más, ni un misero pájaro ni nada, ¿de donde sacan los Bokoblin la carne? De animales no por que no hay, solo hay Bokoblin, ruinas y hojas. El mundo de Hyrule está muerto, no tiene vida, y desconozco si tenía clima (lluvia, tormentas, etc.) pero me da que el clima lo indicaba la zona y era siempre el mismo. Me daba siempre la sensación de sitio vacío.

    3. Las armas y su sistema de rotura. Esto ya puede ser variante de una persona a otra. El sistema de armas y que se te rompan siempre hagas lo que hagas (pensé que se podían reparar pero no) a mi no me ha gustado, ya que implica dos cosas, primero que yo no puedo usar siempre el arma que me guste porque se me romperá, y segundo es que es seguro que tendrás que ir recolectando armas como si fueran meros objetos de usar y tirar, por lo que estoy convencido de que conseguir armas en este juego no es difícil, seguramente llegas a un sitio nuevo y te las encuentras en cualquier lado sin esfuerzo. Tampoco me gusto el sistema de la tableta esa que te dan al principio, que es una llave para abrir cosas.... vamos a ver si te dan la llave para entrar a todas las cosas al principio del juego obligado... ¿para que demonios la cierran? Que las dejen abiertas y que no necesite ese pase raro, o que se necesite de habilidades especiales para entrar en las dungeon como en otros zeldas.

    4. El Hype y la critica del juego. Espera un juegazo que me hiciera ver las estrellas y que dijera que bomba de juego, ojo el juego no es malo, pero esperaba muchísimo más, no un Sandbox de apartado técnico cutrillo, con una historia que ni fu ni fa, con un mundo sin vida y con un sistema tan fácil de mientras recolectes y lleves toda la mochila llena de comida y armas (que las encuentras sin esfuerzos y a patadas por el mundo) eres Dios y no morirás, aderezado por unas dungeon y puzles que hasta para niños sería fácil.

    Para dejarlo claro, estaba jugando al Ocarina of Time y al Windwaker y los deje parados para ponerme con este... Prefiero los otros dos sin dudas, al igual que también prefiero en Skyward Sword. Me falta jugar al Majora Mask y al Between Worlds. Eso si no es el peor de la franquicia, mi lista sería:

    1 - Ocarina of Time
    2- Skyward Sword
    3- Wind Waker
    4- Breath of Wild
    5- Spirit Track
    (?)Majora Mask
    (?) Between Worlds

    Abstract:

    A Sandbox of Zelda is very easy. The world is dead, no animals, no clima, all is empty. Tecnichally poor but beatiful (but poor). With food and weapons (you can find easily in any place on Hyrule) you are God mode, and you cant die. Very easy game. The Story... regular.

    Good game, yeah, good, no perfect or the best in the world.... o no, only good. My list of game of zelda, in order I prefer, is:

    1 - Ocarina of Time
    2- Skyward Sword
    3- Wind Waker
    4- Breath of Wild
    5- Spirit Track
    (?)Majora Mask (I dont play it but i will)
    (?) Between Worlds (I dont play it but i will)    … Expand
  4. Grimmke
    Apr 23, 2017
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My feelings on this game are terribly mixed.
    Good: a truly excellent open world, beautifully designed, artistically gorgeous, endlessly explorable. It brings fresh life to the now-standard idea of an open world. The new Link is full of personality for a guy who never really talks. NPCs are charming, quirky, and often funny, and exhausting their dialogue options is always worthwhile. Kass and Paya are personal favorites. The physics engine was incredible! One thing they really did right was in all the little details. There are plenty of joyous surprises for those who want to experiment and explore. So let me repeat--this is an excellent game, and it's worth you time. A superlative game, compared to others on the market. It is not, however, without flaws, even quite serious flaws.

    Bad: The enemy variety is uninspired. A handful of enemies that are repeated endlessly, with different skins and colors. Unlike previous Zelda games, you won't find any redeads, wallmasters, poes, or any unexpectedly terrifying monsters like Dead Hand from OOT. No scary enemies or creepy dungeons where you might hear the telltale shriek of a redead paralyzing you.

    Hand in hand with that is the boss variety. Unlike previous Zelda games, there aren't new and exciting, visually impressive bosses that challenge you to use the skills and tools at your disposal. You fight the same boss 4 times, and then again as the end-game boss. Over and over, with slightly different elemental powers. The final boss looks like it's trying to pass for a monster in Yharnam--but if I wanted to fight Yharnam monsters, I'd be playing Bloodborne, not Zelda. It's nothing like Ganon. It doesn't have the crushing difficulty to match a Bloodborne enemy anyway.

    Combat quickly becomes lackluster with the frustrating weapon durability mechanic. Rather than encouraging variety, it encourages you to use your worst weapons the whole time for fear of losing your good ones, or the ones with elemental powers that you need for special enemies. The master sword's "energy limit" is some serious garbage too. A breakable master sword? Really? In the end, the durability mechanics turned the MS from the Blade of Evil's Bane to the Blade of Chopping Down Trees Because I Don't Want to Waste My Other Blades.

    The story is often charming and could have been great, if they had put more focus on developing a compelling story. But, like the music, it's so downplayed it's barely noticeable, so that when the occasional familiar Zelda element slides in, it feels weirdly out of place.

    The music is not very memorable, and nothing like the sweeping epics of its predecessors. Once in a while, a familiar tune will play, and in the final castle, it finally comes in full-force. But it feels like a fun musical Zelda reference in a non-Zelda game. Jarring.

    Dungeon variety is woefully nonexistent. Arguably the most impactful element of the franchise's incredible legacy, sprawling, complex, rich, and sometimes nerve-wracking dungeons are part of what made the series so famous. They're iconic. But they're totally excised this time. You have shrines, 120 samey mini-dungeons with repetitive puzzles. And you have divine beasts, 4 samey, slightly larger mini-dungeons. There's no variety to them at all, nothing to make them even visually distinct and interesting. Even exploring the beautiful open world begins to lose its appeal when you realize that the only rewards you will find are shrines and korok seeds.

    I could go on. But it boils down to this one sad, strange feeling. There's a difference between shaking up convention and straightforward iconoclasm. And this game falls too hard toward the latter. Utterly gutting the series icons gave us a breathlessly beautiful product, with nothing under the surface, least of all a Zelda game. Maybe it sounds trivial, but I find that Link's redesign is not only one of the worst offenses, but emblematic of the underlying problem. They took Link's iconic green outfit with his pointy hat away, reportedly because it doesn't "look cool." Sure, in isolation, there's nothing especially cool-looking about the green tunic. But it DOES look cool--because it looks like Link, from the Legend of Zelda, and Link is cool. He makes it look heroic. There are lots of cool-looking video game characters out there, but there's only one who looks like Link. The attitude among the devs that said Link isn't cool-looking enough is the same attitude that said Ganon needed to look like a Soulsborne villain. It's the same attitude that took away deep dungeons, exciting bosses, creative enemy designs, and cool weapon variety. It never felt like I was playing Zelda. As an open-world RPG with a barely passable Zelda skin, it was neat. But it soured so fast I was feeling heartbroken by halfway through the game. It's sad to see the devs disregarding the legacy of such an important series. In the end, what makes Zelda so special was gone, and that, for me, outweighed the joys.    … Expand
  5. Metroiddarks
    Aug 9, 2017
    10
    One the best videogames I ever played, yes has little problems like all the things but the sensations are wonderful, graphics are so incredible, el world is like is alive, is incredible how some game like this one can be more than simply the sum of its parts, is the best way to say good way to the wii u
  6. William91
    May 13, 2017
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wrote a full review of the game here on my blog
    Nintendo decided to change its approach in terms of game structure for the latest Legend of Zelda game. The series has always been an open world adventure but with a regular path of progression which spurs the storyline forward. Aside from various skips and breaks, the game progresses in a certain order. Breath of the Wild (BotW) takes the open-world approach to the next level. When I first booted up the game I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Having seen the previews for it, I had a rough idea of the gameplay style but nothing could have prepared me for what I got from this game. Upon stepping out of the Chamber of Resurrection and seeing the massive world Nintendo had put before me, I was left speechless. Normally with open world games there is so much to do and explore that I often find myself feeling overwhelmed. But this was different. Instead of feeling brain-cramped with everything going on, I felt a surging sense of excitement.
    https://wordpress.com/post/willsgamereviewsblog.wordpress.com/33    … Expand
  7. Bulgarianed
    May 19, 2017
    10
    After almost 2 months, I completed the game. My opinion is that it's a flawless game. It's because it's endless, I had a lot of fun playing it also during travel. The CEL Shade is perfect. Couldn't take my eyes to other things. This was the game I only played for 1 month and 25 days. The combat is very good, it isn't dull. There are a lot of mini-games that I used to play a lot in thisAfter almost 2 months, I completed the game. My opinion is that it's a flawless game. It's because it's endless, I had a lot of fun playing it also during travel. The CEL Shade is perfect. Couldn't take my eyes to other things. This was the game I only played for 1 month and 25 days. The combat is very good, it isn't dull. There are a lot of mini-games that I used to play a lot in this game. I recommend you playing this game (If you have a Wii U or a Switch).… Expand
  8. clamore125
    May 21, 2017
    9
    Despite the occasional technical issue/lag spike, this is by far one of the best games I have ever played. The only other thing I could think of that holds it back is the lack of button remapping and the atrocious English dub, which can thankfully be changed to the original Japanese track after a free download. It deserves all of the praise it has been getting. Kudos to the developers.
  9. jyou
    Jun 25, 2017
    10
    This game is indeed everything people hyped about. It's majestic world always keeps me entertained, the game is designed so I gotta look and explore every single inch of the map. I really love how the environment is alive, there are almost no "fake decorative" objects, everything is interactive and has physics on action. The audio is kinda quiet most of the game, but it's fitting to theThis game is indeed everything people hyped about. It's majestic world always keeps me entertained, the game is designed so I gotta look and explore every single inch of the map. I really love how the environment is alive, there are almost no "fake decorative" objects, everything is interactive and has physics on action. The audio is kinda quiet most of the game, but it's fitting to the game's environment and there are some really epic gems that got me very pleased (Divine Beast Vah Ruta battle song is gold). The plot isn't outstanding but is good enough and the cinematics left some pretty memorable moments.… Expand
  10. Sonicben66
    Aug 9, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is the ultimate Zelda game, as it's challenging in a way that it isn't frustrating and it is very satisfying. The scenery is beautiful and the characters are really interesting and you feel like you are making a real impact in the world. The cutscenes and voice acing are on point and surviving in this world is a fun challenge, as it can be difficult without the proper equipment and the blood moons are a challenge itself.

    The story feels unique while keeping the same core of the original games and the open world is not only beautiful but massive, and the shrines are a fun challenge that test not only your combat skills, but also your intellect.

    I got this game yesterday and I haven't been able to put it down since and if you can, i'd recommend picking this game up as this will give you endless fun for ages!    … Expand
  11. Lordxelliah
    Aug 28, 2017
    10
    Capolavoro assoluto , questo titolo è da 30 anni che ci ha abituato a questi capolavori ... Sicuramente il gioco del decennio e la cosa incredibile che gira sulle console Nintendo , non certo famose per la potenza. Nintendo fa scuola come sempre , non serve una super potenza per fare capolavori
  12. duck1969
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gráficos maravilhosos, jogabilidade fluida, mapas enormes e grandiosos, trilha sonora como sempre impecável, chefes grandiosos, na minha opinião supera o zelda ocarina of time.… Expand
  13. Mart1n
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    Breath of the Wild broke a lot of records in the history of gaming. By that, I mean it is most likely impossible to find one thing wrong with this game. It's like Nintendo took the base of Ocarina of Time and modernize it to make it look like this game over here. This is why Nintendo will forever remain in my heart no matter where it all goes. I'm telling you this, Breath of the Wild hasBreath of the Wild broke a lot of records in the history of gaming. By that, I mean it is most likely impossible to find one thing wrong with this game. It's like Nintendo took the base of Ocarina of Time and modernize it to make it look like this game over here. This is why Nintendo will forever remain in my heart no matter where it all goes. I'm telling you this, Breath of the Wild has everything... yes, every... single... thing that made Ocarina of Time look like a masterpiece. This is the lost brother of Ocarina of Time and the true brother Ocarina of Time will ever need. Just go buy this game, it wants your money so bad, it wants you to play it so bad, it wants to be your local friend literally bad. I'll be waiting until you get this game.… Expand
  14. Forneray
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    The result, for all the longevity of its series and the familiarity of the open-world genre, is a game that evokes feelings we haven’t known for 20 years. Not since Ocarina Of Time have we set foot in a world that seems so mind-bogglingly vast, that feels so unerringly magical, that proves so relentlessly intriguing. Plenty of games promise to let us go anywhere and do anything; few, ifThe result, for all the longevity of its series and the familiarity of the open-world genre, is a game that evokes feelings we haven’t known for 20 years. Not since Ocarina Of Time have we set foot in a world that seems so mind-bogglingly vast, that feels so unerringly magical, that proves so relentlessly intriguing. Plenty of games promise to let us go anywhere and do anything; few, if any, ever deliver on it so irresistibly. Nineteen years on, Ocarina is still held up as the high-water mark of one of gaming’s best-loved – and greatest – series. Now it may have to settle for second place.… Expand
  15. RealMido
    Mar 5, 2017
    10
    What sets the open world of this game is that you look at horizon you will see a landmark so you can play without the mini-map. the climbing on every surface is very useful to explore the world. Game mechanics all open up in the first area in the game, so you can explore at your own pace. The game tends to reward you for exploration and at the same time I never felt overwhelmed by howWhat sets the open world of this game is that you look at horizon you will see a landmark so you can play without the mini-map. the climbing on every surface is very useful to explore the world. Game mechanics all open up in the first area in the game, so you can explore at your own pace. The game tends to reward you for exploration and at the same time I never felt overwhelmed by how large the world is. Must play for fans and a lovely introduction for first timers.… Expand
  16. JWIsenhour
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    I own and have played this game, and it is amazing. Nintendo has finally stolen back everything that has been stolen from them for the past 30 years. It can be whatever you make it. You can play the main story if you want, ride around lighting stuff on fire, go rock climbing, or fight bokoblins. Even just sneaking around hunting has been a joy. I've spent so much time searching out andI own and have played this game, and it is amazing. Nintendo has finally stolen back everything that has been stolen from them for the past 30 years. It can be whatever you make it. You can play the main story if you want, ride around lighting stuff on fire, go rock climbing, or fight bokoblins. Even just sneaking around hunting has been a joy. I've spent so much time searching out and completing shrines (or not and just saving them as travel points). There are so many special points, but I think my favorite part so far was jumping off a mountain, soaring down on a paraglider, and landing on a wild horse. Whatever you want to do, you can do it.

    I don't get all the complaints about frame drops, etc. I'm too old for that crap as I remember the leap from the Atari to NES to Playstation. Graphics do not make a great game, though BOTW is stunning. The bottom line is that great gameplay makes a great game. So many of the best feelings I've had playing video games have been replicated here but in a much deeper way: the sense of openness I got playing GTA 3 years ago, running around avoiding large enemies or skip traveling like in Xenoblade Chronicles, playing off of every structure like in the old Tony Hawk series, interacting with the world (and just getting lost) like in Minecraft, that feeling of exploration and loneliness from Metroid, Of course, this is all wrapped up in that awesome Zelda lore that so much of us have loved for so long.

    Like every piece of entertainment and art, this game will not be for everyone. But for some of us, this game will be the best we've ever played.    … Expand
  17. owenw218
    Mar 5, 2017
    10
    This game is very enjoyable and well done for the most part.

    Pros: Feels like the original Zelda in sense of adventure, after a pretty open for an intro "intro" you're free to basically go anywhere you want. The freedom to explore, and the rewarding way they designed exploration makes for a very fun experience. The Story is good so far, but minimal in a good way. The combat is fun and    This game is very enjoyable and well done for the most part.

    Pros: Feels like the original Zelda in sense of adventure, after a pretty open for an intro "intro" you're free to basically go anywhere you want. The freedom to explore, and the rewarding way they designed exploration makes for a very fun experience. The Story is good so far, but minimal in a good way. The combat is fun and varied, and the cooking system is really fun to mess around with, but also crucial to being able to take on harder fights. The weapon system is good too, took a little getting used to, but it's fun using different weapons so frequently, and they are varied enough to provide a lot of different styles of combat.

    Cons: The frame rate does dip frequently, for a game running at 720p you would think they could hold that down better, but I understand the hardware of the wii u isn't amazing by 2017's standards, and the fact that it seems to run so consistently playable across the Wii U and the Switch is a testament to Nintendo giving us Wii U owners one last gem for our console before fading into obscurity. The Menu interface is also a bit tedious at times, as you will open a chest with a weapon in it, only to be told you don't have enough room so the chest closes, you have to open the menu, drop one of the weapons you have, reopen the chest, including the open animation, and then get the item. Those are my two legitimate complaints, this game is very enjoyable, and if you have a Wii U, this is a must own, even if you wait to get it. It runs about as well on the switch.

    It's too soon to say it's the best game ever, or one of the best games ever, it hasn't proven it has the staying power "best game ever" needs, (imo) but I can see months or years from now, having that conversation because this is Skyrim done right, in the world of Hyrule and I think most people who like open worlds and Zelda games, and everything in between will find much to enjoy here, while finding few things to really take them out of the experience.    … Expand
  18. Nijayias
    Mar 4, 2017
    10
    I think that I have put enough time since picking it up to review now. It's very rare that a game I feel so excited about managed to meet and even exceed my expectations. While the layout of buttons took some learning since actions were switched from what I'm used to, after two hours I think I can say that it really works. Many will claim that Ocarina of Time was the best Zelda game, II think that I have put enough time since picking it up to review now. It's very rare that a game I feel so excited about managed to meet and even exceed my expectations. While the layout of buttons took some learning since actions were switched from what I'm used to, after two hours I think I can say that it really works. Many will claim that Ocarina of Time was the best Zelda game, I personally held Majora's Mask as my overall favorite and it got me addicted in a way only few games managed to. BOTW has achieved this very same feeling.

    With the exception of larger ones, every tree can be damaged, cut down, climbed(all of them can with this), Every bit of grass serves as help for stealth or fire spread. Thunder Storms have a positive, negative and neutral affect. Hinders climbing, benefits stealth, can be an advantage or disadvantage to you or enemies who hold anything metal. There are so many little details in this game in so many areas that I don't have room to fit all of them in this limited review.

    Now more than ever does Egorapter's sequelities on ocarina truly shine through with his criticisms that get addressed in this game and prove how much better Breath of the Wild is and stands over the best of the past. I feel like I'm actually in a wild where I have freedom which is on par or greater than how I felt about Skyrim, the sheer amount of combinations and options I have in traversing and combat truly excel this experience to a new bar for me. The Sheikah Slate really shines through with the abilities that it gives as tools you will frequently make use of in your own creative ways to solve puzzle and engage in combat. The game even makes me laugh like when I came across a bokoblin using a wooden Mop against me or another being picked up and hurled at me by a bigger enemy.

    Cooking was something I almost never did in Skyrim and yet I find myself more engaged in it here as I feel Nintendo balanced all the survival elements so well. The fact I have died over and over while learning tells that this game is not the breeze that Ocarina of Time up to Skyward Sword could tend to e. I believe this is a game that I could still die on even after playing it for so long. What little issues like frame rate drops are almost complete insignificant to matter at all. This is my new favorite Zelda game and possible in my top 5 list of my favorite games of all time. Being Zelda gets it no bonus points here, Ignoring the title entirely and focusing on it as a game on it's own is what many would call a benchmark. Well done Nintendo. You recreated my Fond Memories of Majora's Mask all over again and bigger and better than it was before.

    On top of the Great exploration elements the difficulty feels just right. As someone who loves dark souls the timing with the shield parry and dodging feels great and rewarding for stunning and leaving your foe open and reminds me of that series especially with how easy you can die. Does it reach Dark Soul's Level? Not quite but to be honest I think the level of difficult is just right for this game, it's not too punishing and is pretty fair. due to all the ways you can use the environment to your advantage and the option to flee when you feel you need to.

    The climax effect feels effective for actually making the player want to switch up clothing and makes them feel like they matter outside of cosmetic changes and the perks some give are really helpful. like for example I have a bandana that recharges the stamina meter much faster and due to how much i use it that really feels like a benefit I'll keep putting it on to use when I need to. The quests and npcs have not been bugged or plagued by any issues which is a huge relief after all of Skyrim's bugs showing that development time was put to great use for polishing.

    The fat I can choose to go about battles in creative ways also increases the replay value. For example I used stasis on an explosive barrel, I pulled out a leaf and struck it a few times sending it hurling off my platform into a treehouse-like fort of bokoblins which blew everyone of them off their feet. This was one of many examples of creativity on how I'd like to attack that I really appreciated that this game gives. The fact you can use the circle bomb and the square bomb separately at the same time and use stasis and Magnesis or any of them together one after the other can create for some great options to. I have the Wii u version as i didn't want to wait for the Switch later this year but I must say I don't feel like it's technically inferior.

    There is very few things I can think on that Nintendo course improve on with this new direction. I could give examples like allowing us to set fire to an entire tree fort with bokoblins or being able to cause mud slides with creative things on cliff sides but in the end this is merely N's first game in this new style and that's what new games are for. as for BOTW, I will be playing it for years to come.    … Expand
  19. brainpunch
    Mar 4, 2017
    9
    I love this game. It's so good that it is actually hard to find things that are bad about it. Pros: It is huge, It is absolutely gorgeous and doesn't tax the system that badly, the sound design is amazing, the story is great, and most of all the gameplay is fun and engaging (also decently difficult). Cons (take in mind that most of these are nitpicks): While the story is great, there justI love this game. It's so good that it is actually hard to find things that are bad about it. Pros: It is huge, It is absolutely gorgeous and doesn't tax the system that badly, the sound design is amazing, the story is great, and most of all the gameplay is fun and engaging (also decently difficult). Cons (take in mind that most of these are nitpicks): While the story is great, there just isn't enough of it for the sheer size of the game; there aren't that many varieties of enemy; for long periods of time, exploration begins to feel a bit monotonous (but not enough to stop playing); while the voice acting is passable, it really isn't that good (a few roles should have been recast). All in all, this is one of the best games I have ever played.… Expand
  20. NorwayGamer
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    This game is a masterpiece in almost every way possible, and as near a perfect game as it possibly can get. If you have a Switch or Wii U, it doesn't matter - the game is amazing wherever you're able to play it.

    Don't miss out on one of the best games of the last two decades, and definitely do not even bother to read any review that gives this less than an 8 - those are immature fanboys    This game is a masterpiece in almost every way possible, and as near a perfect game as it possibly can get. If you have a Switch or Wii U, it doesn't matter - the game is amazing wherever you're able to play it.

    Don't miss out on one of the best games of the last two decades, and definitely do not even bother to read any review that gives this less than an 8 - those are immature fanboys trying to ruin the overall score of the user reviews.
    But the critic score speaks for itself - there's really no need to elaborate. Go buy this game now!    … Expand
  21. WEREWOLF07
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    Melhor jogo criado, superando um que já era da mesma franquia...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................
  22. wiipetsto
    Mar 8, 2017
    10
    Läuft auf der Wii U überraschend Gut. Nein wirklich es sieht genauso aus (nur geringer Auflösung) wie auf der Switch und läuft dennoch sehr gut. Einziges Problem in (Spoiler :P) Städten ist die Framerate manchmal auf 20 down. Sonst ein Super Spiel.
  23. Picciu
    Mar 4, 2017
    10
    Un gioco semplicemente splendido, uno Zelda che merita di essere giocato da chiunque, sia da chi non ne ha mai giocati che dagli appassionati. Scenari pazzeschi, ottima trama, soliti e solidi personaggi, belle le musiche ed i suoni dell'ambiente, incredibile la fisica degli oggetti. Consiglio a chiunque di provarlo magari approfittando di un futuro crollo del prezzo di WiiU anche perchè leUn gioco semplicemente splendido, uno Zelda che merita di essere giocato da chiunque, sia da chi non ne ha mai giocati che dagli appassionati. Scenari pazzeschi, ottima trama, soliti e solidi personaggi, belle le musiche ed i suoni dell'ambiente, incredibile la fisica degli oggetti. Consiglio a chiunque di provarlo magari approfittando di un futuro crollo del prezzo di WiiU anche perchè le differenze in termini di grafica sono quasi impercettibili rispetto alla versione Switch. CA-PO-LA-VO.RO.… Expand
  24. Linnet5
    Mar 3, 2017
    9
    My expectations were pretty high when going in to this game and so far I have not been dissappointed. The low user score right now comes mainly from trolls who want to drag the score down because they are salty fanboys over some other game that apparently is so much better (check their profiles for yourself if you don't believe me).

    I would give my experience so far a 10/10 but the    My expectations were pretty high when going in to this game and so far I have not been dissappointed. The low user score right now comes mainly from trolls who want to drag the score down because they are salty fanboys over some other game that apparently is so much better (check their profiles for yourself if you don't believe me).

    I would give my experience so far a 10/10 but the problem I have with this game is the occasional fps slowdowns that I've been experiencing especially when in villages and the game is rendering other humans. It can dip as low as below 20 fps which is really unfortunate and distracting. I am hoping for a patch to fix this if that is ever possible.    … Expand
  25. hoogafanter
    Mar 13, 2017
    6
    Just another modern open world survival element **** game with a half-assed Zelda skin. Not a bad game by any means, but completely average in every way possible. The only thing that makes it stand out is it's lack of game breaking glitches that plagues the market today. Unfortunately you're forced to play it on one of many awful controllers, so there's that to deal with...
  26. Poxus
    Mar 17, 2017
    10
    I am going to start this whole thing out by saying this game is most certainly not for everyone. And while many people appear to just be trolls, I fully respect anyone who does not like this game, because everything is subjective. That being said, after putting 80 hours into this game (with still around 25 shrines to go) I can easily say that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, hasI am going to start this whole thing out by saying this game is most certainly not for everyone. And while many people appear to just be trolls, I fully respect anyone who does not like this game, because everything is subjective. That being said, after putting 80 hours into this game (with still around 25 shrines to go) I can easily say that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, has taken over as my personal favourite game of all time.

    The first thing I loved about this game was that there was no bs. Within a minute you are fully into the game. This is something I hate about modern games, since I have an extremely low attention span. The second thing I loved is that even though the Great Plateau is meant to be a tutorial area, it doesn't feel like it in the slightest. That was another thing I dislike about modern games (especially Skyward Sword) was that they baby you too much. Not this game, and I loved every second of it. Usually I cannot stand when a game does too much hand holding or too much story/exposition. But this game understood that it should be more about the GAME then the BACKSTORY. They didn't have to tell me why I should defeat Ganon for 30 hours like in previous Zeldas, they just showed me an image of Ganon in Hyrule and that was more than enough of a motivator.

    Now I'm sure some people like more story heavy vs. game play heavy games (like Uncharted, Until Dawn, Skyward Sword), but for me personally I much enjoy as little story as possible, which is possibly why I loved this game so much. It is--not trying to sound too cliche--the game of my dreams.

    That being said, I played it on the Wii U, and had a fantastic experience. From everything I've seen the Switch version is not THAT much better and even though this game is unbelievably fun, I think you shouldn't waste the money on a Switch, between all the problems it's having and the lack of games, it makes sense to wait a year to pick it up.

    In conclusion, in my personal opinion this game is a masterclass in open-world design and in elevating the game play over the narrative. My only complaint is that I wish there was more, but that's more of a compliment than a complaint, and so I give this game a 10.    … Expand
  27. victormiguel
    Mar 9, 2017
    10
    El juego es una maravilla incuestionable. Lo único que admite cierta discusión es el tema de las texturas y las rascadas de frames, pero no es algo que afecte a la jugabilidad y además es el precio a pagar por poder jugar a semejante juego en una consola como Wii U. Es el mejor juego del catálogo de la consola sin discusión. Vengo de pasarme Twilight Princess HD y Wind Waker HD y a los dosEl juego es una maravilla incuestionable. Lo único que admite cierta discusión es el tema de las texturas y las rascadas de frames, pero no es algo que afecte a la jugabilidad y además es el precio a pagar por poder jugar a semejante juego en una consola como Wii U. Es el mejor juego del catálogo de la consola sin discusión. Vengo de pasarme Twilight Princess HD y Wind Waker HD y a los dos dias de terminar el segundo me llegó Breath of the Wild. No soy jugador de sandbox ni mundos abiertos, soy un aficionado a los videojuegos de toda la vida y a Zelda, y este Breath of the Wild, tan alejado de la pauta marcada por Ocarina of Time, y de la estructura definida en A Link to the Past de mazmorras, objetos y bosses, me parece que es, no ya una vuelta a los orígines, sino simplemente el juego que siempre quisieron hacer cuando imaginaron Zelda.

    No soy muy amigo de los juegos con tiempos muertos, ni perder las horas porque con dos hijas no me sobran los momentos de coger el gamepad, pero con este Zelda nada de eso importa, porque perderse es un placer que puede llegar a ser enfermizo y además tienes toda la acción y narrativa que quieras, cuando la quieras.

    No puedo estar más contento con el juego y no entro en comparaciones de si es mejor o peor que Ocarina porque sería como comparar el Barça de Messi con el Laudrup. Es un debate esteril el de qué juego es mejor, sobre todo porque en videojuegos influye mucho la técnica y lo aprendido y se supone que se van perfeccionando las fórmulas.

    El juego merece todos los dieces que le pongan, y no porque sea perfecto, si no porque es revolucionario, emotivo, y porque es tan perfecto como se puede llegar a conseguir en Wii U.

    Me molesta la decisión de eliminar la pantalla táctil del tableto, pero la asumo como el precio a pagar para que la versión de Wii U no fuera mejor que la de Switch y eso condicionara las valoraciones.    … Expand
  28. outrunner
    Mar 3, 2017
    8
    The game has an unstable frame rate, the textures are of extremely low resolution and the lack of antializing makes everything look a bit too pixelized sometimes. Controls are tight and combat system is very fun to use, exploration can be tedious sometimes. Killing enemies using the environment is great fun! It is a very good game and certainly an improvement in the Zelda series, but hasThe game has an unstable frame rate, the textures are of extremely low resolution and the lack of antializing makes everything look a bit too pixelized sometimes. Controls are tight and combat system is very fun to use, exploration can be tedious sometimes. Killing enemies using the environment is great fun! It is a very good game and certainly an improvement in the Zelda series, but has been much overrated.… Expand
  29. grepsmcgreps
    Mar 8, 2017
    10
    Breath of the Wild may be the best game I have ever played. I usually hate it when people give a game a 10/10, because that implies that the game is perfect, but after putting over 40 hours into this game even though I have only owned it for 4 days, I can comfortably say this game has almost everything right.

    I was very disappointed after playing Skyward Sword (the last 3d Zelda game    Breath of the Wild may be the best game I have ever played. I usually hate it when people give a game a 10/10, because that implies that the game is perfect, but after putting over 40 hours into this game even though I have only owned it for 4 days, I can comfortably say this game has almost everything right.

    I was very disappointed after playing Skyward Sword (the last 3d Zelda game released) which threw away almost every thing I loved about the series and was afraid that this game would fail my expectations. I could not have been anymore wrong.

    The only bad thing I can think of is that the game sometimes the game has frame rate issues which is more of a problem with the hard ware rather than the game itself, but if you can look past them you'll be in for an experience that you will never forget nor ever have again

    Breath of the Wild quickly became the best game I have ever played. A title that used to belong to Metal Gear Solid 5. A game that I thought could never be topped

    If you are curious as to why the rating is low on Meta critic, it is because many people believe that Nintendo are paying for good reviews and haven't actually played the game themselves. If you are still unsure I recommend you look at some let's plays and reviews on YouTube, but remember this is a game best experienced blind    … Expand
  30. muohio
    Mar 4, 2017
    8
    Still getting into the game and will update my score as I go.

    So far, the Wii U has proven to be the biggest thing holding the game back. Between fps drops, low resolution textures and some awkward controls, I'm a little disappointed in the look and feel of the game. A lot of the open world concepts have been over used in other games and don't feel right in a Zelda game. Warping to    Still getting into the game and will update my score as I go.

    So far, the Wii U has proven to be the biggest thing holding the game back. Between fps drops, low resolution textures and some awkward controls, I'm a little disappointed in the look and feel of the game. A lot of the open world concepts have been over used in other games and don't feel right in a Zelda game. Warping to towers you climb feels too much like a Ubisoft cliche and could have been done different. The voice acting is also so minimal and poorly done that it would have been better to omit.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Wii U Game of 2017
1
#1 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2017
1
#1 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
96

Universal acclaim - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. Video Chums
    Apr 10, 2017
    91
    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an absolute joy to play as it's an undeniably rewarding adventure set in a deeply immersive world. Although the experience is weighed down by a few minor problems, the overall journey is one that no gamer will soon forget.
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  2. AusGamers
    Mar 28, 2017
    92
    Breath of the Wild can’t be compared to the likes of The Witcher 3 or Skyrim because it’s not trying to be those games -- it’s a Nintendo game -- and series -- all grown up. It has a lot to offer and will keep you engaged for lengthy periods of time. If you’re playing on Switch as you absolutely should be, then you can also Zelda wherever you go. It’s arguably not the best Zelda game, but damn, it might be the most polished, and the most ambitious.
    Read full review
  3. DarkStation
    Mar 20, 2017
    100
    Does it have the best combat system in the world? No. Is it the best looking game out there? No. Does it have the best RPG soundtrack ever? No. Can the game make you feel like you are eight years old again? Hell yes. It certainly had that effect with me. It has been a long time since exploring, fighting, and adventuring has so consistently brought a smile to my face. Breath of the Wild is such a wonderful experience that once you play it, you will likely never look at open world games the same again.
    Read full review
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