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. AustinZ
    Mar 16, 2017
    9
    An amazing open world experience, but not quite the perfect game I expected.

    My expectations for Breath of the Wild were very high, as the game has received many perfect scores throughout the release period. The game does so many things right. Exploration rewards you by providing treasures or puzzles that reward you with items that further your strength as a hero. Situations that are    An amazing open world experience, but not quite the perfect game I expected.

    My expectations for Breath of the Wild were very high, as the game has received many perfect scores throughout the release period. The game does so many things right. Exploration rewards you by providing treasures or puzzles that reward you with items that further your strength as a hero. Situations that are thrown at you can be handled in a variety of ways and some of them are more creative than I would have expected. The quest system is varied and the world feels full of life and danger.

    The wide array of outfits and weapons available to you throughout the game is impressive, and finding a new weapon that you love is a good feeling.. until you realize it's going to break. Early on the weapon durability system is quite frustrating. I found myself having to resort to using whatever cheap weapon my enemies dropped and saving my good weapons for a harder enemy. Some may say this is a good thing as it challenges the player to decide when to use a certain weapon. I felt, however, that this restricted the player into using weapons that were not only bad, but also not fun to wield. Picking up a club from an enemy and using that instead of the shiny sword you just found in a shrine is not a challenge but instead a mechanic that restricts you. If you choose to use your sword on enemies who are not very strong you will end up breaking that sword and being forced to pick up their less powerful weapon. If you choose to save it for a stronger foe your going to be using sticks to hit everything until you find an enemy worth using your sword on. I will admit once you get to later stages of the game and are able to take on the games' harder enemies, you will find yourself always well equipped and shouldn't have much of an issue with finding good equipment. That said I'm a firm believer that weapon durability is not a fun mechanic and hope it doesn't make a return in further installments.

    As far as combat goes Breath of the Wild does a fantastic job of making every encounter fun. Whether you go straight at them in a man fight or you decide to get crafty with the environment, battling monsters in Hyrule has never been more fun. I do wish there were more kinds of monsters to face instead of just slight variations, but it's a complaint that doesn't make the game any less enjoyable. The game also allows you to hunt certain creatures to gather their meat that you can use for cooking. Cooking is a great mechanic added to the game and there is so many different recipes that you could write a recipe book. Speaking of which, I think a recipe book would have been a great addition to the game. It's not terribly difficult to remember the most common recipes you use, but having a place to view all the different meals you can make would be a nice thing to look at.

    The map is chock full of things to do and places to go. Classic locations such as Kakariko Village make their return and many more new locations are there to discover. Each village or town feels full of life and has plenty to do. The various characters you come across in your journey each feel different and purposeful. The story does it's job of introducing some of these characters to you, but it doesn't flesh them out as well as I would have liked. Many of the major characters in the game are voice acted and while that is a good step forward for the series, the voice acting in Breath of the Wild is not great. Some of the lines are laughable, some of the characters don't have a voice that fits, and we never get to hear Link talk. Overall the story does it's job and is not bad, but it doesn't do much service to Ganondorf or some of the other characters I would have liked to see more of.

    There's plenty more to discover in this game and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes Zelda or open world games in general. While I don't think buying a Switch exclusively for this game is worth it to the average person, the game is definitely worth picking up if you already have a Wii U or an abundance of cash. The Wii U is the system I played the game on and it looked gorgeous. The framerate struggled at certain points and in certain areas but overall it was one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences I've had in a long time. Breath of the Wild deserves a nine out of ten for the fantastic way it brings the Zelda franchise forward, but I think the few issues I've listed keep it from being the perfect game I was hoping for.    … Expand
  2. eaboo316
    Mar 16, 2017
    7
    I have super, super mixed feelings about this game. To provide some context, I have grown up playing games from Japanese RPG series, and I only play JRPG's mostly because I know I'll enjoy them, and there's too many games in the world to try with too little time, so I limit my choices to games I know I'll love - games from the Legend of Zelda series being one of them. I am also prettyI have super, super mixed feelings about this game. To provide some context, I have grown up playing games from Japanese RPG series, and I only play JRPG's mostly because I know I'll enjoy them, and there's too many games in the world to try with too little time, so I limit my choices to games I know I'll love - games from the Legend of Zelda series being one of them. I am also pretty flexible with the games I like, the FF series has changed their gameplay style almost every game, and besides the online games, I've played and enjoyed all of them. So, I have played a mix of open-world and linear games, and tend to prefer something in the middle.

    Before I delved into BOTW, I decided to play and beat Wind Waker HD to get myself reacquainted with the Zelda series before this game, because the last time I played a Zelda game was Skyward Sword in 2011, which I loved. And I loved Wind Waker as well. I knew this game would be a bit different with an open-world concept, though I have played similar open-world ish JRPGs before, so wasn't too worried. Though, almost 20 hours put into the game, I did not feel the same level of engagement that I immediately felt with Wind Waker just a couple of weeks before, and I decided to pause playing it.

    The story is not as engaging as previous titles. While the previous games pulled me in right away, I felt like I was trying to hurriedly get through the first four shrines in the beginning of the game just so I could get to what was happening. And this is the main issue I have with this game. As someone who appreciates a good story and character development in a game, the benefit of exploring a vast, virtual world in order to do so, is not appealing. I also enjoy doing side quests in JRPG's, and try to do all of them. But the side quests in here hinder me from progressing to the main story, and reap rewards that aren't very helpful. I also tend to hoard items and weapons whenever I play, and the fact that weapons and shields have to be thrown away or broken at some time, really bothers me.

    I love the graphics and the character design, the world is quite beautiful. I liked how the runes are incorporated and can be used pretty flexibly (though would lead me to mostly try to use bombs to kill enemies because I didn't want a sword to break or arrows to run out -_-). The method of taming horses is cool too. For me, the fun kinda stops there though. I play games to destress from the difficulties of the world, and just kick back and play through a good story, and on the contrary this game stresses me out. @_@ A virtual world can be too vast for some people, perhaps.

    I think I will try to beat this game at some point, but the excitement that I usually feel for a Legend of Zelda game isn't there. I could just be becoming a dated gamer (hopefully not, in my mid 20s here), but I miss the intricate dungeons, the different tools (hookshot, boomerang, etc), and most especially the engaging story and lovable characters. I think this game is more appealing to those who play Western RPGs more, though I hope the next title in the Zelda series tries to attempt a more universal appeal and mixes both linear and open world storytelling (maybe something like Xenoblade). If not, I think I will keep to re-playing the older games, which is fine with me, and stick with new games from JRPG series that release games that creatively build on their previous games without needed to transform it completely.

    I'm glad most people are happy with this game and perhaps are even getting introduced to the Zelda series for the first time (because it's an awesome series!! Go to the LoZ concerts!!). Though for me, this is just an okay game outfitted with the Zelda name (did not mean to make that rhyme, but it came out well). There is not much really besides the names of the characters and typical Zelda items (master sword, boomerang) that make the connection with the rest of the series, and if these characteristics are swapped out, no one would know this is part of a series, and that's really disappointing to me. For now, I'll put it down and use my destressing time to play the recently new entry of another JRPG series that I am enjoying, and get back to this one later.

    Overall, if you are like me and like JRPG games that put a lot of emphasis on storytelling and character development and have fun gameplay, this may not be your cup of tea. Though if you love open world games and exploring virtual areas with little direction to go through the story your own way, and don't mind doing tasks in video games w/o incentives, then you will most likely enjoy this game.

    Whichever type of gamer you are, how well you enjoy a game is ultimately up to you, and don't let others push you down for what your opinion is, whether you love this or any game or don't (my wise words after reading forum discussions that are virtual war zones w/ words).    … Expand
  3. Nedda
    Mar 15, 2017
    7
    story: OK
    puzzles: interesting at first, then get boring and boring...
    I love exploring ,but without a strong meaningful reason makes me feel lost. Where is the lore?
  4. Mtrito40
    Mar 15, 2017
    10
    Best game I ever played. The graphics are not realistic but this is a very different art style and for me it is better. Sure it does not look as realistic but it looks incredibly beautiful. I need to check out more Zelda games as I have a new favorite. The open world is incredible and the music is some of the best.
  5. Afenger
    Mar 15, 2017
    10
    Esta versao de wiiu que tem por si ser a principal por causa do desenvolvimento deixou a desejar pelo uso restrito do gamepad em uma segunda tela da maneira que ocorria nas demais versoes Wind e twilligth. As quedas de fps que ocorrem no jogo percebi que a vegetacao e clima fixaram muito vivos.isso ja não ocorreu nas lutas msm com varios inimigos. Fator de peso é a exploração livre oEsta versao de wiiu que tem por si ser a principal por causa do desenvolvimento deixou a desejar pelo uso restrito do gamepad em uma segunda tela da maneira que ocorria nas demais versoes Wind e twilligth. As quedas de fps que ocorrem no jogo percebi que a vegetacao e clima fixaram muito vivos.isso ja não ocorreu nas lutas msm com varios inimigos. Fator de peso é a exploração livre o vasto mundo a variedade das armas e inimigos junto aos puzzles consegue ofuscar qualquer outro problema que aja. Jogo igual este surge dentro de decadas. RECOMENDADO!!!!… Expand
  6. Baklavah
    Mar 15, 2017
    9
    LoZ has come a LONG way from the old NES version. I've awaited this title since it was first announced. Now that it's here, and even though I have yet to finish it, I wish to review it and give you my opinion.

    (Also apparently at least 170 millennials want the game to cater to them and make them gods. Screw your negative reviews/scores. Go play Hello Kitty Island Adventure. More your    LoZ has come a LONG way from the old NES version. I've awaited this title since it was first announced. Now that it's here, and even though I have yet to finish it, I wish to review it and give you my opinion.

    (Also apparently at least 170 millennials want the game to cater to them and make them gods. Screw your negative reviews/scores. Go play Hello Kitty Island Adventure. More your speed I think)

    Right out of the gate, Breath of the Wild wows you with its graphical fidelity and lack of knowing what the heck is going on. After some trial by fire and figuring out the basic idea of what's happened in the land of Hyrule, you get a sense of "Where do I start...?" from the world. Vast landscapes, and the ability to go literally ANYWHERE you can possibly see, are quite daunting at first. However, the thrills of adventure, discovery and the chance to test your mettle loom FAR above that overwhelming feeling of "just how big is this world?"

    From combat to exploration, Breath of the Wild has given me all kinds of fuzzies. Sure, the brittle as hell weapons are a nuisance... at first. Once you figure out where to find some decent goodies, you find yourself hoarding rusty weapons to feed to Octoroks, hunting down overworld mini-bosses and making note of enemies that drop some NICE pieces of equipment (shields, weapons, bows, arrows). Thankfully, the use of a "blood moon" respawn mechanic allows you to make good use of these. Another thing that let's you keep track of them all is the "tablet map PIN" mechanic. You can put pins to depict all kinds of things on the map! I have locations of mini-bosses pinned ALL over the place! And I still have yet to unlock the whole map!

    Once you've found yourself a direction to head in, some useful equipment and a general thirst for adventure, you find that hunting down the shrines (of which there are 120), finding all of the landmarks for your memories, conquering all of the dungeons and defeating all of the bosses rather attractive. Every conquest is more enjoyable than the last. Figuring out something's weakness and then exploiting it is a blast. Hell, even finding new ways to approach a situation are just as fun! There are MANY ways to play through the massive world. Stealth tactics and assassination of most enemies, melee (sword n board, 2-handed heavies, mid-ranged spears), ranged (many kinds of bows, tons of different types of arrows, magic rods), dodge-triggered counter-attacks, special weapon abilities, etc. You can tune your playstyle to the game's massive open world. Some things work better than others in certain situations, but for the most part you can play the way you want!

    From wrangling horses to mountain climbing to paragliding, you have MANY options for exploration. Don't wanna do the dungeons right away? No problem! Explore the WHOLE world first! Your inner completionist is twitching? BotW has you covered! Find and snapshot EVERY single creature, weapon, item in the game to add them to your compendium for more detailed information! Don't want to lose the cool new weapon you picked up? Make note of where you found it (if it wasn't from a chest) and come back to get more when everything respawns! Found some new fashion that you REALLY want but is kind of expensive? Go farm precious gems from the big stone mini-bosses and sell em to get precious rupees! You do you, when you want!

    The one thing I WILL say is that the unique weapons you get from each race can be replaced... for a rather expensive venture. I will refrain from using these weapons until I get to Hyrule Castle, so that I can use them on the way to the final boss! They have good durability and excellent attack power, but having to replace them when I'm a metric ton of hours away from the end of the game just feels silly. Them, plus the Master Sword... they only take up 5 slots total, and I currently only have 3 (MS, Zora and Goron weapons). The rest are taken up by various weapons for various situations.

    One of these days I will get to finish this game, and every step Link takes will be more exciting than the last.

    My hat goes off to you, Nintendo. You've outdone yourselves this time. I wish that the earlier weapons in the game weren't as fragile as crystal wine glasses, but whatever. That is my only gripe. As such, 9/10! Bravo!    … Expand
  7. kalaster
    Mar 15, 2017
    6
    This 10/10 game has a beautifully crafted world and story for you to explore with your 2 feet tied together. Weapons that shatter after a small amount of use, drowning in waist high water from lack of stamina, and a deplorable frame rate to slow the combat down makes for a frustrating experience that is neither fun nor challenging.
  8. Maverickneo
    Mar 15, 2017
    10
    10/10. This game is one of the best and to some could arguably be the best game this generation. Nintendo has just set a new standard from open world games. Everything from cooking and crafting potions, to weapons, shields, bows, arrows and armor this game does it all. Although it implements systems or ideas from games that have existed before, they do it RIGHT. Buy this game if you10/10. This game is one of the best and to some could arguably be the best game this generation. Nintendo has just set a new standard from open world games. Everything from cooking and crafting potions, to weapons, shields, bows, arrows and armor this game does it all. Although it implements systems or ideas from games that have existed before, they do it RIGHT. Buy this game if you have a WiiU and no, you do not need to spend $300+ on a switch just to play this game. This game runs just fine on the WiiU and looks beautiful. I haven't been addicted to a game in quite some time and this is one of them. I cant put it down. Get ready to have hours and hours of your life sucked away (in a good way). This game is simply AMAZING.… Expand
  9. Focaccia
    Mar 15, 2017
    10
    Although it may not be the best Zelda game ever made, that doesn't stop Breath of the Wild from being a masterpiece. Definitely the best game on wii u. One of the main reasons Breath of the Wild is such a good game is its uniqueness: never before in a Zelda game has there been so much exploration. I can't imagine how much time it must take to finish the game at 100%. Breath of the WildAlthough it may not be the best Zelda game ever made, that doesn't stop Breath of the Wild from being a masterpiece. Definitely the best game on wii u. One of the main reasons Breath of the Wild is such a good game is its uniqueness: never before in a Zelda game has there been so much exploration. I can't imagine how much time it must take to finish the game at 100%. Breath of the Wild also borrows many things from Skyward Sword (which is definitely a good thing, because Skyward Sword did everything right!): the stamina bar, the shields that break, upgradable items, the temple of time with the statue of the goddess... I won't say anymore to avoid spoilers. Breath of the Wild is definitely the hardest Zelda game, you are going to die A LOT! I have waited for this game ever since the e3 2014 when they showed its first trailer, and I haven't been disappointed!… Expand
  10. Merchant
    Mar 15, 2017
    1
    good looking game.
    Iconic franchise.
    Huge world. Lots to do. massive frame rate drops. Weapon durability isn't fun. Game encourages you to avoid fights to protect your gear. the puzzles are easy and the game tells you the answers. The game's difficulty decreases the longer you play. Lacks music. Story is flat. Ending is anticlimactic and the final boss is a free ride. Low    good looking game.
    Iconic franchise.
    Huge world.
    Lots to do.

    massive frame rate drops.
    Weapon durability isn't fun.
    Game encourages you to avoid fights to protect your gear.
    the puzzles are easy and the game tells you the answers.
    The game's difficulty decreases the longer you play.
    Lacks music.
    Story is flat.
    Ending is anticlimactic and the final boss is a free ride.
    Low replay value.    … Expand
  11. RainbowStaple
    Mar 15, 2017
    8
    I've played the game and it does not feel like Zelda in itself , but it is a good game and I am glad they are taking a new direction but I feel like this isn't for me, but if you prefer more freestyle games then pick this game up!
  12. BiFrost
    Mar 14, 2017
    1
    How can they release a game that looks like it was made pre-2010? It looks so bad and bland i felt sorry for my eyes. When i port my switch to the TV, it looks much worse. The open world aspect of the game is boring but the game killer for me is the frame-rates issue.
  13. Oberlexia
    Mar 14, 2017
    9
    This might be the best game I have ever played in my life. The art style is nice and the atmospheric music keeps me immersed and focused. Once you start playing you don't want to stop. The only thing that stops it from getting a 10 is the frequent frame rate issues. As someone who typically plays games on 144hz, going to 30 fps with frequent drops, especially in towns really botheredThis might be the best game I have ever played in my life. The art style is nice and the atmospheric music keeps me immersed and focused. Once you start playing you don't want to stop. The only thing that stops it from getting a 10 is the frequent frame rate issues. As someone who typically plays games on 144hz, going to 30 fps with frequent drops, especially in towns really bothered me. If this wasn't present this game would, ,with no doubt get a 10 from me. I can't recommend it enough if you have a wii u or a switch.… Expand
  14. RyanJones4268
    Mar 14, 2017
    10
    Been playing this since day one and I can't stop playing, nothing but video game gold. Best game I've played in a very long time, I recommend it to anyone with a wii u or Nintendo switch
  15. ah1ddengamer
    Mar 14, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This Game is excellent and all the negative reviews are playing Wand of Gamelon
    The Shrines can bring tonnes of fun if your a fan of the dungeons in Zelda
    You can take pictures of all the great in-game places
    Shield surf down a mountain until you succeed
    Find all the mini bosses
    Excellent combat system in that weapons break not allowing you to use the same strat over and over
    I think stamina is a great way of making sure people don't break the game from the get go
    WORLD IS HUGE
    And this game does let you go where ever you want to go with limits like for example, you can go and fight the final boss with a stick and nothing else, you will likely die and the stick will break but you can still do it
    There is also no order to the story of this game it isn't linear at all you don't even have to participate in the story of this game to win (all though I recommend participation) you can do the dungeons in any order and those who complain that this game is bad for having 4 dungeons, this is my question for you. Have you played Majoras Mask?

    I highly recommend this game and will give it a 10/10
    You should definitely get this game and experience it for yourself because that is the honest to god best way to play this game is on your own and without someone telling you where to go and what to do    … Expand
  16. TheAdder
    Mar 14, 2017
    10
    After spending close to 30 hours playing and seeing myself spending upwards of 100 more in the near future, I must admit I love this game.
    The exploration aspect is awe inspiring, seeing something interesting in the distance and trekking there is amazing.
    The combat system is way more involved than I expected, though not on a Dark Souls level, still very decent. The trial shrines are    After spending close to 30 hours playing and seeing myself spending upwards of 100 more in the near future, I must admit I love this game.
    The exploration aspect is awe inspiring, seeing something interesting in the distance and trekking there is amazing.
    The combat system is way more involved than I expected, though not on a Dark Souls level, still very decent.
    The trial shrines are mostly very entertaining to solve. I'm personally rather dissatisfied with the motion control ones, though those might interest others. The single boss/ancient battle I have partaken in was very well choreographed, challenging and fun. Vah Rutah and all it entailed kept me on my toes the whole time.
    The mount system is very interesting, what other game has you break in your mount? That is unless you demount a monstrous rider and steal his horse like I did.
    The fact that you can do that, is amazing, and a credit to the positivity of the game, it doesn't limit you artificially, the only limit on you in this game is you.

    This is the first Zelda game I play and it has left me interested in playing some of the older ones.    … Expand
  17. BouncingBest
    Mar 14, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Before you lose your minds, understand this is a good game and it's worth a purchase if you enjoy Zelda and I love Zelda, it's my favorite series.

    With that said - Breath of the Wild tries very hard to be a modern open world Dark Soulsy meets Skyrim kinda game but the mechanics cause it to fall on it's face. One hit kills are a thing. Lock on isn't as easy to use as before. Weapons are as durable as icicles on a hot summer's day (unless in the enemies hands, they never break then) until you have grinded hours and can get better ones and the promise of "do anything you want, BotW says YES" comes with the fine print of "as long as you have the right gear/food/hearts/stamina/amiibos/etc". The Pay To Win amiibo aspect is also predictable but disappointing. Be warned that things like getting Epona via Amiibo comes with the fine print of "if you turn off your game or don't stable her, it never works again". Also be warned the strategy guide seems to purposely be missing things like amiibo functionality which is unforgivable and should be there to prevent things such as having to restart due to losing Epona.

    So with that out of the way, let's talk about the positives. This game is beautiful. The world is beautiful. Finally being able to scale mountains is amazing and the fact that you can take your time and do numerous side quests or just explore instead of being stuck in the main story is a huge improvement. Cooking your own elixirs and food can give you a near limitless supply of health, stamina, and other items so you don't need to worry about purchasing them or having the luck to find them. There are so many great things that were added to this game that it's a shame the bad mechanics and flaws bog them down. This could have easily been a truly incredible experience, not a 10 because few games are that perfect, but at least a 9.

    If you love Zelda, buy this. Don't be afraid of the Wii U version if you can't get a Switch, there isn't a huge amount of difference. If you're not into Zelda, then this is probably a skip. Other games did open world better and those will be more to your liking but if you feel little tingles of excitement every time you get a new chance to adventure with Link like me, you want this - flaws and all - just because it's Zelda.    … Expand
  18. Derpherder
    Mar 14, 2017
    5
    It was ok the durability system is crap the graphics are meh. Not a perfect game ocarina of time was still a better game i think that the game not having dungeons ruined it.
  19. 420dank
    Mar 14, 2017
    7
    The game is a great open world to explore the zelda universe with so many great things to explore and find. But anyone who gives it a 10 is overlooking some flaws in the game that hold it back from being a 10.

    First there are only 4 dungeons in the game which would be fine if they were well set up. But all four of them are basicly the same thing. Walk around turn on the same 5 things in    The game is a great open world to explore the zelda universe with so many great things to explore and find. But anyone who gives it a 10 is overlooking some flaws in the game that hold it back from being a 10.

    First there are only 4 dungeons in the game which would be fine if they were well set up. But all four of them are basicly the same thing. Walk around turn on the same 5 things in every dungeon then fight the boss. The layout of the dungeons is good for the most part but it feels lazy having the exact same goal on how to progress in every dungeon. The complete lack of mobs asides from maybe 2 small robots and eyes everywhere makes the place feel empty and removes all danger asides from the boss. The bosses are alright but are not very rememberable.

    The cooking system is not very good and forces you to waste a lot of time.

    Weapons breaking every 10 hits is not a good game mechanic. It does not change the way you fight most the time and if you find a weapon you like the looks of to bad.

    The shrines are cool and interesting for a while. then after about 20 most of them feel repetitive and I just stopped doing them.

    But besides those flaws it still a great game. You could spend lots of hours exploring to find tons of easter eggs from previous Zeldas. The about of different armors is great allowing the player their own fashion. The story if fine compared to any other Zelda game.

    So overall if you just want to explore Hyrule this game could be a 10/10. But for me personally Enjoy the combat and puzzles the most the game is still good but not perfect.    … Expand
  20. Plazmatic
    Mar 14, 2017
    9
    So after playing the game over the past week and finally beating it, I think I can finally give my full opinion on this game.

    For starters, this game is about breaking traditional boundaries in the Zelda series and giving the player near endless amounts to explore, do, and find. It accomplishes this goal pretty darn well, besides some areas that felt somewhat empty, I found myself    So after playing the game over the past week and finally beating it, I think I can finally give my full opinion on this game.

    For starters, this game is about breaking traditional boundaries in the Zelda series and giving the player near endless amounts to explore, do, and find. It accomplishes this goal pretty darn well, besides some areas that felt somewhat empty, I found myself constantly sidetracked from an initial goal only to remember 30 minutes later that I had been collecting Rushrooms to deal for some cold hard rupees. Jokes aside, the expansive and detailed world has tons to do and many varying environments to explore, find items, and loot in.

    Old school fans can feel right at home with the traditional Zelda style puzzles, hidden treasures, and despite the game only having 4 "main dungeons", the 120 shrines scattered around Hyrule for players to find and solve varying puzzles using the new Runes mechanic definitely challenged my puzzle solving capabilities on some occasions.

    My few gripes about this game come from some odd gameplay choices from the developers, such as my slight problem with how fast weapons break. Despite the fact that the game throws weapons at you constantly, I personally found a few weapons I preferred and wished they could last longer on the battlefield. Another problem I had with combat was how little diversity there was in weapon attacks and animations. I felt like greatswords at least should have their own attacks instead of being lumped in a category of just "2-handed weapons" along with clubs and the like. Also I had hoped that there would be more quicktime / slo-motion attack options after a perfect dodge instead of mashing Y for a flurry strike.

    In other departments there are the frame drops that many others have mentioned which I encountered fairly frequently here on my Wii U version, but this sort of thing will bother some people more than others. Also the sound design felt empty in a lot of places, with only a few faint piano notes as background music. I know the devs said they focused on this ambient sound to accentuate the environments, but I felt like it didn't fit the gameworld in some instances. (The main game theme, however, is amazing)

    My other main gripe is a small lack of that heavy story-driven feel that gave life to many games in the series' history. Without getting into spoilers, I personally never felt too invested in the narrative since many of the cast of characters players will meet get lackluster screen time and development.

    Overall, my smallish gripes with some gameplay and story features are easily forgiven by the sheer amount of adventure and genuine fun I had exploring Hyrule, hunting and cooking meals, solving dungeons and shrines, finding treasure, collecting strong gear, and fighting tough enemies. I would easily recommend this game to any Zelda fan new or old, hardcore or casual, as it is simply a great experience.

    My score: 8.5 (rounded up to 9) / 10    … Expand
  21. Irarius
    Mar 14, 2017
    10
    so i played that game and i must say its just awesome, I love the open world, how fresh the game feels, how sometimes you just do something trolly in a dungeon, and then you realize, you just did it with that, the moments you find a second or even third way around a puzzle, the moment you first time surf downwards in the desert.... srsly i didnt know about it until i was there, and if weso i played that game and i must say its just awesome, I love the open world, how fresh the game feels, how sometimes you just do something trolly in a dungeon, and then you realize, you just did it with that, the moments you find a second or even third way around a puzzle, the moment you first time surf downwards in the desert.... srsly i didnt know about it until i was there, and if we say this, you can do any boss or quest you wish, in the order you want, you can just do the last boss and say yeah fk the mastersword, fk the devine beasts, **** it all, i just show you ma skills baby, and spoiler, YOU CAN WIN you can actually beat the final boss fresh out the dungeon if you are a god, and do it as a mortal if you just hunt some food together, and get two or three weapons that dont break in 2 hits, i mean you literaly just need to go there and on the way you pick up one or two weapons that can be located in the wilderness, on weak mobs, or if you are lucky in a shrine on the way, you can make the game short, and end in like 2-5 hours if you want to make it fast, or play for 50+ hours and never touch the story once,
    also
    it has a lot of sadness, and a lot of funny moments aswell,
    link is a character that feels like he gives a **** and zelda is also very much an alive character,
    the other characters have rich story behind them, and in total they are interesting,
    looking at you sidon and mipha, god i they are so fking adorable,
    well what next
    the story,
    the story is good, and as already said, its sad, you feel for the characters, and holy hell i felt two or three times like i could give a **** myself,... i mean you find it rly sad when you see their fate, how things turned out, i mean you basicly lost everything, and you realize how poor ass link realizes that more or less too,
    you also have a great overworld, and dozents of shrines, some are even hidden behind puzzles,
    like a maze, escort, golf, and so on,
    sometimes you see a dungeon and think, crap,... how do i beat this now, and then after you find one solution that might not even be the intendet one, you think either, man i am awesome, OR man i am retardet,...
    overall,
    the game is just cool,
    and yeah you even have mechanics from metroid now in this game, like the scanning, its now photographs, and you can read little things about the stuff you have a photo,
    and in generall, the tools can be used in a schocking ammount of ways, IF you put some time into it,

    i guess my review is a bit weard, but trust me,
    if you like zelda,
    or
    open world,
    nintendo typ games ( yeah i think nintendo is kinda unique)
    if you like a game in which the world feels interesting,
    or survival
    or whatever, you can get this game and enjoy it    … Expand
  22. overboardkitty
    Mar 14, 2017
    9
    The legend of zelda breath of the wild is much different then the previous games of the series, the game overall was amazing and i enjoyed it but it was not a perfect game. I have finished this game already. WHAT I LOVED ...the big open world and exploring it while sometimes finding things that i did not expect or i thought was neat, the game takes things to a whole new level with cookingThe legend of zelda breath of the wild is much different then the previous games of the series, the game overall was amazing and i enjoyed it but it was not a perfect game. I have finished this game already. WHAT I LOVED ...the big open world and exploring it while sometimes finding things that i did not expect or i thought was neat, the game takes things to a whole new level with cooking which is very creative. there is a for the most part new variety of wildlife and some monsters, the monsters who were brought back from other zelda games were changed a bit and that was fine it still made it good. the puzzles in this game are very creative and sometimes makes you use your brain to the point you never thought you would. WHAT I DID NOT LOVE.... later throughout the game some frame rate drops started showing up in the game mostly while in combat (there was not many but sometimes they were very noticeable). Also I loved the big open world concept but at times i felt it was a little too "empty". There are more things i loved and did not like but i feel they are really not worth mentioning. OVERALL I really liked this game, it is not a perfect game but its really good. I feel that it could had used some improvements but I would recommend this game.
    Enemies: 9/10.......Overall world:7/10.....Towns:10/10.....Characters:9/10.......Shrines:9/10....Dungeons:8/10.....Final(boss) Battle:10/10.....Weapons:8/10.....Story:9/10    … Expand
  23. Renardin
    Mar 14, 2017
    10
    The best game ever done. Doing it on wii u. I am amazed by every aspects of the game. I have never enjoyed a game this much. I don't want to add to the general spoil on the internet, just buy it. Make it the most sold game of all times!
  24. LooTheLou
    Mar 14, 2017
    10
    Ocarina of Time is argued to be the best game ever made, by many, including me. Since that was the first 3D open world game it felt so massive and free to explore, the entire game was a joy and a masterpiece. But Breath of the Wild has taken that to a new generation perfectly. This game gives you entire freedom over everything! The traditional Zelda formula is altered but for the BEST itOcarina of Time is argued to be the best game ever made, by many, including me. Since that was the first 3D open world game it felt so massive and free to explore, the entire game was a joy and a masterpiece. But Breath of the Wild has taken that to a new generation perfectly. This game gives you entire freedom over everything! The traditional Zelda formula is altered but for the BEST it could ever be! You can climb every tree, ride every horse, pick up every weapon, any material, any animals you can shoot with bows you found, do shrines at your own pace and order. The list goes on and on. Although the Wii U version is slightly less sharp than the Switch version, they do share framerate issues. The one thing that sucks on the Gamepad are the framerate issues when there is alot happening on the screen. HOWEVER: This is the best game ever made and Nintendo has produced their best product ever! BUY THIS GAME!… Expand
  25. SBN
    Mar 14, 2017
    10
    The best piece of art of the decade. Must be played to understand all its glory. Do it now.
    Then come back here and help to rise the ratings as it deserves.
  26. TheIcePhoenix
    Mar 13, 2017
    6
    I have been Zelda fan for many many many years. I have a lot of Zelda paraphernalia and NO JOKE was expelled from school because of Ocarina of Time back in 1999. (If you want to know ask me) I have written short stories based on the games and done artwork on Zelda on Da. My point is that I also played and completed this Zelda BOTW with 70 shrines and a god-awful amount of Korok Seeds andI have been Zelda fan for many many many years. I have a lot of Zelda paraphernalia and NO JOKE was expelled from school because of Ocarina of Time back in 1999. (If you want to know ask me) I have written short stories based on the games and done artwork on Zelda on Da. My point is that I also played and completed this Zelda BOTW with 70 shrines and a god-awful amount of Korok Seeds and got the True ending and I find this Zelda to be the most boring and NON-Zelda like game Out of the entire series for MANY reasons some of which i shall list below.

    1. Classic Link outfit is only obtainable after gathering all 120 shrines or if you have an Amibo of Link. This bothers me simply because it’s a ZELDA GAME Link by default should have the classic Zelda outfit.

    2. WAY WAY too many different nonsensical outfits that look stupid (loved the Zora outfit) and really just didn't seem like they fit into the game for me. if they had to do this they could have at least made them look like they fit in the world of Hyrule. (some of them were ok)

    3. The Shrines were a boring and uninspired way to take up time to make the game seem longer for no real reason.

    4. The Side-quests were a 80% of the time (A) boring and (B) lacking in a worthwhile reward for the time and effort it took to complete them. I found myself dreading the side-quests and them at some point just asking my buddy to do them. while i went, and did something else or took a break for fresh air.

    5. The Dungeons... THOSE ARE NOT DUNGEONS! they were just puzzles and boring ones at that! I want classic Zelda dungeons that felt creepy and challenging at times with the dark and gloomy atmosphere in some of them too.

    6. The enemies in this game are really lacking in variety. You have about 10 different kinds of mobs in this game and all they did was vary the elements they attack with. or make some living and some dead. not to mention a number of classic Zelda mobs were not even in the game!

    7. The lack of any direction to the game (granted i don’t really play too many open world games). This game could have at least given a suggestion as to who to go after first and then leave it up to us to decide what to do. But it doesn't it just says kill 4 Divine beasts and kill Ganon with no suggestion as to who might be the wiser person to go after first. I ended up doing the hardest first only to realize I needed stuff that I couldn't yet get without going to another Divine beast’s zone first. (this one could be chalked up to my skill if you want)

    8. The Bosses are all forms of Ganon! GEEZE! It felt like they didn't even try with any of the enemies in this game! Again, lots of opportunity to do something really cool here and they didn't even try to be very creative.

    9. Link does not feel like Link He may look like it but he doesn't respond like it. not really sure how to explain it. I think it’s the mechanics of the game just don’t feel like a Zelda title.

    10. I would have loved to get more Homage visually to the preceding games (besides the Temple of Time) as the game implies its coming possibly after TooT, MM, TP and WW and other titles as well. They really could have showed the water temple from TooT in sort of ruins at lake Hylia or Kakariko Village windmill despite the time from of the game they could have at least done the graveyard in Kakariko Village. There was just SO much potential with the size of the map to make it pay some tributes.

    11. It’s a huge world that is sparsely populated with anything worth seeing other then grass and although the world does look amazing it just doesn't have much in it to keep me enthralled.

    12. The soundtrack was just not very good. The only time i ever felt that Zelda Vibe and felt the presence of the music was when I was at Hyrule castle. How sadly disappointing as a part of what makes Zelda a Zelda is the Music score.

    The game was a good but not great. It lacked many things that make a Zelda title special in my view. I feel like you could rename everything and take a view elements out of the game and slap another name on it and it would work just fine under a different title and that’s why it doesn't feel like a proper Zelda game for me. However for new Zelda players this game could easily be amazing to them and maybe this is just what this generation of players is looking for and I’m just a sad old timer gamer who longs for the old days of the 1990's games of yesteryear.

    6/10 is my rating for Zelda Breath of the Wild

    Story 6/10
    Gameplay 7/10
    Graphics 7/10
    Audio 6/10
    Replay ability 3/10
    DLC value (from what I know so far) 3/10 (who wants more shrines! though expanded story will be cool)    … Expand
  27. bignazpwns
    Mar 13, 2017
    10
    10/10. First Zelda game for me and this game is amazing. I got it on the switch and have played about 45 hours so far. All the sites have put reviews with all the info you want so why look at my review. First time Zelda play and i love this game and this has been the only game to pull me away from World of warcraft. Try it for your self you should know at least one person who has it. Or10/10. First Zelda game for me and this game is amazing. I got it on the switch and have played about 45 hours so far. All the sites have put reviews with all the info you want so why look at my review. First time Zelda play and i love this game and this has been the only game to pull me away from World of warcraft. Try it for your self you should know at least one person who has it. Or just find someone with a switch since every switch owner bought this game.… Expand
  28. zachary1000
    Mar 13, 2017
    9
    The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild is truly something special, as it manages to capture what makes videogames enjoyable to all different types of people from around the globe. The world is massive, with something new to see or do around every corner. There are imaginative monsters scattered throughout the beautiful land of Hyrule, some of which require unique tactics to overcome.The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild is truly something special, as it manages to capture what makes videogames enjoyable to all different types of people from around the globe. The world is massive, with something new to see or do around every corner. There are imaginative monsters scattered throughout the beautiful land of Hyrule, some of which require unique tactics to overcome. Occasionally, you will even run into an enemy base that you can conquer to obtain treasure. Next there are the shrines, which basically serve as miniature dungeons that you can find isolated across the map. The game smartly rewards you for discovering them, as you can then fast travel back to a previously registered shrine whenever you want to. Once you've completed the puzzle(s) a shrine has to offer, you are presented with a spirit orb that will allow you to increase your health or stamina after you have 4 of them. On top of that, the puzzles themselves were typically fun and inventive without too much unnecessary backtracking. On the other hand, the Temples/Divine Beasts of this game were usually pretty long, while still managing to retain the cleverness seen in the shrines. The one exception to this would have to be the Gerudo Temple, as it could be somewhat difficult to tell how your actions effected the Divine Beast itself. Not to mention that I encountered a few texture glitches here, causing me to fall inside a rock pillar on top of the Beast's back end. Another slightly frustrating quest in this game would have to be the Yiga Clan Hideout. While I liked the idea of having to sneakily distract the guards, I found it to be a bit more tedious than it should have been. The main thing was that you couldn't save your progress at all here, and since there were two rooms you had to go through, it got really annoying to have to traverse through the first portion again and again after getting caught. A simple solution would be to patch in an autosave feature that activates after the player gets through the first room, hopefully making this location a lot less repetitive than it is now. Still, these are just minor blemishes on a game that I have enjoyed almost every second of, and it's without a doubt worth every penny you'll end up spending on it.… Expand
  29. KaleidStone
    Mar 13, 2017
    10
    No hype: BoTW is a stellar game. It is a video game, thought out on such a level, most can't communicate or accept this Opus. It is a Swan Song to gaming.

    This sort of gaming, not based on OCD, list-checking performance goals and gambling theory, has become a relic, a blimp of what gaming was between the Arcade era and the now online era. This game reinvents gaming, by simply, being    No hype: BoTW is a stellar game. It is a video game, thought out on such a level, most can't communicate or accept this Opus. It is a Swan Song to gaming.

    This sort of gaming, not based on OCD, list-checking performance goals and gambling theory, has become a relic, a blimp of what gaming was between the Arcade era and the now online era. This game reinvents gaming, by simply, being a well crafted GAME.

    What makes BoTW such a GAME? It's breath of course, is considerably more than we've seen before. Not only is it a boggling game world, but the density and detail is by far and above any contemporaries. The amount of brush-stroke-to-canvas, hands-on detail found in this game rivals any triple A and any indie title to date.
    From physics, to incorporating existing Zelda combat-mechanics, unto the shear scope and newtonian reactions of the animations, this game is quality. It is not just another stretched and swathed over landscape with icons, narrativeless procedural game-scripts, and little interaction, but it is exactly what we thought last gen was going to promise.

    The best analogy is the wonderment we collectively felt for RDR, but even that game was shallow and thin, where Zelda is constantly surprising you with depth and consistency. For instance, I spent a considerable period trying to tame horses, when others were doing it in minutes at the stable near Hetano , I spent 7 collective hrs on a plateau above the region. I used stealth, endurance, and stamina potions and an extra bar of stamina, from horse to horse and the same horse over and over, but constantly met the fate of bucks to the ground. I came back the next day to the area, spent 10 min, and was able to tame that same very heard, some of whom looked identical to the ones the night before. Perhaps it was a glitch, or my tactics although unaltered the second time, were incorrectly applied, but the fact is, for all the tedium, I wanted those horses, and the game remembered the time and effort.

    Those horses all had great stats and one of them turned out to be one of the monster horses in the game, so the work was worth the reward. What I was doing, the tedium, was rewarded with better horses and actually never felt like tedium. It wasn't reminiscent of those procedural quest in DAI. It was a fluid mechanic and I felt compelled to do it because of desire for a horse and transportation, not to fill time on my game playing schedule. That's a microcosim of what and how this game operates, and a rather poor one, because much of the game is so memorable and novel so consistently. It's hard to hark back to ex, because of how organic and fantastical the elements of the game world fluently interact.

    In regards to review artist complaints, they are unfounded and should be ignored by the consumer. Sterling gave a less than precise indictment of BoTW. His review is a perfect example, like some users, that what is being critiqued isn't this game, but it is being made an example of for the industry as a whole. Due to the content of Sterling's critique, this leaning is toward a continual industry status quo.

    The procedural aspects of BoTW, the food cooking, resource collection, weapon deterioration, horse catching and retrieval, stamina during climbs and swims, all are inter-dependent of the other, and work in such an organic, streamlined fashion, the action is rather all ways organic, contextual, and engrossing. Figuring out how to rpg climb up mtn ranges, with the stamina bar acting as a diminishing ticker minigame (and actual mechnics to climb), makes for some highly satisfying traversal, sky-boxes, and topographical depth to exploration. Rather than slip slides, glitches between walls, and falls, you are in control of your able-bodied vehicle, Link, and not glitching your way to exploration. As well the amount of weapons and their incorporated styles, means for action packed survival escapade, where weapons are always in supply, but availability and usefulness, all readily based on the user's skill in the heat of action.

    Addressing Wiiu performance issues, the most I have seen is late pop-ins of npcs, never second long frame-rate or controller lags. The game is consistently beautiful throughout all environmental interactions and looks like the WiiU's swansong, just like it feels. In essence, scores demeaning this game based on performance are false critiques, and do not judge this game and it's ability but the anit-wiiu thesis. If these problems aren't consistent on my WiiU, then they are not consistent malfunctions in the actual software. My 60+ hours in, glitches and crashes are not apparent.

    Resource collection is useful, rewarding, and easy, and the combination mechanic is entertaining and deep. The smallest mechanics, are fun, glitch free, and rewarding, but mostly they are all conducive to gaming and being in a game, even though they readily interact like fluid nature. This is a GAME, not an imitation    … Expand
  30. roymahboi
    Mar 13, 2017
    9
    A beautiful and vast game, the biggest world we have ever seen in Zelda history. it lacks real dungeons, suffers from frame rate issues, but still one of the best games ever created.
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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

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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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