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. rodericrinehart
    Jan 2, 2018
    10
    This is one of the greatest games of all time and could be number one. The way the refined a legendary formula with the most open-world, do-anything experience is refreshing in a sense no other game can handle. The story is weak, but everything else is 10/10 or better.
  2. the8bither0
    Apr 7, 2017
    10
    It's hard for me to judge games while I am playing them, as I feel like i get caught up in the moment/hype. But I have to say, a month or so after the launch of Breath of the Wild, and a few weeks after beating it, it's the best game I've ever played. Sure it has some flaws like the weapon durability, but of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of games I have played in my life, this game madeIt's hard for me to judge games while I am playing them, as I feel like i get caught up in the moment/hype. But I have to say, a month or so after the launch of Breath of the Wild, and a few weeks after beating it, it's the best game I've ever played. Sure it has some flaws like the weapon durability, but of the hundreds (maybe thousands) of games I have played in my life, this game made me feel more wonder than anything else ever has. It is everything I've ever wanted in a game.… Expand
  3. Sadikusama
    Mar 3, 2017
    10
    Believe the hype. I was skeptical at first, seeing so many 10s and 100s given out to this game. I went blindly into Breath of the Wild knowing nothing about it except for the main trailer of the game. Hours into the game I can only agree: this game is a masterpiece.

    There is so much contect, so many things to do, so many places to explore. You are given complete freedom in this    Believe the hype. I was skeptical at first, seeing so many 10s and 100s given out to this game. I went blindly into Breath of the Wild knowing nothing about it except for the main trailer of the game. Hours into the game I can only agree: this game is a masterpiece.

    There is so much contect, so many things to do, so many places to explore. You are given complete freedom in this adventure, you can even try to beat the game as soon as you start. Freedom and exploration are perhaps the best gameplay aspects, without leaving behind the sheer amount of actions possible: cooking, riding horseback, climbing... Whether you actually beat the story is also up to you, there is so much to invest in this game you might never grow bored of it.

    Go play this game. Now. This isn't your typical 10/10 game, it goes beyond that. This game is now videogame history.    … Expand
  4. 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
  5. Rob1986
    Apr 17, 2017
    10
    I've changed my score and review a bit after having played the game now for over 100 hours. The more I play, the better this game gets. It actually has become one of my all time favorites. The breadth of the open world is no less than amazing. Even with the amount of time I have spent I'm still finding myself wandering into new areas that I've never visited before. This is happeningI've changed my score and review a bit after having played the game now for over 100 hours. The more I play, the better this game gets. It actually has become one of my all time favorites. The breadth of the open world is no less than amazing. Even with the amount of time I have spent I'm still finding myself wandering into new areas that I've never visited before. This is happening without any effort on my part to find new areas.
    Each piece of the map seems to have it's own character in terms of unique challenges, and side quests. The side quests are much improved over Zelda games of the past IMO. These are combat, problem solving, exploration type quests. Mostly gone are the bowling, fishing, shooting, arcade style quests which never held much excitement for me.

    I love that the game has been re-imagined. To me the franchise had grown a bit stale. When I played Wind Waker for the first time a couple years ago it was literally a chore to get to Gannon. I was actually glad to be done with that game. This is very much a fresh start compared to what had become the Zelda formula. I had a problem initially with the way the game looks, but the freedom and excitement the open world provides has swallowed those concerns. I'm truly looking forward to playing this thing for another 100 hours.

    There are tons of reviewers complaining about the breakable weapons, and shields, so I'll address that. There are loads new weapons which regenerate constantly. If you have a favorite weapon you can easily grind more of them. The breakability is neither a plus nor a minus to me. I like the suggestion one fan had to allow players to increase the durabillity of their favorites through upgrades. but I don't think the weapons should be unbreakable unless you make them that way.

    Another very common criticism has been that there are not enough monsters, or that there are only a few monsters in the game, and they are re-skinned again and again. I really don't get that at all. The monsters are excellent, have distinct personalities, which give the game tremendous variety, and if any of them are being re-skinned more than a couple times I have not noticed it. This is no different than in previous Zelda games where monsters like Lizalfos are re-represented at night as skel monsters, and monsters like the chu-chus have a handful of different species. This criticism is the most baffling one for me. One reviewer wrote that there are only about eight monsters in the entire game which are re-skinned again and again. I immediately counted 17 different types off the top of my head, and I'm sure that I forgot tons. The great thing about the monsters in this game is that each species has its own unique personality. Lynels are smart and incredibly tough. Lizalfos are idiotic and will actually go sniff bombs that you throw at them from a hiding place. I have had hours of fun just tossing bombs at them from behind rocks and watching their reactions.

    It's the gameplay that stands out and makes this game fun. I've been kinda bored(not totally bored, but a little bit) with some of the recent Zelda titles I've played, because they all tell essentially the same story, and they all use the same formula: obtain some fun tome and use it to traverse a dungeon and defeat a boss, rinse, repeat. BOTW makes the story seem fresh, and interesting. The dungeon formula is gone. This is something new and interesting. The open world gives you more freedom to have fun in a variety of ways, and to do it in my favorite way which is to come up with a strategy to defeat the enemy you want to go after. I like grinding or farming a bit to get the things I need before overcoming a boss. For me, that's the difference between a subdued "cool" and a "yeehaw" with both fists raised in the air. The enemies are often tough enough in this game to make it feel like you have truly accomplished something when you beat them down. Prior to this game the Zelda franchise didn't make that part very fun for me.    … Expand
  6. doodlerman
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    Never has a game felt quite as alive as Breath of the Wild. Initially I was a little put off by the differences between this and previous Zelda entries, but that soon changed to absolute adoration. Not only does it have a massive world, but it's a massive world filled with characters, animals, quests, mini-dungeons (shrines), and secrets. It plays surprisingly smoothly on the Wii U. I'veNever has a game felt quite as alive as Breath of the Wild. Initially I was a little put off by the differences between this and previous Zelda entries, but that soon changed to absolute adoration. Not only does it have a massive world, but it's a massive world filled with characters, animals, quests, mini-dungeons (shrines), and secrets. It plays surprisingly smoothly on the Wii U. I've heard things of frame drops, but I haven't experienced that at all (though, to be fair, this could be because I've been playing exclusively on the gamepad). One thing I truly love about Breath of the Wild is the challenge. Standard Bokoblins aside, every battle legitimately feels like a punishing life or death situation with little room for error. Weapons break fairly quickly and I love this. It adds to a frantic sensation of wild survival. What's more, there are little surprises around every corner. I have yet to find an area where exploration didn't bare fruit.

    While damn near perfect, it has a few minor issues. Firstly, the control scheme may take a while to get used to - the button configuration is kind of all over the place (some commands could probably have been simplified to one button rather than multiple). Secondly, the English voice acting is horrendous, and as far as I know there's no way to change it on the Wii U version. Finally, the actual dungeons aren't nearly as massive as pre-release rumors suggested. Naturally, this isn't the game's fault, rather misinformation leading to speculative hype. The dungeons are fun, but pretty short. The true satisfaction comes from the exploration of the seamless world.

    Despite these few imperfections (which are completely forgivable, in my opinion), the sheer brilliance and effort of this Breath of the Wild warrants a perfect score. It's hard to believe anyone could honestly dislike this game.    … Expand
  7. jurrabi
    Apr 19, 2017
    10
    If you never played a Zelda game, already have a Wii U (or plan to buy one if the price drops down) and didn't bought a Switch just because... I really don't know, my opinion might be sympathetic to your situation.

    As you can see I give this game a 10/10. And this is not a Metacritics 10 to compensate anything... This is a genuine 10 given from a gamer that spent over 90 hours enjoining    If you never played a Zelda game, already have a Wii U (or plan to buy one if the price drops down) and didn't bought a Switch just because... I really don't know, my opinion might be sympathetic to your situation.

    As you can see I give this game a 10/10. And this is not a Metacritics 10 to compensate anything... This is a genuine 10 given from a gamer that spent over 90 hours enjoining every second of my stay in Hirule.

    This is a game that made me remember that a good game doesn't need to render in 4k at 60fps to be fun.

    As this game remembered me, a game should entertain you, and this game did it for me. It made me come home wanting to launch the game and explore some more.

    I understand if Zelda fans find missing things or if someone doesn't consider possible for a game to be great of it doesn't look photo-realistic.

    But taking into account that this is a Wii U game (and not a XBox Excorpio tech demo) I find all about it really beautiful and enjoyable.

    I now this is not a real review, but you have thousand of those online.

    In the end I think all you need to know to decide if this game is for you is:

    * It is open world from minute 2. If you don't like that, you still might like this one, but less probably.
    * If you are all graphics, graphincs, graphics, you don't own a Wii U and you are not reading this, so...
    * If you are ready to be challenged to think to solve your issues instead of given a yellow brick road... You'll love this.

    This is a must have for your Wii U library. The last one there will be.    … Expand
  8. Xon
    Jan 8, 2018
    10
    Wonderful game.
    Freedom to experiment.
    Designed to enourage real exploration.
    Great world that feels alive.
    Incredible little details.
    You can really do what you want.
    This game is the reason I play games.
  9. zelloxy
    Mar 28, 2017
    10
    loved...it...
    everything from the combat to the vast open world. I was skeptical to the low resolution graphics at first, but after I had played a few hours it didn't bother me at all since they've achieved so many other stunning graphical features that more than make up for it!
  10. wojtasemzi
    Nov 28, 2018
    10
    Gra jest super, pierwsza Zelda w której ukończyłem główny wątek, po niej jestem zachęcony do skończenia wszystkich gier z serii Zeldzie i Linku... poza grami na CD-i.
  11. BasilZero
    Jul 22, 2017
    10
    Game: The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild
    Genre: Action Adventure
    Developer: Nintendo System: WiiU (WiiU) Total Score: 99/100 Value Score: 9.9/10 Length of Playthrough: 72 Hours • Story: 10/10 • Characters: 10/10 • GamePlay: 10/10 • Graphics: 9/10 • Sound: 10/10 • Music: 10/10 • Length: 10/10 • Replay Value: 10/10 • Player Value: 10/10 Pros +Open World with a lot    Game: The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild
    Genre: Action Adventure
    Developer: Nintendo
    System: WiiU (WiiU)
    Total Score: 99/100
    Value Score: 9.9/10

    Length of Playthrough: 72 Hours

    • Story: 10/10
    • Characters: 10/10
    • GamePlay: 10/10
    • Graphics: 9/10
    • Sound: 10/10
    • Music: 10/10
    • Length: 10/10
    • Replay Value: 10/10
    • Player Value: 10/10

    Pros
    +Open World with a lot of places to travel and explore around
    +120 shrines which are mini dungeons with 4 full sized dungeons
    +A lot of challenging aspects and mechanics added which improves the experience with the game compared to other Zeldas such as Stamina, Weapon durability, Environment changes, etc
    +You can accomplish many things in different ways using different techniques and tools
    +Great OST mixed with Remixed legacy tracks with some new tracks exclusive to the game
    +Great well told story and characters with voice overs
    +Great sound effects
    +Very long game, main story to take at least 50 hours with full exploration but to finish each and every sidequest and collect all items it will take 100+ hour

    Cons
    -Some shrines involve forcing the player to use the gamepad and not be able to complete it with another controller such as the Pro controller
    -Low FPS occurs at times depending on where you are such as towns or with places with heavy animation between enemies or weather effects    … Expand
  12. Doggy
    Jan 15, 2020
    10
    Rarely do modern video-games provide such non-patronizing and truly open gaming experience as the Breath Of The Wild. Seldom these days do games truly focus and run on nothing more than the players' own curiosity; their desire to explore the world and have a wild adventure.
    ――
    Big words, huh? Well, I don't talk big without a good reason. Having watched numerous, once quintessential    Rarely do modern video-games provide such non-patronizing and truly open gaming experience as the Breath Of The Wild. Seldom these days do games truly focus and run on nothing more than the players' own curiosity; their desire to explore the world and have a wild adventure.
    ――
    Big words, huh? Well, I don't talk big without a good reason.
    Having watched numerous, once quintessential series decline in the past decade or two, Legend Of Zelda included, I can't say I was exactly ecstatic when I first saw how this latest installment would play in practice. Too often nowadays can an experienced veteran gamer make some pretty accurate and safe predictions out of given pre-release information or the first few minutes into the game, simply because how often modern titles tend to play it "safe" by rehashing the popular designs. In BotW's case, the term "Ubisoft open-world game", down to the climbable towers and all, was the common slur people hastily used to describe the newcomer title... and at first I thought they were right.
    ――
    "WRONG!", yelled Lex Luthor. At mere hour or two into the game, I started to realize my mistake. At most, this is a wolf in a sheep's clothing. Something that merely LOOKS familiar and same-y on the surface. The freedom to truly explore ANY nook and corner, scale any wall you come across, all while having to come up with solutions for how to deal with the numerous deadly hazards of this new version of the Hyrule... this is what "engaging" truly means!
    Then, a couple hours later, I came to realize that the first few hours were nothing more than an elaborate "tutorial". That beyond this already reasonably sized piece of the world map lied an even larger world. One with MORE dangers, more wonders and more exciting fun to be found.
    ――
    I cannot think too many other (mainstream / AAA) games, at least from the past several years, that would strip away all artificial obstacles and walls the same way as BotW. Literally nothing else than your own lack of skill (or sufficient gear) can stop you from waltzing straight from the starting area, to the very final boss, and maybe even defeat it. At no point will the game try to stop you from exploring deadly and exotic areas, for dozens of hours, before tackling some story -missions. And very rarely is the answer to your own "I wonder if this silly plan could work?" a big fat "No!".
    There's simply a ton of things to do in the BotW's ruined Hyrule, and more elaborate, simulated "systems" that not only keep the world feel "living", but that can also be exploited in numerous, even some hilarious ways.
    ――
    I can totally see Breath Of The Wild being a divisive game.
    However, one thing is for sure: no two playthroughs will ever play the same!
    Even after hundreds of hours, I am still learning something brand new of the game, and it seems like I too keep surprising some old vets with my tales of some tricks and experiences of my own.
    ――
    For 20+ years, I was certain that nothing could come close to the magnificence of the Ocarina Of Time and the Majora's Mask. Now, however, I am pleased to admit that I was wrong. Breath Of The Wild finishes this tri-force of greatest games in the history of the industry.
    ――
    Hyperbole much? On the contrary!
    THIS is a game that needs not only be played by everyone, but also TAUGHT in schools.
    This is a video-game, all about what makes video-games so good in the first place: the gameplay.
    When just moving in the game feels good, you are on the right track.
    Add an absolutely gorgeous audio-design and pretty impressive visuals on top, and you got what people call a "masterpiece".    … Expand
  13. Kenmei
    Mar 30, 2017
    10
    For all the people who might be worried about picking up this copy of the game or waiting to get a Switch and buying it then, don't be. This is an amazing copy of the game and, with full DLC support down the road, I'd call it the sole reason not to buy the Switch, IF you already own a Wii U for now. I won't bore you with all the details other then that it's amazing. It's truly one of theFor all the people who might be worried about picking up this copy of the game or waiting to get a Switch and buying it then, don't be. This is an amazing copy of the game and, with full DLC support down the road, I'd call it the sole reason not to buy the Switch, IF you already own a Wii U for now. I won't bore you with all the details other then that it's amazing. It's truly one of the best Zelda games ever and one of the best games Nintendo has ever released. While there are some frame rate issues that crop up now and then, it's nothing to be concerned about honestly. This review was written for one thing: this version of the game is amazing and there should be no reason to turn off potential buyers of it.… Expand
  14. Gwyndolin
    Mar 13, 2017
    10
    I went into BoTW with a lot of skepticism. But the game shattered it within the first hours.

    Poured 50+ hours into this game, finished the main story and a lot of side stuff, but not nearly complete. I don't think I will ever complete it but that's fine. It is the first open world game that I can put down and pick back up easily just to simply explore and marvel at its offerings. I    I went into BoTW with a lot of skepticism. But the game shattered it within the first hours.

    Poured 50+ hours into this game, finished the main story and a lot of side stuff, but not nearly complete. I don't think I will ever complete it but that's fine.
    It is the first open world game that I can put down and pick back up easily just to simply explore and marvel at its offerings.

    I recognize its weaknesses, such as the lack of music, mediocre storytelling and voice acting, and simplistic combat (with insanely easy bosses). But none of that really bothered me because exploring is just so fun in this game.
    The experience reminded me of MGSV, where I think the gameplay carries the game. In my opinion games should not be reviewed on how well rounded it is, but on how well it executes what it sets out to do.    … Expand
  15. rAMZA
    Mar 16, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best game i have played for some time, and now that i have almost cleared the game i just want more areas to explore and dungeons, i dint feel that weapon durability was bad because there is lot of weapons and there is just one good weapon in Zelda games and that is the master sword.… Expand
  16. 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
  17. Demonik420
    Mar 7, 2017
    10
    love how everyone is harping on the switch for only playing Zelda... take a look at the launch lineups for every console made int eh last 20 years! They are worse than the switch, sometimes have even less games (looking at you XBONE), and they consist of bargain bin 3$ games.... and none of the launch titles for Xbox360, Xbone, PS3, or PS$, even come close to comparing with Breath of thelove how everyone is harping on the switch for only playing Zelda... take a look at the launch lineups for every console made int eh last 20 years! They are worse than the switch, sometimes have even less games (looking at you XBONE), and they consist of bargain bin 3$ games.... and none of the launch titles for Xbox360, Xbone, PS3, or PS$, even come close to comparing with Breath of the Wild. Everyone is either jsut harping on ti cause they want ti but can't afford it, or because they hope it will fail for god knows what reason.

    The game and the console are fantastic. Breath is easily my favorite Zelda game since Link to the Past/Ocarina. It's a complete 180 from the garbage linear **** that was Skyward Sword. Finally, Zelda is about exploration again, If you don't like Breath then I've got bad news for you.... Your not likely a true Zelda fan. If you had any respect for Zelda's roots you would be drooling all over this game.    … Expand
  18. narkelion
    Mar 13, 2017
    10
    I wont repeat what other players are saying. Overall it is an amazing experience, the open world is done perfectly and the AI has given me so LOL moments! it is not perfect game but very, very close! I honestly cant stop playing it...
  19. iamcpc
    Mar 10, 2017
    10
    I love this game so much. It's huge, I played through the first area once solo, then watched my wife and buddy make a save game and explore the area. In a combined 15-20 hours of game play on the first area alone we were still discovering hidden caves, creatures, weapons, armor, and treasures that we never saw before. I also like the challenge. I've died so many times in so many differentI love this game so much. It's huge, I played through the first area once solo, then watched my wife and buddy make a save game and explore the area. In a combined 15-20 hours of game play on the first area alone we were still discovering hidden caves, creatures, weapons, armor, and treasures that we never saw before. I also like the challenge. I've died so many times in so many different ways and each time it was cool.

    I would think that running through a big open field would be boring but they make sure that, even hidden in the grass, there are all sorts of useful things or I never noticed that pinwheel on that stump there. What is that? What does it do? I'll put a star by it and come back later. How do i get up there? I never tried climbing to the top of that before and, sure enough, there's a 10 things i discover on the climb and something at the top!

    If you don't discover something hidden, or a puzzle, or treasure at an unexplored area then you will discover 10 on the way there.

    What do these do? This looks interesting. Next thing you know it's coming to life and trying to kill you! RUN!    … Expand
  20. Gilmir
    Mar 8, 2017
    10
    Breathtaking. Wonderful. It's like Witcher 3 BUT you can play it with your kid.
    Can't understand the conformism and clinging to some abstract ideal expressed by most of the downvoters.
    I love the whole franchise. Played five or six of them, some finished, some will be some day.
    But this does some much right that it seems to me one of the best games I ever played.
  21. 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
  22. Mudryknow
    Apr 8, 2017
    10
    This is a great game. It throws you into an open world to explore with very little explanations or guidance, and then you're left to your own accord. There are around 120 shrines in the game, so I've heard, though I have only finished around ten. You can see the glowing orange shrines in the distance which gives me incentive to leave the road to the next main quest line and find my wayThis is a great game. It throws you into an open world to explore with very little explanations or guidance, and then you're left to your own accord. There are around 120 shrines in the game, so I've heard, though I have only finished around ten. You can see the glowing orange shrines in the distance which gives me incentive to leave the road to the next main quest line and find my way over there.
    Though there are no traditional dungeons that I have found so far, the shrines are a mini-type dungeon which usually involve solving a small puzzle or two, maybe a little combat, then you receive a reward, though I would argue sometimes even getting to a shrine is a puzzle in itself and finding the shrine for a fast travel marker is reward enough.
    I love that I constantly have to scour the wild for new weapons, bows, and ingredients. Cooking is fun and absolutely necessary to keep your hearts up on your sojourn. The few towns that I have visited are full of life, and the people have a lot of different dialog depending on where they are, the weather, what you're holding, etc. Some side quests are only given under certain circumstances. The enemies are smart and difficult, especially if you have poor weapons and armor, which you will in the first few hours of exploring.
    The graphics are glorious, not realistic, but the art style is fun and colorful. animations are cool. The music is great, a little minimalist, but still with emotion and catchy tunes when you open chests, receive new items, enemies abound, the weather changes etc. Subtle and moving.
    I will address all the negative user reviews, and point out that 99% of them have not reviewed any other games, yet give breath of the Wild a zero. Some even say in their review that this game deserves a 7 or 8, yet still give it a zero. My hypothesis is most of the negative reviews are submitted by non-gamers, "fan-boys"(which I despise using that term, more like "imbeciles with blind hatred to an opposing brand name" I will not rant about it) or people who do not want the user ratings of the game to be high, so gave it a zero just to lower the average. This game in my opinion deserves the rating I give it. It brings back a childhood wonder of playing a video game and exploring that I have not felt in over a decade. I am constantly finding new ways to approach things in the game, discovering secrets and shortcuts, and genuinely loving the game. Even my wife, who is not a gamer at all, can't put it down. This game is highly acclaimed by critics for a reason, so take the user reviews with a shaker of salt.    … Expand
  23. Robinhio84
    Mar 6, 2017
    10
    So impressed! I'm just a Nintendo guy, so I love the graphics also because it's a mix of all the previous styles. The best part of the game is that is honours it's roots. There is so much of the first game, where yur just browsing and searching around. Also I love that most creatures are bringing back lovely memories.

    One downside is the shrines, who have all the same look and feel to    So impressed! I'm just a Nintendo guy, so I love the graphics also because it's a mix of all the previous styles. The best part of the game is that is honours it's roots. There is so much of the first game, where yur just browsing and searching around. Also I love that most creatures are bringing back lovely memories.

    One downside is the shrines, who have all the same look and feel to it. Which comes across a bit repetitive. Although and 4 dungeons is not a lot, still I am a big fan. Will be playing this the weeks to come.    … Expand
  24. ricklongo
    Apr 28, 2017
    10
    It's commonplace nowadays to refer to The Legend of Zelda as formulaic, but the franchise is no stranger to sweeping change. From Ocarina of Time's 3D revolution to the touch-based DS experiments, Nintendo's flagship adventure series has tried quite a few new directions, with varying levels of success. None of those experiments, however, were as comprehensive as Breath of the Wild. AndIt's commonplace nowadays to refer to The Legend of Zelda as formulaic, but the franchise is no stranger to sweeping change. From Ocarina of Time's 3D revolution to the touch-based DS experiments, Nintendo's flagship adventure series has tried quite a few new directions, with varying levels of success. None of those experiments, however, were as comprehensive as Breath of the Wild. And none of them were ultimately as fantastic.

    This sense of newness is made clear from the beginning, in which the player gets immediately cast as a long-slumbering Link, without any sort of exposition. The character has no memory, and only wakes up from his ressurection chamber following a mysterious voice echoing in his head.

    The first moments of the game are spent exploring the Great Plateau, a location in central Hyrule that serves as an introduction to the game's main mechanics. However, after you're able to exit the Plateau thanks to your paraglider and tablet-like sheikah slate, you can go anywhere you please, including straight to the ruins of Hyrule Castle, where Calamity Ganon, the entitity who brought the world to ruin 100 years ago, waits. For a series that has become heavy on hand-holding, things are off to a great start.

    The astounding level of freedom given to the player is only possible thanks to Link's game-changing ability to climb almost any surface. Previous Zelda titles would separate areas of the game by throwing unpassable mountains between them; here, each mountain is simply a new invitation to explore. The full-fledged physics engine, meanwhile, makes traversing each area even more addictive, as things just click together in a very organic way.

    As someone who loves seamless exploration, I can get frustrated by intrusive story-heavy sections, all-too-common in releases nowadays. Breath of the Wild eschews this approach in a genius way: Link is soon able to recover several pictures in his sheikah slate, apparantly taken by Princess Zelda before the calamity. By finding the spots in those pictures, he can recover his memory piece by piece. This makes the story essentially a collectible, to be experienced according to the player's investigation skills, and one of the many reasons to thoroughly explore the world.

    The game's Hyrule is a character unto itself: a post-apocaliptic world with signs of war and destruction at every corner, but which manages to also be extremely inviting in its pastoral beauty. Scattered over 15 seamlessly-connected, sprawling regions are plenty of ruins, but also towns, stables, landmarks, quirky characters, enemy camps, and (of course) a large number of secrets to uncover. Curiosity is always rewarded, sometimes with weapons or smaller collectibles, sometimes with large boss-like enemies or shrines.

    Oh yeah, the shrines. You see, one of the longest-running Zelda traditions are its dungeons. You'd get to them (usually in linear order), solve their puzzles, collect treasure (including the special items needed to complete them), and beat the boss at the end.

    Breath of the Wild, however, completely reimagines how this works. There are 120 shrines to find, and those are like bite-sized dungeons with puzzles and treasure chests. At the end of each of them, you get a spirit orb, needed to permanently increase energy and stamina. I'm of the mind that some Zelda titles can overdo dungeons, making them interminable sections of puzzle after puzzle in which I'm unable to even save and continue from where I stopped; for that reason, this new approach was a huge breath of fresh air. It also helps that the puzzles here are modular: many of them have several possible solutions, depending on how creative you want to get.

    Of course, dungeons had an imponence that smaller shrines just can't match. This is where the actual stand-in for dungeons come into play. There are four of them, and they are probably the most epic thing I've seen in any Zelda game, ever. They have some key differences from traditional dungeons in how they work: each is one giant puzzle you need to solve progressively, and the ingenuity of their interconnected designs made me feel like an engineer at times for mastering them.

    Speaking of story, this is a series-best. The melancholy of a devastated Hyrule can make each memory you recover extremely bittersweet, as you meet the champions that were supposed to fight the calamity, each with their own particular relationship with Link, and delve into the most well-developed Princess Zelda character we've ever been graced with.

    it's weird to admit it, but Breath of the Wild single-handedly makes the entire catalogue of previous 3D Zelda games somewhat obsolete. Going back to the old approach would mean abandoning the extreme sense of freedom that pushes this game so much above everything else that's out right now. Either under the lens of the Zelda series, the open world genre, or gaming as an art form, Breath of the Wild is nothing short of a masterpiece.    … Expand
  25. celebi734
    Apr 7, 2017
    10
    Breath of The Wild did something no other game I thought would ever do. It out did Ocarina of Time as my favorite game of all time. Breath of the Wild's graphics are just gorgeous. The game looks like a computer generated movie, by Studio Ghibli. The colors, and animations from everyone, and everything looks so natural.

    The world of Breath of The Wild is absolutely huge, and is one of    Breath of The Wild did something no other game I thought would ever do. It out did Ocarina of Time as my favorite game of all time. Breath of the Wild's graphics are just gorgeous. The game looks like a computer generated movie, by Studio Ghibli. The colors, and animations from everyone, and everything looks so natural.

    The world of Breath of The Wild is absolutely huge, and is one of the biggest open worlds I've ever seen, and it's going to take you hundreds of hours just to see and do everything. I know some people complain about the weapons breaking.

    However, that's one of my favorite things about the game. The fact that nothing lasts forever means that when fighting, I have to either quickly switch to a new weapon, when my weapon breaks. Or if I have to run if I have no weapons. I also like how every weapon does a different amount of damage. Almost everything in this game is climbable. Ranging from tall mountains, small rocks, and especially large enemies. You can also tame not only horses, but you can tame other animals as well.

    Breath of The Wild is a landmark game not only for Nintendo, but for all of gaming. With it's gorgeous graphics, great gameplay, and large open world, you'll want to take days off of work for this game.    … Expand
  26. Eradicate
    Apr 1, 2017
    10
    I hate trolls! Yes, you know all the bad reviews are from either Microsoft or Sony fan boys, that just want to hate on Nintendo because they want to make love to their consoles. Amazing game and well worth a 10 rating. Best game I have played in years. Will be going though this game again and again to find all the extra stuff. Gameplay=10, Graphics=10, Controls=10, Sound-Music=10. BestI hate trolls! Yes, you know all the bad reviews are from either Microsoft or Sony fan boys, that just want to hate on Nintendo because they want to make love to their consoles. Amazing game and well worth a 10 rating. Best game I have played in years. Will be going though this game again and again to find all the extra stuff. Gameplay=10, Graphics=10, Controls=10, Sound-Music=10. Best game in years, hands down.… Expand
  27. andresvicunat
    Nov 14, 2017
    10
    Just recently started playing when all the fuss went away. And truth is the experience has been outstanding. I can easily say I've never had an experience like this. This game truly is a wonder today. Nintendo's approach on gaming experience rather than 4K or else definitely paid out. Must play if one considers oneself as a gamer.
  28. 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
  29. Tetragrammaton
    Mar 7, 2017
    10
    Why are there so many trolls hating this game? Xbox and sony fanboys? This game is truly a 10. The only other game i gave a 10 to was dragon age origins.
  30. jacomonh
    Mar 20, 2017
    10
    There is an weird abstraction within Zelda Botw, when the subject is innovation. Open world games are everywhere for two years now and yet the new Zelda is able to define what an Open World is and should be. We see all kinds of examples revolving Open worlds with Dynamic elements but Botw is the first game I saw that truly implemented an Open world with a Dynamic World. The Story andThere is an weird abstraction within Zelda Botw, when the subject is innovation. Open world games are everywhere for two years now and yet the new Zelda is able to define what an Open World is and should be. We see all kinds of examples revolving Open worlds with Dynamic elements but Botw is the first game I saw that truly implemented an Open world with a Dynamic World. The Story and Narrative are cleverly implemented in a way that the non-linear aspect is not impaired, and the experiences you have are more important than the experiences game developers want to give you.… 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

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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.
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  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.
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