Where many entries in The Legend of Zelda franchise are quick to rest on their laurels with nostalgia and a tested format, Breath of the Wild’s doesn't shy away from doing things differently. Its meta-narrative is that of change, best exemplified in its post-apocalyptic setting that sits atop centuries of buried traditions and history while its people have no choice but to move forward.

In games, story provides context to gameplay and progression. It’s the difference between scaling a cliffside in hopes of finding treasure and maybe fighting some baddies along the way versus saving a tribe of imprisoned Gorons waiting to be fed to an ancient dragon that dwells within an erupting Death Mountain. Sometimes, however, this context can get in the way of the sense of scale and urgency it strives to convey. This balance is something that the Zelda series has struggled with, dividing much of its audience with some relishing in the charming lore and quirky characters while others yearn for open exploration and the freedom to carve their own path. Breath of the Wild manages to achieve possibly the most successful compromise thus far with an incredibly lite narrative that sets up just enough of its stakes and goals before it firmly steps aside so the player may do as they please. The primary objective of defeating Calamity Ganon is established as a massive undertaking and you can see the ramifications of failing in this quest simply by looking at the destruction and ruins all around you, so the game mercifully figured that not much else needed to be said.

Rather than shoving the player through a linear sequence of events and objectives from the introduction to the final battle, completion of the game is contingent on two mere conditions: leaving the Great Plateau and destroying Calamity Ganon. All else is optional while remaining consequential because of the way this content is framed as training for Link’s climactic clash. Having been defeated by Ganon’s forces 100 years prior means getting stronger is reasonably imperative to success. With each and every activity helping Link to attain this strength, Breath of the Wild finds a clever way to tip-toe around ludonarrative dissonance by removing any possible friction between what Link does narratively and in practice while at the same time providing story details to players that want it without forcing it down the throats of those that do not.

By sacrificing a strong narrative focus, the game’s primary characters feel similarly forgotten, falling into standard anime archetypes that will surprise no one. They get the job done, but almost nothing more. Princess Zelda is interesting and fairly unique among her past iterations, and Urbosa certainly has the most charisma among her fellow Champions, but the game’s sharp indifference to its own story makes it difficult to care about any of its cast. Side characters and general NPCs are easily the heart and soul, full of personality and charm that drives the desire to assist them in their quests-- think Paya from Kakariko or the hundreds of Hylians met on the road.

The landscape of the gaming industry is oversaturated with open-world titles so standing out among its peers would be paramount to success for The Legend of Zelda’s first foray into the subgenre. Fortunately, Breath of the Wild not only achieves this heartily, but redefines the way open-world games should be developed and perceived moving forward. Freedom is at the forefront of the adventure by providing Link with every tool he needs to navigate the entirety of Hyrule the moment he completes the tutorial. Assassin’s Creed towers dot each region of the land but reaching the top of one won’t litter the player’s map with icons that dictate activities and missions. Instead, the player is subliminally encouraged to explore the world’s carefully designed and constructed geometry. All quests, collectibles, and challenges are left entirely on the player to naturally discover by looking out from said towers, other areas of considerable elevation or visibility elevated points, or by simply exploring on foot.

Breath of the Wild is defined by its world and that world is defined by its physics and chemical systems. To foster creativity and expand accessibility, these allow multiple solutions to any problem the player might face. A camp of enemies could be flattened by rolling a boulder off a nearby hill, and electric-based puzzles might be solved by lining up metallic weapons to conduct electricity between nodes. Time slows down while aiming Link’s bow mid-air which makes aiming easier, so players that struggle to aim might set some grass ablaze and use the paraglider to catch the resulting gust and launch themselves into the air and exploit that slow-down ability. As cliche as it sounds, the possibilities feel truly limitless and creating solutions with these systems is infinitely satisfying.

Nature is vast and there are many ways to traverse it. Link can sprint, swim, climb, and paraglide throughout the entirety of Hyrule with stamina as his only restriction. Performing any of the above drains that stamina, only automatically recovering during moments of non-exertion. Alternatively, stamina can be refueled manually, even mid-action, by consuming the appropriate food or elixir. Link can climb just about everything other than slick surfaces such as Shrine interiors, completely altering the way you perceive the world as an obstacle. Getting to any part of Hyrule is no longer a matter of if and when, only how.

One tradition left behind is the recovery heart, replaced by food. Dishes can be prepared and cooked by combining edible ingredients in a heated pot, then they can be consumed at the player’s discretion to restore varying numbers of hearts and even provide buffs. Removing the random aspect of health recovery makes the game feel less cheap while also resulting in more engaging and difficult combat when you know the only means of replenishing lost health depends on how prepared you are.

The core of combat remains largely untouched from the Z-target based system originating from Ocarina of Time. The big difference is Link’s weaponry which has been expanded to more than just his sword and shield, making use of spears, axes, hammers, and more each with unique movesets. Because the weapons break, the player is naturally encouraged to experiment with new ones and devise creative strategies as resources run low. This can make for tense and exciting moments during any encounter, but its very nature deflates the satisfaction of earning and finding the weapons in the first place when you know that using them will result in their destruction within a dozen or so hits. Perhaps if the game let you repair damaged or broken items, or at least vastly increased their actual durability, this wouldn't be as much of a problem. As it stands, though, be prepared for your artisan-crafted greatsword smithed within the very fires of Death Mountain to shatter before your very eyes in the same number of whacks as a stick you found when gathering apples. 

Encounters vary depending on the type of enemy you face, who and what surrounds them, your equipment, and somewhat on your progression. Their tactics will adapt to whether they have allies around them and will even make use of not only their environment but also scenarios created by you. Chucking a bomb at a group of Bokoblins seems like a no-brainer until one of them kicks the bomb back at you. This kind of enemy and player interaction gives each enemy so much more personality than we’d seen in previous titles, so even just observing their behavior can be entertaining.

It’s almost funny that despite how perfect temples and dungeons would thematically fit so perfectly into Breath of the Wild’s ancient and broken Hyrule, the game’s four dungeon-like setpieces are colossal magitek robots. Still ancient, still mystical, but certainly more advanced and dynamic than anything from prior titles. Inside each Divine Beast is a series of puzzles and challenges tethered by a core theme, culminating in a boss fight. Unlike their stationary counterparts, however, they lack intermediate miniboss encounters, take considerably less time to complete, and don’t reward Link with a new tool. The impact, therefore, of besting these dungeon-esque monsters is almost purely a narrative one, the one exception being Va Ruta whose defeat means the end of constant rain in Zora’s Domain. The majority of your puzzle experience will take place in Sheikah Shrines, accessible via small structures piercing the surface of Hyrule. Once entered, Link descends into chambers of unknowable size containing either one or a handful of challenges ranging from physics puzzles to miniboss-esque combat encounters. The sheer variety afforded by these Shrines is impressive for both their quantity and quality. They’re fun diversions from the game’s exploration loop, frequently scratching that problem-solving itch.

Collecting is part of Zelda’s very DNA, and Breath of the Wild takes this to unforeseen heights for the series. Ocarina of Time would see Link scouring unthinkable locations for obtusely-hidden Gold Skulltulas to expand his wallet; Wind Waker has him searching the great sea for shards of the Triforce for story progression, and nearly every title tasks Link with obtaining Heart Pieces to increase his health. Breath of the Wild introduces Korok Seeds, found by partaking in hundreds of tiny minigames. Korok Seeds can be expended to increase Link’s capacity for weapons, shields, and bows. Heart Pieces have been replaced with Spirit Orbs which are rewarded for completing the Shrines. Four Spirit Orbs can be sacrificed for either one extra heart or 25% more stamina, adding a bit of agency to Link’s progression that feels absolutely worth the effort.

The first time you get a cliffside view of Central Hyrule from the Great Plateau, hints of the surrounding regions peaking through, I dare you to not be filled with awe. The game’s exceedingly impressive draw-distance makes it possible to see any unobstructed geographical mass, so Death Mountain almost constantly looms overhead of your current scenery; the perch-like home of the Rito towers from their chilly mountainside village; the Divine Beasts themselves can be seen roaming from a great distance. The scale conveyed is immense and helps push the player forward to whatever goal they might have by always showing interesting destinations on the horizon.

Comparing the art between Zelda games serves no critical purpose, though it’s fun to see how newer titles tackle different styles. One of my favorite aspects of this entry’s artistic design is the races. The Zora look reminiscent of real species of fish with vibrant color palettes that pop against their cold blue backdrop of a locale that’s exceedingly elegant, befitting of the setting’s fantasy equivalent to elves. Unlike those in Wind Waker, Breath of the Wild’s Rito look like actual falcons, owls, and parrots with a culture and society seemingly influenced by that of Native Americans. The Gerudo have tall, muscular, hourglass frames draped with bright fabrics that exude their Egyptian-inspired culture. These intricate and sensible designs add logic and believability to the setting, almost as if you can see the evolution and history behind each race.

Cel-shading lends an energetic and vibrant visual identity to the game, complete with striking dynamic lighting and atmospheric weather effects. While at times the merging of these visual aspects can be a real treat, I did find that certain areas appear far too washed out and muted. This lends to the game’s worn and used feel, as if you’re looking at an old, sun-stained photograph, but it also leads to situations where the visuals become a garbled mess of effects passed through a hazy, monotone filter. Navigating the Faron Forest during a storm is a total nightmare because of how difficult it can be to see through its misty, muggy, never-ending storms, as one extreme example. Unfortunately, performance is less than an even experience. Though improved since launch, the game has a pretty frequent stutter problem, sometimes slowing the game down to a choppy slideshow in areas like Kakariko or the Korok Forest. Intense battles with multiple enemies or effects can make the game chug as well which then becomes an unforgivable problem because fighting demands more accuracy and timing than ever before.

It should stand to reason that Breath of the Wild’s increased scale and scope requires a similar increase in audio complexity, and you'd be right. There are far more moving parts to this game’s world, each with unique sets of sounds that vary based on their environment and the player. Whacking an Octorok with a club sounds different than whacking a Bokoblin, and slashing that Octorok with a sword sounds different still. Falling from a great height results in greater impact noises than a simple hop, and mud squishes differently than pools of water. Like the chemical and physics systems, the game’s sound design follows logic that everyone can immediately understand.

Music is an element near and dear to many Zelda fans, conjuring tunes embedded into the foundational roots of the entire gaming industry. Its legacy is treated much like the narrative history of the game’s setting, with most of the iconic melodies we all know and love left only to echo when you least expect. You can hear the influences of past works in the cities of the main races, such as The Legend of Zelda theme in Hyrule Castle and Dragon Roost Island in Rito Village. These nostalgic moments are wonderful, but most of this game’s score is comprised of dainty, minimalist piano pieces that only just make their presence known, often fading into the background so the sounds of nature can maintain focus. Despite this, the work still boasts a lot of personality that I find lacking in generic orchestral scores. My favorite piece has to be either the delightfully peaceful Horse (Night) or the unrelentingly epic Hyrule Castle.

One of the game’s more contentious aspects is the introduction of voice acting. While isolated purely to main story content, such as Link’s memories and the opening cinematic, I think the dramatic potential afforded by this decision is quite exciting. The quality of the acting varies as will your enjoyment and tolerance but I found most of the performances perfectly fine,  only ever being bothered by one performance in Death Mountain. Otherwise, I think the game squandered this opportunity to give Link his own voice. After so much reinvention and considering all of the characterization he is given, voiced scenes are all the more awkward when characters speak at him yet he stands there stone-faced and unresponsive. Overall, I think voice-acting was a harmless inclusion that simply needs more attention and care in future releases should Nintendo decide to not scrap it.

Zelda hasn’t struggled much with user interfaces, but I think it’s fair to say that Breath of the Wild’s UI and menus reign supreme. The menu in Ocarina of Time suffered from awkward navigation and abrasive sounds, and Skyward Sword’s HUD is a touch too bulky and obtrusive, but Breath of the Wild provides a wealth of information in a clean format that can even be mostly disabled. Its map is also the best by a country mile despite failing to reach its full potential. The player can stamp icons onto the map to mark areas of interest, like if you want to remember where a chest was or where specific fruit grows. Every tower, Shrine, and Outpost are automatically added to the map, and each region discovered through the towers has detailed names which sparks curiosity and discovery. My issue with the map is the lack of filters for the sake of hunting down the game’s collectibles easier because the display does become increasingly cluttered the more that is discovered.

One of the most disappointing things about Breath of the Wild is its limitation on save files, only allowing one per Switch profile. This game, more than any other in the franchise, begs to be replayed which makes this restriction one of the most baffling in Nintendo’s entire legacy of questionable decisions.

The battle against Ganondorf in Twilight Princess remains the best final boss of the entire series and I will die on this hill. It's a structurally sound multiphase fight that tests the player on the game’s core gameplay tenets with a puzzle, Wolf Link, horseback combat, and then ending with a one-on-one sword duel. The battle is atmospheric, tense, epic, and above all: fun. Ocarina of Time also offered a surprisingly competent finale with three phases and even the challenge of besting Ganon without the Master Sword for a while. Breath of the Wild builds up the clash with Calamity Ganon right from the tutorial, the prospect growing ever imposing as memories are unlocked and denizens cite tales of the war that destroyed Hyrule. I imagine that many people took the route of playing through enough of the game to obtain the Master Sword, complete each Divine Beast, and unlock all memories before finally pressing on to face Ganon. This is what I did, and when I finally fought my way to the top of Hyrule Castle, geared up and ready to take on the big bad ghost pig himself, I watched in amazement as over 200 hours of preparation were mercilessly shot in the head by a laughable ten-minute, two-phase battle. Both of Ganon’s forms look really interesting and cool, don’t misunderstand, but the experience falls completely flat on fulfilling the promise made at the beginning of the game. As amazing, beautiful, and groundbreaking as Breath of the Wild is for the vast majority of its playtime, the entire end sequence is enough to shed light on just how important the story can be in a game.

Following the anticlimactic final boss with two cinematics containing nearly no dialogue closes the story in an immeasurably disappointing way. It offers no conclusion or closure beyond Zelda being free from her hundred-year stalemate,  undermining the experiences leading up to it and leaving you empty.

In short, Breath of the WIld is about the journey, not the destination. Puzzles are their own reward, combat constantly engages, and fluff dialogue fill out an interesting figurative compendium of lore, but the game’s rewards consistently fail to measure up to what it took to receive them. Despite this, it’s a worth-while and beneficial evolution for the franchise whose impression on the industry is unquestionable. Nintendo has stated that the decision to continue with Breath of the Wild’s nonlinearity and freedom was made for them by the title’s success. This means that we may see many Zelda games build on Breath of the Wild the same way that Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword were built upon Ocarina of Time, and this excites me a great deal.

With Breath of the Wild 2 on the horizon, my imagination runs rampant with desires and expectations. We know very little beyond it being a direct sequel and reuse the same map of Hyrule. To prevent stagnation, I think the map could be twisted somehow, perhaps by adding more explorable layers to it such as flying, deep-sea diving, spelunking, and/or sailing. Providing an alternate dimension like the Twilight Realm would also separate the two versions of Hyrule as well and this particular example would suit the seemingly darker tone of the sequel quite well while also recontextualizing the land in interesting ways with new races, physics, tools, and lore. This would also be a great time to implement experimental features like the three-day timer from Majora’s Mask in order to completely shift the game’s perspective. Another example would be that Link somehow contracts lycanthropy and, in a fun spin on Twilight Princess’s transformation, turns into a werewolf during a blood moon. Above all else, my ultimate hope is for a playable Princess Zelda. As the franchise’s namesake and after some of the best characterization she’s seen, Breath of the Wild 2 would be the perfect time to turn this damsel into a heroine complete with her own skillset and play style. As a generally magic-focused individual, imagine the possibilities of how her powers could be used to transform the combat and traversal experiences.

All we can do is wait to see what’s to come for the future title, but one thing is clear after the success of Breath of the Wild: The Legend of Zelda shows no signs of wavering and is, in fact, stronger than ever.