As I get older, I spend less and less time playing video games. Even games that I enjoy don't keep my attention like they used to. I haven't finished Pokemon Legends: Arceus. I haven't finished Super Mario Odyssey. I enjoyed both of those games, but somewhere along the way I lost my desire to play them.
The only game I've played since turning 18 that really captivated me for a long period of time is Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Although I haven't sunk as many hours into it as some of my favorite childhood games, I think I have to say that Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the best video game I have ever played.
In general, I am not a fan of open-world games. They intimidate me. I get anxiety about missing things, about doing things in the "wrong" order, and so on. I had that same anxiety early on in my playthrough of Breath of the Wild. It took me a few attempts to really get going. But once I got going, I couldn't stop.
Many open-world games that I've played aren't actually that open. You can explore, but there is an intended path you are supposed to take. Breath of the World is not like these other open-world games. After completing the tutorial section on the Great Plateau, you are truly free to do whatever you want. The game prompts you to go to Kakariko village first, to introduce the story element to you, but after that, you are completely free. You have only one major objective: defeat Ganon. You can do this at any point. You can head straight there if you want to.
You are also given some suggestions for what to do beforehand—namely defeating the four Divine Beats and collecting missing memories—but they truly are just suggestions. The Divine Beats are bosses that are spread as far apart as possible, forcing players to travel to various different regions in order to defeat them all. They each feature an elaborate dungeon that must be successfully navigated, solving puzzles as you go, before battling a boss with a unique combat style and a unique technique required to defeat them. Defeating the Divine Beasts allows players to unlock additional powers and make the final boss fight easier, but they are not required. Nothing is required.
That said, you probably won't want to rush straight to Ganon, simply because there is so much to see and do across Hyrule. The world is massive, and none of it is just filler. Even few feet there are new things to explore, puzzles to solve, side-quests to complete, and enemies to defeat.
The game features a whopping 120 shrines across the map for players to find and solve. Each shrine features a unique and enjoyable puzzle or combat trial that players must complete in order to clear the shrine, earn a spirit orb (which can be exchanged for additional hearts or stamina), and unlock the shrine as a fast travel location. These shrines are no joke either; while Breath of the Wild is a kid-friendly game, some of the shrines require some serious problem-solving skills or combat abilities in order to clear. Admittedly, there were a few shrines that I encountered that I had to look up a solution for, because I could not figure out how to complete them. This is a positive for me; the legitimate challenge posed by many of the shrines makes them enjoyable to complete, and leaves players with a sense of satisfaction after figuring them out.
In addition to the 120 shrines, there are also 900 (yes, 900) Korok seeds spreading throughout the world. Some of the more elusive seeds simply require players to find them to receive the reward, while others require players to solve a small puzzle. Korok seeds can be exchanged for inventory slots, so players can carry more weapons, shields, and bows.
In addition to gameplay that genuinely make exploring fun, the game also looks beautiful. Honestly, I can't think of a single game that looks better to me than Breath of the Wild. The art style is awesome. The colors are fantastic. In an era of hyper-realism, where lifelike graphics are considered the ultimate goal, Breath of the Wild is a Breath of Fresh Air.
The music is also fantastic. It's very minimalist at points, which works to its benefit to emphasize the serenity of the wild. And nothing is more anxiety-inducing than the music that plays when a guardian spots you. They picked the perfect sound to encapsulate the feeling of panic.
I also enjoyed the story of Breath of the Wild. It's nothing groundbreaking; 100 years ago Ganon took over, and was contained by Zelda. Now he's waking back up, and Link needs to defeat him. Pretty standard stuff. What I really love about the story, though, is the way that it is told to the player. You are given it piece by piece through memories that can be unlocked by exploring the world. The story isn't necessarily told chronologically either; the developers don't know what order you are going to find the memories in, so they designed them in a way that none of them requires a previous memory in order to be understood. Still, you don't have a full picture until finding them all. I think this method of injecting story into the game as optional unlockables is awesome. It gives players yet another reason to explore Hyrule, and it's fun to put all of the pieces together as your progress through the game.
My wife, whose video game experience is limited to Wii Sports, recently started playing Breath of the Wild (on my recommendation). She is frustrated by the difficult, and she has some trouble with the controls due to not being used to video games, but overall, she loves it. She's terrified of enemies and runs from every Bokoblin she comes across, but she's having a blast finding and solving shrines. It's extremely difficult to create a video game that can be enjoyed by both beginners as well as experienced video game veterans, but that's exactly what Nintendo accomplished with Breath of the Wild.
If you somehow haven't tried Breath of the Wild yet, I cannot recommend it enough, even if open-world games give you anxiety like they do to me. Don't worry about doing things the "right" way, because there is no right way. Explore, do whatever you want, and enjoy one of the greatest video game experiences ever created.
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