As the anniversary of Breath of the Wild is upon us, we take a dive into what was the Game of the Year in 2017. Everyone was on the edge of their seats when the game was announced in the Wii U direct presentation in 2013, the future was upon us and we were clamoring for when we were going to get a glimpse into what the future of the Legend of Zelda was going to behold. Fast forward to E3 2014 and we, the Legend of Zelda fans, were finally getting a look into what the future of the Legend of Zelda had in store for us, the Zelda fans! Although it took longer than anticipated for Breath of the Wild to release, it was all worth the wait, because for most of the world, 2017 was the year that everyone was waiting for, the release that would dictate the potential and probable future of the Legend of Zelda series.
This game, Breath of the Wild, was met with a wide array of praise and criticism, from it being praised for the open world aspect and the creativeness of the use of the wide range of weapons and items, to it being criticized for the durability system and the use of stamina to dictate the pace of the character, Link. Breath of the Wild took a huge leap with this style of game, completely deviating from the styles of games in the past, where in the past you essentially had a pre-determined path or you had to collect a certain specifications of items, instead, Breath of the Wild takes an approach where you don’t need to go a certain path or collect a certain specification of items to advance in the game, heck, if you wanted to, you could go straight to Calamity Ganon (not sure how good of an idea that is, but you can if you want to) and beat the game. Some people would like this approach, but others would like to explore, to take in the sights and sounds of the game and give themselves the full experience of a Zelda game, whatever your style, that is up to you, the choice is yours to make!
Breath of the Wild is a game that has taken the previous the Legend of Zelda games and has provided a whole new world that has given us a vast and technological upgrade to the previous items and abilities that we have grown to know and love. These items and abilities have really given the Zelda series a boost and they provide a standard that may be compared with future Zelda games to come! I am not sure what the future may hold or how they could go bigger than Breath of the Wild mechanics, but that is what Nintendo does, they go above and beyond to provide a unique and over-the-top experience for their fans, you just never know what Nintendo may do next!
Nintendo really upped the Amiibo use in the Breath of the Wild, but that is expected to be since Nintendo is pressing the Amiibo scene in so many other games and it is only expected to be a bigger integration into their games. It has also seemed that Nintendo has joined the crowd in providing DLCs, some free, some paid for, but as I mentioned above, Nintendo usually goes all out and provides for its fans, so I don’t believe it is so bad to shell out a little money to receive some additional content! DLCs and extra goodies have become synonymous with Breath of the Wild, from receiving items and weapons you can use, to having some fun and cool costumes and accessories that can be used to cause confusion and cause a little bit of chaos!
Breath of the Wild is so chock full of enemies and different types of bosses, as mentioned above, you can pretty much skip the bosses and head straight for the big bad Ganon, but why not take time out to explore the enemies, the overworld bosses and the dungeon bosses that you can challenge and help you get used to the mechanics of the game and it may just give you a sense of purpose to know that you are beating all the bosses of the game or if you are going for 100% game completion, there is that also. Breath of the Wild went all out to provide a treasure trove of enemies, bosses and challenges, from the all familiar Lizalfos, to the menacing Lynels, there is so much to explore and the number of different enemies you may encounter is a testament to what Breath of the Wild is all about, which is openness and a sense of adventure!
All in all, Breath of the Wild continues to be one of the greatest Zelda games and perhaps one of the greatest games ever created. There is so much to do in Breath of the Wild and the only limitations are left to the imagination of the player. How will Nintendo attempt to outdo this giant of a game? Only time will tell, and that time could be 2 years, 3 years or maybe even 5 years down the road, there is no telling what ace Nintendo is hiding up it’s sleeve and could it be bigger than Breath of the Wild? We will find out soon enough what Nintendo’s next move will be.
What are your impressions of Breath of the Wild? Do you like it, hate it, or are you in between? Is it the greatest Zelda game ever created, or would you tend to disagree? Let us know down in the comments!
