The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — The Game That Rebooted Open-World Gaming

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U. Released worldwide on March 3, 2017, it stands as one of the most critically acclaimed and influential video games of all time. After six years of development under the creative direction of Hidemaro Fujibayashi, Nintendo delivered a game that fundamentally reimagined what an open-world adventure could be. Rather than following the traditional Zelda formula of linear dungeon progression, Breath of the Wild introduced a vast, fully interconnected world where players are free to explore, climb, and discover from the very first moment. The game throws you onto the Great Plateau — a massive introductory area that teaches every core mechanic — and then releases you into Hyrule with almost no restrictions. No markers clutter your map. No quest log holds your hand. Just you, your Sheikah Slate, and an impossibly beautiful world waiting to be explored. It won over 200 Game of the Year awards, spawned a direct sequel in Tears of the Kingdom, and influenced virtually every open-world game released since. It is, simply put, one of the greatest games ever made.

The Story

Breath of the Wild takes place at the end of the Zelda timeline, after the events of Ocarina of Time:

• Link — The Hero of Hyrule, who awakens from a 100-year sleep with no memory of his past
• Princess Zelda — The princess who has been holding back Calamity Ganon for a century while protecting Hyrule
• Calamity Ganon — The malevolent entity that has transformed into a swirling abomination of Malice, awaiting its chance to consume Hyrule
• The Great Calamity — 100 years ago, Ganon overwhelmed the kingdom and reduced Hyrule Castle Town to ruins
• Sheikah Technology — Ancient technology left behind by the Sheikah tribe, including the Divine Beasts and the Master Sword
• The Champion — Link must recover his memories and unite with the spirits of the four Champions to save Zelda and Hyrule
• Memories — 13 Recoverable Memory locations scattered across Hyrule, telling the story of 100 years ago
• The Master Sword — The legendary blade of evil is sealed, waiting for the Hero to claim it once more

Open World Exploration

Breath of the Wild features one of the most meticulously designed open worlds in gaming history:

• The Great Plateau — The starting area, a massive plateau that teaches every core mechanic without any linear gating
• Hyrule Castle — The massive central structure, dripping with danger and rich rewards for skilled players
• 120 Shrines — Puzzle dungeons scattered across the world, each containing a Spirit Orb
• 90 Towers — Sheikah Towers that reveal portions of the map when activated
• 4 Divine Beasts — Massive dungeon-like structures each controlled by a Champion spirit
• No Handholding — No quest markers, no objective arrows — you must discover and interpret objectives yourself
• Vertical World — Climb virtually any surface from the first moment, enabling true vertical exploration
• Weather System — Dynamic weather affects climbing, combat, and exploration in real time
• Temperature System — Hot and cold regions require appropriate gear or elixirs to survive
• Hidden Secrets — Korok Seeds, hidden chests, and discoverable lore around every corner

The Sheikah Slate Powers

Link Sheikah Slate grants four powers that transform how you interact with the world:

• Magnesis — Control metallic objects in the environment. Find hidden chests, create bridges, and solve magnetic puzzles.
• Stasis — Freeze objects in time, then release them to launch at high velocity. Perfect for launching heavy objects at enemies or creating paths.
• Cryonis — Create ice blocks from water surfaces. Essential for crossing water and creating climbing paths over rivers.
• Bombs — Round bombs and square bombs for breaking rocks, damaging enemies, and triggering environmental puzzles.
• Camera — Photograph enemies and materials for the Hyrule Compendium
• Hyrule Compendium — A catalog of every creature, enemy, and material discovered in the world
• Amiibo — Scan Zelda amiibo for rare weapons, materials, and exclusive gear including the Twilight Bow and Giant Boomerang

Combat System

BotW combat rewards creativity, timing, and environmental awareness:

• Perfect Dodge — Flawlessly dodge an attack to trigger Slow-Mo, giving critical strike windows
• Perfect Guard — Block with a shield at the exact right moment to deflect attacks and break enemy weapons
• Flurry Rush — Triggered by perfect dodges, Link attacks in slow motion for massive damage
• Mount Combat — Leap onto enemy creatures like the Giant Horse orstag to fight from above
• Environmental Combat — Use fire to create updrafts, ice to trap enemies, and electricity to chain through water
• Stealth Combat — Sneak up on enemies for critical sneak strikes that deal 8x damage
• Weapon Durability — Every weapon breaks after use, forcing players to adapt and use what they find
• Arrow Types — Fire arrows, ice arrows, electric arrows, and bomb arrows each create different tactical opportunities

Characters and Allies

Link is never truly alone on his journey through Hyrule:

The Four Champions

• Daruk — The Goron Champion who pilots Vah Rudania. Grants the Daruk Protection ability for perfect guards.
• Mipha — The Zora Champion who pilots Vah Ruta. Grants the Mipha Grace healing ability.
• Revali — The Rito Champion who pilots Vah Medoh. Grants the Revali Wind ability for aerial reconnaissance.
• Urbosa — The Gerudo Champion who pilots Vah Naboris. Grants the Urbosa Fury lightning attack.

Supporting Characters

• Princess Zelda — The key to the entire story, her journey parallels and intersects with Link at every turn
• Impa — The elder from Kakariko Village who guides Link and provides crucial backstory
• Paya — Impa granddaughter, a shy young woman who becomes a close confidant
• The Great Eagle Statue — The Rito elder who oversees the Champions
• Sidon — Prince of the Zora and Mipha brother, one of the most beloved characters in the game
• Yunobo — Daruk grandson, who Link helps discover his ancestor legacy
• Teba — The Rito warrior and Revali rival who helps with Vah Medoh
• Riju — The young Gerudo Chief who wields the Thunder Helm

The Shrines

120 Shrines are scattered across Hyrule, serving as both dungeons and puzzle challenges:

• Trial of Strength — Combat trials requiring you to defeat enemies to earn rewards
• Trial of Wisdom — Environmental puzzles using the Sheikah Slate powers
• Trial of Endurance — Platforming challenges testing your timing and precision
• Trial of the Cliff — Special hidden shrines with unique mechanics and stories
• Blessing Shrines — Simple shrines that reward exploration without puzzles
• Ancient Furnaces — Complex multi-stage shrine challenges
• Hidden Mini-Bosses — Some shrines contain difficult enemies like Stone Taluses
• Spirit Orbs — Completing a shrine rewards a Spirit Orb, used to upgrade heart containers and stamina

Divine Beasts

The four Divine Beasts are massive mechanical dungeons, each a unique puzzle to navigate and control:

• Vah Rudania — The Goron Divine Beast in Eldin Volcano, controlled by Daruk. Requires navigating rotating mechanisms and lava systems.
• Vah Ruta — The Zora Divine Beast in Lanayru, controlled by Mipha. A water-filled mechanical elephant navigated using Cryonis.
• Vah Medoh — The Rito Divine Beast in the Hebra Mountains, controlled by Revali. A winged fortress requiring aerial navigation.
• Vah Naboris — The Gerudo Divine Beast in the desert, controlled by Urbosa. A towering camel navigated through sandstorms.

Weapons, Armor, and Gear

Link arsenal of weapons and gear reflects his journey from amnesia to legendary hero:

• Master Sword — The legendary blade that never truly breaks, only recharges after breaking. The strongest sword in the game.
• Lightscale Trident — The Rito Champion Mipha exclusive weapon, obtained in her memory
• Thunderhead Wines Bow — The Rito Champion Revali exclusive bow
• Scorching Phantoms Bow — Reward for completing the Medoh questline
• Gerudo Scimitar — The traditional weapon of Gerudo warriors
• Claymores — Two-handed swords with massive damage and reach
• Spears — Long-range polearms with fast attack speed
• Shield Surfing — Shields can be used to surf down mountains as an alternative to snowboarding
• Climbing Gear — The climbing gear set increases climbing speed
• Rubber Armor Set — Protects against electric attacks in the Thunder Tempest

Tips for Players

1. Ignore the Main Quest — The greatest joy of BotW is exploring freely. Do not feel compelled to rush to Impa.
2. Collect Everything — Every resource can be used for cooking, elixirs, or upgrades. A thorough explorer is a powerful explorer.
4. Master the Perfect Dodge — It is the single most useful combat technique in the game. Practice until it becomes second nature.
5. Cook Smart — Monster extracts and prime/critical cooking dramatically boost elixir and food effects.
6. Upgrade Armor First — Getting the Warm Doublet early helps survive cold regions and opens up early exploration.
7. Koroks Love Heights — Hanging seeds are often in hard-to-reach high places. Look up frequently.
8. Buy the House in Kakariko — A quirky side quest lets Link own a house that can be decorated with collected equipment.
9. Tame the Giant Horse — On the Satori Mountain, a golden horse with incredible stats awaits a skilled rider.
10. Use Fire to Create Updrafts — Burning grass creates updrafts that Link can paraglide through to gain altitude.
11. Explore the Castle Early — Hyrule Castle is the most dangerous and rewarding area in the game. Skilled players can grab top-tier gear within minutes of starting.

Legacy and Impact

• 32 Million Copies Sold — One of the best-selling Nintendo games of all time
• Over 200 Game of the Year Awards — More than virtually any game in history
• BAFTA Games Award GOTY — Won Best Game at the 2018 British Academy Games Awards
• DLC: The Master Trials — Added the Trial of the Sword and Hero Mode
• DLC: The Champions Ballad — Added 16 new shrines, a new dungeon, and the EX Music Ruto quest
• Sequel: Tears of the Kingdom — The direct sequel became the best-selling Zelda game ever
• Open-World Revolution — Influenced every major open-world game released since 2017
• The Great Plateau Innovation — The open-world teaching area concept has been copied by countless games

The Bottom Line

Score: 9.8/10

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is not just the best open-world game of its generation. It is one of the best games ever made, period. Nintendo took a beloved franchise that had been following a proven formula for 30 years and completely reinvented it — and somehow, it worked even better than anyone dared hope. The freedom to go anywhere from the very first moment, the beauty of the world, the satisfaction of every mechanic, and the constant sense of genuine discovery combine into something that feels genuinely new even in a genre full of copycats. Whether you are scaling a cliff face in a thunderstorm, timing a perfect dodge against a Lynel, solving a shrine puzzle, or simply watching the sun set over Hyrule Castle from the Great Plateau, Breath of the Wild delivers moments of wonder that few games can match. It changed what open-world games could be, inspired an entire generation of developers, and gave millions of players one of the most magical experiences gaming has ever offered. The Switch most essential game, and arguably the greatest adventure of its generation.

“There are games that are great. And then there is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — a game so transformative, so boldly reimagined, and so endlessly surprising that it does not just raise the bar for open-world games. It makes everything before it feel like a rough draft. Welcome to Hyrule. Nothing will ever feel the same.”

Available on: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U (digital only)

What is your favorite memory from Breath of the Wild? Share your greatest Hyrule moments in the comments!