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Games of the Decade #3/Blog a Day #28

Hello everyone, how are you?

What makes a good open-world game? It can be a number of things that makes an open-world game great, like an interesting setting, to many places to discover and explore, a good story, fun gameplay, and finding and doing something new every time you play. Thing is there is always a catch when it comes to open-world games like the story might suffer as a result in favor of non-linear progression and the way the world is structured. For this next game, we will be looking at a game that saw numerous delays that many wondered if it was ever going to release which is known as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

                                      I really love the subtle music in this game ♥

We first got a glimpse of what could a Zelda game in HD would look like thanks to a tech demo that they showed off before the Wii U launched. It wasn't till E3 2014 that we finally got our first look at the Wii U's very first original Zelda game, and it didn't look anything like the tech demo. I think at this point by now we can all agree that Zelda tech demos don't reflect the final product since this isn't the first time this has happened. This game was delayed numerous times since it's initial reveal and many wondered if it was ever going to release. One of the reasons it got delayed was because the game would have a simultaneous launch on the Nintendo Switch as well as being a launch title for the new system. The game finally released after what seemed like an eternity but was that long wait worth it?

In BotW you assume the role of Link like in all of the Zelda games. This time around Link awakens from a 100 year slumber, only to find that Hyrule is in a state of ruin to the point that it is post-apocalyptic. Everyone and everything he once knew is gone but that doesn't matter because Link doesn't remember anything at all that happened before his 100 year sleep, But now it is up to Link to save Hyrule, one that he is not familiar with.

As soon as you start the game you are free to do pretty much whatever you want. It's an open-world action-adventure game but you can progress through the game and story in a non-linear way thanks to how the game is structured. You can choose to progress through the story right away or at your own pace or if you'd rather do sidequests or go exploring. The choice is yours and I love how much freedom the game gives you. You get to decided on how you want to play.

 

                                             It's still incredible almost 3 years later

Exploration plays a huge role in this game and trust me, you're going to be doing a lot of it. There's plenty to see and do in Hyrule. You can clearly see the aftermath of what happened to Hyrule these past 100 years like ruins of what once were towns and buildings and in many cases you can see nature doing its part. The environments in this game look absolutely gorgeous, the artstyle in the game really make the game pop. The artstyle feels like a blend of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, which was what Skyward Sword was trying to pull off with its graphics but couldn't execute that properly but they work so well here. There's no shortage of interesting locations to explore too.

The game also brings various new mechanics that are a first to the series or just further improved, most notably is the ability to climb things like walls and various surfaces. It's a really cool mechanic and definitely a game changer in general for games of this genre. Another one is probably the most controversial which is weapon/equipment degradation. Your weapons and equipment like swords, shields, and bows will eventually break over time if used often. I feel like this was implemented so you won't be overpowered or anything or just roll through enemies with only 1 weapon. You can also cook food in this game too. You can make food out of various ingredients that you find in the wild and you can experiment to see what you get.

The map doesn't feel empty in the slightest with the various things to see and do. You can even encounter npcs every so often out exploring or making their way through to the next town. The game is also filled with various wildlife too like horses, bears, and more. And yes there's also enemies around the map too. Sometimes they may be in small groups or in enemy camps. You can either fight them or just pass by and ignore them, it's up to you. You can even encounter mini-bosses out while exploring too. All of this really makes this game feel alive.

     You can definitely make some really questionable things in this game so she isn't wrong...

"But Captain N, where can I play this game?" You can play it on either the Switch or the Wii U. both games are the same for the most part but I remember the lighting in the Switch version being better which is pretty much the only difference and the ways to play the game. It depends if you want to be able to play the game anywhere at your own convenience or if you want to play it exclusively on the tv. The game has an Expansion Pass that adds more content to the game like extra story dlc and more challenges so if you think that's worth it for you and want even more content to an already massive game then by all means go for it.

Final Thoughts: Breath of the Wild is such a fantastic game, it really blew me away. The game is really massive with plenty to see and explore and it never feels boring. You can proceed through the story and any objectives at your own pace and there is no hand-holding for once. The game definitely feels like a re-imagining of the very first Zelda in a way if you thin aout it and the developers had gone on to say that they were trying to do just that. What I love is that the game feels like a Fallout game to me like when you're out exploring there and on a sidequest and you suddenly see an interesting location and you go and check it out. I suppose it helps since this version of Hyrule is post-apocalyptic. That's exactly what it feels like to me in BotW. The game may be an open-world action-adventure game but it's also a survival game too if you think about it. From the ruins you see to the characters who are trying to make the most out of the situation and are trying to survive.  

I feel like the best part of the game is experimentation. You can approach the way you play the game in any way you want. You can go through the story right away, explore, or if you're feeling bold then you can go straight to the final boss as soon as you start the game. There's pretty much no restrictions in this game and you have the freedom to do whatever you want thanks to its non-linear structure. Another thing I love is experimentation. Like past Zelda games offered a single solution to puzzles but here you are free to solve them however you want but not only puzzles but various other things too and that's one thing I've always wanted in these games. You should see the crazy things people have done thanks to experimenting to see if something works, which I highly encourage you to give it a try. You never know if your crazy idea works unless you give it a go.

                                                           It happens to all of us

I remember I wrote a blog many many years ago before the Wii U launched and before we got our first tease of BotW and I wrote what I would like to see in the first HD Zelda game. I am really surprised at how many of the things I wrote about ended up in the game. Maybe Nintendo read it? I'd like to think they did. Should this be the formula all future Zelda games should follow? I don't think so, but while we are here I hope that they take note of the flaws the game had so they can improve upon in the sequel. It definitely feels strange playing open-world games without being able to climb things, but BotW is definitely a game changer and feels like a breath of fresh air in a genre that prioritizes size over depth.

That's it for number 3. I'll be back for number 2 as soon as I finish exploring this new area I found...

 

*All images except the first one were taken by my Switch and my copy of the game*