One of BotW's strengths is the freedom it gives to players. It adheres to the core of The Legend of Zelda--that Link and Zelda must defeat the evil Ganon--but otherwise largely allows players to decide how and when to achieve that goal. Let loose in a post-cataclysm yet gorgeous Hyrule, I initially dutifully followed the "Main Quest" instructions, but then got sidetracked by, well, Hyrule.
I shall now fangirl over the best parts of the game.
HYRULE! Hyrule is the MVP of the game, every inch of it begging to be explored. Link can climb anything, although he falls if he runs out of stamina. Also, he'll keep slipping when it rains, which happens regularly. This ability to go anywhere affords players astounding views of snowy fields littered with buried treasure, imposing cliffs, a simmering volcano, inviting beach communities, and other tantalizing locations. Looming in the center it all, and frankly being a total buzzkill, is Hyrule Castle, where Zelda and Ganon remain locked in a 100-year battle. This is where Link must go to complete his adventure.
But why hurry, when hidden Koroks wait to be uncovered and plundered for their seeds? Surely Zelda can wait for Link to receive the blessing of all 120 monks in their shrines, some of which are a devil to find in the first place! And Ganon can certainly chill in the castle for a little longer while Link recovers his lost memories of his beloved princess, as well as the Master Sword tucked deep in the Lost Woods. Also, as the legendary hero, Link definitely has a responsibility to assist all the NPCs who throw sidequests his way! Oh, plus the Great Fairies are positively languishing in their fountains, won't someone help them? And, and, and those dragons flying around at specific times in particular locations are important, right?
In other words, Hyrule has so much to offer that each player crafts his/her unique BotW adventure. The game only railroads players for a brief time in the beginning, with the paraglider quest and the visit to two locations related to the Main Quest ("Destroy Ganon"). After that, the world is yours! My own journey focused on the "Free the Divine Beasts" quest, which took me to the Zora (home of the delectable Prince Sidon), past Akkala's perpetual autumn foliage, through scorching Eldin, up into the home of the Rito, and then to the Gerudo desert. I encountered fellow Hylians on the road and in the many stables dotting the land, and of course Beedle the traveling salesman, a Zelda standby since Windwaker.
GAMEPLAY! The gameplay is another highlight in BotW. Link is an expert swords-elf, and he never levels up. Instead, he must find increasingly powerful weapons and armor to help in battles against the many monsters roaming Hyrule. In the beginning, all he gets to fight with are tree branches and the occasional axe, but better fighting tools await as he explores more of his world. Link can store and use melee weapons (swords, clubs, etc.), bows and arrows, and shields. All of them break after some use, so Link must constantly replenish his supplies. And there are so many ways to do so! Arrows can be retrieved, weapons and shields can be stolen from enemies or found in chests, or are just lying around for the enterprising hero.
THE ARMOR! And the armor, oh the armor! There are so many sets to discover and mix and match. My own personal go-to is the complete Climbing Gear set, because climbing, but when faced with opponents I would switch to the amber earrings (defense up) and the top and bottom of the Barbarian set (attack up). There's also Zora armor for swimming, Rito clothes for cold weather, a rubber suit (?) so Link doesn't immediately die in a lightning strike (Hyrule has fierce storms!), and of course, a voe outfit to get into the women-only city of Gerudo.
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| Clockwise from bottom left: Zora armor, Armor of the Wild, Rubber Suit, voe costume, Climbing set, Rito set, Barbarian set. |
COMBAT! Meanwhile, the combat system is consistent with all other Zelda games--the the hack-and-slash, of course!-- with some snazzy defensive and counter moves thrown in. In particular, the flurry strikes, which trigger when Link performs a perfect dodge, helped me survive many a battle with Lynels, the wicked fast half-horse, half-lion beasts. Combat is fun because of the variety of enemies, who react sensibly to being smacked: they fight back immediately or, if unarmed, run for their weapons or throw rocks. There are the bokoblins; the bigger Moblins; the Stal, skeletal enemies who only come out at night; the giant Talus and Hinox monsters; and the guardians, autonomous laser-firing units. I was so very proud of myself when I mastered the shield counter for guardians, which reflects their beams back at them. Hah!
Let's talk about the blood moon mechanic. In BotW, a red moon will at times show up in the sky, and Zelda's solemn voice will intone, "The blood moon rises." And all the enemies Link vanquished will resurrect! This can be inconvenient, such as when I just slew a Molduga (a giant under the sands, a la Dune) and then the blood moon made its appearance. I just went ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and killed it again, its guts have medicinal properties, you know! The blood moon also showed up in my battle with Malice-Ganon, though I fortunately whomped him before it fully rose (whew!). I personally didn't mind this gameplay feature, since I am happy to run roaring into battle against evil. So.
CONTROLS! The controls are smooth and efficient. Link can quickly switch between weapons, shields, outfits, and rune abilities. For example, I could be swimming in my Zora armor, hit a cliff, and change quickly into my climbing gear to scale it. Or I could be wandering around, run into an icy foe, and immediately bust out a fiery weapon or arrow to deal with it. Controlling Link is a dream.
COOKING! Link can make up dishes by throwing ingredients into a cooking pot. Players can use fruit, meat, fish, insects, and even monster parts to create meals or elixirs that restore hearts or produce an effect like stealth or heat resistance. My best dish consists only of one giant radish and one Hyrule herb--it completely restores health and adds three hearts! By end game, that was all the healing I needed. I also cooked a lot of attack- and defense-boosting dishes.
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PSA 1: To earn rupees mid-game, mix 4 prime meat and 1 rock salt. The dish can be sold for 180 rupees each. This approach worked for me because my Link was vegetarian, so I had almost 100 unused prime meat in my inventory.
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HORSES! Link can tame the horses he encounters, and register up to five at stables. If you happen to leave a registered horse somewhere far away, just go to a stable, request another horse, and they'll take in the one left behind. I admit that I didn't use my horses much, since it was more fun to climb, and I missed a lot when I rode. This is probably the weakest aspect of BotW, because in other games Link could just whistle and Epona would come galloping up. In BotW, horses aren't magic. So sad.
SIDE QUESTS! The game accommodates all types, since Link can do what needs to be done at a pace and manner of the player's choosing. Players can even avoid combat altogether! Side quests are a joy because there are no time limits. And, having just played Ys VIII, where quest solutions are literally marked on the map, I'd say BotW's approach, which is to only show players the location of the quest giver, is better because of the challenge. My favorite quests are the ones involving Kass, a Rito bard who sings riddles that, when solved, reveal a shrine. I also liked building Tarrey Town!
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PSA 2: There are at least two missable side quests in the game! Both are in Gerudo town, and apparently must be triggered during the Lightning Helm quest. One is "Find Barta" and the other one is "The Mystery Polluter."
Completionists, take note!
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SOUNDTRACK! Finally, the music is outstanding. This game has a lot of tracks, but the main theme is memorable, as are other pieces, such as "Hyrule Castle Theme" and the one that plays whenever a dragon is nearby. I'd buy an orchestral arrangement of BotW in a heartbeat. And the sound effects are top-notch, too! In the Japanese voice version, Link has a full array of grunts, etc.; NPCs make hilarious noises; monsters are suitably roar-y; the grass is rustle-y; and so on and so forth. Well done, sound mixing team!
I could go on, but instead I'll finish with a brief list of BotW experiences that stood out for me:
- The "Captured Memories" quest that slowly revealed Princess Zelda's personality was touching.
- Fighting the zebra-looking Lynel in the Hebra region. That sucker was tough!
- All the over-the-top Great Fairy reveals! And when they pull Link into their fountains! Bwahahahaaaa
- Completing side quests by accident! My favorite: taming the giant horse. I named him KhalDrogo. I also tamed Zelda's royal steed because I happened to spot it during a side quest. Her name was Brienne.
- Finding the shrines within the labyrinths!
- Obtaining Link's classic costume as the reward for going to all the shrines!
- Zelda! In the Japanese version, she always goes, "Leeeeenk." hehe
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| Looking great at 117 years old! |
In conclusion, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is divine. I wish I could join Link and Zelda as they travel around Hyrule again.
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| "First we need to stop at Trader Joe's." |
TL;DR: An enthralling gaming experience. Super mega highly recommended!
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This post brought to you by spring! It's here, right?
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