When Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2017, it wasn’t just another entry in a beloved franchise; it was a radical reimagining of what open-world games could be. Launching alongside the Nintendo Switch, it quickly became a flagship title that showcased both the potential of the new console and Nintendo’s willingness to innovate within one of its most storied series. Breath of the Wild earned universal acclaim for its freedom, https://f8bet.city/ creativity, and world design, setting new standards that countless games have tried to emulate since.
At first glance, Breath of the Wild fits comfortably into the open-world mold. Players take on the role of Link, awakening from a century-long slumber to find the kingdom of Hyrule in ruins. Calamity Ganon looms as the great evil to be defeated, but the path to victory is almost entirely up to the player. From the moment Link steps out of the Shrine of Resurrection and gazes across the vast landscape of Hyrule, the sense of possibility is overwhelming. Mountains in the distance are not just set dressing; they are explorable. Rivers, forests, and ruins all hold secrets, waiting for players to uncover them at their own pace.
What truly set Breath of the Wild apart was its philosophy of freedom. Unlike many open-world games that bombard players with markers, objectives, and restrictions, Nintendo stripped away much of the clutter. Instead, the game provided a handful of tools and trusted players to figure things out for themselves. Link’s abilities—climbing, gliding, cooking, and manipulating physics through the Sheikah Slate—created endless possibilities for problem-solving. A puzzle might have a “designed” solution, but the game never forced it, allowing players to use creativity and experimentation to find their own answers.
One of the most revolutionary mechanics was the stamina system tied to climbing. Suddenly, every cliff, tree, and building became a potential path. Exploration was no longer limited by invisible walls but only by a player’s willingness to push the limits of their stamina bar. The addition of the paraglider made traversal even more exhilarating, turning every high point into an opportunity for discovery. This freedom transformed Hyrule into a playground where curiosity was always rewarded.
The game’s shrines exemplified this philosophy. Instead of the traditional Zelda dungeons alone, Breath of the Wild introduced over 100 shrines scattered across the map. Each shrine offered a self-contained puzzle or combat challenge, often leveraging physics, elements, or creative use of tools. They were short but satisfying, and together they created a steady rhythm of discovery. Larger dungeons existed in the form of Divine Beasts, massive mechanical creatures that players could enter and manipulate. These provided more traditional Zelda challenges while still embracing the game’s open-ended design.
Combat, too, took on a new dimension. Weapons degraded and eventually broke, forcing players to constantly adapt and experiment rather than rely on a single favorite sword or bow. While divisive, this system reinforced the game’s theme of improvisation. Players had to use whatever was available—tree branches, enemy weapons, explosive barrels, or even the environment itself. Combined with dynamic weather that could affect battles, such as lightning storms that punished metal equipment, every fight felt unique and unpredictable.
Another highlight was the cooking system. Ingredients scattered throughout the world could be combined into meals and elixirs, providing health restoration or buffs. Experimenting with recipes became a delightful side activity, turning what could have been simple stat management into a charming and creative feature. This emphasis on small but meaningful systems added depth to the survival aspect of the game, making exploration feel more grounded.
Narratively, Breath of the Wild embraced subtlety. Instead of a linear, heavily scripted story, much of the lore was discovered through exploration and memory fragments. Players pieced together what happened to Hyrule, Zelda, and Link through scattered cutscenes, environmental storytelling, and interactions with the remnants of civilization. This approach gave the story a sense of melancholy, as players wandered through the ruins of a once-great kingdom, piecing together its tragic downfall at their own pace.
Breath of the Wild’s art direction also deserves mention. Rather than chasing hyper-realism, Nintendo opted for a painterly, cel-shaded style that combined bright colors with soft textures. The result was timeless. Hyrule felt vast and alive, with fields swaying in the wind, sunsets painting the horizon, and storms rolling in dramatically. Combined with a dynamic soundtrack that shifted between quiet piano notes and sweeping orchestral swells, the game captured a sense of awe and serenity that few titles have matched.
The game’s impact was immediate and far-reaching. Critics hailed it as one of the greatest games ever made, praising its bold reinvention of the open-world formula. It won numerous Game of the Year awards and has sold over 30 million copies, becoming the best-selling Zelda title by far. More importantly, it influenced the broader industry. Games like Elden Ring, Genshin Impact, and Immortals Fenyx Rising all drew inspiration from Breath of the Wild’s emphasis on freedom, exploration, and emergent gameplay.
Of course, it wasn’t without criticism. Some players disliked weapon durability, others wished for more traditional dungeons, and a few found the story too sparse compared to past Zelda entries. But even with these debates, the overwhelming consensus was that Breath of the Wild revitalized the franchise and redefined what open worlds could be.
Ultimately, Breath of the Wild is remembered not just as a great game but as a transformative one. It invited players to explore, experiment, and discover in ways that felt personal and rewarding. Every climb, every shrine, and every victory felt earned not because the game demanded it, but because players chose it. In an industry often obsessed with guiding players toward pre-scripted experiences, Breath of the Wild dared to trust them with freedom—and in doing so, it created a masterpiece that will influence game design for generations to come.