Review: let yourself be enchanted by "Zelda: Breath of the Wild

"The Legend of Zelda": ever since the first game on the NES, over 30 years ago, the series has been the subject of a veritable cult following. I still remember the days when my brother and I would explore mysterious dungeons, fight ferocious monsters and let ourselves be carried away by this fantastic world. After that, I only played the series occasionally. I'd try out a few games here and there, but sooner or later I'd lose my enthusiasm. So it's been a while since I've seen credits like this.

Yet I could still feel the fever rising inside me as I waited for this new chapter. Not because it was probably the only launch game for the Nintendo Switch that was actually worth playing. But because this new direction was finally going to be to my liking.

After hours and hours spent in the world of Hyrule, I can confirm it: it feels like home.

A world you'd want to get lost in.

"Zelda: Breath of the Wild" is an incredible game. I was extremely sceptical of my interest in "Zelda", a lower resolution game, after the fantastic and visually stunning "Horizon Zero Dawn". My fears were unfounded. Nintendo proves once again that it's not the number of graphical effects that matter when it comes to making a story captivating. The huge game world of "Zelda" is no match for the post-post-apocalyptic universe of the PS4 blockbuster.

The world of Hyrule, eternal playground of the "Zelda" series, is a place for explorers. Unlike previous chapters, you're thrown straight into the game without having to endure a boring tutorial first. That's not to say that there isn't a learning phase. At the start of your adventure, you are confronted with a physical frontier. Within the vast starting region, you acquire your first skills, such as using bombs and magnets or stopping time, and will eventually get your hands on a kind of paraglider through which the rest of the world will open up to you.

From there, you gain access to a vast, multi-faceted territory. The beautiful graphics also avoid monotony thanks to their different climatic effects and day/night cycles. You soon find yourself dreaming, lulled along by a rousing soundtrack.

This wonderful world, created by cult developer Shigeru Miyamoto, is rich with life and mystery. When you stand on the edge of a cliff and look into the distance, you know that behind every hill or in every forest, a new surprise awaits you. Sometimes you'll come across little villages that could be straight out of a Studio Ghibli film ("The Voyage of Chihiro", "Princess Mononoke"). Or you'll cross paths with a gigantic cyclops, against which you'll have to be extremely skilful. Just thinking about it makes explorer's fever take hold of me again.

Go where you will

You decide where the journey takes you. Although the game lays out a roughly defined path for you, in the form of main quests, you can choose to go off it at will. No other 'Zelda' game has given you so much freedom. Where previous chapters denied you access to certain areas until you'd found the necessary equipment, in "Zelda: Breath of the Wild" you can tackle virtually any challenge with the skills you start with.

If you want to go head-to-head, right from the start, with the big bad Ganon, knock yourself out. There are certainly players out there who have given it a go. And, of course, they've taken a beating. But it was at least possible.

That freedom makes this game so exceptional. At no point did I feel any pressure to perform a particular action, as I do in many other open-world games. I simply let myself explore the world. And the game rewards your curiosity. Whether you climb a mountain or stumble across a riddle in the heart of an enchanted forest, there are always new weapons, gems or another treasure to be won.

Natural boundaries

"Zelda" plays heavily on the natural difficulty level. The further you stray from the intended path, the stronger the opponents. As the starting weapons do very little damage, you need to be very skilled if you want to take on bigger opponents. It may therefore be better to collect better equipment, more hearts and stamina beforehand. The latter determines how long you can run, swim or climb. In theory, you can climb the highest mountain. But if you don't have enough room to rest during the climb, Link, exhausted, will fall before reaching the summit.

Your culinary skills will help you fight monsters and survive in the wild. By mixing the right ingredients, you prepare special dishes that not only grant you health points, but also boost your defences, improve your ability to sneak about or make you even more immune to the cold.

The Sheikah Tablet will be a great help during your adventures. A magical artefact that holds all the important things such as the inventory, quest diary and map. You can update it as you go along to find out more about the surrounding area. Take a photo of a specific plant, for example, and set your Sheikah sensor to start beeping when that plant is nearby.

A clever mix of puzzles and action

There are, of course, still dungeons to explore in "Zelda" - there are, however, considerably fewer of them. They are, on the other hand, gigantic and hide a few surprises. You'll also find a number of shrines. These mini-dungeons contain smaller puzzles and challenges, allowing you to discover new tactics and tricks. Here, too, there are several paths to the goal. You'll also get globes, called Spirit Orbs, which you can exchange for more life or stamina.

You'll regularly come across puzzles off the beaten track. Whether it's during side quests, set in motion by Hyrule's many unusual inhabitants, or by chance, at the bend in a forest, on a strange rock formation.

It's not just your brain that's in demand, but your fingers too. The many opponents are demanding and you'll need to be very tactical. Fortunately, Link has more than one trick up his sleeve. His agility means he can dodge attacks and, with the right timing, deliver decisive counters. He can also fight from a distance by freezing his enemies with ice arrows. You'll need to commit your full arsenal to defeat the greatest opponents.

Weapons, shields and bows wear out over time. This means carrying around a whole arsenal of swords and axes at all times, as they break quickly. But that didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. All you have to do is change your equipment regularly and keep the right pieces for the toughest battles.

The game has found its voice

This is the first time a "Zelda" game has been allowed to speak. However, only in the main narrative scenes. Link, like the rest of the world, is always silent and only grunts and sighs occasionally. At first I was a little disappointed that Nintendo didn't dare go all the way. Now I can see why. The sound system makes the story more emotional and captivating. The rest of the game, on the other hand, remains more personal and you quickly lose yourself in this world and in your own thoughts, because there isn't always someone yapping away. You can play podcasts while you play if you find it all too quiet (For example my own 😏).

All in all, "Zelda" is still a pretty quiet game. There were even times when my wife came into the room to ask me if I'd stopped playing, as she couldn't hear anything any more. She wasn't used to the quiet any more after the hellish crash of the robot dinosaurs in "Horizon Zero Dawn".

Wii U vs Switch

I was only able to test the Switch version, which is visually a little better. Still, I did notice occasional FPS issues. It's not extremely annoying, but the game does slow down noticeably - note that this was the pre-release version. A patch update is already available. Loading times are relatively short and limited to shrines, teleports and when you die. I played with a game module so didn't have to install the game, as would have been the case with the digital version.

Of course, I also tested the game on the move, which is entirely possible with the handheld Nintendo Switch. Although the atmosphere on the train is never the same as at home, the journey flies by in no time. The battery lasts for around three hours.

Conclusion: a new fan

I've always dreamed of being as impressed by a "Zelda" game as I was by the original on NES. While "Breath of the Wild" won't give me such nostalgic thrills, I can say that I was thrilled by the game. It managed to tell a story that's been retold 100 times in an innovative and exciting way. This fantastic world is full of secrets and wonderful creatures. It invites discovery and sets almost no limits. The smallest details are superb, such as when you are struck by lightning while carrying metal weapons.

There are, of course, annoying aspects too. The controls aren't customisable. So I often found myself, during frantic battles, mistakenly clicking the left analogue stick which is used for dodging - instead of running like in every other game. This earned me a few tantrums. Also, you can only call the horse when it's nearby. So that means: forward, to the next stable. Apart from these inconveniences, I've never felt such freedom and such enchantment in the same game. It's an absolute must-have for Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo Switch owners and, it goes without saying, for anyone who's read this review to the end 😏.

Game consoles

Nintendo Switch + Zelda BotW

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Video games

Nintendo The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

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Video games

Nintendo The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Wii U, IT, FR, EN, DE

15

Game consoles

Nintendo Switch + Zelda BotW

13

Video games

Nintendo The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

1368

Video games

Nintendo The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Wii U, IT, FR, EN, DE

15

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