The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The feeling of adventure and freedom that embraces you when you play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a remarkable achievement. From the start, the vast lands of Hyrule are available to you in their entirety, and these environments never cease to arouse your curiosity, by offering you mysterious landmarks, particularly complex hidden puzzles and enemy camps to plunder in order to obtain weapons and treasures. Being able to do these activities at your own pace, without necessarily following the main quest is liberating, but the way the different mechanics of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild elegantly articulate to form a complex survival game is even more impressive. After some 50 hours spent on the game, I still have a lot of mysteries to solve and a good bunch of cleverly thought-out puzzles to solve. I am literally spellbound by the scope and scale of this adventure, and I often count the hours between my next game.

The wild, post-apocalyptic and techno-fantasy-inspired land of Hyrule is the main protagonist of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It is not only vast, sumptuous and filled with striking panoramas ranging from grassy fields to steep mountain ranges, but is also governed by realistic laws which allow you to find solutions so intuitively, that you are often surprised that they work. The trees bear fruit, the fields can be burned, and even the enemies and animals that populate this region behave in a credible manner, as evidenced by their aggressive reactions. But this realistic approach is not limited to that. Every object you find, from sticks to apples to rocks and metals, is made from a unique material, and these materials respond to fire and magnetism in a completely believable way.

All of these aspects are condensed in an open world of the sandbox type with which you can interact, and this one undoubtedly represents the best in the action adventure genre. If you think something is working, it usually is, and that has prompted me to go into all kinds of delusional experiments. You can stand under an apple tree armed with a torch to cook its fruit and get a quick snack that will fill your health bar, or abandon a sword near an unarmed enemy and see it struck by lightning. At the same time, Link needs warm clothing to survive the freezing cold, and fire-resistant equipment to approach the volcanic lands of the Mountain of Death. It is always surprising to discover how all these mechanics interact together when playing.

But it is really the incredible freedom of movement proposed by Breath of the Wild and the non-linear structure of his quests that place him above his contemporaries adopting an open world. Once you leave the starting area, you have complete freedom with regard to the areas you visit and the areas on which you climb. These are the main reasons why this action-adventure game turns out to be so unique and addictive. As in many other open world games, you are supposed to be able to reach all of the environments you see on the horizon, and this implicit promise is often kept - although in Zelda, finding the way to do it already in itself a satisfying challenge which it is very difficult to get tired of. For example, a captivating island off the mainland was out of reach of my screen during the first hours of play until I improved my skills. When I finally managed to reach my goal, I felt a deep sense of accomplishment - accentuated by the fact that I discovered an easier alternative route that I had previously missed.

This screen is arguably one of the most useful tools in Breath of the Wild due to its high versatility. You can use it to effortlessly cross lakes and ditches, or take advantage of updrafts to access new areas, and I have often used it during my long treks across the map to scan the horizon at looking for clues or reflecting on the events.

From the sky, you have a much broader overview of the environments: each zone has its own ecosystem and climate, and their extreme disparities in terms of altitude and temperature require you to equip yourself accordingly in order to be able to cross them safely. So, flying to the icy peaks is of little interest if you end up frozen before you can even land, and getting there with the right equipment is crucial.

By improving your endurance bar and Link's skills, you have access to other varied environments. But keep in mind that whatever level you reach, the almighty Mother Nature will always have the last word. Random weather events like rain and thunder slow your movement on slippery surfaces, and lightning can strike you suddenly if you wear metallic objects. The day / night cycle works in real time and significantly modifies your environment: monsters spring from the ground during the night, and it then becomes easier to spot plants, insects and other secrets that I would let you discover by yourself -even. In summary, these nuances constantly remind you that you are at the mercy of the world around you.

This magnificent and enchanting region also shelters dreamlike environments. When you cross them, subtle melodies underline these contemplative moments, and the piano often mixes with the ambient noises of the local fauna. In the foreground, the graphic style adopted by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, anime style, proves colorful, lively and beautifully animated, but all this at a price in terms of performance. The framerate coughs slightly and the objects are displayed late, although these little annoyances are especially noticeable when you use the TV mode of the Switch (displaying 900p) and that many particle effects fill your screen, and they are good rarer when playing in tablet mode (displaying 720p). Be aware however that whatever the mode used, these small technical inconveniences have never undermined my gaming experience (you will have to wait a bit to find out what it is for the Wii U version).

Master Chef

Unlike many survival-oriented games where each object you use can be created by collecting various materials (cutting down trees or harvesting minerals for example), all the mechanics related to crafts revolve around the kitchen in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It is a light and flexible system that allows you to experiment with many combinations of ingredients in order to survive. The raw food and small quick snacks you get from using your torch provide you with a small amount of health, but it is actually the hearty dishes you cook with a cauldron by mixing various ingredients that greatly improve your stats.

I spent many hours looking for the best recipes based on the clues in the description of the ingredients, and this notably allowed me to improve my endurance and develop increased resistance to certain elements. And even when I was wrong in testing new recipes, I got a "questionable food" that was apparently as disgusting to contemplate as it was to ingest. Making potions is just as flexible, and you will find the ingredients necessary to design this type of drink by inspecting the bodies of insects and monsters.

A possibility that the player decides when to take, because here is a good part of the greatness of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. His being truly and without compromise is a free game completely available to anyone who wants to explore it. After completing an initial section that acts as a real tutorial, almost without the player realizing it (Skyward Sword's lengths are light years away), the regions surrounding the castle of Hyrule offer themselves without any limit. One mission: defeat Ganon. Only a handful of stingy tips in the form of some major quests that can be addressed, listening to the wise advice of the development team, but which can equally be left aside. The goal is clear, to Link find out how and when to reach it.

The ambition that distinguishes the first, new, Zelda for a (also) home system for six years now is one that is rarely savored. In all probability only Ocarina of Time can share with Breath of the Wild the same contagious and amazing desire to do, to revolutionize, to propose itself as a unique, immense, unforgettable and totalizing adventure. And it's surprising how much everything flows in such an elegant, natural and paradoxically predictable way. Because you enter the new mechanisms of a new way of understanding "the legend" almost without realizing it, finding yourself in a different yet always recognizable world, doing what ever it was possible to do before and enjoying every minute.

However, there is a sort of ideal vademecum intended to help Link in what initially seems an impossible undertaking. Each region can be reached at any time, climbing over obstacles and knocking down Boblin camps or making their way through the darkness by mixing the bones with the Stal, but without a map at hand it becomes complicated to understand where to go and what to do. This is the purpose of the towers which, after the hero's awakening, mysteriously erected themselves to the sky in every area of Hyrule. We find ourselves alone, with the Sheikah tablet collected in the first minutes of the game that accompanies Link with a whole series of functions, including that of binoculars: a look towards the horizon, following the four cardinal directions, until you see the nearest tower. Then off you go, select the most appropriate weapon, place a useful shield on your back, if necessary, check the clothing again and then start running towards the tower.

On foot or on horseback, if you have already managed to find one and tame it (initially it is not advisable to target those with a uniform coat, too bizarre) and nearby there is a stabling in which to recover it, with a pointer placed just before through the Sheikah tablet to drive in the dark night (real or metaphorical it may be). When you finally find her, after facing some enemy, dodging her blows to the last to forcefully replicate having breached her defenses, you can start with the climb. At the top a strange hybrid of mechanics, technology and stone allows the Sheikah tablet to finally know the conformation of the region. The elevated position is perfect to start looking for some shrines, relying again on the map signaling system to note the position. Are there two in sight? Very well, a jump from tens of meters in height, a fall that transforms into a docile glide with that strange portable hang glider, an homage to an ancient figure in the early stages of the game, while below is yet another glimpse of a Hyrule never so alive , real and throbbing.

Who would expect Nintendo to make a real revolution in one of its flagship series? The previous editions of The Legend of Zelda cycle were most often satisfied with a uniform pattern. Here is the evil Ganondorf imprisoning Princess Zelda in the castle of Hyrule, and the hero who at first has no idea how great events will happen to him in the future, sets out to save the kingdom, finds the mythical Master Sword, and then in the final battle he gets rid of hostile forces, saving kingdom before eternal darkness.

In the meantime, Link acquires new gadgets that allow him to traverse extensive dungeons full of thought-out puzzles and mean residents. During the journey, our hero visits the village of Kakariko, where hens must go to the farm - this patent was even borrowed by the creators of the Rise of the Tomb Raider - and performs various tasks for the Gerudo people, the Zora nation, volcanic Goron or bird-like Rito.

To a greater or lesser extent, these are permanent elements associated with the series for years, for which Shigeru Miyamoto is responsible from the very beginning - in my opinion one of the best, if not the best video game designer . The guy obsessed with imprisoned princesses - Zelda is a serious and sad version of Peach, and Linek's basic attribute, i.e. the green cap, is almost as recognizable as Mario's mustache. In Breath of the Wild, our hero runs without a snot on his head, but when I wrote in the first paragraph about a coup in the series, I meant something completely different.

Nintendo did a great thing. Keeping all the elements associated with this cycle, it has prepared a game that is thoroughly fresh, modern and based on very solid sandbox foundations, which in such a total version can not be found among the competition. In short, Link's new adventures don't treat players like idiots, while offering an unforgettable adventure .

A breath of freedom in an open world

The link wakes up in some cave where he has spent the past hundred years. The hero Hyrule lost the last clash with the forces of darkness. Apparently, because our protagonist does not remember any of these events. Just like the player is not aware why in all the huge - I emphasize: huge and extremely diverse - ominous land looms ominous machines , once designed to protect the world from Ganon, and now fully dependent on his will and warping. The link is weak, its first weapon will probably be the branch next to the cave, which after a few hits will fall apart and you will have to look around for some more durable defense tool.

The greatest asset of Breath of the Wild is the freedom of conduct. In addition to the first few tasks performed in a limited area - until we get a hang glider giving Link the opportunity to glide - we can go where we want and do what we want - no matter what decision we make (some even managed to finish the game in an hour, heading straight for the final clash), and yes we will have a great time . This is one of the few titles that are able to surprise us at every turn, revealing something that has not been signaled before or expected.

Comparisons of the new Zelda to Minecraft began to appear on the internet, a bit exaggerated in terms of freedom of conduct, but certainly true when you look at dozens of small, refined mechanisms, the discovery of which gives enormous satisfaction. Believe me, after seventy hours spent with Link thanks to videos circulating on the net I still learn things I could not even imagine (e.g. that enemies can be killed ... by chickens!).

Sandbox again

In Breath of the Wild Link he gained the ability to climb like some Ezio, but the Japanese went a step further, because the hero even climbs on vertical rocky surfaces. The determinant of its capabilities is the stamina bar, which we develop at the expense of traditional hearts that increase vitality. This new system creates great choice for exploring and exploring the map . In this case, Nintendo goes back to the classic world of gaming with an open world and offers the option of tower climbing. But don't let the infantility of this solution fool you!

The link laboriously overcomes all these obstacles not to reveal a ton of finds and a plethora of interesting places, automatically applied to the handy map. He does this so that the map shows the topography of the terrain along with geographical names, which are operated by numerous characters encountered in the game. Only ourselves (through the telescope) can we mark several characteristic points to which we want to go. Anyway, if you don't feel like it, you can skip these towers and play in a different way . At most, he will miss some interesting logic puzzles and fights with opponents.

Hang gliding, on rocks, on a mount or on legs. We can enter every hole, and Nintendo has already made sure that we are not bored anywhere. The world of the new Zelda is huge. Gargantuan even. It happens that we walk around it for a good dozen minutes without encountering a living soul. And you know what? It's a great feeling.

Manufacturer link

Breath of the Wild works like a survival game, fortunately having absolutely nothing to do with dozens of craps available on digital distribution platforms. With clumsy creations contaminated with early access, underdeveloped, looking like a single die, without imagination and grace. Zelda is beautiful in artistic terms, requiring creativity and thoughtful action , but not in acquiring raw materials. There are enough of these everywhere.

The issue of survival in battle is instead a skillful mixing of resources, by trial and error - or a thorough reading of descriptions. A horse with a row to those who knew from the very beginning how to start cooking! This must be discovered. Such things sometimes suggest characters in a short dialogue, very rarely brings us to the game. Most often you have to do everything yourself. And it's damn satisfying!

The link predicts the weather

At all times we are accompanied by a fantastic weather system, not only showing the current state, but also allowing to predict what awaits us in the near future . During a downpour, it is better not to climb on the rocks or walls, because the character will slide off the wet surface. It is, however, the perfect time for a quiet approach from behind to opponents and killing them with one blow. It is worth to choose the right weapon, because it may happen that a weak gladiolus is not enough for a powerful lizalfos. In addition, each melee weapon is destroyed after a while, as are shields and bows.

The storm brings more surprises. For example, a thunderbolt can ignite grass. Or lightning to hit the hero himself , as long as he makes us unnecessarily tempt fate and walks among the lightning sky lighting. Discovering such things makes the jaw drop. I probably saw the lightning impact on the surroundings for the first time somewhere around forty. Ten hours later my Link got an electric shock to my head, which had to end up loading the last record. Geez, I was so happy! However, I did not risk more during the storm and I preferred to wait out the storm somewhere under the roof.

Hyrule elements

We won't go through the desert (or near the volcano) without cooling down the body. Here the craft system bows again. We collect plants, fruits, parts of warped machines and monsters. Everything will be useful. Each element of the outfit can be improved. You just have to find the fairy. Yes, the sexy "babol" no longer makes us catch fireflies in bottles. Now, for an appropriate fee, it will change into a first-class dressmaker, which with the help of a few parts from dead monsters will improve the defense parameters of the outfit.

We won't find Epona in the standard version of the game. Beloved mare Linka is available only after buying the right amiibo, but don't despair because there are plenty of horses in Breath of the Wild . They run in herds, and we can try to silently approach and ride one, which requires skilful calming of the mount during - given that he does not want to listen to our orders at first and does not always turn where we would like. Gaining full trust must take time.

In addition, the horse can be registered for a fee in one of the many stables, so we will have it for a whistle. But hola, hola ... Zelda is not some Witcher there . The horse will come on cue, but only if it can hear us. If we leave somewhere further, we are on our own feet. And this is wonderful because it requires discipline and increases the sense of reality of a completely unreal world.