When I got tired of that, I explored the valleys below to tackle shrines and find new weapons and resources, by myself. I spent hours climbing to the tops of every mountain in sight, by myself. Out of the hundreds of potential hours you can pour into the game, most of it will be spent alone, with no companions except Link's mute horses and the beautifully minimalist music that plucks along the way. With their help, Link gains new abilities and gains an advantage over Calamity Ganon, which turns making allies into a key part of the game.īut at its heart, Breath of the Wild is a solitary experience. The most fleshed-out characters, the ones Link's tasked with bringing into his quest, are filled with emotions and have their own backstories that tie into Link's attempt to remember his own past. Each character Link can interact with is unique and rich. There are travelers, teachers, wayward lovers, and people who are up to no good. On top of the endless ways to play, there are dozens of lovable characters that populate the colorful world. Link can sneak in and take a bokoblin by surprise, unleash a flurry of arrows from the sky on multiple enemies, toss bombs from a distance, or go in swords blazing and swing his blade around to deal as much damage as possible.Įven after 100 hours of gameplay, the game can still surprise you, or you can figure out a new method of madness to toy with the world. When things get repetitive, like seeing the same kinds of enemies over and over, there are seemingly infinite ways to creatively tackle challenges and keep things fresh. Whether picking up a rock and finding a little Korok or sailing out to Eventide Island and struggling to survive without any of Link's gear, the game doesn't stop delivering. Every square foot of land has the potential to contain a little reward, both large and small. Breath of the Wild continues holding onto little secrets long after most players finish the main objective of the game: killing Calamity Ganon and restoring peace to Hyrule.Īlong the way, the game begs you to explore and experiment. Everything in the game reveals itself so organically: Taming your first horse, running into your first Lynel and either escaping in fear or dying spectacularly, seeing the Master Sword for the first time, and finding out you can snowboard down a mountain on top of a shield.

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