Link looking pensive (I think, since I can’t see his face)
This is hands down possibly the best RPG I ever played. Read Daniel Friedman’s review of the game here.
Naturally, each gamer has his/her own preferences, but frankly all I want to do is explore an expansive open world with varied, gorgeous landscapes. I also like to wander around and pick up random useful things and do inventory management, so Breath of the Wild was right up my alley.
Some Comparisons with Other Games I’ve Played
Other similar RPGs I’ve played; Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls V, Final Fantasy XIV, Tales of Berseria and Nier Automata were also nice, but Skyrim was a little too gloomy for my liking, and the endless jogs across landscape got boring because there was nothing much to find or do along the way. Final Fantasy XIV was nice, but 60 hours in and I was feeling very bogged down with the incessant side-quests that were essential for EXP gain, and after awhile it simply felt like grinding for a certain level to get a certain skill, or farming a particular item to achieve a certain objective, which many RPGs eventually fall into. Tales of Berseria simply got boring. Nier Automata was… too difficult. I am a rather inept gamer, which means I still get a minor panic attack when I run into a boss; I would manhandle my joysticks and my view will spin wildly and I will become unable to shoot at anything. Nier’s combat mechanics were hard as I had to look around and shoot at the sky, and yet still be alert enough to dodge attacks. (In end, I simply played on easy mode with auto-evade and had no idea what was going on when I fought bosses because 2B would just skip around on her own).
World Exploration
With Breath of the Wild however, I feel I could just… get lost. Run through fields. Circle forests. Crunch around in sand or ice and see what I stumble upon. Look into bodies of water and see if I can spot a fish, or a chest. Scale cliffs and just look around, or look for Bokoblin camps to toss bombs into and laugh at their confounded shrieks as they are sent flying. Sneak up behind a rock and use Magnesis on a metal box to plow it through a Moblin camp, and then shake in silent laughter at their confusion. Build a fire and admire the moon in its beautifully rendered night sky (and look for shooting stars that I could follow and pick up). Pick up random rocks by the sidewalk to find a Korok or some rupees under it. Toss apples at dogs, and then tossing a mushroom at it just to see if it would eat it. Look up and see something odd carved on a cliff, and decide to climb it just to see what the fuck it is. Shoot an arrow at a random yellow dragon spiraling in the air as you emerge onto a flat from the side of said cliff (I’m talking about Farosh, and frankly he gave me such a shock that I nearly tumbled off) just to see what it would do, and be thrumming and ready to hightail it if it turns around and shoots something back (he didn’t). I could do all of these, and the game would progress well enough.
Leveling and Interesting Puzzles
Since there is no leveling and you increase your HP and stamina by completing 120 shrines you stumble upon as you explore (the shrines are mostly tiny dungeons containing puzzles or combat trials hidden all over the map), you could basically run about aimlessly and still level. Furthermore, the shrine puzzles are actually… enjoyable. Most puzzles in Japanese games are plain annoying and I just look the answer up to get it out of the way, but in Breath of the Wild I actually try to look for the answer because it is fun to do so.
Items, Cooking and Experimentation
Most items are useful but not essential, there was no particular need to hunt for a certain item too often. Need cold-resistance but have no Chilli Peppers? I’m sure you have picked up a couple of Sunshrooms. No Sunshrooms? I’m sure you would have caught a Warm Darner somewhere. None? I’m sure you would have accidentally pulled a Sizzlefin Trout out of the water while swimming somewhere. Don’t want to cook up anything at all? Do some rupee farming and buy the cold-resist Snowquill armor set from Rito Village. This system is beautiful. It means I will spend (relatively) less time waiting around or running around for respawns of something I need to continue my journey, because I have so many other options. This also incentivizes experimentation when cooking; you really don’t need to look up recipes because the effect is written in the item’s description and if you fail you can always pick up another mushroom, really.
Uncomplicated Main Quest
Furthermore, though side-quests are entirely optional, there is one very clear main quest and you never lose track of what it is that you were working towards. Find 4 divine beasts scattered all over the world and conquer Ganon. That’s all. This was a stroke of genius. With most games like this there are so many major side quests which are tedious and yet unrelated to each other that you probably got tired of the game and give up completing it sometime around the 100-hour mark, but with Breath of the Wild you can bet I’ll finish it. In fact, I’m actually looking forward to fighting Ganon, because I know that everything I do now is more or less preparation for that fight.
Multi-faceted Combat System
Another amazing aspect of this game is the combat system. This is probably the only game in which I actually tried to practice evading or parrying blows (for other RPGs I usually just farm for the highest DEF armor, equip a shitload of potions and just charge in with my weapon swinging about wildly). Furthermore, do you remember those annoying games where you have to play through the exact same game one time per class, just so that you can use the shield for a Paladin class or a spear for the Lancer class or a bow for the Archer class? Like Diablo, and Final Fantasy XIV? The games where you end up hoarding ultra-rare bows and shields in shared chests and leveling another character just so that you could wield it? Link in Breath of the Wild can wield swords, lances, clubs, axes, shields, wands, bows or an appropriate combination of all of the aforementioned… well basically everything he picks up. You cannot imagine how happy this makes me.
Dialogue and Cut-scenes
On a less important note, dialogue with everyone in town is actually either interesting or insightful. Most games provide nothing but inane chatter with the notable exception of Divinity: Original Sin 2. At this point I have just completed the Vah Ruta quest, and I watched the cut-scenes with Mipha with some degree of emotion (believe me, it is hard to invoke anything in me, so this is an achievement). This got me wondering how much thought was put into Breath of the Wild, how much attention was paid to the details and how large the development team behind it was.
Conclusion
In any case, this game made the purchase of my Nintendo Switch completely worth it. I hope Aonuma Eiji makes more games in the future, because he is definitely going to earn my money.
P.S. I have already bought my very first Amiibo (the Ancient Guardian one).
茉莉花の独り言 