Warning: This article will contain
Spoilers for the Story of Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
breaks many conventions of the Zelda series. It's completely open
design philosophy allows the player to experience the game completely
at his own pace. Wherever you want to go you can go, only hindered by
your own abilities and preparation. But as much as some things have
changed some stayed the same. The Story is such a foundation. It's
basically the same in every Zelda game, and I'm happy about that
fact. And while some details may change the overarching plot of good
versus evil and the trifecta of the TriForce is always the same.
And this is a good thing. The basic
plot will always give you a feeling of familiarity, while the details
can change to keep things fresh. The Legend of Zelda with it's
different timelines and incarnations of Link, Zelda and Ganon is
perfect for such an approach to storytelling.
Breath of the Wild is no exception to
this. But with its completely open design the developers faced the
problem of portraying the story properly. After all you could easily
miss important parts simply by heading in the ''wrong'' direction.
All Open World Games have a problem
with linear storytelling. If you're supposed to reach different
places in a specific order to not mess up the story progression the
game can't be completely open. Twilight Princess and it's semi Open
World come to mind. While Hyrule in that game was huge for the time
it only opened up piece by piece. So while you had kind of an open
World it was segregated by the story progression.
On the other Hand you have games like
Skyrim, where you can go anywhere anytime, but because of that the
Main Story lacks any urgency. ''Oh no Alduin is back and feasts on
the souls of Sovengarde... well first let explore this dwarfen ruin
and after that maybe I will...''
Breath of the Wild solved this Problem
by putting most of the Story in the past. It is not a perfect
solution and the game has definitely some flaws in that department
(the weak characterization of Ganon comes to mind), but overall this
allows the player to explore the Story at his own pace and leisure
and in the end still have a cohesive Story arc.
Well I have writtne a lot already, so
let us finally come to todays topic. Amongst the critical praise for
the Game one critique did catch my eye.
Some of you may be sick and
tired of the topic, but I think it's worthy to discuss. Feminist
Frequency called out the the fact that once again Zelda needs to be
saved by link. They lamented the use of this tired trope. Once again
Zelda is nothing more than a Damsel in Distress. Well that is simply
not true. But before I talk about the power dynamic between Zelda and
Link and why she isn't a Damsel, but a very capable Hero in her own
right, let us take a look at her Character Arc in Breath of the Wild.
Oh and once again this will contain Spoilers.
As mentioned earlier most of Breath of
the Wilds Story plays in the past. You'll experience this by visiting
specific places in the World and unlocking Links lost memories. These
cutscenes play 100 Years in the past, shortly before Ganons
devastating attack. Via these memories we get to know the four
champions of Hyurles races and Princess Zelda. For me this portrayal
of Zelda is one of the best and most fleshed out in the entire
series. We learn that she is plagued by self doubt. While Link
ascended the ranks, became the youngest Royal Knight in the History
of Hyrule and drew the Master Sword out of it's socket, she still has
to awaken her powers. Zelda can't even hear the voice of the Master
Sword. When exploring Hyrule Caslte you can stumble across Zeldas and
the Kings diary, which delve deeper in this subject.
We learn that Zelda lost her Mother at
the young age of six. This robbed the young princess of her teacher,
and even though the King noted that she never cried or faltered
during the funeral, it left a huge hole in Zeldas life. Torn between
her duty and her inability to awaken her powers Zelda would've needed
the guidance of her Mother more than ever. Because of this the young
Princess focused on studying the ancient technology of the Shiekah.
This is never outright stated in the
game, but I believe this was because of Zeldas fear that she would
not be able to awaken her sealing powers. Instead she hoped that the
Divine Beasts and Guardians would be able to defeat Ganon instead.
This self doubt also shows itself whenever Zelda lashes out at Link.
He fulfilled his destiny. He wields the Master Sword. Every time she
looks at him he reminds her of her own failure. Through this we get
to know a Zelda, who seems much more relatable and human than her
previous incarnations.
Over the course of the story we also
see that Zelda grows to care for Link. We see her grow as a person
and finally, in her most desperate hour, she manages to manifest her
powers to protect the one, who has always protected her. After Link
is put to sleep in the Shrine, she then brings the Master Swort back
to it's pedestal in front of the Deku Tree. At this time Zelda knows
what she has to do. If Ganon is left unchecked he would destroy
Hyrule. But she also knows that she alone can't hope to defeat the
Calamity. This is clear, when she asks the Deku Tree to convey her
message to Link. But when the Deku Tree stops her, telling the
princess that she herself should talk to Link, the young women takes
heart from this words. Determined she steps into Hyrule Castle alone
to fight Ganon. And for one Hundred years she has just done that.
Zelda is a strong personality in this
game, not because of that, but because we saw her growth first hand.
At least if you collect all the memories. The player can understand
her struggle and even if she is somewhat bratty in some scenes, it is
all understandable. She is a young women, who has always struggled to
fulfill her destiny. But finally she does just that and bravely steps
up to defend her land against the Calamity. So where is she a damsel?
Let's talk about that.
The definition of Strength:
On first glance nothing has changed to
older titles in the series. Zelda is trapped inside the castle with
Ganon and Link has to safe her. So she still is a Damsel in Distress?
Yes, but only if you don't care to look any further than that. Only
with a very superficial view on the game and the Story you could come
to the conclusion that Zelda is a Damsel.
First of all the Dynamic has completely
shifted. Not Zelda is being held captured by Ganon, but the exact
opposite is the case. Zelda is keeping Ganon contained within the
Castle, so that he can't destroy the rest of Hyrule. She is there as
of her own free will. Sacrificing her own freedom to keep her beloved
country safe. This far from Damsel behavior, which is often
characterized by the Damsel having no own agency. She only exists to
be saved by the Hero.
With Zelda we have a completely
different picture. Not only does she has her own Story arc and
character development via the Memories, but she also is the one to
safe Link and all of Hyrule first. Without her Link would have
perished one hundred years ago and the whole land would be destroyed
by Ganon by now.
But she still needs to be saved by Link
in the end I hear critics cry. Yes that is the truth, but so what?
Zelda is no Damsel, but she isn't a Mary Sue either. She has limits.
She is not a fighter. Link represents Courage. She represents Wisdom.
Link fights Ganon and she banishes him. Both need each other to
triumph.
If you're not convinced lets take a
look at the situation without Zelda in the Picture. First of Link
would've found a completely different Hyrule. Most likely everything
would have been covered by Malice and most, if not all, of the Land
would be dead. Certainly all other Races would've perished, which
means Link would've been truly alone in this destroyed and hostile
world. Ganon would've been able to take on his full powered form.
Also Link wouldn't have the Light Arrows to fight the monster.
Now lets say despite all this Link
manages to defeat Ganon. Without Zelda he would not be able to banish
him. Ganon would simply regenerate and attack again until he finally
overpowers the Hero.
You see Links and Zeldas relationship
is co-dependent. One can't succeed without the other. Link may be
able to defeat Ganon in combat, but he can't deal the final blow.
Zelda may be able to keep the Beast in Check, but she can't damage
it. None of the two is all powerful.
Zelda is no Damsel in Distress in
Breath of the Wild because she is portrayed having her own agency.
She has her own story and path. She chooses to make the ultimate
sacrifice in order to make Links victory possible.
And lastly I want to mention the true
ending. This cutscene is one of the best pieces of Storytelling in
recent memories. It only plays when you manage to collect all
memories first. In that scene we learn that keeping Ganon in check
for 100 years and then finally banishing him has completely depleted
Zelda of her powers. She can't hear the voice of the Master Sword any
more, nor does she have her sealing powers. But she is ok with that.
She has finally come to terms with herself. And she is already
looking forward. She and Link will rebuild Hyrule. And now she can
finally research the Shiekah technology without any pressure. Even
though she fulfilled her destiny there is still a lot more to do.
Simply said Zelda isn't defined by her role as incarnation of the
Goddess.
Calling this Zelda a Damsel in Distress
only shows that you have a very limited understanding of Tropes and
Storytelling and/or haven't truly played the game. Either way it is a
pretty stupid complaint.
Like I said earlier Breath of the Wild
has some weaknesses and is by no means a perfect game (even though it
comes very, very close), but its incarnation of Zelda is one of the
strongest and best developed female characters in the franchises
history. It's just that the game doesn't hand these facts to you on a
silver platter, but you'll have to work for it.
Seven Weeks, 350 Hours and I've not
even found half of the Koroks in this game.
From this sentence alone you can grasp
the immense scope of this new Hyrule, but bigger isn't always better.
Has the new start for the Zelda series took off or are its wings
burning off rather quickly?
Before we can answer this question
there is a lot to do. 900 Korok seeds, 120 schrines, 76 side quests,
four divine beasts and Ganon wait to be discovered, conquered or
banished.
When Eiji Aonuma announced that a new
Zelda Game was in the making for the Wii-U in 2013 we couldn't know
that it would take us four more years (and another console) until we
finally would be able to experience this new Hyrule. But one thing
was always mentioned over the course of this four years. The Goal of
this new Zelda would be to break with some of the conventions of the
Zelda series. Little did we know just how different this game would
feel to it's predecessor Skyward Sword.
After Ocarina of Time was the blueprint
of 3D Zelda Games for the last twenty years, Breath of the Wild takes
a step back to the Open World roots of the series on the NES.
The complete Review is spoiler free of course.
Story:
A mysterious voice calls out for Link,
waking him up from his slumber in a strange, futuristic looking cave.
After exploring the small room he stumbles upon a blue glowing
terminal, which hands him a device known as the Shiekah-Slate. This
opens the way out of the cave. And with this he steps out into the
huge, endless seeming world of Hyrule.
As you can see from this introduction
Breath of the Wild really follows through on the promise of an open
Zelda experience. The Story is definitely one of the lighter parts of
the game. Which doesn't mean it's bad, just that it's not the main
focus. After finishing the first area, the Great Plateau, and
unlocking the full power of your Shiekah Slate, you're given only two
objectives. Defeat Ganon and find Impa. And from there one it is
completely up to you how and if you want to experience the Story
Breath of the Wild has to offer.
You can try to fight Ganon directly or
head towards Kakariko... or you simply wander into the wild and
explore this huge and beautiful Hyrule. It is completely up to you
and the Story reflects that. Now I won't spoil anything here, so you
can read easy.
The Story itself is, like I said,
rather light and pretty much the standard Zelda story. And while I
prefer the personal touch of, for example, the Wind Wakers Story, I
have to admit that Breath of the Wilds Story is perfectly suited for
an Open World experience. And it has some of the best Character Work
seen in the Series so far. Especially for Princess Zelda. Through
different cutscenes you'll get to know the Princess rather well and
learn to understand her struggles and where she comes from.
Like the rest of the Story, except for
the final Ganon Battle, these cutscenes are completely optional, but
if you manage to collect them all you'll get the true ending of the
game. So calling them completely optional isn't totally right.
Also there is more than the Main Story
that can be experienced. There are lots of side stories to be
discovered. These are mostly simple on task missions, which tell a
small story. Only a handful side quests tell a deeper tale. So in
that regard they can't be compared to the often extensive Side Quests
in other Games. In Zelda it's mostly: Hey I'd like to see these
weapons could you bring them to me or some Monsters took our sheep,
please rescue them.
But the stories are told in a charming
and quirky way, so there is that.
Also this doesn't mean there are no
longer side quests in the game. For example there is one, where Link
has to solve the mystery of a theft in a small village, where
everybody could be the culprit. And one Questline even sees you
building a whole town.
But the light focus on storytelling
also has one negative impact on the game. The villain. Zelda has
always been home to some quite colorful bad guys. Girahim, Yuga or
Zant, just to name a few. But with Breath of the Wild, and it's open
design, you can't really build a Bad Guy in the same way. Heavily
scripted encounters wouldn't work with the open design philosophy of
the game.
This is the reason why Ganon has had a
rather weak impact on me during my playthrough. He is build up by
many characters as this calamity that has to be stopped, but in the
end he is just that. A Calamity without character.
Lastly let me say that I really like
Zeldas role in this game. Without going into much detail, she plays a
vital role in Links journey. For the past couple of Games Zelda has
become more and more involved in the story. She is no longer a Damsel
in Distress, but her own character with her own journey. And while
Link is primary there for fighting Ganon, without Zelda he would not
be able to win. This also holds true for Breath of the Wild. Without
Zelda you wouldn't have the opportunity to challenge Ganon. It's
simple. Without Link Zelda can't succeed, but without Zelda Link
can't succeed either. The Co-dependency makes neither of them a weak
character, but relatable.
The Story of Breath of the Wild isn't
the games strongest point, but it's serviceable and offers some great
and unique characters. You may choose to ignore it, but if you decide
to explore it you will find it very rewarding.
Gameplay:
When Aonuma said he wanted to rethink
the conventions of the Zelda series and introduce a more open
approach, I couldn't imagine how far he and his team would go. Breath
of the Wild is a complete new start for the franchise, and now you
don't need to have played a Game in the series before to enjoy this
entry to the fullest.
The game literally throws you into the
world, with only a basic objective to follow. But you're free to
explore your surroundings from the get got. No more hand holding or
drawn out tutorials. Well that is not entirely true, because you
start out on the Forgotten Plateau, which acts as an introduction to
the new world of Hyrule. And it does this job splendidly. Without the
need of constant text boxes and hints. This area teaches you
everything you need to know about the word. It contains all
challenges and environments you'll encounter in Hyrule, albeit on a
much smaller scale.
And if you need it the old Man is
always present to serve as a guide and help you out. But it's not
forced in any way. There are even things you can easily miss in this
area, like him giving you the Winters Clothes on the peak of Mt.
Hylia. From the get got Breath of the Wild respects the player and
his ability to solve problems.
After learning the basics of survival
and getting equipped with all necessary tools to save Hyrule the game
finally lets you run free on it's massive world. But don't be fooled.
The Forgotten Plateau is already quite extensive. I easily spend
nearly ten hours there at the start and haven't found everything. Far
from it.
Now with only two basic goals given to
you you're free to head of to wherever you want. And when I say
wherever I mean wherever. Breath of the Wilds world gives you an
unprecedented freedom to explore and traverse your surroundings.
In older Zelda games it was common for
the Overworld to open up piece by piece. In Twilight Princess you had
to reclaim the different provinces of Hyrule from the Twilight Realm
for example. In this game there is nothing holding you back.
In Ocarina of Time you needed the
Hookshot to enter the Forest Temple. In Breath of the Wild you earn
all your abilities on the great Plateau.
But these are not the only barriers
that Nintendo removed. Do you know the feeling in other Open World
Games when you see a point of interest and want to head there? Almost
all of the time there is a clear path you're meant to take. Maybe you
awkwardly try to jump up a mountain, but almost all of the time
you're forced to take the developer intended path. This has the
effect that even the biggest Open Worlds can feel rather small and
confined.
Breath of the Wild solves this Problem
with two easy solutions. Climbing and Gliding. Link has the
ability to climb almost everything (as long as he has enough stamina)
and with one push of a button he pulls out his sail cloth, which
allows him to freely glide through the air. You see a huge
mountain at the horizon? You don't need to follow a road. Just climb
it.
See something interesting from a high
vantage point? Just jump and glide there.
Breath of the Wild gives you and
unprecedented amount of freedom and control over Links movement. How
you traverse the varied lands of Hyrule is completely up to you.
Never before did a Open World feel this open.
But this open World is also quite
dangerous. Breath of the Wild is probably the hardest Zelda Game
since the NES days. Ironically the most time I died was on the Great
Plateau. But this only served to teach me about the brutality of this
new Hyrule early on. Instead of rushing right in, I learned to
prepare and adapt to my surroundings. After that I hardly ever died
during my main adventure. Again the game does an excellent job at
respecting the players abilities.
If you find an enemy camp, observe it
closely. There is almost always a way to exploit your surroundings.
Be it carelessly placed explosives or the crates, which can be used
with your magnesis ability.
Which brings us directly to the enemies
of the game. Overall the diversity is good, but not overwhelming. You
will often end up facing a stronger version of a enemy type you've
beaten countless times before. If you have seen one Bokoblin, you've
seen them all. They only vary in colors and the damage they deal and
tank. And while there are many iconic Zelda enemies in this game,
some, like the Lynels even make their 3D debut, there are also some
iconic ones missing. Sadly the Darknuts are nowhere to be found. I
always enjoyed those epic battles against the dark knights in Wind
Waker or Twilight Princess and with Breath of the Wilds great combat
systems, I'm sure they would have been a blast here too.
Still the slightly lacking variety of
enemies is diminished by the fact that they all have a very different
style in Battle. Lizalfos normally try to keep some distance and only
close in for an attack, while Moblins are big Berserker types, which
swing wildly at you. Also the different kind of monsters often
interact with each other in a hilarious way. Seeing a Moblin pick up
a smaller Bokoblin and throw it at me, was a priceless experience.
Generally combat is a strong point of
the game. Not loner are you confined to one Type of Weapon, namely
the Sword, but are free to choose which style suits you best. Maybe
you prefer the standard combination of Shield and One handed weapon,
or maybe you prefer the devastating attacks of a Broadsword? Or maybe
you enjoy the quickness and range of lances? Couple this wide array
of weapons and fighting styles with well thought out dodge and block
mechanics and you get a nearly perfect combat cocktail.
Simply said each and every fight in
Breath of the Wild feels unique. I never ever felt bored by a Yiga
ambush and even after more than 200 hours of play I still love
jumping into an enemy camp from above to wreak havoc. Just like with
everything else in this game, Breath of the Wild gives you complete
freedom to approach combat situations as you see fit. Stealth or
Rambo... both paths lead to victory. But only if you properly prepare
first.
The combat, however, also houses one of
the few points of critique in this masterpiece. Weapon durability.
I'm sure you've heard everything about this by now, so I'll keep it
short. The weapons of Hyrule are more brittle than glass. Its not
uncommon for a sword to break after five to ten enemies. The idea
behind this, as stated by the developers, was to create a world,
where you constantly have to adapt. And in that regard the succeeded.
Enemies often drop their own weapons. So there is a constant stream
of new weapons and in fact I've never even gotten close to run out of
weapons. But even though there is a constant supply of weapons the
durability creates another problem. Right now half of my inventory is
filled with weapons I feel hesitant to use, because I don't want to
loose them. Why should I use my Royal Greatsword on a simply
Lizalfos, if there could be a Lynel around the next corner?
The weapon durability creates the need
to save your valuable weapons because you don't want to ''waste''
them.
There is no easy way to solve this
problem. All I can say is that I never felt restricted by the weapon
durability and I fully understand the intention of the developers.
But if you're a weapon horder in other games, you'll probably hate
the system in Breath of the Wild.
I talked about the importance of
preparation a few times now. In that regard Breath of the Wild also
allows a extent of customization that has not been known in a Zelda
Game so far. In older titles there was hardly any crafting or combat
preparation. This is also one of the things Breath of the Wild
fundamentally changes. Not only do you have countless different armor
sets with different bonuses, but also crafting has become a huge part
of the game. Hyrule is full of ingridients you can collect. From
Fruits to Fish to Mushrooms to Insects. There is something to collect
on every corner. You can hunt different animals for their meat or
just be contempt with collecting what the Nature provides you with.
Also all enemies drop different body
parts. Guts, Horns or Tails. There is a lot to collect.
But that isn't all there is to gather
in the fields of Hyrule. Chopping down Trees provides you fire wood,
which can be used to build campfires to rest or warm yourself. And
the Ore Veins scattered across the various mountains provide you with
rare gems, which can be sold for a large amount of money.
So what can you do with these full bags
you'll definitely have after one trip into the wild? The first and
most important use of ingredients is cooking. Every Human settlement,
be it a town or a stable, offers you a cooking pot, and often you'll
also find some in the ruins of Houses. Once the fire burns these can
be used to create food and medicine. Especially early on these are
necessary if you want to survive the harsh environments of Hyrule.
And once again the Game respects the player and doesn't hand you
anything on a silver plate. There is no menu, where you can read up
on recipes. Instead you'll learn them by experimenting and exploring
the world. Characters you meet may tell you a recipe. Also in every
stable and most buildings you can find pictures of recipes hanging on
the walls. Also if you have a cooked meal you can look up which exact
ingredients you used, if you want to recreate it.
So what does cooking do? In Breath of
the Wild you won't find Hearts by simply cutting grass. The only way
for Link to restore Health is sleeping in a bed, resting by a fire or
eating. So during heated battles you should definitely take the time
to eat some Curry Rice if you want to survive. There are many
different buffs food can give you, determined by the ingredients.
Using Chili will create a fiery dish, that keeps you warm in cold
environment. Make a delicious Fruit Cake with Mighty Bananas and
increase your attack power. Together with different Armor and Weapons
these buffs allow you to customize Link to fit your own personal
fighting style. Maybe you want to play a raging Berserker, who dishes
out devastating blows, or you prefer a defensive Tank, who takes even
the mightiest blows.
Medicine works in the same way. But
instead of cooking delicious fruits, meat and spices you'll use
Insects and Monster Parts. Medicine won't restore Hearts, but the
effects are generally stronger and are active for longer periods of
time.
Master cooking early on and surviving
in Hyrule will be much easier for you.
Fighting monsters and gathering
ingredients. Is there more to Breath of the Wilds World than that? Of
course. Hidden across the entire World are 120 Shrines and 900 Korok
Seeds as well as 76 Side Quests. The Side Quests, like stated earlier
in the Story section, are pretty basic most of the time. Which of
course doesn't mean they don't tell engaging Storylines from time to
time. But they were definitely not to focus of the game and can't
keep up with the great offering provided by other games like the
Witcher.
The much bigger star are the Shiekah
Shrines hidden across the land. These mostly replace the Dungeons of
old Zelda titles. Most of them revolve around one puzzle concept and
can be solved in five to fifteen minutes. And they are home to some
of the most unique and imaginative Puzzles in the series. Also while
there is often one clear solution, the open design of Breath of the
Wild often allows for completely crazy solutions. There are some
truly insane ways of solving some shrines.
The shrines also serve as means to
progress your character. Solving one rewards you with a Spirit Orb.
Four of these Orbs can be used to either increase your Stamina Gauge
or get a new Heart container.
The Shrines can be found all over
Hyrule and often you'll probably stumble across them by accident.
However there are also 42 Hidden Shrine Quests. Those aren't like
Side Quests, where you're told the objective quite clearly most of
the time, but more like riddles. These often serve to make the world
even more believable and alive. For example Link finds an old Diary
in a destroyed hut on the peak of an icy mountain. Instead of having
a Quest Marker telling you exactly where you have to go, you just
have the notes from the diary, which abruptly stops. This makes you
wonder what could have happened to the Author, and also it makes
finding the Shrine even more rewarding, because you finished his work
after so many years. It just feels great stumbling across this
destroyed hut on this mountain peak, finding the diary and solving
it's mystery. Something that Breath of the Wild manages to create is
a very believable Open World.
120 Shrines may sound like a lot, but
Nintendo cheated a little because not all of them contain puzzles.
Some are simple Combat Trials, where you are pitted against a small
guardian. These come in three different difficulties. Another cheap
method to increase the Shrine number are the blessing Shrines. These
often come at the end of a hidden Shrine Quest and simply contain one
chest and a Spirit Orb.
Still searching for the Shrines never
grows tedious. Something that can't be said for the Korok Seeds. 900
Koroks are hidden across Hyrule and wait for you to find them and
solve their Puzzles. Of course it's not 900 different Puzzles. They
often repeat themselves, but the variety is high enough. But still
there is Korok around nearly every corner in Hyrule. So if you focus
on finding them all there is hardly a time where you can just enjoy
the breathtaking lands. Instead you'll be forced to search every nook
and cranny. And the reward for finding all 900, without spoiling it,
is simply not worth the hassle.
Still you should try to find at least a
few because these seeds are used to increase the size of your Shield,
Bow and Weapons pouch respectively. But to increase all of them to
the maximum only needs 441 Seeds.
When Aounuma first announced Breath of
the Wild he stated that the World is the true star of this game. And
he was absolutely right with that statement. I've simply never
explored a World that has felt that alive and believable in any game
so far. Hyrule is a living and breathing world and you can see the
love to detail the developers used to create it. It's many different
factors that make this Open World. But the two central pillars are
the absolute freedom to traverse the land and the great physics
engine. Link can interact with anything in this world. Nothing feels
like it's just scenery.
The whole game revolves around
survival. To survive the bitter cold of the Hebra mountains you
either need to put on some warm clothes or cook special food or
medicine. Snow and Sand slows you down. During Rain Fire and Bomb
Arrows won't work. Metal will attract lightning. The environment
plays a huge role in how you approach the situation.
But that is not all what makes this
world so alive. It's not just how you react, but also the other
characters. People will seek shelter when it rains. They tell you to
stop if you pull out your sword in a town.
To put it simply everything in Breath
of the Wild has impact. If you shoot an arrow at a tree you can
retrieve it. Link will leave footprints in the snow. You can cut down
a tree and use it's trunk to cross a gap. Everything you do
influences the World and the World itself influences your actions.
In regards to the world itself Breath
of the Wild is simply the best and most complete Open World
experience so far.
Presentation:
Breath of the Wild takes a similar
approach to presentation as Skyward Sword did. The characters and
world are clearly influenced by a cartoon look, but not to such a
degree as in Wind Waker. Instead the presentation often reminded me
of Animes, especially the works of Studio Ghibli. This means that if
you're a fan of realistic looking Zelda tittles, you probably won't
enjoy the presentation as much.
But if you don't mind such colorful
graphics, I would say that Breath of the Wild is among the mot
beautiful looking games currently available. The presentation is very
colorful and time and time again Hyrule manages to create
breathtaking views.
On the technical side of things the
game runs with 720p and 30fps on the Wii-U and with 900p and 30fps on
the Switch in docked mode. In Handheld mode this is scaled down to
720p and 30fps also. But, and this is unusual for a Nintendo game,
from time to time there are recognizable fps drops. Especially during
high intense actions scenes it can happen that the frame rate drops
below 20fps. Nintendo has already applied several smaller patches,
which helped with the problem, but didn't entirely fix it. And while
overall these technical issues didn't bug me much, they should be
noted. They can diminish your enjoyment of the game greatly if you
deem such things important. Even though the don't happen around every
corner, fps drops are a semi-regular occurrence.
On the music side of things Breath of
the Wild also breaks with series tradition. For the first time Konji
Kondo isn't the main composer. Luckily the music didn't suffer from
this fact. But in this game takes a backseat, sort of. While you're
exploring the Wilderness there is little to none background music.
Everything is kept very light with natural noises being most of it.
Only during select view events or confrontations the music starts to
push into the foreground. But this general natural and light approach
to music makes these events even more impactful.
Saying that Breath of the Wild doesn't
have a memorable score would do the game injustice. Like everything
else in this game it's a bold new step for the series, but overall
Breath of the Wild has an amazing score. Just not the one you would
expect at first. Still there are some absolutely epic pieces of music
in this game. To me Hyrule Castle stand out the most, combining dread
and the glimmer of past grandness with many memorable tunes from the
series.
Conclusion:
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild
is a bold new step for the series. For the first time Link and the
player are able to explore a truly open world. And Nintendo really
knocked it out of the Park right from the get go. Simply speaking
Breath of the Wild is THE Open World games on which all others will
be measure from now on. Never before have I experienced such a degree
of freedom. Never has a World felt more believable and alive.
Exploring the new Hyrule is one grand
adventure. Climbing every surface and gliding from tall peaks gives
you an unprecedented freedom of exploring your surroundings. And the
world was designed with this in mind. There are countless high
vantage points which you can glide off.
The World is filled with countless
secrets to uncover, treasures to find and people to encounters. This
sheer size can feel overwhelming at times, but Breath of the Wild
does a splendid job in simply making traverse the terrain fun.
This new Hyrule is home to some fierce
foes however, which make exploring the lands quite dangerous. And the
game isn't afraid of letting you fail. Without proper preparation the
Game Over screen will be a common sight. The enemies are fierce and
often will take you down with one or two hits, but the combat system
is never unfair. Everything is beatable from the get go. With Parries
and dodges the combat has never felt more rewarding and fluent in any
Zelda game. Even without a treasure chest at the end it's a lot of
fun to attack an enemy camp, no matter if you take them out one by
one with a stealth approach or storm in like a Berserker.
The Key word that comes to mind when
describing Breath of the Wild is survival. Hyrule is a harsh and
hostile land, but it offers you everything you need to survive.
Medicine and food with helpful effects can be created. The countless
weapons allow you to quickly adapt to any situation. Simply said
Hyrule demands a lot from you, but it's incredibly rewarding.
Of course not everything is great.
Beath of the Wild is no perfect game. No game is. Weapons often break
after you have barely used them. The quickness in which you find new
weapons helps with this problem, but it still feels bad to have your
Savage Lynel Sword break after only one Hinox battle.
Also the Story is quite hit and miss.
With the open World approach and the fact that you can go anywhere
anytime (only hindered by your own abilities) it is a given that the
Story has to take a back seat. And while the Story isn't bad this is
a recognizable fact. Also the Side Quests often feel very mundane.
What Breath of the Wild nails however
is the characters. While the overarching plot is on the lighter side
of things the characters are great. Especially Zelda comes to mind.
Her story is told splendidly and I greatly encourage you to get the
true ending of the game to give it proper closure. And while most of
the other characters remain a little bit pale they are still very
likable.
However there is one exception to this.
Ganon. The big bad himself is probably the weakest incarnation of the
dark Lord we have ever seen. Storywise. Powerwise he is freaking
powerful.
Conclusion (One Sentence):
Breath of the Wild drastically changes
the Zelda formula to create an unprecedented world of survival and
exploration, which will be the go-to comparison for every Open Word
in the future and simply is one of the best games of the last decade.
After the unfortunate passing of
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata nearly two years ago Nintendo Directs
have become quite the rarity. And while the Nintendo Switch event was
held in similar spirit, the formal atmosphere couldn't match the
carefree fun the Directs often had.
If you missed the Directs as much as I
did, I have good news for you. Tonight we got treated to another
Nintendo Direct, focusing on ARMS and Splatoon 2. Two of the biggest
upcoming titles for Nintendos new console. But of course other titles
were also mentioned.
So was this a good Direct? First take a
look for yourself.
It was tightly packed and eventful,
that is for sure, but let us start at the beginning. So after the
Nintendo Switch event it seems Yoshiaki Koizumi is going to be the
new, permanent host. And while he hasn't reached Satoru Iwatas level
of charisma yet, I'm positive that he will grow into the role.
Overall his presentation was a little bit stiff at times. Still
overall I found the Direct rather charming and well done.
But, and this can't be denied, the
whole presentation felt rather rushed. Apart from Splatoon 2 and ARMS
no game got much more than a minute of screen time. Also there
weren't any meaningful announcement, but more on that later. For now
let us focus on the information that we were given.
We started of with a slew of 3DS
titles, but really now meaningful information on any of them. Granted
it were all games we had seen before, but still it felt really
rushed. The information we got, apart from a very basic overview on
the games, were mostly release dates. Still I find it reassuring that
Nintendo still supports their six year old handheld. This reinforces
their stand on the Switch being a true Home Console and not some sort
of hybrid, which replaces the Wii-U and the 3DS.
And the titles coming to the handheld
system aren't bad either. Ever Oasis and Monster Hunter Stories have
me interested the most, but there seems to be something to enjoy for
everybody. And the Pikmin game, which is now called Hey! Pikmin looks
really good. It is a big departure from the main series, but as a
Spin-off the 2D Side-Scrolling approach could really work.
But something that has become painfully
clear is that Handheld game development is now entirely a Japanese
Club. There has been no game announcement from a Western Studio for
the 3DS. Not even from an Indie Studio. While the handheld market has
always been eastern dominated it is a shame to see that the West
seems to focus solely on Mobile Games nowadays.
Still I think most of us are fine with
mostly Japanese games for the 3DS. And like I said earlier there is a
wide array of different games and genres coming this year, so we have
lots too look forward to. So far Nintendo does an excellent job in
keeping the 3DS alive and I hope they will keep it that way for at
least a year.
List of 3DS releases:
Hey! Pikmin: 28th July
2017
Ever Oasis: 23rd June
2017
Monster Hunter Stories: Fall 2017
YO-KAI Watch 2 Psychic Specters:
Fall 2017
Culdcept Revolt: 29th
August 2017
RPG Maker Fes: 27th
June 2017
Miitopia: 2017
Fire Emblem Echoes DLC: 2017
New Kirby Multiplayer Game:
Holiday 2017
But of course the 3DS wasn't the only
focus of this Direct. There will be also new Amiibos. First up the
already speculated new Zelda Amiibos finally got confirmed. On 23rd
June Kid Link from Majoras Mask, Link from Skyward Sword and Link
from Twilight Princess will come to stores. The Data Mined Skywards
Sword and Fierce Deity Outfits from Breath of the Wild already
revealed that these Amiibo were in the making, but now we finally
have a release date.
But that's not all .Because soon we'll
all be able to hold Bayonetta in our hands. Yes that's right. On 21st
July 2017 the final three Amiibos from the Smash Bros. Series,
including our favorite Witch will launch.
And now let us get to the main event.
Even with only a hand full of games the
Nintendo Switch launch has been a huge success. But, and this has to
be said, launching with on of the best games in history (Breath of
the Wild) won't be enough to sustain a long term success, if there
isn't a steady support of other games. And in this regard I'm not
fully behind the Switch yet. On 28th April we'll get the
definitive version of Mario Kart 8 with Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, but
apart from that there is no truly big title coming till e3. At least
fans of Japanese games can get the Switch without any worries.
While the support of Western developers
is still in the air somehow it seems their Japanese colleges are
fully behind Nintendos newest console.
But as for now, except from Sonic
Forces, there is no big third party title announced for the Switch.
Still if you missed out on the Wii-U the Swich is worth a purchase.
But were the 3rd Party
developers dropped the ball (till now) Nintendo luckily is ready to
pick it up. While the Wii-U suffered a long drought of games after
it's launch this time it seems they have a slew of titles ready to
launch overt he coming months.
Just like with Splatoon when it was
first unveiled, ARMS looks better and better with each showing. It
seems they truly have packed the game full with great Multiplayer
content. The short presentation of a fight between Spring Man and new
Character Min Min really showcased the intense and quick fun this
game will (hopefully) provide. I'm still unsure if ARMS is going to
be the next big thing, but it seems like a solid multiplayer title
which will be loads of fun with your friends.
ARMS launches on 16th June
2017.
And only one month later we will be
treated to the first true highlight of the Switches post launch
line-up. Splatoon 2. As we all know the first game was a blowout
success, especially in Japan where it even managed to outsell Final
Fantasy 15 and Mario Kart 8. So of course the announcement of
Splatoon 2 created a lot of buzz. After the original Splatoon was
Nintendos first attempt at a Multiplayer Shooter Splatoon 2 now
builds and expands on this basis. New Weapons, New Equipment and new
Game modes.
If you're a Sony or Microsoft Gamer
you're probably familiar with Horde Modes. They are quite popular in
games like Gears of War or Call of Duty after all. Well now Nintendo
only games can join the fun in Splatoon 2. The goal of this mode is
to defend and survive against Waves of Enemies, who continuously grow
stronger. It's a simple premise but with the right team of friends
it's nearly endless fun.
The Nintendo Switch will get it's next
System Seller on 21st July 2017 when Splatoon 2 launches.
List of Switch releases:
ARMS: 16th June 2017
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: 28th
April 2017
Ultra Street Fighter 2 The Final
Challengers: 26th May 2017
Minecraft: 11th May
2017
Sonic Forces: Holiday 2017
Sonic Mania: Summer 2017
Project Mekuru (Working Title):
Summer 2017
Fate/Extella: 25th July
2017
Disgaea 5 Complete: 23th
May 2017
Monopoly: Fall 2017
Rayman Legends Definitive Edition:
2017
Sine Mora EX: Summer 2017
Battle Chasers Nightwar: (Late)
Summer 2017
Payday 2: 2017
Namco Museum: Summer 2017
Splatoon 2: 21st July
2017
Verdict:
Was it a good Nintendo Direct? Well it
was serviceable. Two months before e3 2017 I didn't expect a slew of
unannounced games. Still with no announcement at all this only
furthered my expectaions for Nintendos e3 presence this year. Only
focusing on games we already know won't be enough. The Nintendo
Switch needs to keep it's momentum and for this it needs the Hype of
big announcements.
In regards to the Switch the Direct did
it's job, but also reinforced the fear of the console being a
Nintendo only machine once more. At least the support from Japanese
developers seems to be a given, but even there the big titles are
missing so far. All we get in the upcoming months are Indie and Retro
titles. For the start this is enough, especially with Breath of the
Wild keeping everyone busy, but in the long run the Switch needs to
secure a steady supply of high profile titles to avoid the fate of
the Wii-U.
But the Direct wasn't only doom and
gloom. Because the first part, focusing on the 3DS, was really great,
but also really rushed. It reinforced Nintenods statement that the
Switch won't replace their dedicated Handheld. Instead they are
focusing quite the resources into creating a lot of good games. Once
again it is very Japanese focused content, but it is hardly Nintendos
fault that most Western Studios nowadays associate mobile gaming with
Phones and Tablets.
Overall it was a good Direct without
any surprises or major upsets. The continued support of the 3DS is
great and I withhold my judgement about the Switch until we have a
clearer picture. Hopefully this will be the case after this years e3.
What are your thoughts on this Direct?
Let me know in the comments.
