After hearing Myke and Tiff fawn over this game, I decided the go back to my own original impressions. Below is what I first posted to Facebook in March of 2017, right after Breath of the Wild’s release.
- It’s gorgeous. Stylistically speaking, Breath of the Wild feels like a sequel to Wind Waker, but with actual Hyrule instead of endless ocean.
- People seem to be comparing it to Majora’s Mask and Link’s Awakening, because like those games, Breath of the Wild breaks out of many Zelda conventions. While that’s true and those are two of my favorite games, the feeling of being a small hero in an overwhelming world reminds me more of the original NES Zelda.
- It has faith in the player’s ability to figure things out. Incessant tips and how-tos that plagued recent Zeldas are gone.
- Finally, it’s a great example that an open world doesn’t mean sacrificing the details of a well designed and directed experience. This still feels like a Zelda game.