Review - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and we're back with another game review. This time, it's the 2017 Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is currently available for the Nintendo Switch. 

         So, the game is, like most Legend of Zelda games, set in the realm of Hyrule. You, as the player, take control of Link, who awakens in a place called the Shrine of Resurrection, only to find Hyrule in utter ruin. Apparently, one hundred years prior, Link was the appointed knight sworn to protect Princess Zelda, daughter of King Rhoam, using the power of the Master Sword. The people of Hyrule also made a startling discovery regarding an ancient evil known as Calamity Ganon. It seems that this monstrosity once attempted to utilize the power of Malice to bring the world to utter ruin, but was stopped by the highly advanced Sheikah race of old. The Sheikah had developed massive machines known as the Divine Beasts, as well as robotic guardians, later dubbed Ancient Guardians, to aid a princess and her appointed knight in sealing away Calamity Ganon. So, King Rhoam orders these ancient machines dug up and people trained to control them, while Zelda is set to learn the sealing power in order to stop Calamity Ganon in the event of his return. To that end, four Champions were selected to pilot the four Divine Beasts: Revali of Rito Village was chosen for Vah Medoh, Doruk of Goron City was chosen for Vah Rudania, Princess Mipha of Zora's Domain was chosen for Vah Ruta, and Lady Urbosa of Gerudo Town was chosen for Vah Naboris. Unfortunately, the Hylians and their allies underestimated Calamity Ganon and the power of Malice, and not only were all four Champions killed, but all for Divine Beasts were taken control of by Ganon's four off-shoots, the Blight Ganons (Waterblight Ganon, Thunderblight Ganon, Windblight Ganon, and Fireblight Ganon). Link, himself, nearly died protecting Zelda, who was able to stop the Ancient Guardians, also under Ganon's control, with the Sealing power. Link is taken to the Shrine of Resurrection, where he would rest and heal, while Zelda went to face Calamity Ganon alone and contain him within Hyrule Castle, leaving Link's Master Sword under the protection of the great Deku Tree. 

         100 years later, and a now recovered, albeit amnesiac, Link is now awake, and is set to traverse the land of Hyrule to regain some of his lost strength and finally finish what he, Zelda, and their allies started so many years ago. 

             Okay, so what makes this game stand out from previous Zelda games is that, for the first time, you can choose how you want to play the game. You can either follow the plot trajectory the game lays out for you, or if you're bold enough to pull it off, just head straight for the endgame at the beginning. The sky is, quite literally, the limit here. Also, the game doesn't go and hold the player's hand, trusting the player to be able to figure out various puzzles and challenges for themselves. Also, this is the largest that Hyrule has been in any of the Zelda games. Seriously, from gliding around the frigid highlands near Rito Village, to traversing the firey volcanic region near Death Mountain, to traversing the vast wasteland of the Gerudo Valley desert, to the mammoth scale of Hyrule Castle itself, the open world of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild is simply gorgeous, and definitely something to explore thoroughly. 

          One neat mechanic in Breath of the Wild is a day/night cycle, as well as a weather system. Rain, snow, even thunderstorms are frequent throughout the game, and each area may require something extra in terms of attire. For example, in the Gerudo Valley desert, you will need to acquire a Gerudo outfit, which is airy enough to keep Link from overheating in the desert air, to gain entry into Gerudo Town, as men are forbidden from entering the town. Yep, the Gerudo outfit is a disguise to make the warriors of Gerudo Town believe Link to be female. Other outfits, such as a fireproof armor you can purchase in Goron City, or a warm outfit you can purchase in Rito Village, will protect Link from being burned by the volcanic air near Death Mountain, or keep Link from freezing in the frigid air in the mountain highlands. One thing to be very aware of is that every few nights, the blood moon will rise over Hyrule. The blood moon is when Calamity Ganon's power is at its highest, and it allows monsters that Link defeated previously to be restored to life, and all other monsters are increased in strength during the duration of the blood moon. The safest places to be during the blood moon are in a town or village, or at one of the many horse stables scattered throughout Hyrule. 

         Breath of the Wild also introduces a cooking system, in which Link can take various food items like fruits, vegetables, rice, fish meat, herbs, and other cooking ingredients to make various food dishes, which can restore health, or give a boost of speed, strength, protection from heat and cold, a Stamina boost, or even a health boost. Pick different food items throughout the game and try different combinations. Various animals are scattered across Hyrule, which are sources of meat for cooking with. 

         For more seasoned Zelda players, one interesting note regarding Breath of the Wild is in how the dungeons were altered in this game, taking the forms of the Sheikah Shrines and the Divine Beasts. For the Sheikah Shrines, there are a total of one-hundred-twenty total to explore and complete, with the reward for completing each Shrine being the gift of a Spirit Orb. After collecting four Spirit Orbs, Link can exchange them at one of the Goddess Statues located in various locations across Hyrule, and the player can choose either a Heart Container, increasing the player's health, or a Stamina Vessel, increasing the player's stamina. As for the Divine Beasts, the player must complete tasks in order to weaken the Divine Beasts just enough to gain entry inside of the massive machines. Upon entering, the spirit of one of the four Champions, trapped within the Divine Beasts, will guide Link to what he needs to do, which is as follows: (1) gain a map of the Divine Beast, this gaining control of it, (2) activate five Control Terminals located throughout the Divine Beast, and (3) defeat the Blight Ganon controlling the Divine Beast and activate the Main Control Unit, freeing the Divine Beast, and the spirit of its Champion, from Ganon's grip. However, unlike the Sheikah Shrines, once each Divine Beast is restored to normal, it cannot be re-entered, so collect all of the treasures if you can. 

         Now, as I said before, while you can go ahead on at Calamity Ganon at the beginning of you wish, there are benefits to regaining control of the Divine Beasts from Ganon's control first. Primarily, the four Divine Beasts, when united as one, will unleash a massive attack that will severely weaken Calamity Ganon's health by half. On top of that, the spirits of the four Champions will grant you their powers, which will come in handy in the final battle. Two of my favorites are Revali's Gale and Urbosa's Fury. 

        Honestly, after playing through this game a couple of times, I can honestly say how much I am glad to have picked up Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch, and it definitely ranks among my favorite video games in my massive game collection. I'm giving The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild a rating of 5/5. Now, I do need to mention that Nintendo is getting ready to release a sequel, which they've recently announced the title to be The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I don't know about you guys, but I definitely can't wait for it to hit store shelves in May of 2023. Honestly, Tears of the Kingdom is one of my most anticipated games for the Nintendo Switch alongside Disney Speedstorm. 

          Anyway, this is Chuck signing off. Hope you guys enjoyed my review of Breath of the Wild, and I'll see you guys next time.