We’ve played the first few hours of Breath of the Wild and we haven’t even scratched the surface. Here are our first impressions.
The newest Zelda game is officially here with Breath of the Wild. From the trailers, screenshots, and gameplay footage, it look fantastic. After finally getting the opportunity to try it for ourselves, we have to say the same thing. It’s shaping up to the best game of the year.
First of all, the visuals. It’s no secret that most Nintendo consoles aren’t as powerful as their competitors (PS4, Xbox One, and PC). The company has mastered how to work with these consoles, though. They’re masters when it comes to art design and aesthetics. The world in Breath of the Wild is absolutely breathtaking.
Let’s discuss the gameplay and the story. Heading into Breath of the Wild, we were cautiously optimistic about the story. The developers were determined to deliver an entirely new way to play the Zelda series. One of the main features and changes to the game is a true open-world. This is a great addition for the series, but what we were afraid of is how the story would suffer.
That doesn’t seem to be the case at all. The game is still very much a Zelda game. Yes, you have the freedom to do what you please and explore the world around you. However, the story is still very there. Everything you do influences the story in one way or another. At least that’s what it seems like so far.
We also felt like the game wouldn’t help you much and you would have to figure everything out on your own. It definitely doesn’t hold you hand, but it gives you an idea of what to do next. How you approach it and how you figure it out is completely up to you. That’s amazing.
Lastly, the gameplay. There’s no more cutting grass and receiving hearts, which we’re pretty sad about. The new additions make up for that. You can find certain foods around the world, like apples, that will heal you. You can almost use anything as a weapon as well. You’ll find tree branches, Bokoblin clubs, and axes that can take out enemies.
They don’t last forever, though. So, you’ll have to find more as you progress throughout. Eventually, we expect to get a weapon (the Master Sword) that will never break. We’re just going through the motions at this point.
The shrines (mini-dungeons/ trials) are fairly simple so far. It’s almost guaranteed that they’ll become increasingly more challenging later on in the game. For right now, we see them as glorified tutorials that show you how to use certain items. They’re still extremely fun and very rewarding.
Next: Nintendo Switch review roundup
We haven’t even scratched the surface of this game and it’s already a remarkable experience. Stay tuned for a full review later down the line. This is a massive buy.