From the moment you step out from the Shrine of Resurrection and gaze upon the seemingly endless landscape, you realize that this isn't the "Zelda standard" you've grown accustomed to. It's everything that makes the Legend of Zelda what it is plus more.
The sense of adventure that you would come to expect from the series gets heightened to levels unseen before as you take that first leap from the Great Plateau. "Where do I go?" "Wait, this truly is an open world Zelda game isn't it?" Those were just a few of the questions I asked myself as I made my way throughout the vast, refreshed land of Hyrule. I quickly found myself spending hours figuring out the new mechanics of this land. From combat, to physics, and most notably the much appreciated and often feared climbing ability. Come rain, come sun, and even come the occasional lightning strike, I eventually made my way to my first Divine Beast. The lead up to each Beast/Dungeon is an adventure in its own right, especially knowing that I can attack each of these Beasts in any order I see fit.
The puzzle elements of each Beast were expected, and sometimes predictable. But, excellent boss fights, and some wonderful pre and post dungeon cutscenes made up for the puzzles. I would also not be able to write this without bringing up how easily weapons and shields seem to break and shatter. The idea of gear durability is a welcomed addition, but the lack of repairability and quickness of break make it more of a bother than anything. With that being said, it's truly spectacular how some of the most commonly used aspects of an open world game such as: towers, fast travel, and in depth gear upgrading feel right at home in the Zeldaverse. It often makes me wonder why this type of leap wasn't made in earlier releases of the franchise. Nevertheless, Breath of the Wild is truly a masterpiece in terms of what a video game can be. What is arguably the best Nintendo release of the century could easily be considered one of the greatest video games ever made.
