Coming from a person who has never played a single “Legend of Zelda” game for longer than ten minutes in my life, I do not have that much of a bias when it comes to the series. So get ready for my slightly unbiased review of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” This impression will be as spoiler free as possible, meaning you won’t have to stop reading if you don’t want spoilers.

Let’s get this out of the way for the people who don’t know. The game is called “The Legend of Zelda.” However, you do not play as a character named Zelda. Rather, the protagonist of this game is Link, a hero who has a woken up after 100 years of sleep in a cave after the main villain of the series, Ganon, has ravaged the world.

The tutorial area does what a tutorial area should do. It teaches you the basic game mechanics and guides you through a series of puzzles to test those mechanics. After that, the game sets you free like Willy. This game is so big. I got a bit overwhelmed with the sheer size of the map. I honestly didn’t know what to do after completing the tutorial. It reminded of “Shadow of The Colossus,” where you are given so much open space, but not a lot of direction.

This mechanic, to my satisfaction, does something a lot of new adventure games don’t do too much nowadays. The game ends up actually being an adventure game. You’re given an open world to explore, and you as the player are left to discover new things on your own. The game doesn’t hold your hand, and I like that. It makes me feel like I actually accomplished something whenever I defeat a difficult enemy or solve a puzzle.

To add to that, the game has an aesthetic that just makes me want to procrastinate my lab report until the very last minute so I can play it as soon as I get home (Don’t follow my example, people). The game has this sort of zen feel to it. But don’t let the atmosphere make you take the combat for granted. It can be quite punishing if patience is something you lack. Enemies can one-shot kill you if given the chance, and they can outsmart you in some hilarious ways. Don’t be fooled by the art style.

There are stats in the game that can be upgraded, and new tools to be discovered that can aid you on your epic adventure. These tools can be used in ways that can create some pretty memorable moments. There is the main story, but the game itself has so much content in it that I just didn’t feel obligated to focus on it. This is the same thing that happened to me in when I played “Final Fantasy XV,” but the story of “The Legend of Zelda” is easier to follow in my opinion.

I only have a few problems with the game. One of them is the speed at which your weapons can break. Another is the fact that almost every single action you perform requires stamina. I understand why they created these mechanics; it’s to add some difficulty to the game. But later in the game, these mechanics stand to be more of an annoyance than an actual challenge.
In the end, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild” is an excellent game that doesn’t rely on quick time events and huge set pieces in order for you to have a great time; just a massive map and a genuine sense of adventuring. If you don’t agree with what I said about the game and would like to have a discussion with me, feel free to contact Mass Media and ask for my head.