Home Gaming The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review round-up

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review round-up

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Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Review Round Up 2

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is arguably the only game at launch that is really going to ship Switch consoles like hotcakes, so it’s no surprise that Nintendo is letting the good news out of the gates sooner rather than later. Last week critics were allowed to share some initial thoughts on their experience, but today is all about those full reviews. Numbers, scores, opinions, they’re all below.

The real question is whether Breath of the Wild is possibly the revolution the series has been waiting for, and a new bar for fans to compare every other title in the series against. Does it stand up to that?

Polygon – 10/10

Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Review Round Up 1

I guess, in the end, it’s not just that Breath of the Wild signals that Zelda has finally evolved and moved beyond the structure it’s leaned on for so long. It’s that the evolution in question has required Nintendo to finally treat its audience like intelligent people. That newfound respect has led to something big, and different, and exciting. But in an open world full of big changes, Breath of the Wild also almost always feels like a Zelda game — and establishes itself as the first current, vital-feeling Zelda in almost 20 years.

IGN – 10/10

Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Review Round Up 3

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a masterclass in open-world design and a watershed game that reinvents a 30-year-old franchise. It presents a wonderful sandbox full of mystery, dangling dozens upon dozens of tantalizing things in front of you that just beg to be explored. I’ve had so many adventures in Breath of the Wild, and each one has a unique story behind what led me to them, making them stories on top of stories. And even after I’ve spent more than 50 hours searching the far reaches of Hyrule, I still manage to come across things I haven’t seen before. I’ll easily spend 50 to 100 more trying to track down its fascinating moments.

Gamespot  – 10/10

Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Review Round Up 4

No matter how gorgeous its environments are, how clever its enemies are, and how tricky its puzzles get, the fact that Breath of the Wild continues to surprise you with newfound rules and possibilities after dozens of hours is by far its most valuable quality. It’s a game that allows you to feel gradually more and more empowered yet simultaneously manages to retain a sense of challenge and mystery–which, together, creates a steady, consistent feeling of gratification throughout the entire experience. Breath of the Wild is a defining moment for The Legend of Zelda series, and the most impressive game Nintendo has ever created.

Giantbomb – 5/5

Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Review Round Up 5

This sense of wonder is something that I haven’t felt so strongly since I played A Link to the Past when I was seven years old. Ocarina of Time was able to capture some of that same magic in my teenage years. Now that I’m in my thirties, I don’t think that I expected it to be possible for a game to make me feel like that again. I’ve been reviewing video games for twelve years now, and I’m used to describing games in a certain way. “This game controls well. This mechanic is innovative. The graphics are stunning. The skill tree feels limited.” That type of language doesn’t adequately convey how Breath of the Wild made me feel. Nintendo may have changed so many long-standing traditions of the Zelda franchise, but the spirit of discovery is as strong as it’s ever been no matter your age. I didn’t think I’d feel the Zelda magic this strongly ever again, but I couldn’t be happier to be proven wrong.

Destructoid – 10/10

Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Review Round Up 6

This isn’t your typical boiler plate open world cash grab, rife with to-do lists and busywork. Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an evolution of the formula for both eastern and western philosophies alike, and a new blueprint.

I don’t think there’s much else to be said. Seems Breath of the Wild is a masterpiece. It’s out tomorrow.

Last Updated: March 2, 2017

25 Comments

  1. Geoffrey Tim

    March 2, 2017 at 13:18

    NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED

    Reply

  2. Magoo

    March 2, 2017 at 13:26

    Can’t wait for the inevitable port!

    Reply

  3. Viper_ZA

    March 2, 2017 at 13:29

    Looks good, will wait for a bundled special once the hype dies down. Never ending backlog it seems…

    Reply

  4. Matthew Figueira

    March 2, 2017 at 13:30

    Those… those are all full marks O_O Too bad Zelda is a kiddy game AMIRITE? 😛

    Reply

    • Original Heretic

      March 2, 2017 at 13:34

      You’re thinking about a river in Egypt, aren’t you.

      Reply

  5. Original Heretic

    March 2, 2017 at 13:35

    I should buy a Switch.

    Reply

  6. Ektso Gedinkja

    March 2, 2017 at 13:36

    it cant be perfect. something weird going on here.

    Reply

    • Original Heretic

      March 2, 2017 at 14:09

      We as gamers (damn, as people) have gotten so used to things having flaws that it does seem peculiar when something is said to be “perfect”.
      In the past, games that got perfect scores were usually exposed after many hours of play, that was when flaws started cropping up.
      But looking at the one review snippet there above (the IGN review), there’s mention that he.she played the game for over 50 hours. And the marks are still full. That’s a LOT of time to sink into a game and still give it such a great review.

      Reply

      • Ektso Gedinkja

        March 2, 2017 at 14:10

        A 10/10 is a rare achievement; in fact, the last one I awarded was seven years ago in 2010. It’s also natural to doubt whether any game should deserve such high acclaim, so let me spend a few moments to address any such concerns.

        In my 15 years of reviewing games, this is one of the easiest and most certain scores that I have ever awarded, and there is no doubt that Zelda: Breath of the Wild deserves every bit of the acclaim this tremendous score implies. I tried in earnest to conjure valid criticism of the game every moment I spent with it, but in reality, apart from the usual technical what-ifs and minor quibbles about platform limitations, there is truly nothing much wrong with this game. It is the first game in a very long time which I have felt compelled to spend 100+ hours playing, and most importantly, every single moment I have spent with it has been something special.

        This is a memorable moment for gaming. Breath of the Wild is a very special product which we will probably not witness again anytime soon—or possibly ever. Let go of your concerns and prepare yourself: this is the ultimate adventure you’ve been waiting for. You are in for something unforgettable.

        Reply

        • Original Heretic

          March 2, 2017 at 14:16

          See now this just makes me wanna get a Switch and this game even more now.

          Reply

    • HairyEwok

      March 2, 2017 at 14:25

      I’ve read that the game has so frame issues when docked and played on the TV. I’m assuming the switch is trying to play the game on the TVs native resolution, which it obviously cannot do unless it’s a 720p TV. You can change the setting to 720p though, but i can just imagine playing 720p on 1080p or even 4K……

      Reply

  7. HairyEwok

    March 2, 2017 at 14:06

    How the F does the game get perfect scores from top game article sites. Just because one game gets perfect scores does not mean you should run and buy the console, in my honest opinion off course.

    Reply

  8. JacoZAB

    March 2, 2017 at 14:13

    Can’t wait for it tomorrow. Unless Takealot fcks up my order. Which is highly likely 🙁

    Reply

    • Alessandro Barbosa

      March 2, 2017 at 14:36

      I’m sweating bullets at the thought too

      Reply

      • JacoZAB

        March 2, 2017 at 14:51

        You think if a customer buys the Switch, a game and the pro controller they would have some priority on it

        Reply

      • Matthew Figueira

        March 3, 2017 at 14:58

        lolol #neverforget

        Reply

  9. Ottokie

    March 2, 2017 at 14:14

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