The Best Video Game of the Last Decade – ‘Breath Of the Wild’
Breath of the Wild is one of the best games to come out in the last few years, but what makes it so special?
Recently there have been almost more top tier games than we can keep up with. An an embarrassment of riches when it comes to great gaming experiences is the opposite of a problem. So this week we’re going to highlight one of my personal favorite games and one of he best games of the last few years; Breath of the Wild, everything we love about it, and it’s a game that everyone should pick up.
The Basics
The Zelda series has been around since 1986, and has consistently had some of the most popular games on the market. You play as Link, saving the kingdom of Hyrule, defeating Ganon and sometimes saving Princess Zelda from danger. Coming out in 2017, Breath of the Wild is one of the newest additions to the series with Breath of the Wild 2 on the way.
The World
The world building in Zelda is always pretty darn good. Hyrule is an interesting place and despite the series being thirty six years old, it manages to avoid getting stale. But Breath of the Wild steps it up a notch and makes the world something else entirely. An open world map means that you can explore anything and everything at your leisure and in the order you want. Excited to get through the plot and beat the baddie? You can! Want to collect shrines and by extension hit points and energy like they’re Pokémon? Go for it! Want to blow through the plot, find the Master Sword and then try to visit every temple in an attempt to get as many hearts as possible before you take on Ganon? That’s what I’ve been doing forever and I may never get board! There is truly no right or wrong way to play this game.
But since the world is meant to be explored by anyone whether you’ve started the game today or five years ago, no battle is impossible if you’re strategic about it. Some of them are difficult, sure. Some may take a long time. But the game is meant to be playable at any level. And speaking of any level, if you’re somebody who doesn’t play a ton of video games, Breath of the Wild is one of the best to jump into the pool with for these same reasons.
The Graphics
This is a gorgeous game. Just look at that landscape. There isn’t a lot of hyperrealism in Breath of the Wild and that’s okay, it doesn’t need it. Animation and things that clearly look like animation can be beautiful and this is one of the finest examples. Sometimes it’s fun to just glide around the map and look at stuff. Sure, you’ll eventually run out of energy and fall out of the sky, but that’s why you collect all of those hearts.
The Story
To an extent, Zelda stories are Zelda stories. You know they’re going to hit the same couple of beats and you’re going to have to help Link save Hyrule from Ganon. But every game also manages to be completely unique and stand alone. There’s a certain amount of mystery to Breath of the Wild as you wander the map looking for hits of the past and pieces of your lost memory. You’re saving the kingdom, but you’re also finding yourself and learning more about who Zelda was/is. It’s not complicated, but it’s pretty darn engaging.
What’s your favorite Legend of Zelda game? What about your favorite game to come out in the last ten or so years? Did you try to beat the core story as fast as possible, or are you letting Ganon wait while you explore the entire map? Let us know in the comments!
Happy Adventuring!
