Legend of Zelda, The: Breath of the Wild (Wii U) Review

(Originally posted on May, 2017)

                                         

(2017, Wii U)

As late as mid-February, I wasn't yet sold on Breath of the Wild. While each Zelda definitely has its merits, I've gradually grown wary with too many recent games diluting the sense of adventure and autonomous discovery so wonderfully experienced in the series of old. I never signed up for overly-talkative companions, bogged-with-bother tutorials or excessive scripted events. All I really want is to get lost in exploring and unraveling worlds so captivating that I might as well be inside the game, just as how I passed countless hours on the early Nintendo systems. On the eve of the game's release, the flood of unanimous praise and confirmations that Breath of the Wild made some drastic changes to the formula finally convinced me to chance $60 on my first 3D Zelda since 'Wind Waker'. Not only was it worth it, within just hours I became engrossed to a worrying degree. As I got increasingly drawn into this huge world that constantly pulled at my attention from all angles, I wondered if this could indeed be the greatest game ever...

Parallel to the game kicking into full gear just as swiftly as the Super Nintendo era, Link is awakened in much the same manner as in 'A Link to the Past'. Sitting up inside a mysterious cave that might as well be the examination room of a spaceship, the impulse to panic never occurs as the bright, warm glow of turquoise and orange gives off a comforting sense of a forgotten familiarity. With a minimal amount of text, this tiny area quickly teaches you the most essential actions: Investigating points of interest, opening chests, picking up and throwing objects, equipping items, then climbing a modest wall that demonstrates the integral stamina meter. Once getting a feel for these actions, Link steps outside and finds himself in the most massive and varied imagining of Hyrule yet. Surrounded by color and life, the immediate unease felt in such beautiful tranquility is no accident, as the land was in fact nearly destroyed by Ganon at some point in the past. It's far from just greenery that has overtaken rotting ruins and ghost towns, as you'll feel like you've travelled all over earth (and beyond) when all is said and done. You're not all alone with the squirrels and stalfos, as the entire world is sprinkled with travelers to assist or do business with and hopeful, often impressive pockets of civilization.

Of the many things to go over in Breath of the Wild, perhaps its most significant point is the degree of nonlinearity and experimentation which surpasses even the very original 'Legend of Zelda'. No more intrusive than LOZ's old man in the cave...in fact likely an homage to him, a rugged and suspiciously knowledgeable survivalist witnesses your initial emergence and offers advice and guidance at the pace you choose. The opening portion is the game's most confined and linear point, but even then, instruction is kept to a minimum as you can easily spend a dozen hours making sense of this huge wilderness. Somewhere in the the joy of immediate exploration, foraging  all kinds of items and simple survival, you'll sooner or later acquire some important key abilities and will finally be ready to "take off" to the remaining 90% of the world!

The latest Hyrule is a land not only huge in diameter, but often with surprisingly deep veins of verticality that must not to be overlooked. At one point you'll be passing through a domineering pair of mountains that look as if they were divided by an angry lightning God. Through it, a modest, octorok-dwelling stream flows. You can not only make your way along either side of the water, but also from higher up as pathways engraved into the cliff are available to those who simply look up and notice! You'll surely want to revisit each of these roads, as they contain their own set of challenges, secrets and treasures. At other points in the game, you may peer down into a foggy abyss while travelling along a meadow or mountain's edge. Look a bit closer to find out that deep down, there's actually a massive river sprinkled with islands. You'll even look down and discover mile long trenches that not only wait to be explored, but eventually connect to entirely different areas! Even in locations that appear to be sparse, if they don't (almost certainly) contain a secret to unravel, they'll present a brief breather before making the vexing decision of just where to set off to next. As I put dozens and dozens of hours into the game, slowly becoming familiar with the huge world, I don't know whether to be proud or ashamed. Say whatever you want, at least the controller didn't give me lyme disease or malaria.

Mentioned often is the game's unique joy of constant distraction. Far too often you'll be heading towards the glow of a distant shrine or tower, only to make a (presumably) brief diversion, taking out an enemy encampment to seize the treasure that's being guarded. You'll then see something that pulls you in another direction, be it valuable ore to excavate or just interesting scenery that beckons a closer look. This delightfully overwhelming scenario constantly presents itself, making it feel like hours were spent doing nothing, yet, at the same time, perfectly productive in experiencing the childlike joy of exploration. Re-surveying prior areas never feels like a lesser task, as you'll certainly miss something. Plus, the enemies periodically re-spawn, scaling their formidability, loot and general nastiness in relation to Link's ever developing strength. Traversal is progressively convenient whether by gradually building your warp network, registering your horses to stables, or, most satisfyingly, gliding off the highest nearby mountain to drop in on whatever promising misty forest or diseased, yet certainly bountiful dilapidated buildings catch your eye.

I've gone far out of my way to avoid these types of "open world" games, not just because they're much more time consuming than I'd prefer, but by design they often sacrifice refinement for ambition. Not such is the case with Breath of the Wild, which truly feels like a bold attempt to surpass the spirit of the NES original, all while taking advantage of the Wii U's power and Nintendo's past 31 years of game design experience. Wandering is never a waste, as the small simple acts of familiarizing yourself with the world by just 0000.1% , picking up the useful parts left by each monster slain, or climbing a mere 10 foot wall and watching your stamina recharge all feel like a small win. Battles are no longer the somewhat mindless action of old. Charging at the moblins and lynels as you did on the NES will quickly expose Link's initial fragility. Early on, especially, it's of great benefit to assess the environment for the right angle to approach from, taking advantage of stealth and the game's emphasis on gravity and reactive physics when possible. If you must get into direct combat with a beast, the parrying/fury system, the ability to disarm and each enemy having  weak points all present an opportunity for more high level, risk-reward play that makes games such as 'Bayonetta' and 'Metal Gear Rising' so satisfying.  As a clever example of the game's "chemistry engine," fire arrows can be used to light up grass, glide up the updraft, then unleash a powerful descending attack on some not-too-bright bokoblins that are busy wondering where you went.

The inventory system is immense yet streamlined, with Link's mix of tools replaced by hundreds(?) of different weapons of varying length, weight, durability and damage. They may not be of radically different utility, but give an added layer of culture to the world. Even sledgehammers for breaking ore, axes for chopping down trees and cleaning/cooking utensils can be used in combat. The weapons proudly strapped to Link's back will constantly change as they eventually break, but fortunately your inventory of increasing capacity will likely have a replacement of greater strength or just plain coolness. Everything from rudimentary bludgeons crafted by leisurely monsters to the finest high tech weaponry of each culture waits to be obtained. All the different pants, suits and head garbs you have seen are not just for looks, as they can endow special attributes, whether Link is looking to simply stay warm in the snowy mountains, or sneak into a gang of enemies by donning a monster mask.

The dozens of other tools that usually make up Link's inventory are now replaced by a handful of "runes," psychic powers acquired early in the game that are found to have a broader use than first suspected as you experiment with the game's surprisingly deep physics. Your limitless psychic bombs come in both brick and spherical shapes. If you choose the latter, the topography it's thrown on must always be taken into account, as it's possible to attack downhill enemies that are hundreds of feet away. Magnesis is not just used to drop metal boxes over the heads of foes, but may also allow bridges and platforms to be constructed. Not only important in the overworld, you'll have to really wrap your head around the rune abilities if you hope to complete all the shrines...

Always ending with a reward well worth pursuing, a hundred plus shrines house all sorts of puzzles, combat and treasure. Potentially completable in minutes, they'll nevertheless drive you nuts if you don't yet understand just how much influence Link's actions and powers have. A handful of small-scale "traditional" dungeons exist, which work to barely scratch the 'Ocarina' itch. They're always precipitated by much backstory, ado and a meaty 'Majora's Mask' style sub-quest. Once you've finally made it to the dungeon, the act of getting getting inside each one is uniquely dramatic and action packed. Retaining the Zelda of new: the many bustling horse stables and towns offer an immense economy to take part and countless sidequests to complete. These areas don't dominate the adventure, but instead compliment it by offering pointed objectives to break up the main quest which is doing much of nothing (or everything?). The world as a whole is your 'dungeon'. The anecdotes you alone get to discover and tell others about is the true 'story'. The initial awe of the world is the 'puzzle', satisfyingly made clearer each day as you master the world in discovering seed by seed, rescuing distressed character by distressed character.

Music no longer constantly accompanies you, but it's truly all for the better that way. A few piano notes signalling your arrival to a new area on the map is more than enough, leaving the aural space to be filled with the sounds of the rich, living world surrounding you. During a regular enemy encounter or when something bigger goes down, the music will spring to life, unique to situations such as a sleeping ogre being angrily disturbed from his sleep, or a being ambushed by a member of a cultish ninja clan. Town themes bring the traditional Zelda music experience: Rito Village in particular captures the exhilaration of flight with it's violins, while never quite escaping the somber worry felt by it's inhabitants and the rest of the world for that matter. The "night time" Gerudo theme easily whisks you away to the mysterious romance of a land that seems worlds away from the rest of Hyrule. The major Hylian town themes sound just fantastic in both their deep comforting warmth and brooding, ancient power. The art style of Breath of the Wild is the perfect compromise between cartoony and mature: neither completely alienating those whom aren't fans of the anime style, nor compromising the series' traditionally colorful, often whimsical style. With the camera below Link, the sight of him running up a shimmering, moonlit hill is just magical. The contrast of blue water, green forest and stone is sometimes so awe inspiring that you'll feel one with nature without even leaving the house. The game's gorgeous on the Wii U, even better on the Switch, and would already benefit from a remaster on the NEXT Nintendo system. Eventually seeing this world in 60FPS, 4K limitless draw distance and other enhancements might once again make Breath of the Wild a system seller in itself...

This review really has gone on enough, but even then I'm sure I've neglected to mention a ton about what's indeed one of the most magical and satisfying games I've played since beginning all this in the late 80s. It's not to say the game's perfect. The major boss designs lack distinction from each other. Pop-in and slow down is an issue. Rain is more of a drag than an added challenge. You swim, but never dive below the water's surface. mandatory escort and stealth sections are brief yet no less a chore. The act of exploring natural caves (which largely inspired the series) is only a flirtation. For how massive and long the game is, it could use more enemy variety. The camera gets in the way at times. Once the novelty wears off, the cooking system turns into a bit of a chore. That's quite a list, but shockingly minor and small in how it relates to the game's scope and ambition. Simply maneuvering Link is more fun than ever in a game both huge and packed, yet focused and lean. The whole package feels completely fresh, yet at the same time more like the 1986 release than any other Zelda. Playing over 80 hours, I beat Ganon, but still haven't nearly tired of the adventure as there's much land left to explore, equipment to try on and people to help. Just as Mario Galaxy more than made up for the plumber's lackluster 2000-era adventures, Breath of the Wild has risen from another addition to an often derivative franchise...to perhaps Nintendo's finest work yet.