4.5/5 ★ – Kalle_Deimos's review of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

TLDR: BOTW seems like the ultimate evolution of a series that already seemed to be on top. Nintendo did a lot of work to ensure that this game and world would work, and now that they've figured it out I hope they take the next installment to bring back some older Zelda traditions and bring it into the current landscape they've created. Gameplay: If BOTW has done anything perfectly, it is the sense of exploration and world building. My favorite moments were me just combing the world for shrines and korok seeds. Perhaps reading the directions somebody gave me for a quest and surveying the land all by myself. Combat is great for most of the game despite being a smidge shallow. Although once end-game enemies with a ton of health show up it can get a bit repetitive. Enemy behaviors and attacks do not change as they become stronger and I think that would've been nice to make the small amount of enemies a bit more interesting. Story: I think the story BOTW is going for is pretty ambitious and for the most part it's quite interesting. Although because the gameplay is so open ended, the story is required to take a backseat to allow more player freedom instead of pointing them to specefic story events in a specefic order. For one game I think it's fine but I'm hoping to see a more traditional Zelda story and experience. Some of my favorite parts of previous Zelda games have been certain story moments and boss battles and it is dearly missed in this installment. The flashbacks are fun but lack a payoff and the present story sort of just comes and goes. However, what it lacks in story it makes up in the stories it tells in the optional content and world. The Gerudo's and Gerudo Town in general is so much fun to explore and learn about. Graphics: Graphically this might be the best a Zelda game has looked (besides Wind Waker maybe). Everything from props to models to the world have a great amount of detail and fidelity to pack a scene full of stuff but still make everything standout. The enemy designs arn't my favorite but all the NPC designs are fantastic. Shoutouts to the Gorons. Sound: Perfect sound design to get you fully invested into the world, especially with headphones exploring a rainy forest in full plate armor. Hearing every rattle of the metal. The music is pretty good as well and fits with what BOTW is trying to do but doesn't really hold a candle to the previous OST's. Extra: An absurd amount of content awaits in BOTW. Unfortunately, I think it's a bit too much to let most players do it all before it gets a bit old. Why do the Korok Seeds count towards completion? Why do I need to cross every bridge so the name pops up? Who knows. Favorite Thing: World Exploration. It's a calming and cathartic experience through and through, and I'm excited to see the improvements presented in Tears of the Kingdom. Not My Favorite Thing: Variety. As fun as BOTW is, I don't think it has enough variety to justify how much content there really is. Thankfully, this will not impact most players who will play what they want til they're satisfied and move on. However, for certain gamers this can get repetitive after a long amount of play time.