The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - US Version

My husband and I bought this game as a Christmas present to each other. It's so much fun! I love the world building, the story, and the game play. The action sequences and combat is very smooth. Playing it on the Nintendo Switch is awsome and the graphics are beautiful! I would definately recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy/adventure games.

This is just a fight game I recieved a Used game that was missing it's pamphlet the used order was cancelled that this changed to new condition without approval we would have possibly just cancelled. It is nothing like Zelda Ocarina that was a group of small mini games all sewn together in a fairly great fable. At first I was very hesitant to buy this game because a serious gamer said he beat it in 30 hours and we had a few years of fun playing Zelda Ocarina of Time all it's side games and mini games while using it to teach the children to read instructions. They became great fans of Zelda and when they got older asked for a Wii they specifically asked for the game and bow set up for I guess the name was Link for their birthdays as they both are born in March. I have not played this Link line of games since Nintendo 64 and as I play through it not using walk throughs as I was told it is a short game I am learning this young man must have skipped all the side actitivies, competitions and looking for all the game gifts just fought his way through the game.I think if the information that comes with the new game helps play the game it would have been worth purchasing a new game or at least a book to help me find things. I do not know if there is a map to discover in the game like in Ocarina but I am very lost and tracking backwards without a good map in this game. I hope it turns up somewhere or I can buy it as I just bought salt for the recipes. The recipes are fun it would be nice if I could keep a list of what was done so I can make the better ones again as I discover them in game play. I find the mountains very difficult to climb without the speed and stamina elixers.It is growing on my slowly.This is not a child's game like Zelda Ocarina of time with brighter colors that would probably be excellent updated for the Switch for younger children...but it is an adventure game. At first because it is a big jump from the 64 game I did not like it but as time went on it began to grow on me I am beginning to like it but I sure would like a map I am so lost even driving without a physical recent map.Do you want a nice review or do you want the truthThe graphics apparently are very good on Zelda Breath of time for the Switch.But like with Skylanders Imaginators which runs on Toys to Life which I began playing because my nephew plays it on my Switch gifted to me for Christmas.I found the new Switch Zelda game to be very difficult loaded constantly with Boss monsters and difficult puzzles.These is only normal run and Pro run games so it is apparently designed for the hard core gamer unlike the Zelda Ocarina of time I bought used for near new price many years after it as designed for the Nintendo 64 because it was more a younger persons puzzle and adventure game loaded with mini games and not as much violence.This is a Hard core games game apparently someone who just finds a way to fight to the end then resells or soon after purchasing it like I bought it used missing all the pamphlets and information and then it was tried to be foisted off on me as a new game.If it had been new I would have returned it because I am a beginnger level player always will be even though I have playe 20 years.I use walk throughs and information to help me play most games.But as this is a constant fight fight fight M for Mature Violent game now if you are a hard core gamer you can rent the game fight through ignore all the side quests, not enjoy the horses which are very untameable and do not follow good directions so much I often found myself walking and whistling for the away horse.If you like near impossible puzzles and fighting very few clues in a game that does not like to let you go back where you have been and just want to fight through a game this is the game for you.But rent it and play it on the Switch handheld counsel as it looks very washed out on the tv.Designed for the Switch and for the Hardcore gamersNot a child's game.But if you are a hard core gamer I suggest you get the Ammibos to up the gameplay a bit which they do not tell you can be used in the game and run it on professional level before you try to resell it.Also the harder part of the game than the monsters are some of the many Shrine puzzles one which runs like a marble roll game there is a trick I am working out on how to solve it.If it was for a child or a novice player and less about fighting and adventure I am sure it would be kept by the right people driving up the pice like Animal Crossing has.If you want a review that you do not pay fordon't punish the honest person for saying I don't like itBut the hard core gamers love it.So I knew when someone told me they beat it in 30 hours it as probably just a bang bang fight fight hit hit hard core gamers game.I rate it M for Mature and Lots of Game violence as the bully monsters constnatly beat up travelers whom you can save to come back and find them stuck eternally in the same scenario with the same monsters for the same small monster organ rewards for killing them and saving the victims.I found most the recipets to be near worthless against Boss Monsters which this game is loaded with.I give it a big thumbs up for young hard core fight gamers but for novice and children along with parents I suggest you find a game that is less violent as apparently children are shooting us after playing this lot of very violent games out now.If you are a hardcore gamer like the Game store employees are rent the game don't open the package and try to sell it off to me as new after you have used it or here. And remember some of us who are not serious gamers need the pamphlets and all the help we can get because our minds are different than yours we like to stop eat the apple, cook the meals, see the worlds all over Built by Nintendo and buy the Amiibos.I did not want to buy the game at the game store as I knew as hard as the employee tried to sell it to me "new" at a reduced price he had played it while off work and then brought it back repackaged it. Don't sell me a game think I don't know it is not new and do not change the name to new condition and then charge me illegally to my credit card for a used game especially when I know it is missing every single pamphlet that it comes with that gives information like you can use an Amiibo in the game.This game after all these years seems to still be a single player game which having the option for 2 to 4 player adventuring and fighting the huge monsters online or at home would surely be more entertaining.If I had paid full price I would be disappointed and stuck with a Used game. Rent these games first before buying if you can find a place to rent them. But so far I have put the Switch down sometimes for months like the Xbox One which has not been used in over a year as the PS3 controllers can be run wired not run out of battery power, run on the tv and the cherished but not mass produced PS vita system which still runs high used because of limited production and high popularity for the number produced.As I understand it is a loved Gamer hard core game I gave it a 5 starbut for me I give it as sit in the corner now for awhile if the horses are not able to be tamed and are programmed to run away from any sigh of trouble or into a big fight to kill you no in between the horses are crazy. So just walk through.If all you want to do is run to the end not enjoy the fabulous perk hard to tame and catch seriously wild horses that develop personality issues such after encountering Ogres and other monsters rent the game don't try to resell it to me as new as I buy new games also but as these sold out it has been difficult locally to find it not being resold as a new game when it is used also.

I want to start off by saying that this is the first Amazon Review I've ever written, so I hope it's of some use to at least one individual that stumbles upon it.Before I go into praising BotW I'd like to mention that there are frequent frame rate dips when playing the game on the Switch while docked. In handheld mode, this problem is all but nonexistent. Yes, there are times where it is noticeably annoying, but I would not go as far as to say that you shouldn't purchase this incredible game because of this issue.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch is a marvel to behold.Gameplay:The LoZ plays smoothly and responsively. When I first wrapped my fingers around the joy-cons and played this game, I felt like the placement of some of the commands felt a little out of place. Aside from the placement of the jump button (which can be changed) that forces you to claw the controller in order to run and jump, you end up getting used to the button layout. Unfortunately, there are a few connectivity issues with the joy-cons that Nintendo needs to improve upon, but if you're playing with a Pro Controller (highly recommended) than you won't need to worry about that. There are so many unique ways to combine food and other items in order to come up with creative dishes and elixirs to aid you during your journey. The combat is what you'd expect from a Zelda game, but with the inclusion of weapon durability and variety, no encounter is similar to the next. Also, Link can now scale almost anything due to a new climbing mechanic. It is the best feeling to climb up large mountains and look down at the gorgeous world that Nintendo has created for us. Sometimes you will reach the top of something just before running out of stamina, and I can honestly say that moments like these are what make the game feel so special.Difficulty:I wanted to touch on this a little bit because I for one don't consider many of the Zelda games to be especially difficult in terms of combat encounters, but this new entry changes that. If you're fighting multiple enemies at once, be prepared with a strategy beforehand or else get your butt handed to you. Enemies down the line will give you a hard time for sure.Environment:Breath of the Wild is a gorgeous game and saying that still doesn't do it justice. The art style fits perfectly with the series. The world is beautiful, vibrant, and very much alive. There will be moments where you'll just stop and enjoy the sunset just because of how much the weather impacts you throughout the game. After an entire night trying to climb cliffs in the rain, the sun rising and sky clearing is a brief moment of reprieve. The wildlife and assortment of plant life is extremely expansive in terms of diversity and uniqueness. There is just so much to look at. Not to mention, the map itself is HUGE! I've clocked almost 30 hours into the game and there are still many areas i have yet to explore. It's exciting to think about!Story and Characters:It's a Zelda game so you probably already know what to expect, but I think Nintendo has upped the game in this regard even still. The characters are each likable in their own way, and the relationships they have with each other make you enjoy the game even further. I don't want to go into too much detail about that for fear of spoilers but just know that the events of this story impact the characters in ways that give you an inviting insight into their emotions.Music and Voice Acting:The music is miraculous. Most of the time throughout your journey the only thing you will hear is the sounds... of nature. Birds chirping, deer running, horses galloping, rain falling, and lightning cracking. It's amazing! Of course when you enter a town or other occupied area, that's when the BotW soundtrack truly shines.This is the first time a Zelda game has included voice acting, and I'm here to tell you that you won't be disappointed. You will be very judgmental of the vocal performances at first, but that's only because it's SO WEIRD hearing real voices come from the characters that you've grown to know and love over the years. Once you get over that initial surprise you will begin to appreciate the performances, which I believe to be very well done. I absolutely love Zelda's voice actress. I was never a huge fan of the character myself, but I've adopted a whole new appreciation of the character by the way she's portrayed in this game.To wrap things up, I'd like to say that this game might be one of the few games ever created that is a MUST PLAY for anyone that's a fan of video games. It's just a fun, beautiful, memorable, and unique experience that anyone watching/playing can admire.I've played many incredible video games in my lifetime, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the only one that forced me to write an Amazon Review.I'm absolutely positive that you will be 'blown away' by The Breath of the Wild ;)

Wow, who would have thought that after thirty incredible years of Zelda, with some of the best and most critically acclaimed games ever, Nintendo would manage to create what is, hands down, the best Zelda game to date in the form of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, it is time to step aside. The Zelda series has a new champion. Breath of the Wild is a Masterpiece, and feels destined to be a classic.The Legend of Zelda series is, I must admit, my favorite video game series of all time (which is my favorite past-time) I have been absolutely obsessed with Zelda since I first played Ocarina of Time at the age of ten, sometimes obsessed to a rather unhealthy degree. I have loved every Zelda game, and especially every 3D Zelda, though none of them quite captured the same feeling of wonder and exploration. Until very recently, I would rank Ocarina of Time as my favorite video game of all time, but it looks as though that mantle is finally being passed to another game. Breath of the Wild feels like the Zelda game Nintendo has always wanted to make, but hasn’t been able to do to technological constraints or what have you. This game feels like the essence of what Zelda is, and always has been, about. While this is a lengthy review, this is a game that warrants such a lengthy review.Story: The story to this game begins in a place called the chamber of resurrection. Our hero, Link, has been asleep in a form of stasis for 100 years. When he awakes, he finds the land of Hyrule in ruins, starting with the desolate Temple of Time on the Great Plateau, the starting location. Link is told by a voice in his head that he must be the light to shine upon the land of Hyrule. After meeting a mysterious old man (throwback to the original Zelda game there) Link sets out on his quest to save Hyrule from the evil monster inside Hyrule Castle, known as the Calamity Ganon. Without spoiling too much of this story, I will only say that it is probably the most cinematic Zelda story to date. The fact that this game has voice acting, which is a first for the Zelda series, adds a lot of weight to the key story moments. The characters feel far more fleshed out, and they feel genuinely human. This game’s version of the titular princess Zelda might be the most relatable and interesting incarnation of the character to date, as she has genuine depth to her character. The other pivotal characters also feel uniquely more fleshed out as well, providing some of the most memorable story cut-scenes in a Zelda game, or any Nintendo game. Though Wind Waker and Skyward Sword might rival it, this is probably the best Zelda story to date. It does a great job of immersing you into the Gameplay and the world itself. Moreover, as you explore the world, you feel as though a story is being told through the exploration itself. One of the ingenious methods to the story-telling in this game is how it is told in a nonlinear nature, meaning that you can track down different pieces of the story in any order, and still have it all make sense in the end. Parts of the story are also optional, so it doesn’t ever feel like it’s spoon-fed to you, which is a good thing.Presentation: Right off the bat, I must say that Breath of the Wild is one of the most Gorgeous looking games that has ever been made to me. The simple, soft and vibrant colors also contain a hidden elegance and sophistication that can convey lots of emotion both in terms of story and Gameplay. The style feels reminiscent of Skyward Sword’s, which I also adored, but taken to the next level. This is the first Zelda title to be made in HD, and it shows. The character designs are flawless, and unforgettable. The stunning lighting effect, particularly when the sun rises and sets, remain beautiful to watch from start to finish, and the whole game just looks fantastic. This is magnified on the Nintendo Switch, with longer draw distances and a better performance overall than the Wii U version. There were still some frame-rate drops during moments in the game, particularly during battle moments against the Moblin enemies. While the frame-rate hiccups are still noticeable on the Switch, the game runs noticeably better overall. This minor complaint never ruined the game, or the immersion for me.I for one love the choice of music in this game. The subtle but brilliant use of piano cords make the world feel more natural and organic, and is contrasted brilliantly with the high-energy guardian themes and shrine theme. This, in a way, helps the thematic element of nature versus technology play out in its sound design. While the music may not be something you would listen to outside of the game in the same way you would with previous Zelda games, I believe the music and sound design is perfect for this game. That said, the horse riding theme, Hateno village, and Hyrule Castle are amazing pieces. The Hateno Village theme is simple and beautiful. The voice acting is also very solid, and I would love to see future Zelda games expand on it even more.What it comes down to is that the visual style choices, and the music help to make this, arguably, the most immersive and atmospheric open-world game I have ever played, and it serves the gameplay perfectly.Gameplay: This is the best and most top-notch Gameplay I have ever experienced, period. The controls are so darn good that you could bounce a dime of them and get change leftover. As a veteran Zelda player, there was a learning curve to the controls at first, but after getting accustomed to them, they really did feel like second nature. This is the first 3D Zelda to have a jump button, a simple addition that changes the Gameplay mechanics significantly. Furthermore, the ability to climb in this game also adds a whole new dimension to the Gameplay.This time around, the enemy AI is quite advanced for a Zelda title. The enemies also do quite a bit more damage to Link than they ever have before in a 3D title. What this means is that every encounter, and combat situation feels dangerous, and as though something is at stake. Link’s arsenal of weapons this time around includes far more than just a single sword, but many swords, as well as sticks, axes, spears, clubs, magic rods, and more. You also have a plethora of shields to use, and bows to use. The weapons in this game do break after being used a bit, which might be a point of contention to some. I love this mechanic, and feel that it forces you as the player to think and be strategic as to how you approach every encounter with an enemy. Link can also use stealth to sneak up on his enemies, destroy exploding barrels nearby and watch the enemies scream in horror (such as satisfying feeling,) or even use his rune abilities to take the enemies out before they know what hit them (more on that later.) The possibilities in this game feel almost endless. The coolest move Link can pull off in this game is the flurry rush; when fighting an enemy close-up, if you dodge just in time, Link will do a dodge or backflip in slow-motion, and proceed by striking the enemy several times, ending them in the process. It’s the coolest thing ever.In this game, Link uses a plethora of abilities known as the Rune abilities. With these abilities, Link can create remote bombs that he can explode upon impact whenever desired. You can also use Cryonis, which creates ice blocks from water, which can be used as platforms to climb. You can use what is called stasis, which temporarily freezes objects in place, allowing you to hit them several times, after which point they go flying every which way. Then there is Magnesis, which is my favorite. This allows Link to push, pull, and lift heavy metal objects from afar, and use them to make paths, or even drop them on enemies from a distance. You’ll often stumble upon scenarios, particularly in the dungeons and shrines, that allow you to find your own clever ways of solving puzzles with these brilliant and fun mechanics. Like every aspect of the game, the experimentation alone will soak up hours of your life.Speaking of shrines and dungeons, the dungeons in this game are vastly different than in previous Zelda games. Whereas previous Zelda’s had you collect keys, a key item, in order to make it to the final boss fight, this game’s dungeons are more based around experimentation and manipulation. Through using Link’s powers and abilities, as well as the map in this game, it allows Link to manipulate the layout of the dungeon, and essentially bend them to his will. This is another aspect of this Zelda that feels so fresh and fun. The bosses at the end of the dungeon are also really fun to fight. While the game only has four main dungeons, there are more than 100 mini shrines throughout. The shrines are essentially bite-sized dungeons, and play-out as such on a micro level. Many of them require you to use your rune abilities to solve them and progress, while others have you engage in a little boss fight of sorts with a guardian robot. Needless to say, these shrines are fantastic and provide some of the most enjoyable and mind-bending scenarios I’ve ever encountered, and manage to surprise at every turn. Moreover, the whole over-world almost feels like one giant, outdoor dungeon. What I mean by that is that while it isn’t literally a huge dungeon, you begin solving puzzles and thinking about where, and how you want to proceed to the next shrine or dungeon right of the bat. Simply getting to these shrines and dungeons feels like a puzzle in and of itself.Being a truly open-world game, this game’s real obstacle, beyond even the enemies and the dungeons, is the world itself. This game is an open world adventure game, but it’s also a survival one. This world feels alive. The weather changes, the wild-life has a mind of its own, and the world will try to kill you in a multitude of ways. Whether it be by falling from foolishly attempting to climb massive heights, to lightning striking your metal items, to the wild animals such as bears and wolves that see you as their next meal. Furthermore, the realistic and ingenious physics engine makes the game world feel more natural.The trick then, is to use the world to your advantage. By hunting wild animals and gathering supplies and ingredients, Link can cook a multitude of dishes and elixirs to refill both his heart meter (no hearts in pots or grass in this game) or his stamina gauge. You can hunt just about any wild animal you see in the wild. Cooked meat is always more effective than raw meat in straightening you, and you can combine it with other ingredients like fruits, vegetables, or grains and wheat to increase their effect. You can make potions by combining critters such as lizards, frogs, or bugs with monster parts that provide different temporary stat boosts. Just look out for the dubious food! You can also break chunks of rocks to find minerals, ore, and other materials. By buying and selling these goods, you create your own in game economy of sorts.The other aspect of this game that makes it truly feel like the “open air” experience that Eji Aonuma called it is none other than the glorious climbing mechanic. You can climb almost anything in this game, whether it be a rock face, a cliff, buildings, towers, Hyrule Castle itself, the Temple of Time, you name it. You can even climb trees, and certain rock monsters that appear throughout the world. Climbing is yet another big component and aspect to this game that Nintendo really got down pat, and it does feel like a game changer. I’ve played several games where you can climb certain things, like Assassin’s Creed or Uncharted, but never has it been this freeing in how you can do it. This simple yet elegant mechanic really makes the already huge world feel even bigger. Climbing will slowly eat up your stamina gauge, so it’s up to you to figure out how you want to approach it, and finding little footholds is always a good way to rest when you need to. The only places you can’t climb every wall is in the dungeons and the shrines. The other open-air aspect to this world is the paraglider. When you reach the top of the mountain or a tower, you don’t need to worry about climbing all the way back down. Now, Link can simply jump off the cliff, and glide down to the world below ala Batman. This mechanic remains euphoric from start to finish. It is also an ingenious way to fix what could have been a potential problem before it happened, by allowing you to breezily get down a mountain pf tower right off the bat without having to climb all the way back down.In this game, you can catch any number of wild horses, tame them, and check them into a stable. In past Zelda’s, your horse was Epona, and it was the only horse you could get. Here, there are several horses, some are harder to get than others, and they all have different stats. When you do catch your horse, it really does feel like your own horse, since you caught it, tamed it, and gave it a name. You can hold up to five horses at any given time, and ride around the world, into the villages, and even approach combat while on horseback with your melee weapons and bows. As someone who finds joy and excitement by simply exploring the game world, and doing random things, riding around Hyrule has never felt more fun. I used to love doing that all the way back in Twilight Princess, and this aspect puts that game to shame. The Horses can die, which may seem annoying to some, but I love it as, once again, it offers more strategy and thinking than previous games. When fighting a Guardian, it’s better going up against it on horseback as you have the element of speed on your side.Unlike previous Zelda games, where boss battles were restricted to the dungeons themselves, here in Breath of the Wild, you will often encounter boss like enemies in the world. These come in the form of giant rock monsters (Stone Talus,) Centaur-like creatures (Lynels, another throwback to Zelda on NES,) and the now iconic game enemy known as the Guardian’s (octopus-like robots that attempt to kill you throughout the game.) You can approach these enemies however you choose, or not approach them at all and leave them be at first. Throughout the game, as you become more powerful, you may be bold enough to take them on, it is all up to you. The first time I killed a Guardian was a defining moment for me, as was my first Lynel kill. What’s amazing is that even after you have several of the key upgrades, the enemies still feel like a threat.What makes the Gameplay in Breath of the Wild so good, and so perfect, is that you as the player can literally approach it however you want. The whole world is your oyster, and it’s up to you to figure out how you want to use it.Replay value. This game has lots of reason to play even after your first initial playthrough, which will likely take at least forty hours if you just do the main story. I have played this game from start to finish a few times already (and probably will several more times.) As it stands, you can find all of the optional things in the game (the Master Sword itself is optional,) Find and beat all of the shrines, collect all of the Korok seeds (plant like creature fans may know from Wind Waker,) and do any number of side-quests. The side-quests I have done have all been tremendously fun, and while the rewards may be simple, just playing them feels like a reward. You can help herd cucoos for a chicken-freak in Kakariko village, catch a royal white-steed, help a man start a village from the ground-up, and even build your own house in Hateno Village. This game has tons of replay value, apart from just the urge to go back and play it again. Because of the open-ended nonlinear nature of this game, you can replay the game from start to finish, and take a completely different path, even so far as taking on the last boss right away (though not a good idea if you value your life.) Just experimenting with all the different weapons, finding all the different locations and using your rune abilities will keep you distracted for quite some time.**Nintendo Switch differences:Having played this game on the Switch as well as the Wii U, I can safely say that either version will deliver an incredible experience. That said, the Switch version is probably ever so slightly the superior version. Apart from running a little bit better, I found the switch controller very comfortable, particularly with how easy it is the detach the joy-cons from the controller slots to the tablet-screen. Speaking of which, playing this game on the go is a lot of fun. I would recommend saving the key story moments for the TV, but playing the game casually undocked with the Switch screen has felt great. **Verdict:The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a Masterpiece, and a game I feel will be looked at as a timeless classic. While it isn’t literally “perfect,” it has its occasional frame-rate issues, and the very occasional camera issue, it is, to me, as close to flawless as video game’s get. I haven’t been this immersed, this addicted, or simply had this much fun with a single player game in years, if not decades. This is the best game Nintendo has made in likely the past twenty years, if not ever. I have no regrets in saying I am ready to move on from Ocarina of Time being my all-time favorite video game, as Breath of the Wild now takes the cake. This is the game that really feels tailored to be played however you choose. It feels like the fully realized Zelda game that Nintendo has always wanted to make, and the one we as fans have been salivating for. A new Zelda of any kind is always a big deal, but this one feels uniquely special. I hyped this game to Death Mountain and back, and not only does it meet expectations, it defies them. This feels like a giant playground full of joy, wonder, discovery exploration, and fun. This is a game of survival, action, adventure, comedy, sadness, joy, and excitement, all wrapped into one package. To say it bluntly, this has everything that makes Gaming such a great past-time to me, and millions of people, and it manages to capture the essence of Zelda most of all. This is an absolute must-buy, and a must play. I would honestly encourage you to get a Wii U, or a Nintendo Switch if you do not already have one, to experience this Masterpiece. So get it, play it, enjoy it, and take a Breath of the magnificent Wild.Cons:Occasional frame-rate issuesPros:Sublime ControlsPerfect, Flawless, and incredible GameplayMasterful Open-World ExplorationFreedom and personal choiceMechanics encourage experimentationFresh new dungeon designAmazing art directionBrilliant music and sound designGreat Voice ActingGreat Story and awesome charactersLots of secrets to findLots of replay valueOverall: 10/10Peace, Dana

**No spoiler review**At this point, I could never have imagined the game industry without this game. Every once in a while, a game comes out that just says what everyone is thinking subconsciously but cannot quite make out the words, an itch that needs to be scratched, that puts all the pieces together in entertainment culture and builds the foundation for the next age for the game industry. This is that game.Gameplay: The limits have been lifted. There are almost no restrictions to the possibilities of engagement with the environmental situations. Remember how amazing the Metroid screw jump felt in Metroid Prime 2, flying for the first time in Mario 64, jumping through the web in the Deku tree in Ocarina of Time, etc. In those moments, you knew you had experienced something that would change you, that you were playing a game that reached far beyond what you thought was possible. Now imagine a game that applies that feeling to every element of the game. While diverging some from past Zelda mechanics, they are changes that encourage you to grow as a player and engage in your environment and as such could not have been any other way. Don't worry, it is very nicely balanced.Music: Even the music approach has been redefined for this game. Eerie, peaceful, and epic. I do not think a single note in this game is synthesized and the sensation feels like the game is calling to you or empathizing with you. The music element is used in a way that is unlike anything you probably have experienced before, hearkening back to the complex music development in intellectual music of the 20th century. The best visual reference I can give is that the music feels like water hitting your skin, that is how tangible it is.Graphics: When a design is this polished and revolutionary, graphics, while normally being the easiest to pinpoint, easily take more of a backseat, however this game has some of the most psychologically stimulating environments of any game in recent years. Graphics for this game cannot be discussed separate from gameplay as everything flows together in a near perfect fashion. The physics used in conjunctions with the models and layout of the map are immediately accessible and complex. Here are some examples of scope: The scope of the land is so vast and varied that every minute exploring provides an almost entirely different experience than the one just prior. A friend of mine is playing the game and while we have both been exploring the same areas, neither of us over the course of three days came across the exact same elements in the exact same way other than a town that the story led us both to. *In the overview of the world as seen in the picture on the box cover, every viewable (and not viewable) crevice is an entirely different world of exploration that is both gorgeous and fully interactive.Design: Arguably the best quality of Breath of the Wild is how the elements come together. The expanse and themes, while Zelda, feel like they were taken out of the imagination of the renaissance 80s, a characteristic usually only touched on by unique cult-classic romps but here is fully realized in an immersive experience. The characters have such a unique and retro feel that they are both unsettling and comforting in the same breath. From the music to the landscape to the vocals and setting, this game truly brings together all the design elements in a masterful way.CONS: (nit-picking; do not read this section) Amidst all of these amazing elements, there are a few potential improvements that could be made.1) There are not voice-overs for all NPC dialog. This was a similar complaint that I had with the last 2 home console Zelda titles. If the production values on the game are high enough to immerse you as this title has done, all NPC lines should be voiced rather than only a few.2) The obvious cloud shadows during high sun are so realistic that it makes you look up, however the clouds in the sky do not coincide with the shadows. Often I would expect to see a close cloud or a storm front coming in, and not have either.3) Some powers suffer from quirky control mapping.4) Simple textures and meshes often are crude for the sake of object and environment scope. Forgiveable, but noticeable.5) The interactive detail in the game is so high that it is noticeable when Link's hands don't lineup with climbing elements or when objects quickly "transition" into items *cough* tree trunks *cough*6) Greatly miss the presence of at least a few major in-ground elements or dungeons. Most of the world is the same "trial" format with huge surface landscapes.7) More purpose, depth, and variety in the lives of the NPC characters that inhabit Hyrule. (As far as engine planning, this element could require as much preparation as the development of the world itself.)8) Inability to change the view if needed. (When in a tree, avoiding being seen or fire from horseback bokoblins, the leaves and branches become too much of a visual obstruction from accurately shooting arrows or observing.*All of these will likely improve or appear in future Zelda games overtime. Again, this game is the dawn of a new age and standard in game design.I have not been as satisfied and amazed with a game as I am with Breath of the Wild since Nintendo 64. This game has the same feeling as the first arrival of Ocarina of Time, Mario 64, Link to the Past, Final Fantasy 7, Super Mario Brothers, and Super Mario World. Up until now, nothing had dethroned Majora's Mask, Metroid Prime, and Ocarina of Time as my best, new favorite experiences, despite having played the large expanse and epic battles of Shadows of the Colossus, the emotional play of Resident Evil 4, the new learning approach and vicarious interactions of The Last Guardian, and nearly every other major release from Bethesda, Naughty Dog, and more. This game has surpassed all of my prior memories and claimed its rightful place as the game that defines gaming. I never thought I would feel that level of amazement again in the industry, but it is here and it isn't even VR. Game design at it's finest and why Nintendo still remains the definitive development standard.