The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Open air adventure
Breath of the Wild reinvented the Zelda formula with emergent gameplay, physics-based puzzles, and unprecedented freedom in a vast open world.
Overview
Breath of the Wild dismantled Zelda conventions and rebuilt them around player freedom. The entire map was visible and reachable from the start. Systems interacted naturally: fire spread, metal conducted electricity, objects had physics. Players could solve problems any way they imagined, creating emergent gameplay that felt genuinely open.
Fast facts
- Developer: Nintendo EPD.
- Director: Hidemaro Fujibayashi.
- Producer: Eiji Aonuma.
- Development: Five years.
- Awards: Multiple Game of the Year.
Design philosophy
Break Zelda conventions:
| Tradition | Change |
|---|---|
| Dungeon order | Go anywhere from start |
| Specific tools | Universal abilities |
| Heart containers | Cook for health |
| Safe exploration | Survival elements |
| Guided progression | Self-directed discovery |
Core systems
| System | Function |
|---|---|
| Climbing | Scale any surface (stamina permitting) |
| Gliding | Paraglider for traversal |
| Cooking | Combine ingredients for effects |
| Weather | Affects gameplay (lightning, rain) |
| Durability | Weapons break, encouraging variety |
Shrines and towers
Structure within freedom:
- Towers: Reveal map regions (120+ locations).
- Shrines: 120 mini-dungeons with Spirit Orbs.
- Divine Beasts: Four large dungeon equivalents.
- Korok Seeds: 900 collectibles for inventory.
Physics engine
Emergent gameplay from systems:
- Objects roll downhill.
- Fire spreads and creates updrafts.
- Metal attracts lightning.
- Magnesis moves metallic objects.
- Stasis freezes and stores kinetic energy.
Players discovered solutions developers never anticipated.
Weapon durability debate
Controversial design choice:
- All weapons break eventually.
- Encourages experimentation.
- Prevents attachment to single weapon.
- Divisive among players.
Open world approach
Different from typical open worlds:
- No quest markers by default.
- Reward curiosity, not checklist clearing.
- Environmental storytelling.
- Player-driven pacing.
Critical reception
Universal acclaim:
- Highest-rated game of its generation.
- Launch title for Nintendo Switch.
- Sold 30+ million copies.
- Influenced subsequent open-world design.
Impact on Zelda
Changed franchise direction:
- Sequel Tears of the Kingdom (2023) expanded systems.
- Unlikely to return to linear structure.
- New baseline for Zelda expectations.
Industry influence
Broader impact:
- “Breath of the Wild-like” became genre descriptor.
- Other games adopted climbing and gliding.
- Renewed focus on emergent gameplay.
- Permission to break series conventions.