Game reviews / The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2017 · Nintendo Switch · Wii U · Action-adventure · Open-world
4 scored sources · 2 countries contributing scores
Review consensus
Breath of the Wild radically expands Zelda through a vast, beautifully realized Hyrule built around freedom, discovery, and experimentation. Its climbing, survival systems, physics-driven puzzles, creative combat, and environmental interactions consistently reward curiosity, while shrines and emergent encounters make exploration feel personal and unpredictable. The game’s restrained music, charming settlements, and expressive world reinforce its sense of adventure. Weapon durability can be frustrating, the main dungeons are less distinctive than traditional Zelda temples, and occasional frame-rate issues undermine an otherwise polished presentation. Even so, critics broadly view it as a landmark open-world adventure and a defining reinvention of Nintendo’s flagship series.
Limited geographic coverage. Treat this score as an early indication.
Last researched: 2026-09-17
Pros
- Remarkably open-ended exploration and discovery
- Creative physics-based puzzles and systemic gameplay
- Flexible, demanding combat and survival mechanics
- Beautiful world with charming characters and atmosphere
Cons
- Weapon durability can become frustrating
- Occasional frame-rate issues
- Dungeons are less substantial and distinctive than in earlier Zelda games
Review sources
4 sources found across 2 countries. This is not exhaustive worldwide coverage.
- Nintendo Life · United Kingdom · 100/100
- Destructoid · United States · 100/100
- GameSpot · United States · 100/100
- Shacknews · United States · 100/100