Breath of the Wild

An open-world Zelda game that redefined exploration and experimentation.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a 2017 action-adventure game from Nintendo EPD for the Wii U and Nintendo Switch. Near the end of the Zelda timeline, Link must save Princess Zelda and stop Calamity Ganon. Players explore an open Hyrule, gathering items and completing puzzles and side quests in any order. Its unstructured world rewards experimentation and physics-based play. Widely hailed as one of the greatest games ever, it set a new standard for open-world design.

Quick Facts

Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Wii U, Nintendo Switch
Released: March 3, 2017
Genre: Action-adventure
Director: Hidemaro Fujibayashi
Producer: Eiji Aonuma

Facts from the source article.

Did You Know?

The game takes place at the end of the Zelda timeline in the kingdom of Hyrule, where an amnesiac Link awakens in the Shrine of Resurrection after a century of slumber.
In ancient times, the Sheikah race developed Hyrule into an advanced civilization protected by four Divine Beasts and an army of Guardians.
A spinoff, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, was released in 2020, and a sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, was released in 2023.

Development

Nintendo EPD developed Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U. Series producer Eiji Aonuma stated the team aimed to rethink Zelda conventions. Development began immediately after the release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in 2011. Aonuma received feedback from players wanting a more interconnected map. In 2013, Nintendo experimented with nonlinear gameplay in A Link Between Worlds, which received praise. At E3 2014, Aonuma said he planned to reform dungeons and puzzles and redesign the game to allow completion without progressing through the story. The art style drew inspiration from Japanese anime. Link was redesigned to be more gender neutral so players could relate to him more easily.

Release

Aonuma announced the game for the Wii U in January 2013 during a Nintendo Direct presentation, stating it would challenge series conventions such as linear dungeon order. In 2014, Nintendo showed high-definition cel-shaded footage at E3. Originally planned for 2015, the game was delayed early that year and not shown at E3. A Wii U version was confirmed despite the development of the Nintendo Switch.

It was delayed again in April 2016 due to problems with the physics engine. At E3 2016, attendees played the Wii U version, and the subtitle Breath of the Wild was announced. The game launched for both Wii U and Switch on March 3, 2017, as the last Nintendo-published Wii U game. Special Edition and Master Edition bundles included a Sheikah Eye coin, a Calamity Ganon tapestry, a soundtrack CD, and a carrying case; the Master Edition also included a Master Sword figurine.

An Explorer's Edition released on November 23, 2017, with a map and a 100-page book. A five-disc soundtrack released in Japan on April 25, 2018. An enhanced Switch 2 Edition launched on June 5, 2025, with improved resolution, higher framerate, HDR support, and integration with the Nintendo Switch Online App featuring Zelda Notes.

Reception

Breath of the Wild received universal acclaim according to Metacritic, where it is the highest-rated game of 2017 and holds the most perfect reviews of any game. OpenCritic assessed it as mighty, recommended by 96% of critics, making it the highest-rated Wii U game on the site and second-highest-rated Nintendo Switch game after Super Mario Odyssey. Critics praised the open-world gameplay. IGN described it as a masterclass in open-world design and a sandbox full of mystery.

GameSpot called it the most impressive game Nintendo had made, noting it reworked designs from other games into something new that still felt quintessentially Zelda. Edge wrote that the world was an absolute pleasure to get lost in. Digital Trends stated that the ability to climb any surface and glide broke the genre open, pushing developers to rethink vertical design. In contrast to Ubisoft-style games, Breath of the Wild encourages players to set their own objectives, marking the map with discoveries as a record of accomplishments.