The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) review "A masterful entry in an open world of similarly minded titles."

Nintendo revitalized the gaming industry at a time when its leaders didn’t know what to do with what they had. The Atari 2600 "Video Computer System" was unfocused, but Nintendo got it right. It is in the name, after all. Thus, it makes complete sense for them to revitalize a flagging platform, even when it was their invention. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild would not have been the worldwide smash hit it was without the portable, convertible Switch.

Breath of the Wild became, over its four years of development, a sacrificial altar for the established conventions of previous titles. Like the features of any product, an extensive list of add-ons and third-party accessories can all but obliterate the purpose of the original idea. Imagine a watch with its own accessories and add-ons. No? That's exactly what the BotW team realized.

BotW is a pared-down experience with just two player directives: 1) Defeat Calamity Ganon. 2) Explore Hyrule. All of its quests are optional, even though most players wouldn't stand a chance against Ganon with just three hearts and a cloth suit of "armour." The point is the power was put in our hands, and beyond that, it was done in a way that encourages natural exploration and exploits the raw enjoyment of wanderlust. Or, as my Mom would say, "noodling".

Aesthetically, this game is both progressive in its breathtaking attention to detail and regressive in its lower-than-par fidelity and resolution. By setting you on your heels and essentially letting you wander as you please, the journey becomes your own. That does necessitate an introduction to its mechanics and primary means of transport, though. Call it a tutorial, if you will, but in no way does it ever feel like one.

You're not going to get yourself killed by overwhelmingly powerful enemies at the outset, not at least until you earn the means of transportation alluded to. Once you have come to grips with your new equipment, you are turned loose to search out those curious making specks you saw on the horizon. That's when you begin to experience the vast depth of BotW's world. Much like one who thinks of a car as being freeing, taking it onto the highway educates you about the truth of the matter: Everything is so much farther away than you first believed, and your stamina wheel empties out pretty fast.

All is not lost, however, even if you are. Along the way, observant players will have been gathering the many collectibles that are interspersed throughout the environment. Nintendo has been teaching you to gather and manage the resources you'll need to survive and succeed in your goals. Climbing for apples, for instance, rewards you for risk-taking, even when rain creates perhaps unnecessary frustration. Naturally, you'll improve your stamina with temporary food buffs, permanent stat bonuses and even upgradable gear.

Armour is your best friend, and there is a variety of types to aid you in traversing the vast world at hand. Weapons, however, shatter after surprisingly little use, but it introduced me to a dynamism of combat I have rarely experienced before. There is a natural flow and even layers of strategy to be found in BotW's combat that could be the pinnacle of the industry.

Remember, Nintendo has years of mistakes behind them, and this is a grand summary showcase of lessons learned. A willingness to be flexible and self-examine their own paradigms has introduced the world to an open-world adventure unique amongst its predecessors and peers. Sometimes, the wise owl waits until all of the other prey has fed before swooping in. There is a good reason why BotW doesn't have any tutorial owls in it, after all.

Who needs tutorials when you learn by doing?

If music is a mainstay of Nintendo's franchises - which it is - then the selective implementation of dramatic themes sets it apart from its predecessors. You may wonder why there isn't a host of trumpets and tom drums accompanying your quest to restore peace to the Kingdom, but if you consider the nature of the game, you may begin to understand why silence is important. Music is not interjected into your train of thought but rather allows you to determine the next course of action - even if it isn't the best for Hyrule's future.

You see, there aren't any artificial gates and no walls you can't just climb over for the sake of your own investigation. You might run into a situation you need more preparation for, but that's the key to success. If some game theories are to be believed, the Triforce of Courage enables Link to keep trying until he gets it right, rather like Dr. Strange. If you've only learned from your failures, how can you not help but be victorious, even eventually?

Yes, I am a proponent of Game Theory's theory about Link's triangular wedge of godly power. Nintendo's mum on the subject, but to me, it makes a lot of sense. The remaining component of the puzzle is how Link's Adventure is desirable and entertaining. Which brings me to the pieces of that puzzle.

Visually speaking, this game has been scaled to its limited hardware, but you'll cease to notice that when your focus is drawn to the breadth of interaction it provides. Combat is as open-ended as the world itself, fleshed out by an infinite supply of bombs, a standard variety of arrows, shields, and melee weapons such as swords, pikes, boomerangs, lances, hammers and axes. Variety is indeed the spice of entertainment here.

Layered upon that is the map system, which gives you the ability to set travel markers - for destinations du jour - quest guides and a way of locating mission-essential crafting resources. It seamlessly integrates with the gatherable and shiny distractions that will stock your inventory for the times you do decide to pick up a quest. Believe me, Ganon is easier to fight when you're equipped with the right food, potions and gear. Some of those quests grant powerful magical abilities that make the game more enjoyable, if easier.

Nintendo has taken the hard knocks and, for once in its history, got up off the ground, browbeaten and bruised, with an idea in its head about how not to get knocked out of the arena. If there's anything less predictable than people, Nintendo has elected to allow players the freedom to make what they want of Link's reality. Be it grand or sheer tomfoolery, the controls and mechanics are in your hands, and the result is the finest open-world adventure this particular player has ever experienced.

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Community review by hastypixels (March 29, 2018) Wisdom comes from effort and mistakes.