Running Head: A Breath of Fresh Air

“A Breath of Fresh Air”: Gameplay in ​The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild

Cole Sutterer

University of Missouri St. Louis

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“A Breath of Fresh Air”: Gameplay in ​The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild

The Hero of the Wild wakes up after a 100-year slumber to a mysterious voice that beckons him

to discover what has happened in his absence. The Hero, Link, travels outside to see the ruins of

a once-great civilization. Urged by the spirit of the deceased King of Hyrule to save the

kingdom, Link seeks out an old Sheikah named Impa. Impa tells him about the divine beasts,

feats of Sheikah technology that were designed to stop the destruction of Hyrule. However,

Hyrule is sent in to ruin when Ganon finally attacks he takes control of the beast. Impa instructs

Link to free the Divine Beasts and to defeat Ganon. Now, it is up to the player to determine how

Link’s foretold adventure will ensue.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ​was instantly critically acclaimed after its

​ on: the Game

release date of March 3, 2017. At the Game Awards in 2017, ​Breath of the Wild w

Award for best studio and direction 2017, the Game award for best Action/Adventure, and Game

of the Year for 2017. ​Breath of the Wild​ received an average rating of 97%. (Metacritic, 2017)

IGN has long held a high standard of reviewing games since 1996. Reviewers use a 10

point scale to rank games, ​The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild​ received the highest ranking

of ten by their review Jose Otero. Otero begins by complementing the freedom and sense of

adventure that the game instantly provides, Otero comments on how liberating being able to

tackle problems at your own pace is. The game follows a realistic set of rules that allows for

endless creativity. The physics engine is intuitive, and every material from sticks, rocks, or

metallic blocks respond to forces like magnetism or fire as one would expect them too. Otero

states that the combat flows seamlessly within the game, and how the different difficulties of

enemies allows for growth and playful experimentation. Otero then tells of how the sidequests
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introduced him to friendly characters and provided useful materials. Finally, Otero states how

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild​ is a masterclass in its open-world sandbox full of

mystery, and anyone could easily get lost playing in it. (Otero, 2017)

Andrew Webster of “The Verge” begins his review by telling how ​The Legend of Zelda:

Breath of the Wild​ brings a fresh new light to the Legend of Zelda Series- its surprises. The

unpredictability of a player’s adventure through the game takes the player away from the

seemingly rigid and formulaic structure of previous Legend of Zelda titles. Andrew then explains

how the game opens with our hero, Link, awakening in a cavern. After sleeping for 100 years

evil has risen and it is the hero’s job to set things right. The game’s strength is in how it tells, or

doesn’t tell the player, how to set it right. One of the greatest aspects of the game is its lack of

icons, while some games burden the player with how to play the game, ​Breath of the Wild d​ oes

the opposite. The player will only receive an icon on the map when they discover something,

making finding new towns and shrines feel like an actual discovery. Shrines are one of the most

exciting finds in the game, these satisfying puzzles can usually be completed in under 15

minutes. They require creativity and can often be solved in more than one way. Andrew further

explains the survival elements of the game, which forces the player to protect the hero from

bitter heat or extreme cold. Furthermore, the weapons and tools picked up along the way can

break, this makes using your best equipment a liability. Andrew concludes by telling of how the

new direction that ​Breath of the Wild​ takes, returns the series to what it is supposed to be-

exploration. Being able to see a peak in the distance, and knowing you’ll eventually be able to

make it to the top. (Webster, 2017)

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Gameplay is the defining difference that separates video games from all other forms of

media. Allowing a player to directly interact with a media is what makes video games

revolutionary. Gameplay itself is the rules of a game; the connection between the game and the

player and the challenges which the player can overcome. ​The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the

Wild​ offers a fresh new take on gameplay, and establishes a true freedom for a player and their

environment.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild​ first establishes its sense of freedom by laying

the groundwork of restrictions. Link has a certain amount of health that can be depleted by

extreme heat or cold, falling from excessive height, or being attacked by an enemy. Furthermore,

a stamina bar shows how far Link can sprint, run, or climb. Beyond that, a player is allowed to

do whatever they wish to do. If the player sees a tree they want to cut down they can, if there is a

mountain the player

can climb it. If the

player sees a group

of deer frolicking in

the distance, they

can hunt them, or, if

feeling particularly

daring, hop on one

to take a ride. By clearly defining the rules and not imposing additional restrictions, ​Breath of the

Wild p​ rovides the player with an open sandbox of endless possibilities.

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To give the player freedom, the game establishes a physics engine that defines what can

be done. Everything found in the game has properties that relate them to their environment.

Wood materials and weapons will catch fire when exposed to a fire or explosion. Metallic

materials and weapons will respond to magnets and, sometimes, unfortunately, act as conductors

or lightning rods.

Furthermore,

gravity will

affect all objects

as it would in

real life. A player

can roll a log or

boulder down a

hill, or hit enemies off

cliffs to their demise. The realistic physics in ​Breath of the Wild​ allows for creativity unknown

by other games, the only limit is the player’s imagination.

Breath of the Wild​ establishes a special connection to each player through its subtle but

effective difficulty curve. First, differentiating it from most adventure games, there is no obvious

level system within the game. In order to grow stronger, the game encourages the player to

explore, in doing so they obtain different equipment and items needed to succeed. For example,

there are 120 shrines located across Hyrule. These hidden shrines contain puzzles or trials that

test players’ adaptability and creativity. Upon completing the trial, a player receives an item that

can increase their health or stamina. This allows a player to more easily combat the challenges
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the game provides, without making the player mindlessly play the game to grow stronger.

Puzzles in the shrines also showcase different features the game offers, acting like tutorials.

Connecting metal circuitry,

burning organic materials

to damage an enemy or

reveal a hidden path, or

manipulating wind currents

provide the player with

ideas of how to tackle

problems outside the shrines.

Breath of the Wild c​ leverly provides players with the tools to succeed and arms them with

creativity through shrines, creating an unseen difficulty curve.

A common complaint of the difficulty arises when people talk about weapons durability.

In ​Breath of the Wild​, a weapon, shield, or bow can break after being used multiple times.

Players can get

frustrated when their

favorite item breaks

after using it

excessively.

However, this

design choice

compels a player to
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think outside the box and adapt to their surroundings. Instead of running blindly into an enemy

camp, ​Breath of the Wild​ urges a player to use the environment to their advantage. Players can

roll boulders into enemies, set enemy camps on fire, and have countless other options to dispose

of enemies. Limitations set on weapon durability prompt the player to think creatively.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ​is truly a masterpiece. It has redefined the

Legend of Zelda s​ eries and set new standards for adventure games. ​The Legend of Zelda: Breath

of the Wild​ offers a fresh new take on gameplay, and establishes a true freedom for a player and

their environment.
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References

Awards 2017. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://thegameawards.com/.

Otero, J. (2017, September 14). The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Review. Retrieved

from

https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/03/02/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-review​.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. (2017, March 3). Retrieved from

https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild.

Webster, A. (2017, March 2). The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review. Retrieved from

https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/2/14787082/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-re

view​.

What is Gameplay? - Definition from Techopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1911/gameplay​.

*Note for figures 1-4: All images were taken via ​Nintendo Switch ​screenshot on 2019, October

15 by Cole Sutterer from ​The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild