Why is Zelda Breath of the Wild So Popular?
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has captivated gamers since its launch in 2017 for the Nintendo Switch. As a long-time Zelda fan and gaming enthusiast, I‘ve been blown away by how Breath of the Wild both honors the legacy of the storied franchise while also revolutionizing open-world gaming as we know it.
A Landmark Revolution in Open-World Design
Breath of the Wild‘s open-ended approach of giving players tools rather than quest markers was a landmark shift in open-world design philosophies. Instead of following designer-dictated waypoints, players must observe Hyrule‘s interactive ecology and make their own paths to objectives. As GameSpot‘s critic praised:
"The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a masterclass in open-world design and adventure game storytelling."
This emphasis on improvisation and emergence also permeated combat encounters. The game‘s physics system allows for almost limitless experimentation – players can set grass alight to create updrafts, detonate explosive barrels with metal weapons, and more. I‘ll never forget defeating my first stone-skinned Hinox giant by tying a metal box to a balloon bomb, lifting it over the beast, then shooting it out of the sky so it crashed down on the monster‘s head.
As one Kotaku article put it:
"Breath of the Wild‘s emergent gameplay…[creates] some of the most memorable moments in Zelda history."
By putting intellect and creativity ahead of stats or levels, Breath of the Wild made every player feel like a genius adventurer. This is the pinnacle of open-world design.
Historic Critical Acclaim
Critics widely praised Breath of the Wild as one of the greatest video games ever made upon its release:
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| IGN | 10/10 |
| GameSpot | 10/10 |
| Destructoid | 10/10 |
As one of the most acclaimed games ever with an OpenCritic aggregate score of 97, Breath of the Wild received numerous Game of the Year awards and is considered an instant classic that helped redefine expectations of open-world adventure games.
Massive Commercial Success
In addition to critical praise, Breath of the Wild has sold over 30 million copies worldwide as of 2022. This makes it:
- The best-selling Zelda game ever
- Among the top 10 best-selling Nintendo games
- One of the top 30 highest-selling video games of all time
For a single-player focused, non-mobile game without microtransactions, these numbers are incredibly impressive and speak to Breath of the Wild‘s mass appeal.
Pushing the Open-World Genre Forward
Breath of the Wild didn‘t just succeed on its own merits – it has shaped the open-world genre moving forward across the industry. Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi stated he hopes it "becomes the standard blueprint for future open world games."
Many critics have praised subsequent open-world games for adopting Breath of the Wild‘s design philosophies. Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Ghost of Tsushima, and more have taken inspiration from its emphasis on nonlinear exploration over map icon overload. Breath of the Wild has shown what the open-world genre is capable of at its best.
For all these reasons – groundbreaking design, historic acclaim, massive popularity, and enduring influence – Breath of the Wild will be remembered as one of gaming‘s most important 3D open-world achievements. It realized the true potential of The Legend of Zelda series and modern gaming itself. That‘s why it remains one beloved by fans and critics years later.
