Hey guys , just to start off I am in no way trying to be funny or talk down upon this game , I’ve NEVER had any Nintendo before so I am completely new to it , I’m getting my switch at the end of this month and obviously I am looking for some games to play on it , obviously the big name I hear EVERYONE talk about is Zelda breath of the wild , and my question is why is this game so beloved? I’ve played lots of open world games and to be it looks a lot less ( visually less appealing) now I want to get it and try it for myself of course as I’m starting my Nintendo journey but like I said , why is it so beloved ? Story? The open world ? would love to hear the from the fans what makes this game so special ! Thanks!

Le sigh

Freedom. Atmosphere. Art direction and graphics. Physics engine and interactions. Subtlety. Sound and music. Characters. Combat. Puzzles.

Close this question and just play. You will ruin the discovery and thrill of finding out for yourself.

The map isn't cluttered with icons unless you want it to be. It's easy to grasp the basics of navigation and combat and figuring out your mistakes. You can climb 95% of vertical surfaces. The RPG elements are simple, with a piece of gear or meal enhancing one attribute (if any). The open world inspires much curiosity even dozens of hours in.

Frankly, it's a vibe the game is really good at creating. If you don't get the atmosphere, you won't get the game. That's it.

There isn't a heaping of ridiculous things, or stuff to do in every corner, but it does reward you for exploring, and the transit across the world is pretty enjoyable with the stylised, picturesque views the game creates.

I'd just say come in fresh. Don't watch anything, don't have any expectations. Just try to enjoy what you are given. If it's enough, you'll probably love the game.

It is a very beautiful game, you really need to expirience it first hand to understand.

"Tell me how I should feel about this game" lol

What really wins you over is the game's open world. When it came out, open world games were basically just large maps filled with markers, question marks, and other icons telling you where to go. Nintendo did something different. The world is filled with handcrafted, carefully curated elements. The developers designed it in a way that, simply by looking around, the player can spot things in the distance that stand out as points of interest. As you make your way from one of those points to another, you notice other things along the way that catch your attention and potentially pull you off your original path. I don't know if you've played Elden Ring, but I'd say its world follows a very similar design philosophy to BOTW.

You play open world games these days and you get bombarded with check marks on a map of things to see and do. With BOTW you get almost none of that. What you get instead is your curiosity rewarded. You'll be at the top of a tower and spot something unusual or interesting in the distance, but you're not necessarily told to go there. 99 times out of 100 your curiosity is rewarded. The world is full of things to discover. You end up being the person putting markers on a map, not the developer.

Added to that, it's just a beautiful game. That first time you use the hand glider and you quickly realise how big this world is, it's one of my favourite gaming moments.

The gameplay is fun, the puzzles are clever and I really enjoyed the story and meeting the cast of characters along the way.

personally its a very different take on open world, theres still open world things you typically sees but we don't really see an open world that focuses so much on physics engine since like maybe far cry 2, that and the world being less cluttered is honestly refreshing after like dozens on ubisoft games and other open world games.

though most people either dislike or indifferent to the combat system particularly the weapon breaking system (not me tho I love it)

Nintendo games are expensive and wanting to see if the game is worth it ?

It's not about the graphics at all, it's how the world actually works

What makes it click is that the game gives you a set of physics tools and then just lets you break things in ways that feel like you're cheating but you're not. Fire creates updrafts, metal conducts electricity, you can chop down a tree to cross a gap, shield surf down a mountain, launch yourself with a frozen boulder. The map is massive but everything you see you can actually get to, and the game never stops you with an invisible wall or a "you can't do that yet" message

The story is sparse and melancholy which somehow makes it hit harder when you do find it. It's less about being told a narrative and more about piecing together what happened to this ruined kingdom while you wander through it

Coming from other open world games it might feel empty at first but that's kinda the point. It's meditative. You're not chasing map markers, you're just exploring because something caught your eye on the horizon