It's been five years since The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched on Wii U and Nintendo Switch, where it was met with critical acclaim and became a commercial success (and cultural phenomenon). In the years since, BOTW has developed its own kind of mythos, become a go-to comparison for open-world games, and caught the adoration of many people who may have not played a Zelda game otherwise. It can be easy to romanticize Breath of the Wild (although the game certainly has its detractors), but even from an objective standpoint, there is something masterful about its innovation and experimentation.
There will likely always be debates over whether Breath of the Wild is the best Zelda game or one of the worst - and both arguments are rooted in the ways that BOTW broke away from the series' formula in major ways. It's easy to throw around the term "masterpiece" simply because someone loves something, but it's not a title given to BOTW casually. It's something that can be seen, even five years later, by looking back on what makes the game so special. Much like Link roaming the ruins of Hyrule and stumbling upon Memories to collect in BOTW, certain memories of the game stand out - falling off a cliff and dying about 30 seconds into entering the Great Plateau, seeing one of the three dragons flying across the sky at a distance for the first time, or stumbling up the Lord of the Mountain late at night and having no idea if it was friend or foe.
For many fans - this writer included - Breath of the Wild was all about discovery. It was easy to get sidetracked. There were always mountains to climb, Koroks to find, and wild horses to tame. Finding a new creature to ride - bears, deer, or even a Lynel - was always a sure way to slap a smile across a player's face. There was something truly thrilling about finding a new gimmick. There were just so many things the game didn't tell players, and that was part of its genius. Even now, a half-decade after its initial release, BOTW players are still discovering new tricks - whether it's through Stasis and Magnesis exploits or simply discovering a new way to solve an Ancient Shrine's puzzle.
BOTW Is All About Discovery & Experimentation
Even the cover of Breath of the Wild promised discovery - a great adventure was waiting out there in this massive, open world. The options, even now, are perhaps endless. BOTW, as a game, has two central themes: discovery and experimentation. It's found in the development of the game, but also in the way gameplay works, in the way the world moves, and in the way players must find solutions on their own. It's not just the puzzles found inside Ancient Shrines or Divine Beasts that have to be solved, but countless other problems, too: How can Link climb that mountain without running out of stamina? How can Link sneak past those Guardians without being obliterated? Which direction should Link go first? It's all so open-ended, and that's what makes BOTW truly wonderful.
The best individual example of this may be Eventide Island, a completely optional area where Link is stripped of his weapons, gear, and belongings. The game essentially tells players nothing, but they know they need to survive and should solve the shrine's riddle. From here, there are countless ways to continue (and die trying). BOTW has suddenly become a desert island survival simulator, and while it can admittedly be frustrating at times, Eventide Island is one of the most memorable sections in a game full of memorable moments. Finishing Eventide Island in BOTW feels like its own kind of reward.
Eventide Island encapsulates those themes of discovery and experimentation. Players must search out a way for Link to solve the shrine's puzzle, and there are dozens, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of ways to go about doing this. Unless players read and follow a step-by-step guide, it's almost guaranteed that no two solutions will play out the same. They must experiment with the tools at their disposal - and if they fail, then they try again. It's finding success in those failures that's key.
BOTW's Story & Characters - Five Years Later
Failure is certainly a part of BOTW's gameplay, but it's also a major aspect of its narrative. Prior to the main events of the game, the heroes fail to stop Calamity Ganon, Hyrule falls into ruin, and Link goes into a 100-year slumber. But much like learning from failure to finally solve the Eventide Island puzzle, Link and Zelda learn from their own shortcomings to finally beat Calamity Ganon and save Hyrule in the game's final showdown.
Players are free to tackle Hyrule Castle and Calamity Ganon any time they want (another part of the game's genius), but exploring reaps numerous rewards - including delving into BOTW's story. Voice-acting may be new to The Legend of Zelda in this entry, but what's most impressive is how much these characters (many of whom are already dead) feel so alive. Breath of the Wild's Four Champions - Daruk, Mipha, Revali, and Urbosa - have become a beloved part of the Zelda fandom. This is especially stunning given how little they actually appear in the game. But the developers have packed in these small moments with a large amount of character development and personality, making those cutscenes all the more powerful.
The story and characters are certainly why some people fell in love with Breath of the Wild, but after five years, the reasons behind the game's longevity are still tied to those elements of discovery and experimentation. After all these years, people are still finding new and creative ways to tackle puzzles and take down enemies. It's rare for a game to still have secrets so long after launch, and very few ever manage to successfully pull it off. Its' why, no matter how someone may feel about the game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will continue to be considered a masterpiece - five, ten, and even fifty years after its release.