2017 will be remembered for all these amazing games.
Nintendo will also be remembered in 2017 for releasing the Nintendo Switch and
how it changed many gamers play their games. Nintendo’s 2017 saw the release of
a new 3D Mario, two sequels to two
highly recommended games in Splatoon 2
and Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and
lastly, a completely new IP with ARMS
and much more.
Though the Switch was this massive success it wasn’t always
portrayed that way. At the January reveal event Nintendo showed the promise of
what the Nintendo Switch could be. They showed off many games that I listed
above, but also some that would be releasing next year. As the event ended the
community had mix feelings about the whole Switch event with only 3-4 launch
games with the Switch. One of those launch games were The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, my #1 game of 2017 and the
first example of how the Switch is truly the most innovative console in recent
memory.
Breath of the Wild saved
the Switch in its first few weeks, as there were not much to play. As Nintendo
released sales numbers, the attach rate of Zelda
to the Switch was Over 100%. That meant that they sold more Zelda copies then Switch – though it was
also released for the Wii U its still an amazing accomplishment.
Breath of the Wild is the Definitive Switch Game
Even though BotW (Breath of the Wild) was released both on Wii U and Switch, it’s a
magical feeling when you can take the Switch to go while you explore in the
open world. It has this feeling of unison between Link and me – like exploring
together.
Breath of the wild’s
adaptation of Hyrule is its biggest yet. This is the prefect example of why BotW lends itself so well to the Switch.
Going away or can’t play at home? You can take the console and the whole world
within it. Turning on the Switch and seeing the massive world of Hyrule will
grab you instantly.
The Beautiful, Magical World of Hyrule
The way Nintendo
crafted Hyrule was in a way to give the player something always to run towards
which adds dozens of hours of play. They made exploring feel natural and
instinctive with no markers and its simplistic UI. What you see is what you’re
working towards.
One of the most
magical moments in this game is when you find your first tower. It might seem
like an overused mechanic in open world games – BotW does it in a more natural way. Activating the tower will
reveal that section of the map. Once that is done, looking from the heights of
the tower you can see many things from Shrines (mini dungeons) to magical beasts,
there will be always something that you’ll want to investigate.
I prefer this way
of exploration as to the other Zelda
games – though none other Zelda games
had this freedom of exploration some of my friends couldn’t wrap their head
around the freedom that this game allowed for us. Part of that is the lack of
markers and indicators, and the other part is how intimidating the open world
is. Few players who love Zelda don’t
realize the affect of the open world – they’ve always understood the fact that Zelda was this linear action, adventure
game that held their hand. I understand how these fans feel, but once the magic
of exploration is realized this can be the best Zelda experience a fan has ever had.
Shrines Are a Reward in Itself
There are a lot of
collectibles to be found in Hyrule, but the most important one is the Shrines.
These aren’t collectible objects in the world – you have Korok seeds for that,
but Shrines are small dungeons that are scattered and hidden around the world. I
identify Shrines as a collectible because there are so many of them, 120 to be
exact.
Finding them is one
thing, but completing the challenges is something else. Shrines aren’t
difficult, but you’ll surely have to use your head a bit as there are different
ways in completing the Shrine.
Most of the Shrines
have a unique aesthetic with a puzzle within them – making you use all the
tools at your disposal. Motion controls are well used and don’t feel stiff or
unresponsive. Most but not all Shrines are puzzled based, there are some combat
challenges but aren’t as unique as the puzzle Shrines. From the combat Shrines
I’ve completed they’ve all been the same with one or two having different
enemies, but for the most part most it was similar then the last.
Shrines are the
first thing that pop out when searching for a place to explore. This makes them
more desirable as there is always something to find when exploring. These
Shrines always reward you with chests and upgrade which gives the player more
incentive to do Shrines.
These Shrines are a
conductor that moves the player along. I was talking about how fans of Zelda games couldn’t grasp the freedom
and openness of the game, well one way to move that player along are the
Shrines – though it doesn’t move the narrative along it does nudge the player
into the right direction. This happened to me as well. I understood the freedom
the game was giving me, but I had no idea what to do. The Shrines was a good
stepping stone for the moment to moment experience I had.
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2017 again will be
the remembered for the great games that came out, the Nintendo Switch and how
it changed how players experience games, and the release of the current most
powerful console in the Xbox One X. Even with all these great feats from the
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
gaming industry, there will be only one game that will remind me 2017 and that
The magical feeling
of exploration is something I can say was never realized in other games – BotW was the first time I felt like
exploration in a game didn’t feel like a waste of time, instead it rewarded me
in many ways. Scenery, loot, Shrines, or towns and villages there is always
something to get excited about.
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