While both Nintendo Switch and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are releasing on March 3rd, we wanted to gather all important information for the last time… before the adventure begins!

With 17 games released since 1986 The Legend of Zelda came a long way, offering various types of gameplay. Now Breath of the Wild is releasing and it’s a much welcomed return to adventures full of freedom. Timeline fanatics will appreciate the statement from Eiji Aonuma, the series producer, that the game takes place after Ocarina of Time.

The story starts when Link wakes up after a hundred-years-long sleep. He finds that entity known as Calamity Ganon (yes, that Ganon!) is close to destroying the world. It’s time to save it… once again?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAWAQI0Q_nw

To impress

Recent hands-ons and previews shed some additional light on how the game is shaping. If you think about modern open world games, multiply it a few times. Total available space is massive, full of secrets and as we won’t be led step by step, it’s up to player what their playthrough will look like. There will be some region locks, but each with natural, easy to understand reason why we have to wait until we can travel further (e.g. we need better clothes to travel in hazardous temperatures).

But Breath of the Wild rewards intelligent thinking. Snowy mountains aren’t truly unavailable if you decide to create a torch. Or to attack the camp of nearby enemies. Or cook a warming dish or mixture.

Traveling through Hyrule

If you watched any of the released gameplays, you probably had a chance to notice dynamic environmental and weather effects. Nintendo did an amazing job to refine this element and if you look closely at videos embedded here, you might notice that even rain comes in few various forms. That’s not a purely aesthetic element, it also impacts the gameplay. During the storm Link, if he is wearing any metal sword, might be hit by lightning.

There’s also a day-night cycle where one minute in the real world means that around 1 hour has passed in game. It’s crucial for the gameplay as you’ll have to use it to your advantage – it’s easier to sneak by enemies at night. Sound in general is one of the most important aspects of the upcoming Zelda and you should use noise to distract monsters or get their attention just before dropping a rock on them from the ledge. There are mounts in the game and you have to learn how to sneak around to catch one.

Try it out

During your journey you’ll gather various items – from the defeated enemies, random chests or simply lying around. You’ll get meat from animals and mushrooms from time to time. You can use them separately to replenish a piece of your Health, but you can cook them and get much more nutritious meals as well. It’s the same with any other items and various recipes will grant you temporary bonuses and other useful goodies. A single plank is hardly a weapon, but it can be changed into a torch and other form of handy equipment.

You should think about weapons as your most precious asset. Each piece comes with a specific durability and it’s not the wisest idea to use the most powerful sword for lesser enemies. Breath of the Wild allows you to dynamically change the set of items you wield at the moment, so it’s best to find out what’s best for a specific encounter. It would be a pity if you were left with a simple plank for your first boss.

Don’t stop me know

With its open structure, the upcoming game aims to be a much different entry of The Legend of Zelda series. It’s also a title that uses tropes similar to other IPs, but finishes those with unique touches. In Ubisoft’s style, there are towers scattered around the kingdom. But don’t think that you’ll get a list of activities to complete. Instead, you are encouraged to observe the nearest locations and plan your adventure with pins placed with one’s own hands.

There are already preview event reports that you can get to places that developers didn’t expect. Link will be able to climb almost everywhere limited only by his stamina bar. You’ll spend a lot of time on finding Shrines – mini-dungeons with various puzzles. When discovered, they serve as fast travel points. Some grant you access to additional powers called Runes. And while there are many other details about the game, we won’t spoil them more. It’s would be for the better if you just take your controller and discover this world on your own.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is set to release on March 3rd, 2017 on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Wii U. You will find more info about the game in our latest news section or via the title’s tag.