What it's about a ruined Hyrule and a tutorial you don't notice
You wake up in a strange chamber with no memory, step outside, and there's a huge green kingdom stretching off to the horizon. You're Link, and the old world of Hyrule has fallen to ruin after a disaster a hundred years ago. A calamity called Ganon is sitting in the castle at the centre of it all. You're meant to find out what happened and stop him, but nobody tells you in what order.
That's the heart of it. After a short tutorial on the Great Plateau you get a paraglider and off you go. You can head straight for the castle or wander in any direction. You climb whatever you can see, cook whatever you find, and work out how the world behaves by poking at it.
And that tutorial is pure Zelda genius, because it never feels like one. Nobody stops the game to tell you which button to press. You just want to climb that tower, light that torch, grab that apple, and somewhere along the way you've picked up every control you need. It feels like you're choosing where to go, but really the game is nudging you the whole time. It's brilliant.
How I got into it from Ocarina of Time to a game I saved for the right moment
I fell for Zelda on Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64. I liked Majora's Mask too, and, unpopular opinion, I enjoyed Wind Waker as well, but nothing more than that. Then Breath of the Wild came along and woke me up again.
I got my Switch 1 super late and bought Breath of the Wild with it, but I didn't actually play it until 2024. I wanted the moment to be special, so it just sat there waiting. And damn, it was worth the wait.
How it looks lovely on Switch 1, at its full potential on Switch 2
Breath of the Wild is a mood more than anything. Wide green hills, grey ruins, quiet forests, storms rolling in over the mountains. The art is soft and painterly, with warm light and gentle outlines, and it has aged well because it never tried to look realistic.
It already looked amazing on the Switch 1 version. The Switch 2 enhancement takes it to its full art potential and you can see it. Digital Foundry measured up to 1440p docked and up to 1080p in handheld, and the whole kingdom feels sharper and more alive. Distant views look like postcards, especially around sunrise or sunset. It's the game finally looking the way its art always wanted.
How it sounds wind, birds and a shy piano, always just right
The first time I stepped out onto the Great Plateau, the music hit me right in the face. It was majestic. Same when you ride your horse across the land, it's just so good!
Most of the time, though, the music is almost shy. It's wind, birds, crunching grass and a few soft piano notes drifting in and out. And somehow it always feels right. Even when it's only the wind, or two piano notes, it's beautiful and exactly what that moment needs, as if the game knows. The quiet is part of the design, so when the music does swell, near a village or in a big moment, it lands harder.
Stables and towns each have a gentle theme, and the rain has its own sound that makes a wet evening properly cosy. The little effects are lovely too, from the sizzle of the cooking pot to the whoosh of the glider. Headphones suit it well at night.
The story and the people memories in pieces and small, charming characters
The story comes in pieces. Memories of the past are scattered around the map and you can find them in any order, so you slowly learn who Link and Zelda were. It's quiet and a bit sad, and it leaves a lot to you.
The people you meet are mostly small and charming. Villagers have their own worries, a few characters stick with you, and there are loads of tiny conversations that make Hyrule feel lived-in. Voice acting is saved for the main memories and the rest is text, so you're never reading a lot at once.
After work: effort and challenge a game with no wrong move, so your brain can switch off
Short answer: yes, it gives you space to chill. The effort is moderate, but it's the nice kind. The systems are simple: climbing uses stamina, fire burns grass, metal attracts lightning. They all play together, which is the fun part, and it's about curiosity more than memory. Leave it for a week and you just open the map, pick a spot and go.
There's no wrong thing to do. You can spend half an hour on one shrine, or ten minutes picking apples and cooking something, and the night still counts. A shrine takes ten to twenty minutes, which makes a perfect small session. If you only have the energy to wander, wander.
The challenge is fair. A few enemies, like the Guardians and the big monsters, hit very hard early on, so running away is a normal answer. Failing costs a little time and the game saves often.
Docked vs handheld both are great, and I switch between them
It's enjoyable both ways. I didn't have a TV when I decided to pick it up, so I started in handheld and it was great. Hooked up to the TV it's a grandiose experience. For this one in particular, I like to switch between the two.
Docked is the best way to take in the landscape, and the text and map are easy to read. Handheld is perfect for a shrine or a bit of cooking, and the screen is crisp and bright. The TV suits a long exploring evening and handheld suits half an hour on the sofa.
What gets in the way weapons that break and slippery rain
- Weapons break. Often. You get used to it, but some people never do.
- A few enemies are scary early on. Running away is fine.
- Rain makes climbing slippery, which is realistic and annoying in equal measure.
On Switch 2 a €9.99 upgrade, up to 1440p and a steady 60fps
The Switch 2 Edition is a €9.99 upgrade pack, or it comes included with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Digital Foundry measured up to 1440p docked at a steady 60 frames per second, and handheld between roughly 648p and 1080p at the same 60. Load times are much shorter than before. There's also Zelda Notes in the Nintendo Switch app on your phone. If you own the game, the upgrade is worth it.
Verdict why it's worth the wait
I waited years to press play on Breath of the Wild, and I'm glad I did. For an after-work game it's about as good as it gets: the whole kingdom is open from the first hour, nobody tells you what order to do things in, and it never makes you feel behind. Some evenings you'll fight Guardians and chase shrines. Other evenings you'll cook by a fire in the rain or watch the sun go down from a hilltop, and both count.
It's gentle on a tired brain, it's gorgeous, and the music knows exactly when to speak and when to stay quiet. Breaking weapons and the odd scary monster are the price of entry, and a small one. On Switch 2 it looks and runs the way it always should have.
If you've never played it, start tonight. If you already own it, the upgrade is worth it.
