The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild - History, Gameplay, and 2023 Update

The Legend of Zelda is one of the most well-known video game series, with a strong history that started 37 years ago. The Legend of Zelda, usually known simply as Zelda, is a Nintendo action-adventure franchise that began in 1986. The series has had over 19 installments, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild being the most well-known.

The 2017-released game is a Nintendo exclusive, as are other Zelda titles. It was the final Zelda title on the Wii U and the first one available on the groundbreaking Switch. BOTW follows an amnesiac Link who is on the journey to save Princess Zelda while also protecting the Hyrule Kingdom from Calamity Ganon.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Gameplay

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild stays an action-adventure to its core like every other installment in this Nintendo series. Although, there are some other elements like role-playing and stealth, the most mind-blowing features of this 2017-released game were the Open-world setting and the non-linear gameplay.

Because of the above features, fans had a lot of freedom in exploring the Hyrule Kingdom. These features led to the introduction of scavenging mechanics; Link has to scavenge through the Hyrule for resources. In this game, Link doesn't have access to undegradable weapons. So he needs to create new weapons with those resources to replace the degrading ones.

The Nintendo exclusive also didn't give infinite stamina. So, the amnesiac hero will have a tough time running across or climbing any mountain in Hyrule. If Link loses his stamina while climbing a mountain or swimming, it will lead to his death. But despite these limitations, the game heavily focuses on exploration. So the above actions must be risked to progress in the game.

When does Breath of the Wild happen in the Zelda timeline?

The Zelda timeline is possibly the most complex one in the history of video games. The 19 installments in the Zelda series are neither released in chronological order nor are they all set in the same timeline. Instead, there are multiple timelines in this franchise. So when does this part happen in this confusing timeline?

Breath of the Wild takes place after all prior Zelda titles in the series and doesn't have a proper link to any of the three classic timelines. The creators want to leave it to the players to come up with the connection between this and the past games in this series. But having no links will also let Nintendo to further explore this series in the future.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a hack-and-slash Zelda game released by Nintendo in 2020. This game is set 100 years before the events of Breath of the Wild, serving as a prequel to the latter. But the events of the Age of Calamity diverged from the history provided in Breath of the Wild, resulting in a different timeline.

What happens after Breath of the Wild?

This new Zelda saga, which began with Breath of the Wild, did not conclude in 2017. There is a sequel to this Nintendo Switch title which is called Tears of the Kingdom, set to release on May 12, 2023. This next Legend of Zelda game will take up the plot where Breath of the Wild left off.

The amnesiac Link will embark on another journey across Hyrule, exploring the land and skies in search of the strength required to defeat the menacing threat that endangers the Hyrule Kingdom. There are rumors that this nemesis is none other than the iconic Zelda villain Ganondorf, the Great King of Evil.

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