There’s a certain magic in Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild that focuses its whimsy on the “guideless player”: The player that doesn’t look up hints or exploits, doesn’t google walkthroughs to help with particularly difficult areas, and generally doesn’t lean on the knowledge of others to facilitate a first-time playthrough. For the Guideless Player, Breath of the Wild is a paradise.
The game is built around exploration and experimentation. The cooking and elixir system essentially gives the player the bare minimum information about certain ingredients and makes the assumption that the player will figure out the rest for themselves.
Combat mechanics, too are in some ways hidden behind exploration. There’s one temple in particular that the player can enter that will offer combat advice as it pertains to blocking, parrying, and dodging. This temple can missed altogether if not paying attention or following the path laid out in front of the player.
Speaking of not following the path laid out, the main quest of BOTW can be completed right from the game’s start. Defeating the main boss is an ever-present objective that can be finished in under thirty minutes, theoretically speaking.
This freedom given to the player is a mark of the game’s quality, as most will find themselves too enamored with BOTW to want to skip anything, anyway. To give players the option to skip your game and have them not choose that option is the ultimate tell of quality production.
Breath of the Wild has all of the ingredients necessary to appease even the most casual of gamers and is at its strongest when said gamer refuses to look up guides or seek outside help, instead opting to explore the world as intended.
