When The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was released in 2017, it didn’t just introduce a new chapter in the beloved Zelda franchise—it redefined what an open-world game could be. Combining freedom, exploration, and discovery with smart game mechanics and breathtaking design, Breath of the Wild has become the gold standard for open-world gaming. Its influence on modern game design is undeniable, inspiring developers across genres to rethink how players engage with their worlds. In this article, we’ll dive into the groundbreaking innovations of Breath of the Wild, examine why it changed the open-world formula forever, and explore the lasting impact it’s had on the gaming industry.
1. True Freedom: No Hand-Holding, Just Exploration
One of the most revolutionary aspects of Breath of the Wild is the way it empowers players with total freedom from the moment they step into Hyrule. Unlike many open-world games that rely on waypoints, quest markers, and tutorials to guide the player, Breath of the Wild takes a different approach: it hands you the tools, then lets you explore the world on your own terms.
Why It’s Memorable:
When you start the game, you’re dropped into the vast world of Hyrule with little more than a vague sense of direction. The game doesn’t give you a linear path to follow or overwhelm you with quest objectives. Instead, Breath of the Wild encourages organic exploration—if you see a mountain in the distance, you can climb it; if you find a hidden cave, it might lead to something valuable.
This freedom lets players interact with the world in their own way, creating a sense of personal adventure. Whether you’re gliding from the top of a tower to discover new locations, stumbling across hidden shrines, or simply wandering aimlessly, every journey feels unique. The lack of forced direction made players feel more like adventurers and less like they were ticking off a to-do list—a key reason why Breath of the Wild revolutionized the open-world genre.
2. The Physics Engine: A World that Feels Alive
Another groundbreaking feature of Breath of the Wild is its highly interactive and realistic physics engine. Many open-world games before it had static environments, but Breath of the Wild made its world feel alive by allowing players to manipulate nearly everything. From controlling fire, water, and wind to using physics to solve puzzles and defeat enemies, this dynamic environment became one of the most talked-about aspects of the game.
Why It’s Memorable:
Want to set grass on fire and use the updraft to glide over an enemy encampment? You can do that. Want to freeze an enemy in place, hit them repeatedly, and watch them fly off in the distance when time unfreezes? You can do that, too. These interactions were not just scripted events but emerged from the game’s core mechanics. Players had the freedom to experiment with their environment, and this creativity gave rise to some of the most memorable moments in gaming.
This focus on player-driven discovery and experimentation sets Breath of the Wild apart. Instead of giving players pre-determined solutions, the game offered multiple ways to approach challenges. Every object in the game followed the same physics rules, allowing for a level of problem-solving that felt intuitive and rewarding. The creative freedom granted by the physics engine encouraged players to think outside the box, leading to a deeper level of immersion that few open-world games had achieved before.
3. Shrines: Mini Dungeons that Reinvented Puzzle-Solving
One of the most significant changes Breath of the Wild introduced was its use of shrines—over 120 mini dungeons scattered throughout Hyrule that replaced the traditional, larger dungeons found in previous Zelda titles. Each shrine presents a unique challenge, whether it’s a puzzle to solve, an enemy to defeat, or a combination of both.
Why It’s Memorable:
Shrines offered bite-sized, puzzle-centric gameplay that allowed players to step away from the vastness of the world for a moment of focused problem-solving. The puzzles took full advantage of the game’s mechanics—whether through the physics engine, manipulating time with the Sheikah Slate, or using elements like electricity and wind. This variety kept the gameplay fresh and challenged players to approach each shrine in different ways.
What made the shrines particularly innovative is that they were seamlessly integrated into the world. Many were hidden in plain sight, rewarding players for exploration and curiosity. Others were part of more elaborate quests or environmental challenges, encouraging players to interact with the world in creative ways, such as using Korok Leaves to blow wind into a shrine entrance or completing shrine quests given by NPCs. The shrines not only served as a gameplay mechanic but also as a form of environmental storytelling, each one adding depth to the world.
4. Climbing Everything: A Vertical World Design
One of the biggest changes Breath of the Wild introduced was the ability to climb almost anything. Previous Zelda games had limited vertical exploration, with specific paths or tools (like hookshots) used to scale obstacles. But in Breath of the Wild, if you see a cliff, mountain, or tower, you can climb it.
Why It’s Memorable:
This climbing mechanic fundamentally changed the way players navigated the world. Suddenly, Hyrule wasn’t just a flat landscape dotted with towns, forests, and rivers—it became a vertical playground where mountains, cliffs, and towers could be explored in any direction. The freedom to climb anything added a new layer of discovery, as players could reach vantage points to plan their next move, locate hidden areas, or simply marvel at the beauty of the game’s sprawling landscape.
This feature also made exploration feel more organic. You weren’t constrained by invisible walls or game design limitations. The open-world design of Breath of the Wild allowed you to scale and explore every part of the map, making traversal itself a rewarding part of the adventure.
5. A Story Told Through the World Itself
In most open-world games, the story is told through cutscenes or dialogue, but in Breath of the Wild, much of the storytelling is woven into the landscape itself. Hyrule feels like a world that has lived through a great catastrophe, and players uncover the remnants of this history as they explore.
Why It’s Memorable:
From the ruins of forgotten villages to the towering, inactive Guardians scattered across the fields, Breath of the Wild’s world tells its own story. Players discover hints of the great battle between Hyrule and Calamity Ganon 100 years ago through environmental storytelling. The game also employs a non-linear narrative structure, allowing players to uncover pieces of Link’s past in any order.
The game’s world-building goes beyond just lore—it gives players a sense of emotional connection to the land they’re trying to save. Every abandoned building, overgrown forest, and decimated ruin tells a story, giving the world a sense of history and depth that few games achieve. This storytelling through exploration created a more immersive experience, where players felt like they were part of something larger than just the immediate plot.
6. Survival Mechanics and Resource Management
Breath of the Wild also introduced light survival mechanics, something that added complexity and strategy to the game. Unlike previous Zelda titles where healing items were readily available, in Breath of the Wild, players needed to gather ingredients, cook meals, and carefully manage their resources to survive.
Why It’s Memorable:
The inclusion of hunger, stamina, and weather effects added a new level of immersion. Players had to adapt to the environment—whether it was donning warmer clothes in freezing temperatures or preparing meals that could heal and buff Link for a tough fight. Hunting, gathering, and cooking became essential skills for survival, making the open world feel more interactive and dynamic.
These mechanics gave players a sense of agency and ownership over how they approached challenges. Whether deciding which weapons to use (and how to manage their limited durability) or preparing for an upcoming boss battle with the right combination of meals and elixirs, Breath of the Wild put an emphasis on survival and resourcefulness, adding depth to the exploration.
7. Non-Linear Progression: Play Your Own Way
Perhaps one of the most revolutionary aspects of Breath of the Wild is the way it handles progression. After completing the Great Plateau tutorial, players are free to approach the rest of the game in any order. There are no required quests or specific paths to follow—you can face the Divine Beasts in any order, or head straight to Hyrule Castle to fight Calamity Ganon if you feel ready.
Why It’s Memorable:
This non-linear progression means that every player’s experience is different. Some may choose to explore every corner of the map before tackling a Divine Beast, while others might beeline for the main objectives. The lack of a forced narrative structure allows for a level of player freedom rarely seen in open-world games. The idea that you can take on Ganon right from the start (albeit with great difficulty) creates a sense of personal challenge and choice.
This design choice was a departure from the traditional Zelda formula of dungeon order and item progression, and it’s one of the reasons Breath of the Wild feels so fresh. It respects the player’s intelligence and curiosity, allowing them to carve their own path through the story and world.
8. Influence on Modern Open-World Games
Breath of the Wild’s innovations didn’t just make it a standout game—it fundamentally changed how developers approach open-world design. Since its release, we’ve seen its influence in games across multiple genres, from RPGs to action-adventures, and even survival games.
Why It’s Memorable:
Titles like Genshin Impact, Immortals Fenyx Rising, and Horizon Forbidden West have taken cues from Breath of the Wild, incorporating elements such as climb-anywhere mechanics, open exploration, and emergent gameplay driven by physics. Developers have praised Breath of the Wild for pushing the boundaries of what an open-world game can be and challenging them to give players more freedom and creative problem-solving opportunities.
The influence of Breath of the Wild is seen in the trend toward more organic exploration and interactive environments, moving away from the traditional quest-driven structure. It’s clear that the game has set a new standard for what players expect from open-world games, encouraging designers to trust their players to explore, discover, and create their own adventures.
Conclusion: A New Blueprint for Open-World Games
Breath of the Wild didn’t just evolve the Zelda series—it redefined the entire open-world genre. By offering true freedom, an interactive physics engine, survival mechanics, and non-linear progression, the game broke new ground in player-driven experiences. Its influence continues to ripple through the gaming industry, inspiring a new generation of open-world titles that prioritize exploration, creativity, and discovery over rigid structure.
As we look forward to future releases in the Zelda series, it’s clear that Breath of the Wild has set a high bar, not only for its successors but for all open-world games. It has shown us that a world full of secrets, challenges, and untold stories is more than just a backdrop—it’s the very heart of the adventure.