Support NeoGAF

[Ghost of Caelid]

One thing I see alot since BOTW came out is "this is the breath of the wild of______". It reminds me when everything was the skyrim of _______ or dark souls of ________. But as someone who played breath of the wild why does it seem to get credit for elements that seem to be pretty common in open world games. Open world games with freedom of choice isn't new...shadow of the Colossus, Skyrim, even the witcher seems to have equal if not more unique open world elements, but being that zelda is an influential franchise, and it adopted a popular game design philosophy it gets a ton of credit for inventing them even tho it existed. Maybe I'm over analyzing but it now seems any game with the "you can play how you want" is automatically breath of the wild of its genre.

 

[DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy]

I think it’s because the general Zelda/Nintendo audiences haven’t played a lot of open world games (if they’ve mostly played on Nintendo systems), so maybe it’s more new to them.

BotW doesn’t do a lot original but it has a neat physics system that very few open world games bother to implement. That alone makes it seem more unique.

 

[BigBeauford]

Same reason Apple gets credit for all of their "innovation".

 

[Kilau]

Nothing exists until Nintendo does it, they themselves claim they don’t look at what others do.

EDIT: My apologies, I was unaware that some at Nintendo had finally acknowledged the rest of the gaming world. I guess that’s what it took for them to make a game as impressive as BOTW.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

I think that zelda breath of the wild....In my opinión I praise the new elements of zelda... I feel it like a Reboot of the saga.

And there are wonderful elements that i like.

- The art style graphic
- The personality of princess Zelda
- Is the first Zelda with acting voice.
- The old school elements where you have to find the Best way to Discovery the story.
- The Ost that is composed with piano as elemental music.
-And you are free to Discover how to reach the final boss.

And there are more elements of Different games.... SoTC is a masterpiece, Gravity Rush is the epitome of gaming industry in my opinión.

And Zelda breath of the wild.... Is a game made it with love and personality... Like Gravity rush saga.

So this elements make the game is so special.

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Because it's a Zelda game. Alexander Graham Bell didn't invent the telephone, but he used the ideas an created a marketable product, and now he's a historically renowned figure. Sometimes being in the right place at the right time pays off.

 

[RoboFu]

Because all those other games are fake. BOTW is true open world. there are no "leading" aspects. You can run straight to the end if you are good enough. all t hose other games are linear games with illusion of being open ended and do anything where as BOTW is truly both. you can interact with the world anyway you want with its physics and true open ended gameplay.

 

[Sybrix]

I think it’s because the general Zelda/Nintendo audiences haven’t played a lot of open world games (if they’ve mostly played on Nintendo systems), so maybe it’s more new to them.

BotW doesn’t do a lot original but it has a neat physics system that very few open world games bother to implement. That alone makes it seem more unique.

BOTW is one of my most favourite games ever.

I wouldn't consider myself part of the Zelda/Nintendo audience, first Nintendo console i had was a Wii U and BOTW is the first Zelda game i've ever played.

What made it so great to me was it felt like a proper game.

It wasn't a GTA/Ubisoft/Bethesda open world game that try's to be a movie.

BOTW was set in a beautiful world, you could climb and interact with everything, it was so colourful, the sounds were child like, it was just fun.

It really was a breath of fresh air.

 

[Saint Boot]

One thing I see alot since BOTW came out is "this is the breath of the wild of______". It reminds me when everything was the skyrim of _______ or dark souls of ________. But as someone who played breath of the wild why does it seem to get credit for elements that seem to be pretty common in open world games. Open world games with freedom of choice isn't new...shadow of the Colossus, Skyrim, even the witcher seems to have equal if not more unique open world elements, but being that zelda is an influential franchise, and it adopted a popular game design philosophy it gets a ton of credit for inventing them even tho it existed. Maybe I'm over analyzing but it now seems any game with the "you can play how you want" is automatically breath of the wild of its genre.

It's one of the few Zelda titles that overwhelms me and not in a good way. Whenever I get started in this game I actually feel like there is too much trash filler. Shrines, Koroks, Towers, Hidden Memories, rain, lightning, mountains, breakable weapons made out of paper Mache, tough enemies. I just don't enjoy it like I do the other Zelda games. Been playing from the very first Zelda game and this is one of the few that I would rather watch someone else play than play myself.

 

[Dr Bass]

Nothing exists until Nintendo does it, they themselves claim they don’t look at what others do.

Completely false, during BotW they specifically said they were heavily looking at Western RPGs for influence.

To answer the OP, nobody makes games like Nintendo does. They focus on details and gameplay that other companies gloss over. While companies think graphics are what makes a game, Nintendo is focusing heavily on gameplay systems while using graphics that suit their more modest hardware. Haters will laugh at this explanation, and those who get it will just nod their heads in understanding. There is a reason Nintendo is number 1 in games right now across the globe. Nintendo games are more fun.

Edit: Note what I said and the reactions coming through. It's funny to tell people how they are going to behave before they even do it. So transparent and easy to predict.

 

[CrimsonSquall]

Nothing exists until Nintendo does it, they themselves claim they don’t look at what others do.

Aaaahhhn WRONG

A quote from Aonuma

“In the past, I didn't play many video games. Then I realised this isn't right. I have to. So nowadays, I actually play a lot of overseas titles. I played Skyrim. Grand Theft Auto? I'm not really into violence that much, so I don't play it. I also played Witcher and Far Cry,” he said in conversation with Game Informer (via Go Nintendo).

These Games Influenced The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

With The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild release date on March 3 for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U, Producer Eiji Aonuma let slip what influenced the development of this long-awaited Zelda title and what to expect.

gadgets.ndtv.com

 

[AJUMP23]

I use BOTW because it is a cultural touchstone, not because it is the only one. Although the Legend of Zelda, is the first major Open world game. Give Nintendo some credit.

 

[IntentionalPun]

Huh; only ever really seen this when someone has a similar art style.

 

[Fake]

Because fanboys. They think BOTW invented Open World, Dungeons, Weapon durability, rain, mountains.


They can't get out of this game, so others games must be BOTW replica in their minds. It's a psychological thing.

 

[elliot5]

recency bias

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Because all those other games are fake. BOTW is true open world.

Correction....

Gravity Rush 1, 2... And BOTW... Are true open World

 

[brian0057]

Because those "basic features" have been absent from open world games since Morrowind.
Try playing The Witcher 3 without the map markers and that BS Witcher Sense. The game becomes a pain in the ass to get through.

Breath of the Wild is arguebly a much better game when played in Pro Mode.
This is also why Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is my GOTY of 2016. Both games have true freedom. Not that fake freedom typical open world games give you, the ones you mentioned very much included.

 

[Neff]

It offered an unprecedented level of freedom and interaction. From the very beginning, you can go in any direction, climb any surface, the only limits being your equipment, stamina and skill. Nowhere is off-limits. There are multiple ways to approach and accomplish tasks. The physics system lets you do really creative stuff. Every BotW player has a different story to tell. It was a dramatic leap forward over any other open world game at the time.

I think it’s because the general Zelda/Nintendo audiences haven’t played a lot of open world games

Extremely doubtful. I've never met a Nintendo owner who didn't also own another console. And I'm pretty sure the euphoric press reception came from a demographic very familiar with open world games.

 

[Kssio_Aug]

Everyone is comparing Elden Ring to Zelda BotW as if Zelda was the first game to feature open-world and horses. Serves it right, because everyone loves to compare Dark Souls to everything on the market with some resemblance of difficulty / challenge, and it also sucks.

 

[Missingnomer]

I thought Minecraft was the game of "play however you want." BotW is a entertaining sandbox for the first few hours, but it got really stale and boring after the first Divine Beast. So many places to explore and all you find are some enemy camps, korok seeds, and a simple shrine puzzle. Once you did it in one area, the other areas copy pasted that and the sense of exploration dies. I get why other people would like it if they only play a game or two every year. I play too many other games for BotW to rank among them.

 

[Lethal01]

BoTW is far more similar to other open world than different.
But the things it does differently makes all the things it's copying feel more impactful.

It's also just very well designed and chose to copy the best decisions from other games and wrap it into a perfect package.
Like the stupidly simple choice of not marking things on the map, nothing about that is new but it seems to be alot more common after the release of BoTW.
But yeah it's not about every open world copying BoTW, it's about them doing a bunch of things that BoTW did that weren't as common prior.

So yes, Elden Ring is the BoTW of Dark Souls, get over it.

 

[Astral Dog]

I don't think it does? At least not to the same extent that Dark Souls is mentioned, BotW didn't invent open world games but its a breathtaking take on the formula, one of the best selling and one of the highest rated by critics so its not surprising it gets mentioned frequently by gamers.

At least i never heard 'this is the Breath of the Wild of' maybe when comparing artstyles, like that Ubisoft greek game

 

[Futaleufu]

It offered an unprecedented level of freedom and interaction. From the very beginning, you can go in any direction, climb any surface, the only limits being your equipment, stamina and skill. Nowhere is off-limits. There are multiple ways to approach and accomplish tasks. The physics system lets you do really creative stuff. Every BotW player has a different story to tell. It was a dramatic leap forward over any other open world game at the time.

This also applies to games like Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, which I recently played.

 

[Captain Toad]

I think that breath of the wild.

In my opinión I praise the new elements of zelda... I feel it like a Reboot of the saga.

And there are wonderful elements that i like.

- The art style graphic
- The personality of princess Zelda
- Is the first Zelda with acting voice.
- The old school elements where you have to find the Best way to Discovery the story.
- The Ost that is composed with piano as elemental music.
-And you are free to Discover how to reach the final boss.

And there are more elements of Different games.... SoTC is a masterpiece, Gravity Rush is the epitome of gaming industry in my opinión.

And Zelda breath of the wild.... Is a game made it with love and personality... Like Gravity rush saga.

So this elements make the game is so special.

I didn't read your post, I just skimmed if for Gravity Rush. I think you're putting people off of that game at this point by being so annoying about it.

 

[Xaero Gravity]

I didn't read your post, I just skimmed if for Gravity Rush. I think you're putting people off of that game at this point by being so annoying about it.

Can confirm

 

[Notabueno]

Ah shit, here we go again.

Zelda BoTW is the best open-world game of the 2010s, it's a revolution of the open-world genre and it's impact will profoundly influence the future of open-world game.

Since this has been explained numerous time why, I won't bother, this is a game producers/designers discussion.

 

[Saber]

Probably something wrong with people heads.

In their minds they think not only everything came first on BoW, but also everything is better on it. Its a dirty tatic to downplay games. I remember a thread long ago in that stupid Era forum where people claimed Witcher copied Zelda because of some mountains design.

 

[Swift_Star]

BOTW is an Assassin's Creed game with a Zelda skin without the markers and stupid side quests. It has atrocious dungeon design and the worst upgrades the series has ever seem, it's inferior dungeon design-wise to OoT. I honestly can't see what's so special about it. It's more of the same, a little better in the open world side of it and significantly worse in the Zelda part of it.

 

[Thaedolus]

I think it’s because the general Zelda/Nintendo audiences haven’t played a lot of open world games (if they’ve mostly played on Nintendo systems), so maybe it’s more new to them.

BotW doesn’t do a lot original but it has a neat physics system that very few open world games bother to implement. That alone makes it seem more unique.

The first part of your post isn't true, I'm a Nintendo/Zelda audience person who's played a ton of open world games. It's the latter part of your post that nails it. BotW feels more open and free because of its many mechanics that allow you to really solve almost any puzzle any way you see fit that makes it click, IMO. You're given the basic tools right at the beginning and set free, and if you see something out of reach, it's only because you haven't found some way to get there. There's almost nothing arbitrarily blocking your path, ever. Even shrines or puzzles that seem to be set up to be solved one way can be circumvented if you find the right tool or object to move to the right place. I don't think there's anything quite like BotW in terms of feeling totally open and free. Some of the open world elements it has in common with games that came before, sure, but when it went open world freedom, it went harder than any other game that I know of.

 

[Bladed Thesis]

Can confirm

Seconded.

 

[Ogbert]

What other game can you climb anything and everything?

Look at a point in the distance and go there?

I think that’s the main thing it gets credit for. It’s like an adventure simulator.There’s stuff like Assassins Creed, but it still feels way more linear.

I think that’s what BoTW did really well - the sense of freedom.

 

[Ogbert]

Also, for those that are interested, Minecraft was the greatest influence on BoTW, not Skyrim.

Once you realise that, it makes sense.

 

[BlackM1st]

Because it's popular and its formula is immediately recognizable.

Plus it's a quality made game that feels "just right" to a lot of people.

I can't call the Elden Ring the Witcher 3 clone because tw3 is an open world RPG with proper quests.

In elden ring everything is dead, same as in previous DS games and gasp! BoTW.

Yeah, I can also call it a Dragon's Dogma like game, but seriously... why not call it something most people know AND thinking good about?

 

[Nico_D]

For me it was in BotW's case how places were made to seem interesting, visually and geographically. Compared to, say, GTA 5 - while really beautiful, it was still your typical towns and beaches and roads.

BotW made me feel more like an explorer than many other open world game.

 

[carlosrox]

People really can't tell the fundamental differences between BOTW and something like Far Cry?

Come on.

 

[fart town usa]

Because people who game solely on Nintendo consoles are blind to what is really out there.

I say that from experience. Didn't game much in high school or my early 20s. Main consoles were GCN and Wii. Got a PS3 when Dead Space released and I was simply floored at what I was missing out on, lol.

Nintendo is clearly an innovator but they're also late to the party with most things. So yea, BOTW definitely isn't anything that surprising for people who are well versed in open world games, but for the Zelda franchise and Nintendo as a whole, it was incredibly fresh and new. Reviewers largely lose their shit cause they're so used to Nintendo being behind the curve and are shocked and praise additions to games that are new to Nintendo franchises, but not new to gaming as a whole.

That being said, I like BOTW (a lot) and I will say, the open world is relatively empty but the game has a fantastic loop once you build Link up a bit. It's actually one of my most favorite open world titles (I generally don't like open world games).

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

It has a Soul unlike most open world games.

 

[Neff]

Also, for those that are interested, Minecraft was the greatest influence on BoTW, not Skyrim.

I thought the first Zelda was, myself.

 

[CrimsonSquall]

Ah shit, here we go again.

Zelda BoTW is the best open-world game of the 2010s, it's a revolution of the open-world genre and it's impact will profoundly influence the future of open-world game.

Since this has been explained numerous time why, I won't bother, this is a game producers/designers discussion.

Nah man I think GTA V is the better open world game tbh

 

[SlimySnake]

One thing I see alot since BOTW came out is "this is the breath of the wild of______". It reminds me when everything was the skyrim of _______ or dark souls of ________. But as someone who played breath of the wild why does it seem to get credit for elements that seem to be pretty common in open world games. Open world games with freedom of choice isn't new...shadow of the Colossus, Skyrim, even the witcher seems to have equal if not more unique open world elements, but being that zelda is an influential franchise, and it adopted a popular game design philosophy it gets a ton of credit for inventing them even tho it existed. Maybe I'm over analyzing but it now seems any game with the "you can play how you want" is automatically breath of the wild of its genre.

It's the most critically acclaimed game of the gen so everyone just kind of makes those lazy comparisons. When I played BOTW, I didnt see it reinvent the open world genre in any way and aside from Fenyx Rising which is a copy pasta of BOTW, I dont think any games have since lifted from it.

The free climbing was aped by Ass Creed that year, but other than that, the puzzles, the dungeons, the food and eating mechanics, the korok seeds littered every year, the weapons breaking mechanics, horses disappearing, the constant fucking rain, the long stretches of walking. I am really not seeing any of those mechanics in newer games and its been well over 4 years.

Elden Rings is basically Dark Souls in an open world. There is simply no other comparison. I have no idea how you can even compare BOTW with it. 90% of the gameplay demo was combat and BOTW's combat sections are so few and far between, it's clear the focus was on puzzles. Korok Puzzles in the open world. Puzzles in the dungeons. Puzzles in the shrines. Elden Rings and Dark Souls are about combat.

Even the Skyrim comparisons are nonsense because AC was doing open world melee games well before skyrim came out and oblivion came out before AC.

 

[farmerboy]

Because all those other games are fake. BOTW is true open world. there are no "leading" aspects. You can run straight to the end if you are good enough. all t hose other games are linear games with illusion of being open ended and do anything where as BOTW is truly both. you can interact with the world anyway you want with its physics and true open ended gameplay.

I'm just gonna say it. If other games tried that, they'd be called "directionless".

In other words, I honestly feel like Nintendo gets lots of free passes on glaring omissions and over praised on stuff thats not really all that unique.

But its Nintendo, and I'm happy with that.

 

[Kacho]

Yeah I'm not sure either. I find the game to be incredibly overrated tbh. I think it does some things very well like the physics, but I'd rather just play Skyrim or something.

 

[John Bilbo]

For me being able to climb or find a way across almost any obstacle or mountain in Breath of the Wild makes it different enough from other open world games. I remember playing Witcher 3 in tandem with BotW and the traversal was clunky in comparison.

 

[fart town usa]

It has a Soul unlike most open world games.

Definitely. The atmosphere for me really made it special. The limited music, the landscape, character art, etc. It felt like a slog for the first 30-40 hours but I eventually became hooked and loved it. The journal entries/memories really motivated me to continue the quest and save Zelda. She had been fighting Ganon for what, like 200 years or some shit? lol. I always had that in the back of my head, like, "damn, Zelda's really holding it down, I should probably stop effing around and save her..."

 

[Chukhopops]

So which other open world handles a temperature system being impacted by everything including nearby heat sources, the weapon you carry, your armor, what you ate, day and night, being in the sun or shade, etc?

Which one handles a physics system where objects have properties (metal conducts electricity, wood burns, ice melts with heat sources, etc)?

Which one has rain impacting noises, NPC reactions, monster behavior, etc? Which one uses wind directions to propel objects (like boats or items on ice) in different directions realistically?

Which one has thunder actually interacting with you if you wear metal armor? Or striking metal items located higher?

Which one allows you to play with the physics system by freezing things in place, adding momentum to those and releasing them?

Which one has enemies interacting with each other, communicating, picking up weapons after dropping them? Which one has eggs turning into boiled eggs in hot water?

The only games which have such advanced systems are full simulation games like Rimworld or Oxygen not included. RDR2 gets close but has a lot more pre-baked content. SotC is the last game I would consider to have a good open world.

 

[rodrigolfp]

1 word. Freedom.

 

[rodrigolfp]

RDR2 gets close.

It does? Dude can´t even climb a rock that he rolls like a log...

 

[Ezquimacore]

Breath of the wild gets credit because of the "chemistry/physics engine" and the freedom to use it, no other open world has that. Still unbelievable people don't understand that simple fact. Even red dead redemption 2 doesn't have that.

This is the video for you and for the people that still don't understand or want to understand.

 

[Chukhopops]

It does? Dude can´t even climb a rock that he rolls like a log...

In some aspects it does, especially the wildlife. Each animal has an environment, behavior, food source, etc. It’s really cool and there are a lot of species. But yeah Arthur isn’t too good at climbing.