Why Breath of the Wild Is Still The Go-To Open World Comparison

It seems like every open world game is compared to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild before they release. Pokémon Legends: Arceus is thought of as Pokémon‘s BOTW, and even Elden Ring’s explorable map has been likened to the most recent Zelda. There may not be one single reason Breath of the Wild is always the subject of comparisons, but its radical departure from the previous games in the Zelda series might provide some insight on the phenomenon.

Prior to Breath of the Wild, Zelda games had more structure. Most of them let the player wander freely throughout the game world, and some (specifically The Wind Waker) even qualify as open world games, but intricately designed levels comprise the majority of the series. Sure, Hyrule Field typically lets the player wander aimlessly, but loading into the next zone over restricts player agency by a large degree. The Pokémon Legends: Arceus and Elden Ring comparisons appear apt because they are attempting to make a similar move within their respective franchises.

Mainline Pokémon games give players a handful of towns to explore, connected by routes that are clearly designed to force the player into encounters with wild Pokémon and other trainers. FromSoftware’s pre-Elden Ring action RPGs are much the same when viewed based on world design alone. Players might complete Dark Souls areas in an unorthodox order, but the games are structured so certain encounters block progress. The prospective moves to truly open-world design tickles the imagination of other games potentially allowing for the freedom that Breath of the Wild has, but the comparisons often fall short, since BOTW retains an unparalleled amount of agency which has become synonymous with the term “open world.“

Breath Of The Wild’s Agency Made It A Baseline

When considering precedent in regard to The Legend of Zelda, it seems almost a miracle that Breath of the Wild is so widely celebrated. The series had decades of success giving players structured progression through a series of dungeons and overworld activities, then turned it all on its head and made arguably the definitive open world experience. BOTW’s tutorial on the Great Plateau gives players everything they’ll need for the rest of the game before setting them loose in Hyrule with only a suggestion on how to advance through the game, culminating in an adventure that feels as though its unfolding organically.

BOTW‘s Sheikah Towers are a great example of the agency the game provides in comparison with other games. Climbing to the top of the tower only reveals the region on the map; there are no markers showing where to find side quests or mini-games – players place those markers themselves. Spotting a place of interest in the distance, then physically traveling there, naturally running into encounters and puzzles on the way, makes for an organic experience that many other open-world games can’t deliver. The exploration combined with BOTW‘s physics sandbox seems to have resonated with players enough that any mention of an open world brings Breath of the Wild to mind.

Recent previews of Elden Ring are making a promising case for player agency, but the game is still delivering classic Dark Souls dungeons, making the BOTW comparisons fall short. Granted, many fans are relieved that tightly designed dungeons will be in Elden Ring, and their absence in BOTW is one of the chief criticisms, but Elden Ring‘s world may have more in common with Ocarina of Time or Twilight Princess in terms of structure.

The Pokémon Legends: Arceus parallels seem a bit more genuine, but Arceus too will likely be more structured than BOTW. Explorable areas will be gated behind progression connected to Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ Pokédex, so even though players appear to be able to wander wherever they want, the game will eventually stop them. Ultimately, it seems Breath of the Wild draws so many comparisons because of its popularity and gameplay representative the best of open-world freedom. Not every game needs to emulate Breath of the Wild – nor should they – but it encapsulates what it means to have an open world so well that its become a go-to reference point.

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