What Is BotW? Story, Gameplay and Who It Is For

This page is for people who have not played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: what kind of game it is, where the story starts and what the world holds. The story section stops at the opening setup and does not spoil what follows.

What kind of game is Breath of the Wild?

An open-world action-adventure. You play as Link in a Hyrule with no loading screens between its regions. Almost every mountain you can see can be climbed, you glide down from the top with the paraglider, and where you go and what you do first is up to you.

What is the story of Breath of the Wild?

A hundred years ago, Calamity Ganon returned. The ancient machines the kingdom of Hyrule had prepared against it, four Divine Beasts and an army of Guardians, were turned on the kingdom instead, and Hyrule fell. The knight Link was badly wounded and placed in the Shrine of Resurrection to sleep. Princess Zelda stayed behind in Hyrule Castle, alone, holding Calamity Ganon inside it.

The game starts 100 years later. Link wakes in the Shrine of Resurrection with no memories and a Sheikah Slate in his hand. On the Great Plateau he meets an Old Man and learns what he has to do: defeat Calamity Ganon while Zelda’s power still holds.

From there the story runs on two tracks. One is the present: travel to four regions and free the Divine Beasts. The other is the past: find Link’s lost memories around Hyrule and see what happened 100 years ago. Neither is required, and you decide how much of each to do.

How does it play?

• Climbing and gliding. Almost any surface can be climbed, and only your stamina limits you. From a high place, the paraglider carries you to the next one.
• Four runes on the Sheikah Slate. Magnesis, Remote Bombs, Stasis and Cryonis all come from the four shrines on the Great Plateau. Every puzzle after that is solved with those four tools, and none has a single fixed answer.
• Weapons break. Swords, bows and shields have durability and are gone when it runs out, so you pick up and swap as you go. The rules are on weapon durability.
• Cooking. Throw ingredients into a pot to make meals that restore hearts or grant effects such as cold resistance, heat resistance or extra attack. See best recipes.
• Weather and temperature. Snowy mountains are cold, the volcano is hot, cliffs are slippery in the rain, and metal gear attracts lightning. Armor and meals deal with all of it.

What is in the world?

There is also a paid Expansion Pass with the Trial of the Sword, Master Mode and an extra story chapter, The Champions’ Ballad. See the DLC guide.

How long does it take to beat?

Nothing has to be finished before the final boss. You can go straight to Hyrule Castle after the Great Plateau; with no Divine Beasts freed and few hearts, that fight is much harder.

Who is it for, and who is it not for?

It suits you if:

• You like to explore on your own and walk toward anything interesting on the horizon.
• This is your first Zelda, or even your first open-world game. It teaches the basics before it lets you go.
• You like solving puzzles your own way.

It may not suit you if:

• You want a guided story that moves from one scene to the next. There is little story here, and you have to go and find most of it.
• You cannot stand weapons breaking.
• You want many traditional large dungeons. The only dungeons here are the four Divine Beasts, and most puzzles are spread across the shrines. For that kind of Zelda, see the Ocarina of Time overview.

Which version should you buy now?

On Switch 2, buy the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition at $69.99. If you already own the original, the upgrade pack is $9.99 and is included with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. It adds HDR, smoother performance and a second save slot; the differences are on Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition differences. On the original Switch, the original version still works.

Where should you start?

• What to do first: Breath of the Wild beginner tips
• Which Divine Beast to free first: Divine Beast order
• Shrines, Sheikah Towers and stables on one map: interactive map