Online discussions about “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” intensified.

Whether for players who had played it or not, as more and more players released their gameplay videos, and various technical and entertainment streamers on major platforms demonstrated “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” countless players realized just how powerful this game truly was.

Even players who had gotten their hands on “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” immediately watched others' gameplay modes with awe.

Although it had only been a few days since its launch, technical masters had yet to emerge.

Forget speedruns; even advanced techniques like mid-air bow shooting and entering Link Time hadn't been fully practiced by players.

Because, according to the normal game progression, players would only receive proper instruction for the first time when they reached Revali's hometown, one of the Four Champions.

Of course, teaching is one thing, but players can still use these abilities directly in the game if they discover them. For example, players can experience them while challenging the Water Divine Beast, but the truly systematic instruction comes in the Wind Divine Beast's levels.

Many felt that the Great Plateau as a starting level was excessively luxurious.

But in reality, neither players nor game industry designers knew that this was only the beginning.

What was even more extraordinary was that defeating the Divine Beasts in the game, which should have been a core plot point...

...in “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” it actually also served a tutorial purpose.

In the Water Divine Beast's storyline, the Zora would teach players that climbing mountains in the rain is not advisable as it's easier to slip, and that water can conduct electricity.

The storyline set in the volcanic Goron tribe, meanwhile, taught players about the impact of the environment on combat. For example, wooden weapons and shields would spontaneously combust in high-temperature areas, and even Bomb Arrows would automatically explode due to the heat.

Of course, these things were still entirely new to most players at this point.

For many players playing this game, they were actually still approaching it with their previous ARPG experience.

Diligently progressing through the main story, remembering Link's mission.

He was Princess Zelda's knight, severely wounded a hundred years ago and comatose for a century. Now, Princess Zelda was being held captive in the castle by the evil Great Demon King Ganon.

The Princess's power was almost exhausted, and the task of saving the land of Hyrule fell upon his shoulders.

The goal of these players was incredibly clear: advance the main story and rescue Princess Zelda.

Although they felt the main story seemed a bit monotonous, they still diligently pushed the plot forward.

Even some of the main story quests in the game were utterly infuriating.

For example, giving you a bunch of photos and telling you to find memories.

How the heck are you supposed to find them?! At least mark a spot!

But no matter how great the difficulty, it couldn't deter their resolve to save the princess.

This was their first impression of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”

However, after other players' various “flashy” tricks and tactics within the game were made into videos and posted online...

...these players instantly felt as if a door to a new world had opened.

“You can do that?!”

“This game can be this fun?”

“Should I give it a try?”

And that one try led to big things.

Originally, their Link diligently slayed monsters and demons, fighting to save the princess.

But now? The straightforward path was never taken; climbing trees and rock climbing were basic attitudes.

Killing monsters didn't make you a hero; toying with them until they died was the true faith.

“What? The princess?”

“Saving the princess isn't nearly as fun as catching grasshoppers, hunting, and cooking!”

Similarly, these players who had discovered various creative gameplay methods, after experiencing its unique charm, instantly became ardent fans of the game, praising “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” extensively.

And it wasn't just players; major game media outlets worldwide also went wild for this game.

Media reviews for “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” were released one after another.

GameSpot: 10/10, Famitsu: 40/40, EDGE: 10/10, GameCenT: 100/100...

A clean sweep of perfect scores, whether from authoritative media outlets players had heard of, or smaller, lesser-known ones.

Almost uniformly, all gave perfect scores.

Online, some players even created an image, with “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” LOGO in the center, surrounded by the scores from various major game media outlets like stars orbiting the moon, creating a truly stunning visual.

The first to release a score was the renowned veteran gaming industry media outlet: GameSpot.

Its review elevated “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” to an extremely high level.

‘An open-world game that is endlessly memorable and deeply impactful!’

‘Before the advent of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” both players and the industry's understanding of open-world games stemmed from Nebula Games' attempt in “Red Dead Redemption.”’

‘With its intricate details, high-caliber storyline, and diverse mini-games, the arrival of “Red Dead Redemption” represented the pinnacle of game industry technology for that generation.’

‘This was the standard Nebula Games set for open-world games, yet it was still Nebula Games, when we thought open-world games had to be made like “Red Dead Redemption,” that it appeared!’

‘Yes, it was “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”! Nebula Games had once again forged a new path, breaking through in terms of game freedom and adventure scenarios.’

‘When the entire land of Hyrule unfolds before you, you will marvel at the sheer size of this world, yet despite its massive map, the game content is far from empty.’

‘Countless wondrous and mysterious marker shrines, intricate puzzles, diverse enemies, and ingeniously designed environmental interactions constantly stimulate your curiosity.’

‘Especially the interaction between scenes and environments ensures that players on the Hyrule continent will absolutely have endless hidden secrets to uncover and explore.’

‘When you wish to do something a certain way in the game, and then discover you can genuinely do it that way, the surprise it brings is beyond words.’

‘Fire, lightning, wind, ice – various elements interact to create marvelous chemical reactions; you can never imagine just how rich the content of this game truly is.’

‘Undoubtedly, the arrival of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” has once again redefined the open-world genre!’

‘If there's any flaw to speak of, it's that it will steal too much of my time!’

(End of Chapter) <>