Breath of the Wild is 2017’s GOTY

When I initially played Breath of the Wild I was actually somewhat disappointed. As someone who loved Ocarina of Time’s balance between plot and gameplay, I found the narrative in Breath of the Wild somewhat lackluster. The story is told through flashbacks almost entirely, and while the story is good, I was disappointed with its presentation. Ganon didn’t turn up until the end, and he was just a mindless beast. It lacked the epic nature of Ocarina of Time. Story was sacrificed for exploration and freedom. I realized something though. While the overarching narrative wasn’t on the same level as Ocarina of Time (at least for me), there were so many amazing character moments. Breath of the Wild is a more personal tale in the same vein of Majora’s Mask, which some believe to be the greatest Zelda game of all-time. Everything else in Breath of the Wild reaches a level of perfection that no other game has if you take this into account. The puzzles are still there and you are always discovering something new. Yes, there have been some great games that have been released this year, and some better games yet to come, but Breath of the Wild is 2017’s GOTY because it has a level of fulfillment that no other game has reached. Ever.

Story

The only word I can come up with to really encapsulate Breath of the Wild’s story is that it’s incredibly tragic. Hyrule is in ruin, with the population completely scattered about. The “memories” Link gains throughout his journey are the best part of the narrative, and Zelda, much like in Skyward Sword, has both a personality and develops as a character as the game progresses. The story is character-driven, not plot-driven like so many other installments in the Zelda franchise. Link’s bond with each champion takes a different form. Mipha is in love with him. Revali does not hide his disdain for Link, but begins to respect him. Daruk is like a big brother to Link, much like Darunia before him. Urbosa is a mentor figure. Much like Majora’s Mask, there are a plethora of sidequests in Breath of the Wild. I didn’t really complete them at first, which I believe is what lead to my initial disappointment. I wanted to finish the main story first. But each NPC in the game is unique and like a living, breathing person. They all have their own personality and spunk; you just have to put in the effort to dig a little deeper. That can be hard with such a massive game, but it’s totally worth it and adds to both the game’s level of quality and the quality of your experience.

Puzzles

The puzzles in Breath of the Wild are found scattered throughout 120 shrines in the game. There are only four dungeons in the game, although each of them use similar mechanics as far as the puzzles go (the Divine Beasts.) Now I personally play Zelda for the puzzles (and story, but the puzzles keep bringing me back.) The shrines in Breath of the Wild, while short, have unique puzzles which you can solve in a multitude of different ways. This is very cool. You gain each rune (which replaces traditional dungeon items) in the beginning of the game so you can complete each shrine (and dungeon) in whatever order you see fit. There’s also an exploration aspect to it as well, as the shrines can sometimes be very difficult to find, even with the tracker. They take maybe 10-20 minutes tops to complete, but it actually adds to the game and doesn’t detract from it. Given how massive the game world is, puzzles in smaller doses (though a lot of them) makes the whole game easier to swallow.

The dungeon design, as always, is superb. They aren’t very long, but the puzzles are incredibly clever and they are very different than dungeons from previous Zelda installments. It gives them a unique flavor. The bosses are also challenging and each form of Ganon uses the corresponding element from their given dungeon. It’s a little repetitive, but it works, and it’s fun. That’s what truly matters in the end and embodies Nintendo’s philosophy when it comes to making games.

Exploration

Oh man. To say Breath of the Wild is an enormous game is a huge understatement. When Eiji Aonuma said that they were going to go back to the roots of the Zelda franchise, he wasn’t lying. The sheer amount to discover is astounding. It’s so much fun; discovering new weapons, new locations, new enemies, new Towers to unlock the world map. There’s simply so much to do. I’ve unlocked the world map (found all the towers), completed 80 shrines and all the Divine Beasts, found roughly 40 Korok Seeds, and I’m only at an 18.1% completion rate in the game.

This is the only game other than Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess that has given me this sense of wonder and novelty. I can literally just walk around the overworld, finding new weapons and fighting enemies, and I can have the greatest time in the world. It’s so fulfilling. It’s not an easy game by any means (at least combat-wise, with enemies being pretty difficult), but that’s a part of the fun factor of the game that was mentioned earlier.

Breath of the Wild Versus Other 2017 Releases

To be quite frank, software-wise, this year has been very lackluster (from a AAA standpoint.) Nintendo has been the only company who has a consistent release schedule throughout the year after their launch of the Nintendo Switch (which is a huge success). There were some other games that came out this year already that could compete with Zelda. Horizon: Zero Dawn was a superb game with a fantastic narrative, but design-wise, Breath of the Wild was far superior. Super Mario Odyssey will probably compete and is the only game that can reasonably challenge BoTW for Game of the Year, but I don’t think it will top it. Persona 5 was a great JRPG. In fact, it was one of the best of all-time, but that’s too niche of a genre. Uncharted Lost Legacy may compete if only due to the Uncharted name. It got good reviews but it did not live up to the Uncharted name. Two sleeper games are Call of Duty: WWII and Star Wars: Battlefront 2, but there are too many question marks, especially given the quality of the last outings from both franchises.

Breath of the Wild is the best game to come out this year and according to many, the greatest Zelda game of all-time. It shattered the conventions of Zelda and was both fresh and familiar, something every great game strives for. It delivers a level of fulfillment that no other game has ever given me (and many others, if the reviews are to be believed.) While it is not my favorite Zelda game (a part of that may be due to nostalgia, for the sake of transparency), many do consider it to be.

The real question we should ask ourselves is why shouldn’t Breath of the Wild be 2017’s Game of the Year?

Breath of the Wild Will Be GOTY in 2017

2016 was a great year in gaming. This console generation is finally coming into its own after several years of waiting. The age of remasters is almost over. We are finally getting quality exclusives. Amidst all of this, we are also getting a new console: the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo by far has the best exclusives on their consoles. There’s simply no question about that. There were some quality exclusives in 2016 on both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Despite this though, the next year will be rough. Both companies are banking on new hardware instead of exclusive software. Nintendo has the best of both worlds. They are launching the Nintendo Switch, and they are most likely launching with Breath of the Wild. Breath of the Wild will be GOTY in 2017 because of the lack of high-quality titles on other consoles and because it’s the Zelda game everyone has been waiting for.

Playing Breath of the Wild at E3 2016, it is finally the Zelda game that breaks the conventions of the series. It goes back to the franchise’s roots. It is completely open world, and if you wanted to, you could face the final boss from the get-go. This harkens back to the original Legend of Zelda. This doesn’t mean it’s without its story though. I got the chance to play a demo that was the opening of the game. The story is…incredibly intriguing to say the least. I cannot wait to see more. Ocarina of Time is the greatest game of all time because it managed to balance story and gameplay so masterfully. Breath of the Wild has this same potential. It plays so smoothly as well and I didn’t even play the final product.

Everyone knows that Zelda will be masterful though. What is its competition though? Sony has Horizon Zero Dawn for the PlayStation 4, which oozes with potential. We loved what we saw at E3. We haven’t seen much of Mass Effect Andromeda, but the Mass Effect series is always fantastic and we’re very excited for the game. If Red Dead Redemption 2 keeps its late 2017 release date, this too could be a possibility. The original was of the highest quality. Kingdom Hearts 3 could contend, if it ever comes out. The Walking Dead: New Frontier and South Park Fractured But Whole could be sleepers. Other than that though, there aren’t really any other AAA games coming out, and Zelda dwarfs them in quality and brand name/recognition. This is more significant than you would think. It’s in part why Breath of the Wild will be GOTY in 2017.

As far as I can see, from what’s been announced so far, other than Mass Effect, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Red Dead Redemption 2, there’s nothing standing in the way of Breath of the Wild dominating 2017. Another major contributing factor is that it’s probably launching with the Switch. This is another reason why Breath of the Wild will be GOTY in 2017. It will sell systems. A lot of them. The Switch is poised to be a huge success for Nintendo. People are excited about the company again. It has the potential to breath life into this console generation, which has been so lackluster. Zelda will be a huge part of this.

Unless more AAA titles are announced and come out this year, Breath of the Wild will be GOTY in 2017. There’s simply not much standing in its way. In fact, it will probably dethrone Ocarina of Time as the greatest game of all time.

Ubisoft CEO Praised the NX

The Ubisoft CEO praised the NX in a sit-down with IGN. Yves Guillemot stated that,

“It’s a machine that will be easy to use for all gamers. They have built in something that will give us chance to really have a different experience from what exists today. That’s what I like – that they come with something new that is adapted to what we actually want now.”

He says that it will stand out from the consoles of Microsoft and Sony, which is a staple of Nintendo’s. One of the great thing about the company is they continue to innovate and go their own way, and that is what makes Nintendo Nintendo. We don’t need another Xbox or another PlayStation, we need something special once again from Nintendo. And with the NX, it sounds like we’ll get it.  That, and Zelda at launch of course.

When Guillemot was asked whether the NX was a step back towards the inclusiveness of the Wii, he answered it very intelligently.

“It’s difficult to answer that [before NX is revealed]. What we see is that Nintendo has learned from the Wii U. All publishers learn from what they do, and then come with something new and more attractive, which I think is the case here.”

Nintendo has always had a good relationship with Ubisoft, so it’s no surprise their CEO is singing them praises. Let’s just hope that these praises are well-deserved, which I’m sure they are. Nintendo has learned from the failings of the Wii U, although it was a great machine, and are not going for another Wii. The NX will carve out its own legacy.

Link Shows off His Cooking Skills in Breath of the Wild

Courtesy of the Nintendo of Europe Twitter account, Link shows off his cooking skills in Breath of the Wild, Nintendo’s upcoming Legend of Zelda game. The game will be released for both the NX and the Wii U, and rumor has it that the game will be released alongside the Nintendo NX on March 4, 2017.

We had the chance to go hands-on the title at E3 this past year and were left very impressed with the game. There are so many subtle intricacies to the game and cooking is just one that, simply put, is a lot of fun and one of those enjoyable little quirks. It also has some significance in the game too, as Link does not gain health from hearts but from eating food. While we didn’t get to do too much cooking during our demo as we were short on time, it was a very interesting experience.

Breath of the Wild has been one of the most highly anticipated games in the past several years. 2017 will mark the end to the wait, and with the game (hopefully) launching with the NX, Nintendo has the chance to launch their new console with a bang, cooking included.

What's for dinner tonight, Link? #Zelda pic.twitter.com/PRB9MapCT6

— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) September 20, 2016

Censorship in Game Localization is Nothing New

Censorship in game localization is not a new phenomena. Though the topic has piqued people’s interest as of late with the censorship of Xenoblade Chronicles X and Fire Emblem Fates, the issue isn’t anything new. In fact, censorship in game localization has been going on since before the days of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Although the reasons behind censorship have evolved for the most part, the fact that it is still going on shouldn’t be a surprise. The reason why people are becoming so upset over censorship in game localization now versus 20 years ago is because now we live in an information age, with the internet as our guide. Foreign products are much more readily available thanks to a global economy and if someone has the means and the ability to read and speak (in this case) Japanese, they can bypass the entire censorship issue if they wish.

One of my favorite games, unbeknownst to myself as a child, was in fact censored in North America. Ironically the title wasn’t even accurate. In Japan, it was known as The Legend of Zelda: Triforce of the Gods. In North America, it was called The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, which really makes no sense. There are many other examples of censorship within the game as well. Agahnim, one of the game’s chief antagonists, is referred to as a “wizard” in the western localization, but in the Japanese version he is in fact called a “priest.” The Loyal Sage within the Sanctuary is also a priest, not a sage. Hexagrams were also removed from dungeons, eliminating any potential religious references in this version of the game. Nintendo of America didn’t stop there though, oddly enough. It also heavily altered the mythology found in the manual for the game and even flat-out created passages which were never there or intended to be there in the first place.

Final Fantasy IV (or II) in America also faced censorship due to religious reasons in the west. Images and references to Christianity were all but removed, including the names of spells such as “holy” and “prayer”. Whereas a Scythe was going to drop on Rosa’s head in the Tower of Zott, the Western version changes this to a large metal ball. The allusion of a sexual relationship between two characters is also omitted and a single frame was removed during a scene while two characters are kissing so that it now appears that they are just “hugging.” The “Tower of Prayers” was actually re-named the “Tower of Wishes”, and direct references to death was removed, although it is clearly rampant throughout the game.

Cid’s altered dialogue in the game (Japanese first):

“I’m going to blow myself up and sacrifice my life to save
you! Yang will be lonely in the afterworld!”

“Oh, I’ll just get off here, hold the bad guys
off, and stay in the underworld a bit longer.”

The two not only convey a completely different sentiment, but ultimately are the words of two completely distinct characters.

Censorship in game localization would begin to change its course though, as technology was moving a long at a startling pace and gaming began to become a viable storytelling medium.

Flash forward to the PlayStation 2 era and the Xenosaga franchise by Tetsuya Takahashi. In the series’ localization efforts, Namco Bandai decided to censor the games several times over. Ironically, the games are filled with religious imagery and references. There are also references to psychology, to the mystics, and heavy philosophy. It is ultimately a story about killing God. Yet now that kind of storytelling material is acceptable. It’s the same basic plot as Xenoblade Chronicles (with the latter stripped down to its basics), and that was left untouched. Xenosaga was much more overt though and both Jesus and Mary Magdalene are actually present in the games (!!!) and playable, in all three, which would have never had happened in the mid-1990s. This was the early-mid 2000s though, and the medium had grown a great deal.

Xenosaga faced censorship, in a large part due to violence. Blood was removed and the entire ending sequence of the series is gutted (no pun intended), looking ridiculous. There is actually a scene where a younger version of the main protagonist of the game watches her mother die and says something to the effect of “the blood, I have to put the blood back.” Regardless, in the localized version this dialogue is still present, but the blood is nowhere to be found, making it very awkward to say the least. Here are a few examples of censorship found in Xenosaga.

Here is an uncensored version of Jin’s last stand in Xenosaga III. While this scene feels empty and hollow in the localized version, with its corrected subtext, the scene gives the emotional resonance that it was meant to.

This was a very different kind of censorship in game localization compared to that found in the past. Violence, while not overly heinous, was being censored in western regions, while religion (at least in this instance), was not. The ability to tell stories was growing and different societies all have a different worldview and set of values. Japan’s attitudes are very different from the rest of the world’s, and this became more and more apparent with regards to the amount of sex and violence they would allow into their games, and even into their anime, which was for children for the most part and heavily influenced storytelling in games.

Now we have entered a period of time where every change that takes place during the localization process is scrutinized. Bravely Default came out in February of 2014 and several pieces of “racy” dialogue and revealing outfits were removed. The characters, who were originally 15 years old, were aged up to 18 years old. It must be noted, that while this game came out on the Nintendo 3DS, the censorship was Square Enix’s decision, as the publisher. Despite the blatant censorship, it didn’t receive the kind of outrage that similar cases are now, over two years later. A sentiment was building within a fringe fanbase hat did not want censorship in game localization of any kind to continue.

Nintendo became under heavy scrutiny with its decision to censor Xenoblade Chronicles X, which released in December of 2015. In fact, some fans considered boycotting the game altogether because of this. While most were fixated on Lyn’s swimsuit debacle (she was only 13 years old), this is not the only thing that was censored in Xenoblade Chronicles X. Yes, the sexualization of a child is not appropriate in American society and this is an edit that should have been made, but there are a number of edits that were also made. A boob slider for your avatar — taken out!? Honestly, in the west that is one thing we would not be offended by and should never have been removed. We’ve had them in our RPGs for years now. All it does though is show Nintendo is behind the times though, and we knew that. But there are also in-game changes, such as the words that make up the acronym that BLADE stands for.

“Beyond the Logos Artificial Destiny Emancipator”

This may seem like an oddly put together string of English words, it actually has a meaning. Logos means “The Word”, which in turn means “God.” What this is saying is go beyond “The Logos Artificial Destiny Emancipator” and find our own futures for ourselves. This would go hand-in-hand with the ending of Xenoblade Chronicles, that the world is one that doesn’t have a need for God or “destiny.” Cutting out religious and Jungian references simply dilutes what essence of what Takahashi’s games are really about. This is a pristine example of censorship in game localization that completely disregards the original intent of the creator. Builders of the Legacy After the Destruction of Earth doesn’t even make sense with the original text. Dolls were changed to Skells. Dolls have a special meaning in Japanese culture, and I can’t go into why this change is so unacceptable because it would spoil one of the biggest surprises in the game. There are some other instances where titles of divisions and classes were changed, but I don’t really see this as censorship wile looking into it for myself and more classify this as making it more accessible towards a western audience.

Censorship in game localization reached a brand new pique with the release of Fire Emblem Fates. While Xenoblade has a niche fan following, Fire Emblem is a storied franchise and once the game was released all eyes within reach were fixated on every little change made to the highly-anticipated game. Fire Emblem Fates had a number of content censored in its western release and fans were livid, as the content censored mostly had to do with characters’ relationships and their interactions with one another. Many of these went against American social conventions which is why they were altered or left by the wayside, write or wrong.

Censorship in game localization has a long and rich history. In fact, a much more rich history than we could give any kind of justice to. We picked points we thought were poignant as the gaming medium was evolving alongside censorship in game localization. All eyes are on Nintendo now, for every title they localize. And this is unfortunately only because, as shown in this article, they are not the only culprits (and generally they do a good job), not to mention the all-out censorship in other countries. We have quite the luxury to even be able to have this discussion, right or wrong on both sides. Censorship in game localization is a necessary evil because different societies value different things and have much different word views. That is something that must not be lost here. The whole point of game localization is making a game as accessible as humanly possible in any given territory in order to sell copies and make a profit and expand business.

That’s the bottom line. Localization is needed. And it will continue on, whether people like it or not.

Nintendo Teases With Breath of the Wild Videos

Nintendo has posted several Breath of the Wild videos, teasing fans on social media who can’t get enough Zelda. Some may take this as a bit of a troll move on Nintendo’s part since the game doesn’t come out until at least March, but every second more that is shown of the title is nothing less than splendid.  Posting on both Twitter and Facebook, Nintendo showed off two different aspects of gameplay in their short but sweet Breath of the Wild videos.

In the first video, Link is shown exploring one of the many shrines found in the game, the Shrine Oman Au. Here our favorite hero shows off his magnesis ability in order to solve puzzles, a staple of the series. The second video, posted on Nintendo’s official Facebook page, deals more with the exploration and open-world aspect of the game. It shows Link picking up the Woodcutter’s Axe, mowing down a tree, and then using the said tree in order to cross over an abyss. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen in a Zelda game, showing the intricacies of traversing this new Hyrule.

Shrine Oman Au introduces the Magnesis ability in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.https://t.co/Gon92lqtWH

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 18, 2016

These videos are short but sweet and furthers our excitement for Breath of the Wild. Our time with it at E3 was nothing short of spectacular and we savored every moment. That being said, it is curious that Nintendo is releasing all these short videos at this juncture when the game won’t even come out until the Nintendo NX launches. It could be that they have something else up their sleeves; we’ll just have to stay tuned. Breath of the Wild is one of the most anticipated games of all time, as it takes all the best elements of Zelda and puts them together, not unlike Ocarina of Time did. It has an intriguing narrative, total freedom with plenty of exploration, and some brilliant puzzle solving mechanics. The game will be brilliant, but it’s a shame that the release window is so far away.

Breath of the Wild Will Top Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time has been heralded as the greatest Zelda game of all time by gaming gurus and fans alike, including myself. It revolutionized Zelda and thrust it into the 3D era. With the release of Breath of the Wild this upcoming year, there is one thing I, as a huge fan of Ocarina of Time, am certain of after my time with the game at E3 2016: Breath of the Wild will top Ocarina of Time as the best Zelda game, and possibly the greatest game of all time.

Why Breath of the Wild Will Top Ocarina of Time

Ocarina of Time has the best balance of gameplay and story in gaming, period. The story is simplistic, but it’s a classic tale that truly resonates with people. The use of music and the ocarina as a gameplay mechanic was, at the time, unheard of and genius. The game’s transition to 3D brought about unique and challenging puzzles that gamers were not accustomed to. The game changed the way people looked at the gaming medium. Although we don’t know that much about Breath of the Wild yet, much in the way that Ocarina of Time changed the way people looked at games, Breath of the Wild very well may do the same thing and seems to emulate this ability to balance both gameplay and an enriching story. While this isn’t the only reason Breath of the Wild will top Ocarina of Time, the ability to balance these two aspects is one of the reason why it has the opportunity to do so, among other things.

While Ocarina of Time was rife with exploration, it was limited by the technology of the time. Technology though has developed exponentially and thanks to that, a world the size of Breath of the Wild’s is now possible. Breath of the Wild is fully open world (or open air according to Miyamoto) and gives the player true freedom, which even Ocarina of Time didn’t do. In fact, it is possible to forego everything in the game and confront the final boss from the get-go, although one could imagine this will be an incredibly difficult task. This freedom is just one of the reasons why Breath of the Wild will top Ocarina of Time. Fans have yearned for it this since the original Zelda came out. Nintendo heard their pleas, although exploration isn’t the only aspect of Breath of the Wild which will make it the greatest Zelda game of all time.

For those hoping for a carbon copy of the original Legend of Zelda with no narrative and pure exploration, they may be disappointed, although much of the story can be skipped. Every great Zelda since A Link to the Past has an excellent narrative, and from what I have seen personally of the opening of Breath of the Wild, this game will be no exception. The narrative is excellent in both presentation and content as far as we have seen. Voice work will be used, possibly sparingly, something never done in a Zelda game. It will give it a superior presentation to any other installment in the series, including Ocarina, which is why Breath of the Wild will top Ocarina of Time; the technology is rife for it and Nintendo is improving the presentation of the title drastically.

The entire premise of the story of Breath of the Wild is incredibly enticing. Link awakens from a 100 year slumber (not a seven year nap!) and finds that the Kingdom of Hyrule is in complete ruin. There are all kinds of mysteries, but what was so interesting to me was the callbacks to previous games. You first obtain the paraglider, but there is no doubt in my mind that at some point you will obtain the Sailcloth from Skyward Sword. Exploring the ravaged Temple of Time was my favorite part of the story demo. It even has a decrepit version of the Goddess Statue from Skyward Sword, which all but confirms that the sacred temple is the same Sealed Temple from the last Zelda console iteration. The narrative takes something old, but also adds so much that is new, and that’s why Breath of the Wild will top Ocarina of Time as the best Zelda game to date; it has the best elements of Ocarina’s story, but it also is its own game and isn’t trying to emulate any past titles.

Ocarina of Time was almost a carbon copy of A Link to the Past. This isn’t a bad thing, as it was first intended to be a remake of the latter, but, from that point on almost every Zelda game emulated the same formula. Breath of the Wild is completely changing this trend. With its massive overworld and intriguing story, it has all the makings of revolutionizing the Zelda series and changing the industry’s approach to the action-adventure genre. In the mind of many gamers, Ocarina is still the greatest game of all time, but Breath of the Wild is bringing something truly new to the table while still retaining enough from previous titles. A developer once told me that any great game that hopes to be successful has to have something old for familiarity but something new in order to innovate and propel the industry forward, and for this reason Breath of the Wild will top Ocarina of Time due to the very fact that it is building on it instead of simply emulating it. Ocarina is still a marvelous game and always will be, but it can’t hold that top spot forever. It’s been 19 years (almost) and it’s time to pass the torch to the next generation of Zelda.

Top 5 Games of E3 2016

E3 2016 has wrapped up, and along with it, our coverage is finally nearing its end. Before we finish things up though, we want to package everything that we saw together in order to give you our top 5 games of E3. It wasn’t easy choosing; there was so much shown at the show that literally blew our minds. While there were a lot of amazing reveals and a lot of games shown, we are going to limit our list of games to those that we were able to experience at E3 2016. As a full disclosure, there are no VR games or experiences on our list for one simple reason: they make me incredibly sick due to an eye condition, so unfortunately, I was unable to truly experience those games with any enjoyment, although I know I’m probably in the minority. That being said, here are our top 5 games of E3 2016.

Top 5 Games of E3 — 5. Mafia III

It’s really hard to place Mafia III at the bottom of the list (although even making this list is an accomplishment), but we simply experienced so many games that we’re excited for. Mafia III is one of our top 5 E3 games because of the compelling narrative, fun gameplay, the open-world experience, and most of all, the fact that your choices ultimately shape your experience. You could play the game multiple times but based on certain choices you make, you could wind up with a completely different experience each time, which not only gives it a lot of replayability value but intrigues us as to what our experience will be with Mafia III.

Top 5 Games of E3 — 4. Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn was one of our favorite games at E3 2016, but the only reason why it is rather low on this list is simply because the demo that we were given was so compact and didn’t take advantage of the open world that Aloy explores during the game. Sony and Guerrilla Games probably didn’t want to show too much, and this is fine, but we were very constricted. We wish that we were able to explore a bit of this world, even for the brief 10 minutes or so that we had with the game, as this is one of the main allures of the title. That being said though, Horizon Zero Dawn is magnificent which is why it is on our top 5 games of E3 list. The controls are very tight, the combat is incredibly fun and takes some strategy, which we like, and from what we saw of the world it is incredibly enticing. Although we wish there was more to the demo, we were beyond thrilled to be able to go hands-on with the game and it is our most anticipated PlayStation title in years.

Top 5 Games of E3 — 3. Gears of War 4

Gears of War 4 promises to be a very special game. While we were treated to a beta of the multiplayer aspect of the title earlier this year, which disappointed us just a little bit, we were thrilled to be able to view a hands-off demo of the Gears of War 4 campaign. As we said in our preview article, it brings something old yet something new, and this is something that we think will prove to be a successful formula. With some brand new gameplay mechanics, new characters, unique weapons, and a somewhat different atmosphere, Gears 4 has all the makings of a classic and is the game that the Xbox One has been waiting for, which is why it is one of our top 5 games of E3.

Top 5 Games of E3 — 2. Batman The Telltale Series

Telltale Games are master storytellers. We were left incredibly impressed with the first half-hour of the first episode of their Batman series, which is one of the most unique takes on the Dark Knight that we have seen to date. It’s not the Batman aspect of the character that intrigues us the most though — it’s the Bruce Wayne persona. He’s portrayed so differently than we have ever seen and we are very excited for Telltale to delve into the psyche of who this man is and who his true self is. Is Batman the mask, or is Bruce Wayne? This is a pivotal question and we have no doubt Telltale will explore this further. The game aims to split the Bruce Wayne scenes and Batman scenes 50/50, and while we have a little bit more to share with our interview with Richard Iggo of Telltale Games, which will be coming shortly, Batman The Telltale Series promises to be both character and action driven, sparking a perfect balance of the two. This is why it is number two on our top 5 games of E3 list.

Top 5 Games of E3 — 1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Like there ever was any doubt. Breath of the Wild quite literally took our breath away. The world, the landscape, the story (from what we know), the gameplay — everything was as close to perfection as could be. For the first time since Ocarina of Time, the controls for Zelda are completely different and we actually haven’t anticipated a Zelda game this much since Ocarina of Time. While we loved the previous console iteration of Zelda, Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild is almost its antithesis, and this a good thing. There’s a freedom to be found in Breath of the Wild that hasn’t been found in a Zelda game in maybe 30 years. By giving us two immersive demos showing off two different aspects of the game, Nintendo was able to give us an experience that simply has us craving for more. March (presumably?) cannot come soon enough and this is easily our most anticipated title from any home console in the last 10 years or so, at least. Nintendo put on a masterful performance at E3 and Zelda was by far the game that everyone wanted to play (the line proved it), which is why it is our top game of E3 2016.

E3 2016: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Preview — Redefining a Franchise

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was by far the most anticipated game to appear at E3 2016. We had the chance to go hands-on with the title for our Breath of the Wild preview, and it did not disappoint. Adding something new yet at the same time maintaining the classic Zelda feel, Breath of the Wild is the “breath” of fresh air that the series so desperately needed. It changes up the mechanics of the classic Zelda experience yet maintains some familiarity. It also has an absolutely gorgeous open world, which we got to explore a portion of. The demo was split into two separate parts. The first portion featured pure exploration in an area called The Great Plateau filled with enemies and a number of different secrets that were housed. The second portion of the Breath of the Wild demo was presumably the opening of the game, dealing with the story and an introduction to the backdrop of the world.

Breath of the Wild Preview — Gameplay

One of the most surprising and refreshing aspects of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is that it completely changes up the classic Zelda control scheme. Zelda has essentially stuck with the same basic control layout since the series transitioned to 3D in Ocarina of Time, but Breath of the Wild takes this and turns it on its head. It did take quite a bit of getting used to. Y is now used to attack rather than the traditional B button. The stamina meter returns from Skyward Sword and you can now dash for a limited time by holding down the B button. X is actually used to jump, and using that in conjunction with the L stick allows you to climb massive cliffs. The right trigger button is used to fire your bow and arrow, while the left trigger button is still used to for L targeting and to use your shield. A is your action button, but is mostly used to pick up weapons that you gain from defeating enemies or items you find in the vastness of Breath of the Wild’s incarnation of Hyrule Field. We also found during our Breath of the Wild preview that the game actually does take some cues from The Wind Waker. For instance, you can pick up your enemy’s weapons and use them for combat, although weapons have a durability factor and can break if used too often. One thing that is really cool is you can actually throw a weapon at an enemy using the right shoulder button just like in The Wind Waker.

By evading an enemy’s attack, you can enter into this slow motion-type state and devastate a foe. Slow motion can also be initiated by jumping off of a high ledge and pulling out your bow and arrow. Headshots with your bow and arrow will also inflict a damage bonus on enemies compared to normal attacks. Stealth, again returning from The Wind Waker, gives you a bit of variety on how you approach combat. There is a meter at the bottom of your HUD that measures Link’s sound, so as he crouches and sneaks up on enemies or wild animals, you can see how loud Link is compared to his environment, ensuring Link doesn’t alert enemies to his presence. This is also the first Zelda game where hearts are not present and do not replenish health. Instead, Link can either consume food, such as steak, or simply cook up a meal. Breath of the Wild features a full day and night cycle, with one minute of gameplay time equating to one hour in the game, the first Zelda game to feature such a cycle since Twilight Princess.

Breath of the Wild Preview — The World

Although we only got a glimpse of Hyrule in our Breath of the Wild preview, it is absolutely massive. Said to be 12 times larger than the world in Twilight Princess, it promises to be the open-world Zelda game that fans have been craving. It actually reminds me a lot of Xenoblade Chronicles X, and Breath of the Wild even has a number of developers from Monolith Soft working on it. The area that we got to explore in our Breath of the Wild preview was known as the Great Plateau, and even this area seemed massive in scale considering it was just one portion. The world is simply beautiful. There was so much to explore and we only scratched the surface, but we were able to fight enemies, find a few a secrets with a few chests, and there was even a miniboss which you could encounter during the demo.

Climbing up cliffs and simply taking in the scenery was probably the most satisfying experience during our Breath of the Wild experience. The music was so relaxing, and while is wasn’t iconic per se, that didn’t really matter to us; it fit the atmosphere perfectly. There were things that we weren’t able to get to during our Breath of the Wild preview, but temperature plays a huge part throughout the kingdom that was once known as Hyrule. Link can change attire based on the weather in order to survive. For instance, if it’s snowing/freezing, Link can slip into something warmer in order to continue on his journey. There is simply so much to take in and there was so little time, but Breath of the Wild is a great change of pace for the series and the overworld is breathtaking.

Breath of the Wild Preview — Story

As we previously mentioned, the Breath of the Wild demo was split into two parts: exploration and a story portion. The story portion is actually what intrigued us the most. Link wakes up in a sarcophagus-like structure to a voice, presumably Princess Zelda’s, explaining some of the narrative. Link has slumbered for 100 years and Hyrule has fallen into ruin. Awakening in the Chamber of Resurrection, there are Sheikah symbols everywhere, which hopefully connects the game to Ocarina of Time. In the Chamber of Resurrection you also obtain a key item: the Sheikah Slate. It is not yet clear what this item is or how it relates to Link, but it is key during this portion of the demo. Once Link finds some clothes and leaves the Chamber of Resurrection, he stumbles upon an old man who who tells him that “Calamity Ganon” has ravaged Hyrule Castle for the past 100 years and is nearing the peak of his power. If Calamity Ganon is not stopped, the world as we know it will be destroyed, and once again it is Link’s quest to save the world. This is the most terrifying incarnation of Ganon yet and it will be interesting to see the exact role he will play in the game and what his dynamic with Link is considering their history in previous games.

One of most nostalgic, and for me the most emotional part of this demo was entering the now decrepit Temple of Time. While this is another connection to Ocarina of Time, it brought back so many memories and actually gave me a tear or two both out of catharsis and excitement. Eventually Link reaches one of the many Sheikah structures in the game, and using the Sheikah Slate he unlocks Sheikah Shrines all across Hyrule. These are possibly mini dungeons of some sort and they obviously have great significance in the game, but it’s not clear what their exact purpose is. Once you return to the old man, who is quite mysterious and seems to know a lot more than he lets on, he tells you that you must go to Hyrule Castle, but it’s unreachable due to a chasm. You can only reach it by paraglider, and the man offers you his, but only in exchange for a treasure, which is in one of the Sheikah Shrines close by. Once reaching the shrine, our demo ended for our Breath of the Wild Preview.

Breath of the Wild Preview — An Experience to Remember

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild demo was a special, unforgettable experience. 40 minutes was not enough time to scratch the surface of the game, but there is a reason why many outlets, including this one, is naming it the best game of E3 2016. The graphical style, the gorgeous open world, the music, the combat — there’s simply too much to list that impresses. By focusing on one game this E3 Nintendo allowed us to be completely immersed in the experience and we were blown away. This may be the Zelda game to finally dethrone Ocarina of Time, which is still heralded as the greatest Zelda game of all time. While we wish that we had more time with Breath of the Wild, early next year is not too far away and we are sure that it will be an experience of a lifetime.

The Legend of Zelda for Wii U to Receive Two Extended Demos at E3 2016

Nintendo is betting it all on The Legend of Zelda for Wii U this year at E3, and purportedly the demo they will be presenting (or two as rumor has it) will be massive. According to a press e-mail that is circulating, Nintendo is asking press to set aside 90 minutes to play the demo, which is an enormous time investment considering journalists are constantly running from appointment to appointment and trying to play as many games as possible at E3 for coverage.

The upside of this though is that The Legend of Zelda for Wii U is Nintendo’s only playable game at E3 — meaning that instead of spending hours trying to get through all of their games, there are just two extensive demos that are only 90 minutes long (combined) that journalists have to get through. So it is not nearly as bad as it may seem.

Nintendo’s plans this year are bold, but with the shift in focus with regards to E3 and how companies are approaching it, Nintendo may just be ahead of the game.