Friday, March 3, marked a big day for Nintendo fans, the Switch console launched but more importantly so did Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

There’s not a lot to say about this game that hasn’t already been said; it’s the culmination of years of work and 18 prior entries in the series. It was annnounced in 2013 as a Wii U exclusive and two delays later finally released on both the Switch and Wii U to every Nintendo fan’s delight.

This review will be focusing on the Switch version of the game as it is optimized for it.

Breath of the Wild is parts with the traditional linear Zelda format of going to a dungeon, getting an item, beating the boss, then moving on to the next one. The game opens up with Link waking from a 100 year slumber to find Hyrule destroyed by Calamity Gannon and Zelda nowhere to be found.

Unlike other Zelda games, this story really unfolds as you choose, other than the beginning area that is treated as a tutorial where you get your major powers right off the bat. The player can spend 40 hours running around exploring Hyrule or they can rush Gannon and try and reclaim Hyrule Castle in nothing but Link’s underwear.

You are no longer gifted a bow, boomerang, hookshot, etc. Instead, bows and boomerangs are just generic weapons that you can find upgrades just lying around. Speaking of weapons, there is a new system in place that now forces you to search for new ones, as they will regularly break. Early on this is annoying because your pack space is so small, but as you expand, it’s better since you can hold a bunch at once.

Magic rods return and a few new weapons, like halberds, are added to the game. Link can also now tame wild horses, allowing you to upgrade your mount and find stronger and faster ones. However, be weary as the horses can be killed, so don’t recklessly charge headlong into a horde of enemies.

Players will see a lot of familiar enemies; Octoroks, Bokoblins, Moblins. There are, however, a few new types such as Hinox and Golems; these are essentially mini-bosses that are found through the land and can spring up on unwary travelers. They offer a fair challenge and always drop great loot.

The story of the game is pretty standard for a Zelda game; be the hero, stop Gannon, save the day. There are a few twists and turns but it’s how developed the other characters in the game are that really sells the stories, especially the high quality voice acting which is a first for the series.

After about 20 hours, I’m still wandering Hyrule in search of, well, anything. The game is a visual masterpiece, but does suffer from some frame drops when there are a lot of things loaded in at once.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is a wonderful departure from the traditional Zelda entries and is a wonderful entry of it’s own.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild gets a five out of five.