I picked up a Nintendo Switch for the family shortly after it came out. Of course one of the games I got was Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I let the kids have some time with the game for a few weeks before trying it out myself, but now that I have, I can see what all the critical acclaim was about.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an open world game, where you can make your own path around Hyrule. It’s 100 years after the arrival of Calamity Ganon and you’ve been in hibernation, healing up for the future battle to save the kingdom. You awake with nothing more than a shirt and pants to start your adventure. However, you’ve lost your memory and the first thing you need to do is figure out who you are and what you’re doing here.

From that launching point Breath of the Wild drops you into a starting zone of the world, from which you can head in any direction that you choose. Most people will follow the traditional path that is laid out for you, but you don’t have to. Even though I headed towards the first quest objective, I ended up exploring a lot more than I needed to, but I had a tremendous amount of fun doing so. The world is literally at your fingertips, and the only thing that stands in your way is the monsters you find, and your stamina to climb obstacles.

With my ability to climb up cliffs, I found that I was able to get to places that I never would have thought I could before. It opened up a whole new aspect to the game, realizing that sometimes a dangerous climb up a cliff is better than trying to find the long way around. The beauty of this is that it’s all my choice.

I can see why people are praising this game. It’s truly an amazing piece of art and gameplay. The ability to forge your own path, and explore the way that you want to, makes this game a beautiful experience. I know that people complained about how long it took to develop, but the end result is well worth the wait.

If you don’t have a Switch you can still get Breath of the Wild for the Wii U, however, I’ve heard that it doesn’t perform quite as well. Either way, I can’t recommend this game enough. It’s beautiful and fun, and the open world means that you can make your own path as you explore the vast world of Hyrule.