How the open world of Breath of the Wild is rewriting The Legend of Zelda

The open world and its features

With «The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild», the developers presented fans with an open world that is incredibly large in size and rich in features.

Unlike previous games in the series, where players were offered a linear passage:

The character can freely move around the world
Visit various locations in any order
Interact with the surrounding world and its inhabitants

Open world and game structure

Open world Breath of the Wild brings significant changes to the structure of the game.

Main differences:

Gameplay flexibility. Players can choose where to go and what to do instead of following a fixed path.
More research. Instead of moving from one story event to another, players can explore the world on their own and discover new areas.
Non-linear story. Players can complete the various quests in any order, leading to different story paths.

Influence on the story

The plot of «The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild» has become more non-linear thanks to the open world. Instead of following a direct script, players can participate in story events in any order that affects how they experience the story.

This means:

The story adapts to the player's actions
Players can participate in additional storylines
The ability to see different endings depending on the player's actions

The future of The Legend of Zelda and the open world

«The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild» demonstrated that an open world can add depth and complexity to even an already complex and addictive game like Zelda.

Expected:

Further development of open world elements in new games in the series
Development of new mechanics and options interaction with the world
Mixing gameplay with exploration and discovery of new storylines
Thus, the influence of the open world on «The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild» turned out to be revolutionary. This game shows how classic gameplay and storytelling can be reimagined, offering players more freedom to choose and personalize their gaming experience.