Welcome to the Icebox! A friend of mine suggested that I should spice up my game spotlights with a unique title, so now you can learn to be cool.

Today, the Icebox presents to you one of the most legendary video games of all time. “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” is a masterpiece that will go down as one of the greatest experiences ever delivered to the gaming side of humanity.

First of all, one should understand that there is no clear-cut way to describe “Breath of the Wild.” In fact, there is absolutely no review out there, whether it’s a video, book or an article like this one, that can do the game any bit of justice. That certainly doesn’t mean one can’t try, right? However, my focus will be on why you should play the game, given that you haven’t already.

The most noticeable thing about “Breath of the Wild” is the unique artstyle. Even if one isn’t playing the game, they can certainly enjoy the jaw-dropping views that it offers. The game seems like an elaborate painting, with bright and vibrant tones and shadows that correspond to the various times of day and regions of the map. There are mountains, valleys, canyons, cliffs and natural beauties that have players mesmerized. To this day, people share beautiful screenshots and compliment the developers for the highly-artistic style of the game. The visuals in this game are one of the best ways to immerse yourself in this experience.

Another aspect of “Breath of the Wild” that really places it on the top are the mechanics, of course. The mechanics include stamina-based running, jumping and climbing, while also incorporating combat skills that are fairly easy to master compared to other titles such as “Dark Souls.”

The enemies in the game have an hierarchy that determines their power, such as bokoblins, moblins, lizalfos and their color alterations that are based on their location on the map as well as the player’s progress through the game. The boss battles, mainly forms of Ganon, the force of darkness, each have their own unique mechanics as well.

There is also the Sheikah slate which offers the main character, Link, unique abilities. Stasis allows a player to freeze an object, and sometimes an enemy, in time to build up damage and momentum. Cryonis is the ability to form up to three ice blocks at once on surfaces of water. Magnesis enables Link to lift objects made of metal. Remote bombs, which have an
impulse-effect when detonated, come in the cubicle and spherical variety. There is also a camera rune that players can unlock later that allows Link to take pictures of wildlife, enemies and plants in order to register them in a personal compendium.

That brings up the next point, which is that “Breath of the Wild” isn’t just about fighting enemies and destroying Ganon to free Hyrule. There are more than a handful of other things that are available for players of all types.

Interested in clothing? Check out Link’s wardrobe and visit the dye shop. Are you a chef? Well, Link is even better at cooking up delicious meals and elixirs. The best part is that they enhance his abilities: stamina, strength, defense, resistance and more. Do you like scenery? The developers want you to appreciate it. Do you like wandering around? That’s why Korok seeds, treasures, shrines, temples, towers and all kinds of things are scattered across the map. Are you an animal lover? You can tame a horse, befriend dogs and even ride a bear! And if you are hungry, you can always cook those too.

Perhaps you’re not so great at combat, like my older sister who absolutely loves this game despite being terrible at progressing the story. That is completely fine because it’s about how you enjoy the experience. “Breath of the Wild” offers plenty of side quests, some that involve searching for an item, some that require cooking a certain meal and some that help to hone in on your skills with a bow and arrow, sword, spear, claymore or even Link’s trusty paraglider.

Even if a player doesn’t do anything in particular, they can still enjoy the adventure. Maybe they want to relieve their “collector’s anxiety,” a term coined by speedrunner PointCrow in regards to the item collection in any large-scale video game.