Let's sing the song of our people!
From The Lord of the Rings saga to World of Warcraft, the fantasy genre has always teased us with the opportunity to shake off our shackles of steel and concrete and don our finest robes, delve into forgotten caves and mysterious forests and enjoy the company of our closest pals, be they man, elf, dwarf, or woodland nymph. Along come video games, allowing us to be the very characters we've read about (and cosplayed as) and quest to our hearts' content. Join us as we explore the best that the fantasy genre has to offer, from a third-person perspective that allows us to see that dragon burn that village down from a nice safe distance. They don't call it fantasy for nothing, right?
15. Genshin Impact (PS5/PS4/PC/Nintendo Switch/Android/iOS)
First up is the free-to-play phenomenon, Genshin Impact.
Genshin Impact is a free-to-play open-world fantasy action RPG that takes place in the fictional world of Teyvat. You play as the Traveler, one half of a twin that travels throughout the stars and visits different worlds. Upon arrival at Teyvat, your sibling is captured by a mysterious entity that also seals you away and places you into a deep sleep for five hundred years. Therefore, upon awakening, you journey the world of Teyvat in search of your missing twin and beat up the one responsible (because there’s no way this is all sorted out by just talking).
The fantasy world of Teyvat consists of several countries, each of whom worships a particular god that is associated with a natural element (kinda like Pokémon, huh?). The game progresses as you explore the world, meet new characters, and complete missions with the aim of leveling up and furthering the plot. You can switch control between the Traveler and three other players during battle, allowing you to play to each character’s strengths and execute powerful combo attacks. In addition, you have access to twenty-three playable characters that you can rotate in and out of your main party.
Traversal involves running, climbing, swimming, and gliding through the air, and in some cases, the terrain can be adapted by a character’s ability to make getting around easier (freezing lakes to make bridges and creating air currents to reach high places). The extent to which you can travel is determined by your stamina bar which when depleted causes you to freefall (or drown).
Genshin Impact Gameplay
14. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (PS4/Xbox One/PC/Nintendo Switch/3DS/Stadia)
It's an industry favorite up next: Dragon Quest 11 coming in at number 14.
Dragon Quest seems to be the gift that just keeps on giving. In this latest iteration of the hit Japanese RPG series you play as the Luminary, another “chosen one” heroic figure sent to save the world from evil. The world, in this case, is Erdrea and the evil is the sorcerer Mordegon (he has an evil-sounding name too!), who seeks to plunge the world into an age of darkness. The world of Dragon Quest XI is largely a medieval one with characters being ripped straight out of a classic high fantasy romp. You’ve got dragons, magic swords, the aforementioned sorcerors, and good ole monsters (ogres, giant spiders, weird plant thingies, etc.).
Gameplay in Dragon Quest XI follows the typical JRPG style of turn-based combat that gives you the option to attack, defend or use items. Throughout the game, you gain access to the seven playable characters that form your party, each of whom has distinct abilities that aid in battle and traversal. World design is exemplary and features picturesque mountain scenery, lush forests, and gorgeous blue seas (and the occasional dark and foreboding cave).
Enemy encounters in Dragon Quest XI do not follow the time-honored tradition of random battles but are rather more deliberate. You can see monsters’ sprites clearly as you travel and have the option of avoiding those monsters or engaging in battle by running into those sprites (preferably sword-first). It’s a smart, RPG fantasy game that is faithful to the genre’s roots while doing just enough to innovate and keep you engrossed in its fictional world.
Dragon Quest XI Gameplay
13. Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4/Xbox One/PC)
The long-awaited Kingdom Hearts 3 is up next at number 13.
Kingdom Hearts 3 was a long time coming, wasn’t it? This third-person blockbuster Disney escapade features a young boy named Sora who wields the legendary Keyblade (it looks EXACTLY as it sounds) and his Disney trademarked friends as they battle various enemies and Disney villains to banish the darkness from their lands. Some of the Disney titles featured include Mickey Mouse and his friends, Big Hero 6, Winnie the Pooh, Hercules, Toy Story, and more.
Kingdom Hearts is an RPG that uses a hack and slash combat system that requires deft skill in chaining dazzling combos, using special projectile and magic abilities, and coordinating the many skills of your lovable companions. In the name of exploration, you travel to the multiple worlds of these Disney franchises and in each world, you utilize a mode of transport that is unique to that world (eg. Sailing in the Pirates of the Caribbean world, sledding in Frozen, etc.). In addition, several mini-games are available in Kingdom Hearts 3 that add extra hours of gameplay and often involve light-hearted activities such as puzzle-solving and cooking.
Kingdom Hearts 3 Gameplay
12. Dragon Age: Inquisition (PS4/PS3/Xbox One/Xbox 360/PC)
Dragon Age: Inquisition is our number 12 entry, giving us heaps of the fantasy genre's apex predator: dragons.
BioWare’s Dragon Age: Inquisition is a third-person action RPG set in the fantasy land of Thedas. Your customizable, blank-slate of a protagonist is tasked with ending the civil war and closing the “Breach”, a portal in the sky that spews demons onto a world already rife with conflict. In true high fantasy style, Dragon Age: Inquisition features some of the usual fabled races: elves, dwarves, and in the Dragon Age mythos, the Qunari.
Dragon Age: Inquisition has an open-world structure that allows for free exploration but does not use level-scaling so be careful not to wander down the wrong back alley. World traversal involves using mounts, traveling on foot and also features the ability to fast travel to previously visited locations. Missions comprise your usual story missions as well as side missions, fetch quests and mini-games that involve puzzle-solving.
Interacting with the multitudes of characters in the game is varied and complex, especially in the realm of dialogue where you have some influence over how conversations and events play out. Combat conforms to traditional fantasy RPG tropes by having you pick between three classes: warrior (all big swords and heavy armor), mage (powerful magic but can’t grant wishes for some reason), and rogue (swift and agile fighter but check your pockets). You can have a maximum of up to nine companions who journey with you and battle enemies using magic, melee weapon, and bows and arrows. Slaying these enemies rewards you and your party members with experience points which can then be used to upgrade skills, health, and stats.
Finally, Dragon Age: Inquisition includes a multiplayer mode that allows players to challenge dungeons that progress in difficulty. This can be completed in groups of four and any progress in multiplayer mode does not affect the single-player campaign mode (so no grinding through tough areas with your friends).
Dragon Age: Inquisition Gameplay
11. World of Warcraft (PC/macOS)
Hey buddy, it's freaking World of Warcraft! Need we say any more?
A legendary game beloved by millions the world over? Check. Beautiful graphics and immersive gameplay that still holds up sixteen years later? Check. A diverse world that incorporates elements of high fantasy, science fiction, and the supernatural? Check. Welcome to the world of Azeroth (aka Warcraft) where your personally designed player character is tasked with completing quests, winning battles, and of course, defeating great evil (in the form of Ragnaros, the elemental lord).
World of Warcraft is an MMORPG that allows you to explore the world of Azeroth, fight various monsters, and interact with your friends online. There is an emphasis on PVP combat as well as PVE adventuring, both of which result in your character earning experience points that can be used to make your character stronger. The expansive world of Azeroth can be traversed on foot, by boat, by zeppelin, or via portals and contains gorgeous views of towns, cities, mountains, forests, and oceans.
World of Warcraft also provides you and your friends with seasonal events which mirror real-world holidays or notable days such as Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. These events provide you with unique, limited-time-only rewards and experience points that carry over into the regular game. Finally, the game has two separate multiplayer modes: Normal Mode which focuses on PVP battles and completing quests, and a Roleplay Mode which emphasizes in-person roleplay.
World of Warcraft Gameplay
10. Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (PS4/Xbox One/PC)
Want Tolkien magic with a twist? Look no further than Middle-Earth: Shadow of War.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War plunges us back into one of the most renowned fantasy worlds ever created: the world of the Lord of the Rings. You control the ranger Arago- I mean, Talion, and his ghostly parasite friend Celebrimbor, the elf lord who forged the Rings of Power, as they aim to create a new Ring of Power that will allow them to defeat and supplant Sauron. You already know what this means: we get to go on a perilous quest that has us fighting orcs, wild beasts, Nazgûl, and even a Balrog (Talion the White doesn’t have the same ring to it though)!
Gameplay in Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is displayed using a third-person perspective with RPG gameplay elements that allow you to learn new skills and craft your playstyle. Talion normally gets around by walking, running climbing, using his trusty steed, and can also fast travel at specific points by using his map. Combat allows you to use both the human physical abilities of Talion and the magical, spectral abilities of Celebrimbor to great effect, weaving spells and unleashing combos across the battlefield like a whirlwind.
Speaking of battlefields, Shadow of War’s Nemesis System allows you to build and manage your army and raid forts ruled by Sauron’s faithful orcs. Your army consists of former enemies that you recruited to your side by the power of friendship (not really, it’s totally torture) and if you die to an enemy during a raid, that enemy is eventually promoted for killing you (ahhh sweet sweet meritocracy!). On the positive side, the Nemesis System also allows your own soldiers to level up from killing enemies (and each other…hey they’re still orcs!).
Finally, multiplayer in Middle-Earth: Shadow of War allows you to challenge other players’ fortresses in either a Friendly mode or in Ranked Mode. Friendly Mode lets you challenge your friends’ fortresses with no consequences to your army as dead soldiers respawned after the raid. In Ranked Mode, however, followers who die are lost permanently, both in multiplayer mode and in the single-player campaign. So be sure to take out an insurance policy on those bad boys!
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Gameplay
9. Monster Hunter: World (PS4/Xbox One/PC)
Pure and simple monster-hunting, just like mother used to make. It's Monster Hunter World at number 9.
Monster Hunter: World is one of those games that by its name alone tells you what it’s about. In Monster Hunter: World, you play as a Hunter tasked with hunting monsters (who knew?) in the New World, which is a previously undiscovered continent in this fictional world. The central premise of this fantasy third-person adventure RPG is to hunt monsters and harvest material from their corpses, which you then use to craft better armor and weapons which enables you to then hunt even stronger monsters and harvest their corpses for even stronger materials to make even stronger weapons and armor, ad infinitum.
Monster Hunter: World arms you with basic weapons and armor at the start, which challenges you to comb through the world to find something you can kill to rise through the ranks of Hunters. The world is laid out in several zones which are interconnected and can be accessed either on foot or via fast travel. Combat features the use of fourteen different weapon types, each with its pros and cons depending on the monster you choose to face. These weapons include bows, axes, swords, lances, and guns. Missions take the form of quests that usually involve hunting down some monster for the resources it provides.
Monster Hunter: World has a cooperative online multiplayer mode that allows up to four players to a party. Parties go on quests to hunt monsters collaboratively in the game’s story mode as there are no separate missions available or a separate character progression mechanic for multiplayer mode. Lastly, developers, Capcom released the Iceborne DLC which added to the base game in the way of additional story missions, new monsters, and extra combat moves and weapons.
Monster Hunter: World Gameplay
8. Final Fantasy XV (PS4/Xbox One/PC/Stadia)
Heavy is the head that wears the crown in Final Fantasy XV.
This entry is a pretty obvious and expected one for this list. I mean, it’s even got the word ‘fantasy’ in the name, right? Final Fantasy XV stars the young prince Noctis and his band of bodyguards/friends (friendiguards?) as they fight the kingdom of Niflheim. Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio journey through the land in a slick convertible and battle monsters, divine beings, and soldiers of Niflheim, all in an effort to defeat Niflheim and restore the sacred crystal revered by their kingdom of Lucis, which had been stolen during Niflheim’s invasion of their capital.
The fictional world of Eos serves as the setting for Final Fantasy XV and gameplay is presented in a third-person, open-world RPG format. Traversal is done mainly by foot, by driving that sweet convertible, or by riding Chocobos, the series’ recurring ostrich-like birds. While on the road, you can pick up side missions that usually involve hunting monsters, performing fetch quests, defeating soldiers, and much more.
Combat is real-time and occurs within the same environment where enemies are located, giving it that real-world feel that had been absent from the earlier games in the series. Each member of the party specializes in a particular type of weapon (eg. swords and magic for Noctis, spears and twin daggers for Ignis, etc.) and battle includes four basic actions: attacking, defending, using items, and Wait Mode which allows you to use character special skills. Some other recurring combat elements are the use of magic and the ability to summon elemental deities such as Titan, Shiva, or Ramuh (for Noctis only because, elitism). After each battle, your party earns experience points and AP which allows you to purchase and upgrade abilities.
The final component of Final Fantasy XV is its DLC which added layers of new story content and skins to the base game. These DLC represent stories that center around Noctis’ friends and their individual struggles and also include a chapter dedicated to antagonist Ardyn’s backstory (how fair of you Square Enix). DLC additional chapters are known as ‘Episodes’ and as such we have an Episode Ignis, Episode Prompto, Episode Gladio, etc.
Final Fantasy XV Gameplay
7. Valheim
Valheim is definitely one to keep your eye on at number 7.
The Norse fantasy world of Valheim is a work in progress (the game is still in Early Access) but has already made waves by being a complex survival fantasy game. Valheim takes place in an open-world environment that exists as a purgatory created by Odin to test prospective entrants to the Norse afterlife, Valhalla. Valheim’s graphics aren’t the flashiest yet they do create enough ambiance to make you believe that this world is worth exploring and engaging with. This is even more pronounced with the use of a third-person camera view that allows you to take in both your player character and the world around him or her.
Gameplay for Valheim follows a simple survival game schematic that tasks you with hunting for materials from animals and the landscape, fighting monsters using weapons crafted from aforementioned materials, and feeding and clothing your character appropriately. Combat is straightforward with simple attacking and blocking done via swords, axes, spears, hammers, and shields. In addition, you can use bows and arrows to pick off enemies from a distance (good old medieval bullets).
Another key aspect of gameplay is its resource management mechanics. You’ll be tasked with farming, hunting, foraging, mining, and building your own house to maintain your character’s long-term health. This also means having a balanced diet as well, which allows you to benefit from a range of buffs to various stats and in turn increases your chances of survival. As you perform various actions, your character improves their skill in these activities which then allows them to perform those actions with greater efficiency. The more you attack using a sword, the better you get at swordplay. The more you swim, the better you get at swimming, and so on.
Last, but not least, Valheim supports cooperative online multiplayer for up to ten persons as well as some PVP elements that are thrown into the mix. However, much of the game’s enjoyment comes from collaborating with friends to defeat trolls, harvesting resources, and exploring this procedurally generated world together. Not bad for an early access game is it?
Valheim Gameplay
6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X/S/Nintendo Switch/PC)
Geralt is back with more monster-slaying, third-person antics in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
The world of The Witcher has never been one to pull any punches with its modern and realistic take on the fantasy genre and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is no different. Delve into this vibrant fantasy world of monsters and magic, soldiers, wars, and foul-mouthed peasants and play as Geralt of Rivia, the monster-slaying wisecrack at the heart of it all. As a witcher, Geralt is a superhuman mutant, bred and trained to hunt and slay monsters on humanity’s behalf (not that they ever appreciate him for it). The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt sees Geralt and a band of his closest allies do battle with the titular Wild Hunt, a group of spectral warriors from another dimension, to save his adopted daughter Ciri and prevent the apocalypse.
Geralt, witcher extraordinaire, can fight monsters, humans, and the occasional stray animal using a combination of sword attacks, magic spells called Signs, bombs, and crossbows. In addition to that impressive arsenal, Geralt can also brew potions and oils designed to give him an extra edge in battle, depending on the circumstance. Giant, venomous insects got you down? Brew some Golden Oriole that nullifies poison. Vampires wanna take a bite out of you? Imbibe some Black Blood that’ll give even the most ravenous vampire the runs. Geralt’s weapons and armor are also upgradable and can be found throughout the various regions he visits.
Traversal in The Witcher 3 boils down to three elements: walking/sprinting, horseback, and via boat. All of these three options allow you to go from town to town selling your skills to the highest bidder. They also allow you to progress the story and side missions as quickly as possible and explore some of the contrasting regions of the game. From the city slums of Novigrad to the impoverished countryside of Velen, from the Skellige Isles to the mountainous stronghold of Kaer Morhen, The Witcher 3 offers an expansive and diverse fantasy setting that keeps you engaged for hours.
Finally, although this expansive game features no multiplayer component, developers CD Projekt Red have included a simple, yet addictive mini-game called Gwent, a card game that demands the use of strategy (and a fair bit of luck) to prevail against your opponents. It became so successful that a standalone version of the game was released on PC, PS4, and Xbox One (though it was eventually taken down from the latter two). Two DLC was released for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Blood and Wine and Hearts of Stone), both of which add extra hours of gameplay, narrative, and overall content to the base game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Gameplay
5. Elder Scrolls Online (PS5/PS4/Xbox X/S/Xbox One/Stadia/PC/OS X)
Welcome back to Tamriel, legendary warrior! Get lost in the colossal MMORPG that is The Elder Scrolls Online.
The world of The Elder Scrolls is yet another that is deeply steeped in traditional high fantasy lore. The continent of Tamriel serves as the setting for the series and is a complex web of political intrigue and war populated by races of humans, elves, and bipedal bestial beings (a quick nod to all you furries out there). These races hail from nine different provinces in Tamriel, with the most politically powerful races being the High Elves of the Summerset Isles and the humans residing in Cyrodiil. Tamriel is also highly influenced by interdimensional beings referred to as “daedric princes” who are acknowledged as gods, each with their own sphere of influence. As such, most of the conflict in The Elder Scrolls Online, and indeed the entire series, stems from political sources or from the influence of a daedric prince, most of whom try to take over the mortal plane by various means.
In The Elder Scrolls Online, you build your own character by choosing a race from ten available races and begin two main quests. The first main quest is to retrieve your soul, which had been stolen by the daedric prince Molag Bal (or by that one ex) during his attempt to merge the mortal plane with his own plane and by so doing, rule the world. The second is to become the next Imperial Ruler of Tamriel, thus ensuring that you have both a soul and unchecked political power.
Gameplay in The Elder Scrolls Online is a third-person multiplayer affair (don’t need to tell you that it’s online, right?) that is packed with many optional side quests, random events and also allows you to freely roam the open world in search of random stuff to do. Depending on the race you chose, you’ll be given various passive effects and buffs and also will have different base skill levels, which ties into the affinities for particular skills that each race possesses. These skills include combat skills such as One-Handed (which governs your ability to use one-handed blades like swords effectively), Two-Handed (for greatswords and battleaxes), and Destruction Staff (for destructive magic spells). Other skills govern more passive aspects of gameplay such as alchemy, woodworking, and smithing.
You’ll also be able to choose for different classes in addition to selecting a race. These classes are akin to jobs and focus on either the use of physical abilities or the use of magic (sometimes a blend of both). From these classes, you gain skills unique to that class that you can then level up as you progress. Finally, traveling through Tamriel sometimes involves the use of mounts which may either be horses or mythological beasts such as kagouti (a reptilian-fire elemental hybrid) as well as on foot or via fast travel points.
The Elder Scrolls Online Gameplay
4. Dark Souls 3 (PS4/Xbox One/PC)
Finally, put an end to the cycle of life and death (or not) in Dark Souls 3.
Dark Souls 3 brings us back to that unique feeling of From Software crafted foreboding with a continued emphasis on grueling gameplay and grim environments. This time you play as the Ashen One, the result of continuous feeble attempts to maintain the Age of Fire created by Lord Gwyn, one of the old lords revered as gods. These continued attempts have left the world of Lothric and its surrounding lands in a state of gradual decay, similar to ashes smoldering slowly as fire fades. The Ashen One is tasked once again with the Linking of the Fire, the sacrifice that is performed by a chosen being that ensures the continued existence of the Age of Fire. However, after repeated attempts in every era to prolong this Age, the inhabitants of Lothric have become understandably tired of the cycle of darkness and light and have opted to allow the fire to fade. As such, you have the choice to either keep a feeble flame going or allow it to fade entirely.
Gameplay in Dark Souls 3 follows the pattern of its predecessors by being tough as nails and unforgiving (again, like that one ex). You do battle using the traditional methods of magic and might with swords, lances, axes, shields, and bows in addition to three types of magic: pyromancy (fire magic), miracles (light magic), and spells (magic magic? I don’t know it’s blue, alright?). In addition, you have access to various items that may also do damage in a pinch such as throwing knives and bombs as well as restorative items like herbs and the series’ regular, Estus Flask.
Traversal is done on foot and fast travel is once again possible via the Bonfires placed throughout the world. The now-legendary Dark Souls bosses are once again a highlight of the game as well as the return of the Covenant system that adds a faction and rewards-based structure to the game’s online multiplayer features. DLC has also been added to the base game (Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City) which provides additional story content, weapons and magic, a covenant, and two new levels.
Dark Souls 3 Gameplay
3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (PS4/Xbox One/Nintendo Switch/PC/Stadia)
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is that old dog that's been taught a few new tricks.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey takes the series in an even more fantastical turn than previous entries by featuring mythological creatures as part of its narrative. Assassin Creed Odyssey gives you the option of choosing from two main protagonists, Alexios and Kassandra, as they embark on a journey to find their missing family. Odyssey takes place in Ancient Greece and features a fictionalized depiction of a war between Greek city-states, Athens and Sparta.
The world of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is expansive, with one of the biggest maps ever presented in the series and gameplay follows an open world, third-person perspective. You traverse the world on foot, on horseback, or via a warship. Warships also allow for the return of naval battles that you can engage in using a crew you recruit from various missions. Land combat features a continuation of Assassin’s Creed Origin’s hitbox system that focuses on using powerful finishing moves and chaining together combos. Combat also includes elements of stealth that allow you to silently dispatch unsuspecting enemies and survey an area using the eagle, Ikaros.
What stands out in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the inclusion of actual Greek monsters of myth including Medusa, the Minotaur, and the Cyclops. This combined with additional content that tells the tale of the fabled city of Atlantis and introduces Greek gods Hermes, Persephone, and Poseidon as part of the narrative as well as some more monsters makes Assassin’s Creed Odyssey one of the most ambitious games of the series.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey Gameplay
2. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4/Xbox One/PC/Stadia)
Live, die, and live again with entry number 2, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice brings the world of deep Japanese fantasy to life with the epic tale of a mutilated and dishonored shinobi who must protect his young master from those who wish to use the young lord’s power for themselves. You play as Sekiro, a name which means the “one-armed wolf” as you fight legendary warriors, corrupted creatures, and in many cases, beings revered by the people of Ashina as gods. To this end, the game borrows from several elements of Japanese myth such as centipede demons, celestial dragons, and mystical carp.
Gameplay follows the traditional From Software style of being challenging but changes the mechanics to place a greater emphasis on properly timed parries and counterattacks. Sekiro also has the use of a prosthetic arm that doubles as a powerful and versatile weapon. This arm can change forms and become a heavy axe for breaking shields, a flamethrower, a spear, and even a poisoned blade. Another departure from the traditional Dark Souls style is the ability to jump and use a grappling hook via Sekiro’s prosthetic arm that enables you to reach rooftops to scout your surroundings. In addition, stealth is introduced with the ability to one-shot enemies being a crucial part of gameplay.
Given its uniquely Japanese feel, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice represents a thematic shift as well, with players no longer grappling with the fate of the entire world or with the conflict between light and dark or gods and humanity. This time, the conflict is more personal and this results in the game playing out as a quest for redemption that promotes the values of loyalty: to those you love and most importantly, to yourself. Failure to do so may very well reveal that the true demons were within you all along.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Gameplay
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch/Wii U)
The world is yours to explore in our final entry, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a breath of fresh air when it rolled out for Nintendo platforms in March 2017. Its expansive world, gorgeously animated graphics, and easy-to-learn gameplay mechanics made it a smash (giggle) success for all ages. Enter Link (again, because who else would it be?), and this time he’s an ancient warrior who had been sealed away to be healed after falling in the final battle against the series antagonist, Ganon (this time, Calamity Ganon). He is reawakened ten thousand years later by Princess Zelda, to save the kingdom of Hyrule from Calamity Ganon who has corrupted the kingdom of Hyrule with his foul magic.
Gameplay is done from a third-person perspective and gives you the grand open world of Hyrule to roam and explore. You can choose to further the main story immediately or decide to smell the roses along the way. To this end, Link can do battle using melee weapons like swords, clubs, and spears and can hurl the usual Zelda projectiles such as bombs or heavy rocks. Traversal can be done on foot, horseback, by swimming, or by the use of a paraglider provided that you can use get up to a high place or use rising air currents created by fires. All of these methods draw upon Link’s stamina gauge (except horseback) and when the gauge is depleted, he goes into a state of exhaustion and needs to momentarily rest to regain stamina.
As you explore the world, you can also hunt animals and forage for food sources which can then be cooked using the game’s cooking mechanic. Proper recipes can be created which provide the best results in terms of health and stamina replenishment and an assortment of buffs. Exploration truly does reward you in Breath of the Wild, as you can often find powerful weapons and abilities not usually acquired on the beaten track. Story progression eventually allows Link to discover new abilities such as being able to set remote bombs, use magnetism to move metal objects, and even freeze time.
Lastly, the land of Hyrule is not some homogenous forested area but includes areas of extreme heat as well as extreme cold. You are often required to drink potions that provide protection from these elements or risk losing all those precious hearts. Even in the stable wilds of Hyrule, thunderstorms often present themselves and if you find yourself in a high place or wearing metal armor, you run the risk of getting on a first name basis with Zeus. This highlights one of the most entertaining aspects of Breath of the Wild: its environment is not only rich in graphic design but is also a living environment where random things can happen. You can impact, and also be impacted by, the land of Hyrule and its monsters, weather, and characters.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Gameplay
