It's no secret that Breath of the Wild broke Nintendo's usual Legend of Zelda formula with its expansive open-world take on Hyrule – but it didn't just revolutionize the decades-old series.
According to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director Guillaume Broche, it also transformed the open world genre in its entirety. The RPG lead explains as much in a new episode of Video Game Club via Konbini on YouTube (below), first recalling his introduction to The Legend of Zelda as a child.
"I played Zelda when I was really little on the Game Boy," says Broche. "And the only other Zelda game I've played is Breath of the Wild."
This sets the director apart from the rest of Sandfall Interactive, as he points out "we have a lot of big Zelda fans on the team" – but he was impressed by Breath of the Wild, to say the least.
"Generally speaking, I'm not really into open-world games," as Broche describes. "It's literally the first open-world game I've ever liked." He wasn't sure he would, though. "When I started playing it, I was really reluctant."
He continues, detailing how he went on to "force" himself to play Breath of the Wild because "everyone was saying it was good."
And his verdict? "It's truly exceptional. In my opinion, it's the first open-world game that actually delivered on the promise of an open world – of simply not having a minimap. You have a big map, but you really get that sense of exploration. You see something, and you want to go there."
And, you can. Or, you can do something else – the world is truly open, in that sense. "Ten thousand things happen along the way, and you get sidetracked. You never end up where you want to go because you keep getting sidetracked by all sorts of things."
As Broche concludes, "In terms of level design, it's an absolute masterclass." I can certainly agree there, as a longtime Zelda fan myself. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are wonderful.
Sure, they break free from Nintendo's beloved Zelda formula – but I'd say that's what makes them so brilliant. They serve as the perfect stepping stone into the series' setting (and apparently, open-world games in general), while also presenting veterans with a fresh take on Hyrule.
I know that not everyone feels the same here, but they're undeniably gems. Heck, take a look at their Metacritic scores… even compared to other Zelda entries.
I do wonder what Broche will think of the Ocarina of Time remake now – or whether or not he'll play it at all, considering his previous stance on Zelda. Personally, I hope the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director gives it a go.
