2016 was a great year in gaming. This console generation is finally coming into its own after several years of waiting. The age of remasters is almost over. We are finally getting quality exclusives. Amidst all of this, we are also getting a new console: the Nintendo Switch. Nintendo by far has the best exclusives on their consoles. There’s simply no question about that. There were some quality exclusives in 2016 on both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Despite this though, the next year will be rough. Both companies are banking on new hardware instead of exclusive software. Nintendo has the best of both worlds. They are launching the Nintendo Switch, and they are most likely launching with Breath of the Wild. Breath of the Wild will be GOTY in 2017 because of the lack of high-quality titles on other consoles and because it’s the Zelda game everyone has been waiting for.
Playing Breath of the Wild at E3 2016, it is finally the Zelda game that breaks the conventions of the series. It goes back to the franchise’s roots. It is completely open world, and if you wanted to, you could face the final boss from the get-go. This harkens back to the original Legend of Zelda. This doesn’t mean it’s without its story though. I got the chance to play a demo that was the opening of the game. The story is…incredibly intriguing to say the least. I cannot wait to see more. Ocarina of Time is the greatest game of all time because it managed to balance story and gameplay so masterfully. Breath of the Wild has this same potential. It plays so smoothly as well and I didn’t even play the final product.
Everyone knows that Zelda will be masterful though. What is its competition though? Sony has Horizon Zero Dawn for the PlayStation 4, which oozes with potential. We loved what we saw at E3. We haven’t seen much of Mass Effect Andromeda, but the Mass Effect series is always fantastic and we’re very excited for the game. If Red Dead Redemption 2 keeps its late 2017 release date, this too could be a possibility. The original was of the highest quality. Kingdom Hearts 3 could contend, if it ever comes out. The Walking Dead: New Frontier and South Park Fractured But Whole could be sleepers. Other than that though, there aren’t really any other AAA games coming out, and Zelda dwarfs them in quality and brand name/recognition. This is more significant than you would think. It’s in part why Breath of the Wild will be GOTY in 2017.
As far as I can see, from what’s been announced so far, other than Mass Effect, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Red Dead Redemption 2, there’s nothing standing in the way of Breath of the Wild dominating 2017. Another major contributing factor is that it’s probably launching with the Switch. This is another reason why Breath of the Wild will be GOTY in 2017. It will sell systems. A lot of them. The Switch is poised to be a huge success for Nintendo. People are excited about the company again. It has the potential to breath life into this console generation, which has been so lackluster. Zelda will be a huge part of this.
Unless more AAA titles are announced and come out this year, Breath of the Wild will be GOTY in 2017. There’s simply not much standing in its way. In fact, it will probably dethrone Ocarina of Time as the greatest game of all time.