Breath of the Wild is a great game. It was an excellent choice to launch the Switch with one of Nintendo’s flagship franchises. It had been six years since Skyward Sword came out in 2011 and fans were yearning for more Zelda. The problem is, Breath of the Wild wasn’t all it was hyped up to be. The story was sub-par, especially for a Zelda game, especially coming off of Skyward Sword. Skyward Sword had one of the best stories in the Zelda series. Breath of the Wild tried to cater to those who wanted to re-live the freedom of the original Zelda; there’s nothing wrong with that. It had no story though. It wasn’t rewarding. While the Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition for the Nintendo Switch doesn’t have a proper place in the Zelda canon, it is much more enjoyable than Breath of the Wild on a number of fronts.
Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition vs. Breath of the Wild: Story
The story of Breath of the Wild is almost non-existent. The game’s true story is told in retrospect and the events that transpired 100 years ago. You gain this information through Link’s memories, which are unlocked throughout the game. It’s rather bland, and worse yet is that it’s optional. Contrast this with the story of Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition. While the story isn’t canon, it is thoroughly enjoyable. It incorporates of all the stories told throughout The Legend of Zelda saga incorporates it into one cohesive narrative.
The story is a love letter to all Legend of Zelda fans. The game contains all of the DLC from the Nintendo Wii U version, so there are even more tales to be told. NPCs from previous Zelda games don’t only make appearances but are playable. They all have their own story, even the villains. This makes for an intriguing dichotomy between the various characters you play as throughout the Zelda universe. This is by no means a traditional Legend of Zelda game, but it’s a lot of fun.
Fun Factor in Hyrule Warriors
The Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition is a lot more fun than Breath of the Wild. While Breath of the Wild sticks to many of the same gameplay conventions we’ve used for years in the Zelda series, Hyrule Warriors offers something new entirely. It is a Muso/Dynasty Warriors-like installment of the series, but it’s a breath of fresh air. It may be a hack-and-slash game, but it’s more than just that. It requires strategy. It has infinite replayability. Breath of the Wild, on the other hand, feels like a chore. Find towers to unlock the map, discover shrines to acquire more heart pieces and stamina, and all of that is optional. The dungeons last maybe 30 minutes, tops, and the bosses are all variations of each other which is boring.
Hyrule Warriors, on the other hand, is non-stop action. It changes things up with regards to what characters you can play as on any given stage. You can even play as the villains, Ganondorf included. Each character has their own special move and each stage is diverse. Each final boss is different depending on what stage you’re playing. It’s anything but bland. There are too many playable characters to count in the Definitive Edition for Switch and multiple game modes, including the classic Adventure Mode, which changes things up a bit. It makes for a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition is the More Enjoyable Game
Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition is such a massive side-step for the Zelda franchise. While many believed this to be a placeholder for the yet-to-be-released Breath of the Wild, Hyrule Warriors became the more enjoyable entry in the series. It encapsulates every aspect of the Zelda franchise, to the charming characters, the time-travel elements (which are a staple of the series), the excellent story, and the enjoyable gameplay. All of these, minus the gameplay, are missing in Breath of the Wild. This is not to say that Hyrule Warriors is definitively a better game than Breath of the Wild, but the Definitive Edition on Switch is a lot more fun.
Given this fact, will Nintendo bring back some of the more essential aspects of The Legend of Zelda in its next installment? Maybe in a 3DS game? The monolith company has not given up on the system, despite numerous reports. Regardless, while Zelda may not need the drastic changes that Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition has to offer, the series needs to maintain some of its core essentials moving forward, especially with its story. Hyrule Warriors outshines it in this case.