Those early Switch days were glorious. Tearing into the console on day one, loading up The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the first time and getting lost amongst the ruins of Hyrule and the open fields beyond. Figuring out the joy-cons were way too small for my hands. No anger towards the fact that all those Korok seeds led to the weirdest ‘gift’ in the history of video games. Bliss. Now here we are eight years later and as is tradition, Nintendo is double dipping to kick off the latest generation. Thankfully, if you have the right accounts and an appetite for a console that can run Breath of the Wild at its full potential, the Switch 2 Edition is a worthy investment that isn’t a quick cash grab.
There’s no doubting the quality of Breath of the Wild. Nintendo questioned everything they knew about their own IP, ripped up the rulebook and turned a corner in a way we never anticipated. It isn’t perfect (those damn seeds, I swear to Hylia) but its impact was profoundly important to Nintendo’s future design philosophy and proved it could continue to adapt. Whether that same impact could be made in this modern climate of Soulslikes and high fidelity engines is a debate for another day, perhaps in a future sequel, but for now it’s easy to state that Breath of the Wild remains a classic.
The Switch 2, however, finally affords Nintendo’s first true open world the raw performance to feel exactly how they envisioned. No longer stuck behind a console running on borrowed Wii U time, Breath of the Wild now runs at a resolution and framerate fitting of its boldness, whether at 1080p in handheld mode or stunning 4K on a compatible TV through docked mode. There are some caveats such as a few blurry textures, leftovers of an aging engine, but the difference between old and new console power is obvious even to the naked eye. This is now the preferred way to play Breath of the Wild, whether as a new or returning player.
Do I go for the head or the bee hive?
The experience of loading up Breath of the Wild for the first time on Switch 2 affords a few bonuses. If you have a giant save file waiting for you, jumping back in almost immediately is a breeze, but Nintendo gives us the option to now have a second save file. This was a strange omission from the original that has finally been rectified, allowing me to start over and experience that opening run from hibernation for the first time in a long while. The impact of the opening sequence still resonates, the open world coming into view as the music swells, it’s never looked better. Load times are considerably faster too, which means fast travel now feels more in line with what it should be— fast. It’s no Spider-Man 2, but those few seconds can make a difference.
One of the big additions of note is the inclusion of new options when linked to the Nintendo Switch app. Previously an empty hub only used sparingly for in-game communication (that no-one ever uses because, well, Discord), the app now houses some useful tools and a silly but somewhat enjoyable addition called Zelda Notes. When connected to your account, you can use the app as a GPS tracker, guiding you to hidden items of worth and those dreaded Korok seeds. Zelda Notes, meanwhile, introduces new audio logs that canonically exist from Zelda’s trip to the past (as seen in the sequel, Tears of the Kingdom). It’s a cute inclusion, and hearing the app go off when you’re near one fuelled the puzzle solver in me to find it, but I’d never go out of my way to load up the app again to find them all.
You can also share items through QR codes to other players, arguably more useful in the sequel for its item creation than sending a sword to a friend, and global play data allows you even further insight into your gameplay sessions, such as how many rupees you’ve found or treasure chests opened. Notably, the app doesn’t seem to remember everything from my existing save file, so it’s rather empty in there outside of broader achievements that the original game already tracked (i.e. quest completions and Korok seed uncovered). Giving the app some further use is admirable, perhaps a sign of things to come in Donkey Kong Bananza or Metroid Prime 4, but surely there could have been a way to incorporate this into the game proper.
It’s nice in here now, actually
If you have a Nintendo Online account with the expansion pack, you’ll be able to access the Switch 2 upgrade for free once you’ve downloaded your original copy of the game. Then it’s just a case of remembering where you parked your bike and you’re off and running again in minutes. Otherwise, the upgrade from Switch to Switch 2 for existing owners has been set at a reasonable price point for what’s on offer here. For the majority of returning players, the experience of playing Breath of the Wild at a fidelity far superior to its original form is the true selling point, and on that front it’s an excellent release.
The asking price for newcomers, however, is a sticking point. The expansion pass content originally released for Breath of the Wild (featuring the Master Trials and the Champions Ballad story content) is not included on the cartridge if you buy this Switch 2 edition off the shelf. You’ll need to fork out extra to have the complete experience at your fingertips, and I can’t agree with this decision. It’s classic Nintendo requiring extra steps to do something that should be so blatantly simple, why no one thought a complete edition was more appropriate I’ll never understand. Hunt down a preowned copy instead and pay for the upgrade or the reasonably priced Nintendo Online to access for free. There are better options than paying full price.
One more run, for old times sake
Revisiting Breath of the Wild after all these years has been nothing short of rewarding. For someone who has already spent countless hours exploring every corner of its world, this is what I imagined the game would look like on a superior system, and its gameplay loop and puzzles remain as fresh as they did eight years ago. To allow the game the power to fully grasp its concept, at a resolution and frame rate befitting of its game of the year status, has been well worth the wait.
Have you revisited Breath of the Wild on your Switch 2? Did you buy a brand new copy or upgrade? Let us know in the comments below and on our socials.
