More than eight years after its release,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis seeing a resurgence thanks to its Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade. It’s unfortunate that it’s not among thefree Switch 2 updatesof older games, but theBOTWupdate is worth itif you’re going to spend any significant amount of time on the game. I’m actually jealous of those playing it for the first time on Switch 2, as the upgrades are extensive enough to make it the clear definitive way to play.
Breath of the Wild’s reactive, open world was revolutionary for the long-runningZeldaseries, butthe game is so expansive that achieving 100% completion is a very tall order. Gathering all 900 Korok Seeds is by far the most laborious part – it’s an astounding number of collectibles, and thereward isn’t even useful, not to mention you don’t need all of them to get the maximum number of inventory slots. Still, if you’re looking for a reason to return toBOTWand check out the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, there’s never been a better time to 100% it.
BOTW Has Some Minor Issues On The Original Switch
Low & Inconsistent Frame Rate
Breath of the Wildis serviceable on the original Nintendo Switch, butit always felt a bit too ambitious for the hardware. It’s astounding the game was released cross-generationally on the Wii U as well. Most noticeable isBOTW’s low and inconsistent frame rate on the Switch. Now that modern gaming has largely adopted 60 frames per second as the preferred standard, going back toBreath of the Wild’s target of 30fps is pretty rough.
The game typically does alright meeting said target, butthere are plenty of circumstances where it struggles. Korok Forest is the most common example – there’s simply too much foliage and lighting effects in the small area, so the game chugs pretty hard. There are plenty of other areas where it drops frames as well, like in combat with many enemies on-screen.
Of particular relevance to achieving 100% inBOTWis its load times on Switch. Those returning to the game to hunt for Korok Seeds or find the rest of the Ancient Shrines will probably be using fast travel very regularly. Anyone wanting to complete the whole game will need some measure of patience, just because of the nature of the task, butthe long waits for the game to load can become grating.
Breath Of The Wild Switch 2 Edition Is The Definitive Version
An Exceptionally Smooth Experience
Breath of the Wild’s shortcomings have since been addressed by the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, making the excellent game even better. The upgrade feels like it’s done justice to a game that always deserved to run better than it could.The frame rate is a very smooth 60fps, even in Korok Forest, and it loads much faster. Playing in 4K with HDR also helps accentuate the incredible vistas inBOTW’s Hyrule, even if some lower-quality textures are more noticeable now.
The bigger screen and crisper visuals in handheld mode are where it really shines for achieving 100% completion, though. Tying up all the loose ends inBOTWis the perfect task for playing in short bursts, andthe handheld experience is sublime after the Switch 2 upgrade.BOTW’s resolution on the original Switch was pretty low in handheld, losing a lot of definition, especially for objects in the distance.
There Isn’t Much Else To Play On The Switch 2 Right Now
Exclusives Are In Short Supply
Going for 100% completion inBreath of the Wildis a great way to put your Switch 2 through its paces while there aren’t currently a lot of other options.Mario Kart Worldis incredible, but the only other Switch 2 exclusive at the moment isNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which many are understandably reluctant to spend money on. Playing Knockout Tour online inMario Kart Worldhas personally kept me very entertained, but it’s definitely best in moderation –Mario Kartdoesn’t have the variety or the scale of a game likeBreath of the Wild, which you can really sink your teeth into.
Especially if you haven’t playedBOTWsince it released in 2017, it almost feels like a new game.It andTears of the Kingdom’s Switch 2 Editions are so far the most impressive pieces of software on the Switch 2, if only because they’re so noticeably upgraded from their versions on the original Switch. Playing some intermittentBreath of the Wildis a great way to fill the space between the console’s launch and the release ofDonkey Kong Bananzain July. After that, it seems like it may be another long wait untilMetroid Prime 4: Beyond, which still doesn’t have a scheduled release date.
How To Reach 100% Completion In Breath Of The Wild
The Game’s Measurement Is Misleading
Once you beat the main story inBreath of the Wild, you’ll receive a star icon on your save file and a new percentage score on your map. You can’t continue after you’ve defeated Calamity Ganon, so your final save will be just before the last boss battle.The percentage the game gives you is a very limited definition of a completionist run, though, only requiring that you complete all four Divine Beasts, find and finish every Ancient Shrine, get all 900 Korok Seeds, and visit every named location in Hyrule.
There are a handful of other tasks that are generally considered part of attaining true100% completion inBreath of the Wild:
Breath of the Wildis already a very long game, often taking players upwards of 100 hours, but doing all of the above will definitely take a lot of time. Luckily,BOTWsave files are transferable to the Switch 2, and yours should already show up in the Switch 2 Edition if you transferred your data when setting up your new console. The upgrade also finally added another save slot toBreath of the Wild, so you can relive the journey without wiping all your hard work if the busy work of getting to 100% doesn’t interest you.
