# Did Breath of the Wild revolutionize the open world?

> It changed how open worlds are designed: climb anything, go anywhere from the start and solve problems with physics, though it did not invent the genre.

Yes, in an important sense. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017, Wii U and Nintendo Switch) did not invent open-world games, but it changed what many players and developers expect from one. Instead of a map full of icons and a strict order of objectives, it gave you a world you could climb, glide across and explore in almost any order, with physics and chemistry systems that let you solve problems your own way.

## What made it different

- **Go anywhere from the start.** After the opening plateau you can head straight to the final boss. Everything else, including the main dungeons, is optional and can be done in any order.
- **Climb almost any surface.** Mountains, cliffs and buildings are paths, not walls. Combined with the paraglider, this makes the landscape itself the main attraction.
- **Systems instead of scripts.** Fire spreads through grass and creates updrafts, metal conducts electricity, objects float and roll. Puzzles and fights usually have several solutions, including ones the designers did not plan for.
- **Curiosity as the guide.** The map gives you little by default. You spot something interesting on the horizon and go there, which is the core of its design.
- **Survival pressure.** Weapon durability, cooking and weather force you to improvise rather than rely on one favorite sword.

## Its influence

After 2017, many open-world games adopted similar ideas: free climbing with a stamina bar, gliding, a cleaner map and more emphasis on exploration. Genshin Impact and Immortals Fenyx Rising are the examples players compare most often. Nintendo built directly on the formula in Tears of the Kingdom (2023).

## Why it mattered for Nintendo

It launched alongside the Nintendo Switch in March 2017 (and on Wii U), became one of the Switch's best-selling games and helped the new console get off to a strong start.

## FAQ

**Is Zelda an open-world game?**
Some entries are. The original 1986 Legend of Zelda was already very open, while games such as Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess are more structured. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are fully open.

**Was Breath of the Wild the first open-world game?**
No. Open worlds existed long before it, from early RPGs to the Elder Scrolls and Grand Theft Auto series. Breath of the Wild is notable for how it rethought them, not for being first.

**Do I need to play Breath of the Wild before Tears of the Kingdom?**
It is not required, since Tears of the Kingdom explains its own story, but playing Breath of the Wild first adds context to the world and characters.

**Can Zelda games be played in any order?**
Mostly yes. Nearly every Zelda game is a standalone story, so you can start with whichever one interests you.

**Why does Genshin Impact resemble Breath of the Wild?**
Both feature a large fantasy world, stamina-based climbing, gliding and an anime-influenced art style, so the comparison came up as soon as Genshin was revealed. The games play very differently in combat and monetization.

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https://gamevoyages.com/did-breath-of-the-wild-revolutionize-the-open-world/ · Game Voyage · Checked 2026-10-30