Since Nintendo confirmed that a sequel to Breath of the Wild was in the works back in June 2019, anticipation has been sky high to see how a follow-up would expand upon one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time.
Three years on and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom remains as much an enigma as it did upon the reveal of its first trailer. What is happening in the land of Hyrule? Is time travel a major part? Is Zelda a playable character? Is Demise returning? The questions go on and on. We still don't even know the title!
If like me, you can't sleep at night and need something similar to Breath of the Wild to keep you occupied until the fated Zelda game releases on Nintendo Switch, then you've come to the right place. Whether it's PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X / S or Nintendo Switch, we've rounded up a handful of the best Breath of the Wild-like games you can play today. Enjoy!
Immortals Fenyx Rising
Let's begin with Immortals Fenyx Rising (or as it was originally known, Gods and Monsters). If any game has taken the most direct inspiration from Breath of the Wild, it's Ubisoft's open-world action-adventure about a winged demigod on a quest to save the Greek gods and their home from a dark curse.
A quick Google search and you will discover that there are several online discourses discussing how Immortals Fenyx Rising actually surpasses the Zelda title, due to its tighter mechanics and light-hearted approach to storytelling. I wouldn't be as bold as to go that far, though it has some good potential with engaging puzzles and an interesting progression system regarding combat, all of which make for a fun experiment. More of this please, Ubisoft!
Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon has quite the history with Breath of the Wild. After the first game, Horizon Zero Dawn, launched less than seven days apart from the latest mainline Zelda, the robot dinosaur-infested apocalyptic world featuring a protagonist branding a bow and arrow was overshadowed by the latter. And that's a shame as Horizon and Aloy are great additions to PlayStation's catalogue with the sequel building upon the original in every way possible for the better.
Horizon Forbidden West takes place six months after the events of Zero Dawn with Aloy investigating a mysterious new plague that is causing death and destruction wherever it spreads. It's amazingly ambitious, utterly gorgeous and one of the best reasons to own a PS5.
Read T3's Horizon Forbidden West review to find out more.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Time to catch 'em all... all over again. How many years did we all dream of an open-world Pokémon? Then finally Pokémon Legends: Arceus fulfilled that request. While far from perfect, it's a huge step in the right direction. It basically merges the Breath of the Wild open-world formula with the turn-based Pokémon battles of the classic series that we all love while adding in some of the simple yet (super) effective throwing mechanics of Pokémon GO for a best-of-both-worlds scenario.
Arceus is a game I can't believe exists today. I was so sure The Pokémon Company were at least another half a decade away before taking the leap to open world. It's refreshing, addictive, colourful and the perfect experience to keep you happy until Breath of the Wild and even Pokémon Scarlet and Violet release.
Elden Ring
Looking for a bit more challenge? You'll struggle to find a more recent video game that can offer an epic adventure that truly portrays the struggle of a warrior in battle than Elden Ring. You feel it in every sword swing, shield parry, magic spell and dodge roll. As one of the highest-rated games ever on OpenCritic (ironically just a couple of places below Breath of the Wild), Elden Ring has cemented itself as the game of 2022 – and it's not even over yet.
It combines the engrossing lore of Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin with the brilliant game design of Hidetaka Miyazaki for a journey like no other. Miyazaki even revealed (via IGN) that his open-world creations were influenced by Breath of the Wild. Makes you wonder if Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma will be influenced by Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series in general as a result. Hopefully, we won't have to wait that much longer to find out.
Read T3's Elden Ring review to find out more.
Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm
Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas was a lovely indie throwback to the days of classic Zelda, so it was quite the surprise when Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm swapped it all out to answer what would Breath of the Wild on mobile look like. Originally an Apple Arcade exclusive, now on Switch, and due to release on next-gen consoles in the near future, the art style does a damn decent job of emulating the beautiful greens of Hyrule. It's clearly a labour of love to the Zelda series too, filled with references at every turn as well as easy-to-pick-up gameplay that make it ideal for newcomers and veterans alike.
To keep up with everything Zelda-related, head to T3's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom hub for the latest news, rumours, leaks and everything else.
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