Most would agree thatThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis a great game. It features an epic story, colorful characters, and tons and tons of things to do. However, it is not the first game of its kind.Breath of the Wildlargely mirrorsSkyrim, the game that made gamers thirst for Nord Mead and wantto steal some sweet rolls.
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The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimis still selling copies over a decade after its release, and it has been ported to virtually every system in existence. It still produces some quality memes from time to time as well. There are many parallels betweenBreath of the WildandSkyrim, some of which are a lot more obvious than others.
7They Have Expansive Open Worlds
Theworlds of these gamesare massive.Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule has diverse environments and landmarks. These include the Dueling Peaks, the Gerudo Desert, and the green fields surrounding Hyrule Castle.
The land ofSkyrimis on a comparable scale. It is a vast land of forests and mountains, populated by creatures both friendly and dangerous. The scenery can be incredibly tranquil as well, muchlike a Bob Ross painting. Thanks to the Anniversary Edition, it is now possible to sit back and do a little fishing while enjoying the scenery.
6Gameplay Is Nonlinear
One of the complaints leveled againstBreath of the Wild’s predecessor,The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, was that it was far too linear.Breath of the Wildtook note of this. While the main quest is to regain control of the four Divine Beasts and defeat Calamity Ganon, Link is free to stray from the main quest.
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Skyrimtakes a similar approach to gameplay. While the introductory stage is restrictive, Dragonborn are free to do whatever they choose after they complete it. They can ascend High Hrothgar and consult the Greybeards, or they could just randomly wander, hunt, mountain climb, or break into people’s houses.
5Link Will Rescue The Princess Eventually
The Kingdom of Hyrule boasts dozens of towns and hundreds of NPCs. Plenty of them have tasks for the Hero of Hyrule to take on. If that does not suit Link’s fancy, then the game map has 120 shrines to navigate and 900 Koroks to find. When he gets tired, Link canrest at an innand eavesdrop on conversations to get hints on treasure locations. He can alsomess with some Bokoblinsas well if he wants.
Skyrimhas plenty to keep the procrastinating Dragonborn occupied as well. They can explore the caves and dungeons across the land. They can learn magic at the various Academies. The Dragonborn can also choose sides in the war between The Empire and the Stormcloaks.
4Let’s Get Cooking
The core gameplay ofBreath of the WildandSkyrimshare some uncanny similarities. Both games focus on traversing the open world, discovering treasures, and interacting with NPCs to uncover quests. Both Link and the Dragonborn will need to feed themselves as well. The characters will have to forage for ingredients to create meals that will restore their health.
The silent heroes of both Skyrim and Breath of the Wild have plenty of ingredients to pick from. These include mushrooms, fish, fungi, and animal meat. These recipes not only restore health and stamina, but they alsoboast status effects.
3The Mods Need More Mods
It is impressive enough thatSkyrimis still selling after a whole decade on the market. Part of this longevity is due to the passionate modding community that is introducing additional creatures,visual enhancements, and gameplay overhauls to this day. OneSkyrimmod that added a new story event even became its own game:The Forgotten City.
Breath of the Wildhas its own dedicated modding community that is adding new weapons, skins, and experiences to the game. One of the cutest series of mods swaps out Link with his female counterpart Linkle, giving her unique animations and changing characters' dialogue to make the experience feel built specifically around her. WhileZeldafans are eagerly awaitingTears of the Kingdom, the Second Wind mod adds new quests and materials toBreath of the Wild. Essentially, it is a free expansion pack.
2Settling Down
Adventuring across the land is thrilling, but sometimes it is nice to put down roots somewhere. BothSkyrimandBreath of the Wildhave this option. The Dragonborn canpurchase a housein Whiterun (and keep the money, if they exploit a particular glitch), get married, adopt some kids, and evenhave petsaround the house. The Dragonborn cannot pet the dog, though.
Breath of the Wildpresents the same opportunity. For the right amount of rupees and some bundles of wood, Link can buy a house in Hateno village. There, he can display the various weapons that he has collected upon his travels, as well as get some much-needed rest.
1Every Day Is Something New
It seems that even after all its time on the market, players are stilldiscovering new thingsinSkyrim. It may be one of the bugs that gaveSkyrimits charm in the first place. Maybe a new approach is found toward a task in-game.
Similarly, fans ofBreath of the Wildare still finding secrets. This is largely thanks to the way the game encourages experimenting with different weapons and abilities. This enables creative approaches to tackling monsters and even “hacking” the game’s many shrine puzzles.
