Daily Debate: In What Order Do You Prefer to Complete Breath of the Wild?

Among Breath of the Wild’s defining qualities is the freedom it offers, as players can take on the game’s myriad objectives and activities in virtually any order. Some folks will spend the first several hours gathering resources, while others may head straight for the nearest shrine. You may want to prioritize the main quest as much as possible and only complete the bare minimum of side content. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, then go test your luck with Calamity Ganon right away!

With that said, I’m curious: is there a particular order in which you prefer to complete Breath of the Wild? As far as I can remember, I’ve beaten the game three times; of course, that first run was spent just familiarizing myself with the world, its mechanics, and overall structure. For instance, I had no idea that the Master Sword dealt extra damage to Blight Ganons until I had already beaten most of them.

As such, for my subsequent playthroughs, I prioritized getting the Master Sword as soon as possible. Sure, I’d get sidetracked here and there, but for the most part, I was laser-focused on completing the 40 shrines needed to obtain the Blade of Evil’s Bane. An additional benefit to completing these shrines early is that — by virtue of them being scattered across the map — I found myself unlocking most of the Sheikah Towers within the first 10 hours.

By the time I started tackling the Divine Beasts, I was already able to fast-travel to each of their respective villages. Even setting the Master Sword’s power aside, it’s just more satisfying for me to complete the Divine Beasts in relatively quick succession. Based on how many of the older Zelda games are structured, perhaps I’m just used to hopping from one dungeon to the next.

In any case, I’d love to hear from you all. Assuming you have a preferred order for completing Breath of the Wild, I’m curious as to what yours is. Let us know in the comments below!