My friends and I recently discussed what we considered to be the single most important factor in a worthwhile gaming experience.  As expected, the views and opinions of those around me didn’t reflect my own!  I was a bit stunned to find that “fun” wasn’t the prevalent sentiment around the table that night.  I appreciate a strong narrative and graphical fidelity as much as the next guy, but there’s a reason that we keep coming back to video gaming as a medium, and that’s because it’s supposed to be fun and enjoyable.  This got me thinking — what is the most fun game in the Zelda franchise?

Each Zelda title brings a marginalized, unique take on established mechanics — be it The Wind Waker’s visual, rhythmic flair or Phantom Hourglass’s stylus controls (for better or worse).  But I think everyone can agree that each game feels fairly similar to one another, and as far as the “fun” factor is concerned, there really is no wrong answer.  Or rather, that’s what I would have said before Breath of the Wild released on March 3rd, 2017!

I don’t think it’s out of line to give the crown for “most fun Zelda game” to Breath of the Wild.  This game practically demands that you approach the decades old, tried-and-true Zelda mechanics and add your own sense of whimsy and experimentation.  It’s sheer sense of awe, scope, and freedom offers the inspiration needed to take this iteration of Hyrule head on.  There is boundless opportunity to bask in the enjoyment that comes through exploration, problem solving, and making something out of nothing in this game.  It takes everything that makes Zelda entertaining and allows you to realize your own contrivances in an immensely satisfying way.

I’ve played every installment in the Zelda series, and I can say without hesitation that I’ve never enjoyed playing an entry quite like Breath of the Wild.  Watching someone exploit Revali’s Gale with different Runes to scale the entirety of the map within minutes is a thing of beauty!  Just like when you meticulously place explosive barrels around a camp of sleeping Bokoblins, creating the cruelest alarm clock in existence!  Breath of the Wild is the epitome of “If I think I can do it, then I probably can!” game-play to date.  It’s almost as much of a joy to talk about your exploits in the game as it is to play it!

For me, Breath of the Wild has encapsulated everything fun that we’ve come to expect from the Zelda franchise.  It introduced an unprecedented amount of freedom in an open space, and brought an ancillary sense of enjoyment that you can’t get from other Zelda titles.

So, what are your thoughts on this?  Which Zelda game do you think is the most fun to play?  Let us know in the comments below!

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