1) The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
Just about everyone I know who plays games on a fairly regular basis has had some sort of history with the Legend of Zelda series. While I have yet to meet anyone who carries much disdain for the series as a whole, I have seen plenty of heated debates about the series unfold, usually centering around which entry in the franchise is considered the best. Those who grew up in the 70s and 80s tend to prefer the 2D games such as A Link to the Past, while those who are a bit younger in age usually favor newer entries such as Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a completely new style of Zelda, which is probably why it has garnered such acclaim over the last week. Nintendo has completely bucked the trend with this one, ditching the more linear nature of the franchise. Instead, players are dropped into a vast open world, with the ability to roam freely and tackle objectives in whatever order they see fit. Or, you could completely get sidetracked, as there are plenty of diversions and side-quests to keep you busy.
It might seem reductive to refer to Breath of the Wild as ‘Zelda meets Skyrim‘, but the comparison is apt. I would have never imagined that Nintendo would completely throw away the playbook on Zelda, but they have. The end result is something completely different for the Big N, and we can’t wait to see the final product next year.