When BOTW released and I got my switch for the release of that game, the hype was real. And I loved playing the game, even though I took breaks here and there and it took me a while to fully complete it. I loved playing the game a lot, but it didn't feel like the best game i've ever played. I saw all of it's strengths and it felt revolutionary in many ways, not because it invented many new things, but because it stripped the game of things that I expected in an open world game and it because it stitched aspects together so well, that made other similar games enjoyable.
The moment I started really diving into TOTK however, there was only one question popping up in my head over and over again: Is this the best game ever made?
After spending so many hours almost entirely completing all the game had to offer and almost the same amount of time spent in BOTW, I can say that I never felt as close to being sure I know the answer to that question.
I feel like i don't need to really say a lot more about the game. The Switch Zelda Games are a phenomenon talked about at length everywhere and unless you lived under a rock the last couple of years, you probably know all you need to know about the games. Instead, I rummaged through my notes and want to just leave a couple of bullet points here, that describe points in the game that pushed me more and more towards knowing the answer to the question, whether this is the best game ever made or not.

- That moment when you climb up to one of the highest points in the game and watch the sunset. The minimalist soundtrack and visuals are absolutely singular and the sense of freedom I felt right at that moment, is something i barely ever felt in a game.
- From a technical standpoint it's still unbelievable the game runs on the switch hardware. Somtetimes I wondered what the devs would be able to achieve with a much more capable machine, but I think the result would be something entirely different. I think the limitations actually led to the beauty of this game. it's timeless and unique and i'm sure it will feel the same way in 20 years.
- It's a game that makes you feel smart and gives you all the power you crave as a protagonist in an open world
- TOTK is testament to the devs understanding what the community loved about BOTW and why they kept on playing. The way they doubled down on the sandbox freedom and the glitch-culture by implementing that into the gameplay loop, is one of the best iterations on a videogame formula i've seen, period.

Reviewed on Feb 22, 2024


1 Comment


9 days ago

It really is fantastic. I'm looking forward to replaying it on whatever the next Switch hardware is, maybe without the hype and recency bias we'll be able to determine if it truly is the best game ever made.