The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildhas sat comfortably in my third favorite game of all-time slot for several years now -Xenoblade Chronicles 2takes number one, for anyone interested. It is a truly remarkable and, dare I say, legendary game, one that has such incredible exploration that one truly feels like they’re embarking on a fantastical journey the second they step off the Great Plateau. Of course, fans already know all of that, and have likely played it multiple times too, potentially even once already on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo’s new console, which is undeniably the superior version of the original Switch in every single way, is similarly a triumphant achievement and I have high hopes for its future. However, as much as I believe theSwitch 2’s best featuresare not only a noticeable improvement over the original, but also should be the norm for all handhelds moving forward, I feel like it has madeBreath of the Wilda worse experience. While almost everyone will disagree with me - and ultimately, isn’t that what the internet is for? -I feel strongly thatBOTWwas better on the Switch.
BOTW On Switch 2 Doesn’t Feel Right
It Is Too Smooth
BOTW’sSwitch 2 edition’s flawsare numerous, but for the majority of people, it’ll largely come down to price. After all,forking over $80 or even the $10 upgrade cost may seem steep for what is ostensibly a boost in framerate, loading times, and slightly improved visuals. For those of us who’ve playedBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomseveral times over, it may not be worth upgrading anyway, especially as we wait patiently for Nintendo to announce the third game in the series and deliver something inspired and exciting. It’ll never happen, but I can dream.
However, for me, and likely only me, there’s also the problem thatBOTW’sSwitch 2 edition is too perfect. Yes, it makesreplayingBOTWeasierand gives those of us an excuse to revisit Hyrule, but, and, again,I’m almost certainly in the very small minority here, but the silky-smooth framerate and shinier visuals take away a lot of the charm ofBreath of the Wild. For me, it is like a studio remastering an old movie using AI, smoothing out all of the rough edges, the grain, and crackly audio, to offer a more pleasing yet ultimately charmless experience.
Of course, movies and games are different, as while crackly audio and grain do objectively make a viewing experience a little harder, it doesn’t really compare to an entire game stuttering whenever an explosion goes off near more than two enemies. Yet,the pacing ofBOTW’sslower, more laid-back framerate added to the atmosphere, as Link didn’t feel like he was bounding across Hyrule at lightning-fast speeds. This isn’t a fighting game or precision-based action title;Breath of the Wildis meant to be hauntingly reflective and slow, and a faster framerate, in my opinion, isn’t conducive to that.
Breath of the Wildis objectively better on the Switch 2, but, and perhaps it’s bias based on having sunk well over 300 hours into it on the original, I find myself wanting to dust off my old Switch and play it there instead.
I know it’s hard to argue that a lower framerate is better in any circumstance, especially now when 60 FPS is expected to be the norm on next-gen consoles, but I grew up playing on a boxy, cream-colored PC that ranThe Sims 2at 10 frames per second, and I didn’t know the difference.Breath of the Wildis objectively better on the Switch 2, but, and perhaps it’s bias based on having sunk well over 300 hours into it on the original, I find myself wanting to dust off my old Switch and play it there instead.
Zelda Notes Are A Waste On Switch 2
They’re A Completely Baffling Feature
However,one area I believe we can all agree on is that the inclusion of Zelda Notes was an absolute waste of time and resources, and it absolutely does not improve eitherBreath of the WildorTears of the Kingdom. Well, there may be some of you that enjoy this new feature and its poorly-handled introduction ofweapon fixing inBOTW, but I struggle to see how this was worth the time and money Nintendo invested into it. Beyond being helpful to completionists, the Zelda Notes app is more of a frustration and hindrance than anything remotely resembling useful.
Perhaps the worst part of the Zelda Notes app is that it is, unfortunately, an app. If you want to use it in conjunction withBreath of the WildorTears of the Kingdom, then you need to have it open at all times. For example,locating the frankly uninteresting Voice Memories requires you to listen to an incessant beeping from your phoneas it indicates when you’re near one. Similarly, being guided to nearby Koroks requires you to listen to the app’s sat-nav-esque guidance voice. It’s all completely distracting and unimmersive.
I can’t help but be cynical and feel like this was added just tojustifyBOTW’supgrade cost. It doesn’t, in my opinion, but it is a gimmick to show during a Direct and make people feel like Nintendo actually added something new.It certainly doesn’t beat actual DLC forTears of the Kingdom, which absolutely would have justified the upgrade cost and then some. All it serves to do, at least in my case, is remind me just how amazingBreath of the Wildwas on the original Nintendo Switch, and how pointless its Switch 2 upgrade can feel.
BOTW Is Still Amazing On The Switch
It Was Never Awful
To be clear, I do think that the majority of Switch 2 upgrades are either a nice bonus or completely necessary.Hogwarts Legacy’sSwitch 2 update, for example, is utterly transformative as it actually makes it a seamless open world game and adds in a lot of visual detail that simply wasn’t there before. However, playingBreath of the Wildon the Switch 2, while certainly a smoother and faster experience, isn’t as transformative, nor should it be. Sometimes,the original experience, as janky and occasionally stuttery as it can be, is perfectly fine.
I understand why Nintendo did Switch 2 upgrades for bothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, and I can see how they would appeal to fans and newcomers alike. Perhaps had the upgrade not cost money, I’d be a little more forgiving, but even then, I still believe that the improvements it makes alter the experience in a negative way that conflicts with its atmosphere and world. It seems silly to complain about a boost in performance, and I’m absolutely willing to accept that I’m wrong, butthere’s simply something not right aboutBOTWon Switch 2.
The one positive thing aboutBreath of the Wildgetting a Switch 2 upgrade is that it will make it even more accessible to newcomers. While I’m sure everyone who owns a Switch has played it, at least to some degree, those who were waiting for Nintendo to release a more impressive piece of hardware will finally get the chance to play it. That’s exciting, as, despite complaining about it,Breath of the Wildtruly is one of my all-time favorite games, whether it’s on the Nintendo Switch 2, or my preferred place to play it, the original Switch.
