Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition by main developer, Nintendo EPD, and Monolith Soft:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Nintendo Switch 2)
Developed by Nintendo EPD (Entertainment Planning & Development), with assistance from Monolith Soft, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a 2017 action-adventure game that served as a swan song to the Nintendo Wii U and a launch title for the Nintendo Switch. But, now repackaged as an enhanced port titled The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Breath of the Wild is a launch title once more, this time releasing on June 5, 2025, for the Nintendo Switch 2.
As an enhanced port of a game that took the gaming community by surprise, becoming the most successful and best-selling Zelda game of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is still the same game we all know and love. It is the “Open Air” Zelda game where the developers involved in its creation dared to redefine what a Zelda game could and should be. It’s still the story of a Link waking up to a Hyrule with his memories and friends, lost to time and a tragedy that occurred 100 years previously, and it is now down to him and him alone to remember the hero he once was and prevent the threat of Calamity Ganon.
Weapons still break, Shrines are endless, dungeons are long gone, and every mountain is still climbable. Only now, this cel-shaded world is even more of a visual masterpiece and plays like an absolute dream. So, being the world-renowned title that it is, instead of providing a deep dive through every gameplay mechanic and feature of the original game, we will instead be providing a condensed, summarised version, as the main focus of this review is to cover what’s new, what’s improved, and our overall thoughts. With that in mind, let’s begin!
Available both physically and digitally, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition can be purchased all on one cartridge, but it does not come with the Expansion Pass, as that is a separate purchase. However, if you have previously purchased the Expansion Pass, you can redownload it to gain access to the content. As for the digital version, consumers can opt to purchase an all-in-one digital version of the physical title at full price, or they can opt to purchase the upgrade pack, which turns The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild into the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition version.
But why pay anything at all when the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom is available as a free download to those with an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription? With regards to actual base-game content, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a non-linear title that allows players to play the game in any manner of their preferred choosing. If you have the skill to do so, you can head straight for Calamity Ganon, armed with nothing but a stick and next to no clothes on. Or you can be the hero of procrastination and do anything else, and ultimately end up beating the game, hundreds of hours later.
Just want to collect as many items as you can? Well, you’re going to need to find plenty of Korok Seeds to expand your inventory slots. Want to fight tougher enemies and not die so quickly? Seek out Shrines and earn Spirit Orbs to redeem them for new Heart Containers. Want to be a fashion icon and dress to impress? Collect all manner of clothing you come across, gather up plenty of materials, and head on over to Hateno to dye them. Sure, Hyrule is on the verge of destruction, but when isn’t Hyrule under threat? The hero of repetition deserves a break, sometimes.
With an open world at his fingertips and a consistent physics engine that proves there are more ways to skin a cat and solve puzzles, this is a legend like none other, except its superior sequel. (Breath of the Wild, while original and more memorable, let’s be honest, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild walked so Tears of the Kingdom could fly!)
So, run, jump, use the Sheikah Slate for a rune or two, or leap off a mountain and soar high with a paraglider because if your stamina meter is far from empty, you have nothing to worry about, and a Blood Moon? That’s not a heart attack waiting to happen; it’s an opportunity for more enemies to slaughter. Sure, the guardians gave us PTSD the first time around, but we’re ready for them this time. (We hope.) Still, that’s enough about the old. It’s time to talk about the new, and there is plenty to go over.
WHAT’S NEW?
As a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition title, regardless of whether you opted to purchase the upgrade pack or the physical version of the entire game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition supports HDR, meaning colours are now more enhanced than ever before. Textures and lighting look more detailed, and the game looks sharper overall.
Then there’s the performance improvements. When played in docked mode, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, if you have a 4K and HDR-compatible TV, boasts 4K resolution. This is a stark comparison to the 1440p resolution we encountered when playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in docked mode on the original Nintendo Switch. With regards to handheld mode, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition supports 1080p compared to the Switch’s 900p, and regardless of whether you play in handheld mode or docked, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition runs at a consistent 60 FPS.
This is a vast improvement over the original Switch version, which often struggled to maintain 30 FPS during climactic battles and locations such as Korok Forest. So, take the time to watch an explosion or two and take it all in. The colours will pop, and the framerate will carry on without interruption. Another benefit of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which we can all get behind, is the inclusion of another save file. Should you wish to start from scratch and experience The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition in its entirety, you can without the need for creating a new user account or deleting your previous save.
Furthermore, because of the performance improvements, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition also boasts faster loading times, with entering shrines and warping to fast travel points being sped up and making for a more unified gameplay experience, and then there is ZELDA NOTES. While visuals and performance improvements are a welcome addition, the best thing about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is its support for ZELDA NOTES. It’s annoying that to use ZELDA NOTES, you have to use your mobile phone to access it via the Nintendo Switch App, but for what it offers and how it rewards the player for using it, ZELDA NOTES is the perfect companion app, as long as you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
Nevertheless, it is time to talk about the benefits of ZELDA NOTES. First and foremost, Voice Memories. With 125 voice notes to find, by heading to certain locations in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, through the app, players are greeted with new dialogue based on Princess Zelda’s memories from 100 years prior. In addition to revealing new lore, the voice memories reveal the preparations Princess Zelda undertook when gearing up to fight Calamity Ganon.
The second main feature is Navigation. Through Navigation, players can be guided to new locations, find voice memories, or find the nearest Korok. Given how tedious it was to try to find 900 Korok Seeds, we won’t blame you if you gave up. We did, for a long time, but with voiced navigation providing clear directions that will even tell you to ascend or descend to reach Korok locations, let’s just say ZELDA NOTES has renewed our desire to hunt them down again. Navigation will also direct you to all Taluses, Hinoxes, Shrines, Shrine Quests, Side Quests, Stables, Villages, and Towers. So, if stones were left unturned before, they won’t be now. The perfect guide has arrived.
In the My Play Data section, this feature is achievement-focused as it rewards players with medals based on their in-game accomplishments, whilst covering all their in-game statistics. From time played to the number of times you’ve died, treasure chests opened, weapons collected, and more. There is also a Global Play Data feature, which tracks your progress, such as Rupees collected, materials gathered, Sheikah Abilities used, and more. One statistic we particularly adore is the breakdown of what each of your deaths was caused by, with fall damage and explosions being listed as causes.
In conclusion, it turns out, you can improve upon perfection. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was already a masterpiece in its own right, thanks to its creativity and originality. It took the world by storm, and now it gets to do so all over again as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Sure, the title alone is a mouthful, but if you’re looking for the definitive way to play the game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is it and, now that an extra save file is supported, maybe the time is now for that Master Mode playthrough you’ve been putting off?
Game Specifications:
Developers: Nintendo EPD, Monolith Soft
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 (Physical)
Genre: Action, Adventure
No. of Players: 1 (Single System)
Release Date: June 5, 2025
Price: $69.99 (Physical) | $9.99 / Free via Nintendo Switch Online (Upgrade Pack)
File Size: 24.1 GB | 9.6 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
