Last week, I gave you my favorite games from E3 2016. One of those games was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Because I can't contain my excitement for the game, I decided to write an entire article about it! Specifically, I will be focusing on the major changes to the series happening through that game.

First, let's take one more look at that trailer I know we (Zelda fans) all watched through tears of joy. (Yes, I admit it. It did bring a few tears to my eyes. The same thing happened with this guy while he watched Nintendo's livestream.)

Now that we've all cried through the trailer again, let's get started. Forgive me if I forget some things. There's just so many new things about this game that it's hard to include everything.

First, of course, is the open world. This open-world Zelda game has been most compared to the first game in the series, The Legend of Zelda. In the first game, you were given a short backstory and plopped down in the middle of Hyrule Field without even a sword, which meant you couldn't even attack enemies yet, or any indication about where to go. In this game, you don't even start with clothes on (save some boxers, as Nintendo is a family company), let alone a weapon. The parallels don't end there. In the original game, you can go anywhere immediately after you start. This is true in the new game as well, especially because the game's producer, Eiji Aonuma, said that "[u]sers are able to go to the very end goal without revealing why Link woke up the way he did and where he did." Basically, it's a speed-runner's dream come true, being able to beat the final boss soon after starting the game.

One entirely new feature is the ability to climb literally almost any surface, almost without limit. You're no longer limited to just climbing vines anymore. The only two (known) limits are that you can't climb sheer surfaces (such as the walls within mini-dungeons) and you can only climb as long as your stamina lasts. That's still quite a long climb, though. You can easily climb straight to the top of the mountain pictured above. A significant new addition to the franchise is the introduction of voice acting! While not every character has voice acting (That would be ridiculous considering the size of the game's map.), the most important moments have it.

Another thing I know I'll enjoy about this game is the change in puzzles. Just from the several-hour stream Nintendo did showcasing the game, we can tell that the puzzles in this game are completely different from the ones in previous games. We also have new tools at our disposal to complete these puzzles, including abilities like Stasis (freeze an object for a few seconds), Magnesis (use magnets to move large objects), and Cryonis (create ice pillars using any body of water). These abilities arenn't magic-based, as abilities were in previous Zelda games. They're tech-based, something entirely new for the Zelda franchise. Link's puzzle-solving abilities come from a smartphone-shaped device called a Sheikah Slate. It can be used to solve all kinds of puzzles in mini-dungeons (called Shrines in this game), dungeons, and (presumably) the overworld itself!

Nintendo blew our minds with the game, surpassing nearly everyone's expectations! ("Have only one playable game at E3, Nintendo? Are you crazy?!") Not to mention, the game won several "Game of the Show" awards, and was easily the game most talked-about game on social media throughout the entirety of E3, a total of 4 days. This game deserved it all. While this is surely just a sampling both of what Nintendo's shown us and of what I could show you in my limited words, this game is poised to be a smash hit when it comes out next year, possibly one for the record books. This is the most excited I've been for a game in a long time.

Now, did I leave anything important out? What about something you think I should've mentioned? Leave a comment! It lets your opinions be heard, and it helps me improve my writing for next time. It's a win-win!