I've already used the title, A Breath of Fresh Wild

Breath of the Wild is exactly the kick in the pants that the Zelda franchise needed so badly. In some ways, it makes Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and (especially) Skyward Sword look more like demos than full-fledged games -- while its forebears hinted at deep combat mechanics and a stamina system, Breath of the Wild fleshes its systems all the way out.

That the game's overall design has been heavily inspired by Skyrim is pretty clear (and, if I recall correctly, was noted explicitly by Nintendo in previous interviews). What's really admirable, though, is that Breath of the Wild is neither a Nintendo-style "we'll do it our way" imitation that misses the point, nor a lazy copy-and-paste design; it incorporates parts of Elder Scrolls (and Assassin's Creed) games that worked, fixes some that didn't, and includes more than enough unique flavor of its own.

For example, while Skyrim trains you to mash the quick-save key because of how infrequently it autosaves, Breath of the Wild smartly autosaves at every landmark, every time you approach an enemy camp, and every time you unlock a chest or uncover a secret. While the crafting systems in an Elder Scrolls game (and many other RPGs) can often feel like meaningless distractions, in Breath of the Wild they're necessary tools for surviving dangerous environments and difficult encounters.

Where Assassin's Creed uses climbing as a vertical version of walking, Zelda's implementation requires you to examine a cliff face beforehand, find resting points, and maybe even prepare some stamina-restoring items. And although Breath of the Wild has towers that you climb in order to unlock the map, similar to Ubisoft Game, they don't magically trivialize exploration; hidden secrets are still hidden. Rather, the benefits of climbing a tower are more literal -- a high vantage point for surveying the landscape, and a convenient jumping-off point for your paraglider.

Breath of the Wild, as a comprehensive package of gameplay mechanics and a huge world of content, produces a highly compelling gameplay loop: fighting enemies and collecting items, buying and crafting better equipment, exploring tougher areas, and finding new enemies and new items. Specifically, having to cope with boiling-hot and freezing-cold areas is a surprisingly effective motivator -- I'm always thinking about my stockpile of food that affects temperature resistance, and about the materials I still need for more permanent heat- and cold-resistant equipment.

Combat is tougher than it's ever been in a Zelda game. These enemies are seriously indimidating. And while it's wise for a tiny dude with a wooden sword to run from a giant mechanical spider with fuck-you lasers, eventually you're going to have to figure out how to kill it. I've only recently started fighting back against Guardians, and seeing them crumble before me is oh, so satisfying.

There's also a story in here. I don't mean to belittle it! It's actually pretty interesting, and I'm dying to uncover more of the plot by unlocking my amnesiac avatar's hidden memories. But the challenges between me and those memories are tough, and I have to go collect materials for this encounter, and oh is that a shrine off in the distance?

There is so much to do in Breath of the Wild's expansive world. Whether it requires survival skills, combat prowess, or puzzle-solving, all of it demands something from you. And all of it offers a reward for that effort, even if only in the form of "Now, go do the next thing." 'Cause the next thing is probably even cooler.

Progress: Revealed the full map, 39 shrines found