Parents need to know that "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – The Champions' Ballad" is a paid expansion to the action/adventure game "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." The original game is required to play. Expansion content is similar in tone and variety. Players again take on the role of a heroic adventurer out to help people and save his kingdom. He fights aggressive fantasy creatures and robots using swords, axes, bows and arrows, and weapons infused with magic. Defeated enemies disappear in a puff of smoke. New puzzles challenge players to come up with creative solutions by devising clever ways in which to use their weapons and abilities to bypass trickily designed obstacles. Note that players must be well into the base game's story – all four divine beasts must be freed – in order to access this expansion's new quests and content.
WHAT'S IT ABOUT?
"The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – The Champions' Ballad" is the second and likely final bit of downloadable content for Nintendo's popular action/adventure game. It doesn't add any new regions to the already vast lands of Hyrule, but instead creates a network of new objectives scattered across the world. It begins in the chamber where Link first wakes up. He is bestowed a new weapon – the One-Hit Obliterator – that can kill any enemy with a single hit, but his life gauge is also reduced to a mere quarter heart, meaning that taking a single hit will defeat him, too. He must use this weapon to clear several areas of enemies, and then work through a set of new shrines that erupt from the ground. Link is then provided with a quartet of quests that give players a chance to explore the game's huge map once more and revisit many of the activities found in the base game, from shield surfing to intricate puzzles. Along the way, players will have a chance to earn some new gear for Link, explore a new dungeon, and eventually earn the Master Cycle Zero, a vehicle that makes getting around Hyrule a lot easier.
IS IT ANY GOOD?
Once you get over the disappointment of not being provided a new region to explore or any significant new storytelling to enjoy, this downloadable content (DLC) pack becomes a lot more fun. "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – The Champions' Ballad" gives you a chance to revisit one of the best games ever made. You'll get to re-familiarize yourself with its gorgeous world – and will likely find plenty of secrets you missed the first time through – and re-master Link's key abilities along the way. And once you've completed the new content, you'll be able to explore with greater freedom than ever before via the Master Zero Cycle. It's kind of like riding a mechanical horse, but it's much faster and surprisingly more useful when fighting tougher enemies – especially for those who prefer combat from a mount.
Still, there are moments of disenchanting repetition. And while the new dungeon is fun, it's neither as complex nor as lengthy as veteran players might expect. In the end, "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – The Champions' Ballad" serves as an excuse for players to come back to a game they thought they were finished with and remember all the reasons it was so special.
RATING AND CONTENT
Recommended for ages 10 and older
Quality: 4 out of 5
Educational value: 2 out of 5
Positive messages: 3 out of 5
Positive role models: 3 out of 5
Ease of play: 3 out of 5
Violence: 3 out of 5
Sex: 0 out of 5
Language: 0 out of 5
Drinking, drugs, and smoking: 0 out of 5
Consumerism: 1 out of 5 (Are products/advertisements embedded? Is the title part of a broader marketing initiative/empire? Is the intent to sell things to kids?)
GAME DETAILS
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Price: $19.99
Developer: Nintendo of America
Release date: December 8, 2017
Genre: Action/Adventure
ESRB rating: E10+ for Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.
Comments