The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the best all-around Wii U open-world pick for players who want to explore freely, experiment with the environment, and solve puzzles along the way. Xenoblade Chronicles X is the strongest alternative if you want a large-scale RPG with more involved systems. These are editorial recommendations based on what each game offers, not an objective ranking.
How these Wii U open-world games compare
Choose by the experience you want rather than by unverified map-size or playtime comparisons. The key differences are genre and pace, how exploration works, and the setting.
| Game | Best fit | Exploration and setting |
|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U) | Exploration-led adventure | Fantasy world built around discovery, traversal, and environmental problem solving. Nintendo describes it as a discovery-and-exploration adventure. Nintendo Wii U games catalog |
| Xenoblade Chronicles X | Open-world RPG | Science-fiction RPG; Nintendo’s catalog calls it a “massive open world RPG.” Nintendo Wii U games catalog |
| Watch Dogs (Wii U) | Contemporary action-adventure | City setting. It appears in a secondary Wii U open-world ranking and in Nintendo Life’s Wii U guide; the available sources do not establish a detailed feature-by-feature comparison. Whatoplay ranking · Nintendo Life Wii U guide |
| Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Wii U) | Historical action-adventure | A different setting and action emphasis; Nintendo Life discusses its open world positively in its Wii U guide, but the reviewed sources do not support a detailed comparison of its features. Nintendo Life Wii U guide |
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild — best all-around exploration
Pick the Wii U version if your priority is choosing your own route and seeing what the landscape offers. Nintendo’s features page highlights climbing towers to survey the land and solving shrines for rewards. As Nintendo puts it: “Before Link ventures out into the wild, he can climb to the top of a tower to survey the land.” Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild features
The appeal is the combination of traversal, discovery, and environmental puzzles rather than a single prescribed route. Nintendo lists the game for both Wii U and Switch; make sure a listing is for the Wii U edition if that is the console you intend to use. Nintendo UK’s Wii U game page
#1 Best Overall
- Explore the wilds of Hyrule any way you like Climb up towers and mountain peaks in search of new destinations, then set your own path to get there and plunge into the wilderness. Along the way, you'll battle towering enemies, hunt wild beasts and gather ingredients for the food and elixirs you'll need to sustain you on your journey
- More than 100 Shrines of Trials to discover and explore Shrines dot the landscape, waiting to be discovered in any order you want. Search for them in various ways, and solve a variety of puzzles inside. Work your way through the traps and devices inside to earn special items and other rewards that will help you on your adventure
- Be prepared and properly equipped With an entire world waiting to be explored, you'll need a variety of outfits and gear to reach every corner. You may need to bundle up with warmer clothes or change into something better suited to the desert heat. Some clothing even has special effects that, for example, can make you faster and stealthier
- Battling enemies requires strategy The world is inhabited with enemies of all shapes and sizes. Each one has its own attack method and weaponry, so you must think quickly and develop the right strategies to defeat them
- amiibo compatibility Tap the Wolf Link amiibo (sold separately) to make Wolf Link appear in game. Wolf Link will attack enemies on his own and help you find items you're searching for. We will also introduce new The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild series of amiibo at E3 this year
2. Xenoblade Chronicles X — best for an open-world RPG
Choose Xenoblade Chronicles X if you want an RPG rather than an adventure centered primarily on free-form exploration and environmental puzzles. Nintendo’s Wii U catalog explicitly describes it as a “massive open world RPG.” That description makes it the clearest alternative for readers seeking broader RPG systems. Nintendo Wii U games catalog
3. Watch Dogs — best for a contemporary city setting
Watch Dogs is a third-party option for players drawn to a modern city and action-adventure play. It is included in a secondary ranking of Wii U open-world games and Nintendo Life’s Wii U game guide. Those sources establish it as a candidate, but they do not provide enough detail here for a feature-level comparison with the two Nintendo-listed games. Whatoplay’s Wii U ranking · Nintendo Life’s Wii U guide
Rank #2
- Each character has unique abilities and play styles. For example, Princess Peach glides over gaps, while Luigi has his trademark extra-high jump.
- The new cat transformation allows players to run on all fours, pounce on enemies, attack in midair, or use their claws to scamper up walls and goal poles.
- Explore colorful 3D environments filled with obstacles and contraptions like transparent pipes and vertical conveyor belts, which add new puzzle elements.
- Use the Wii U Gamepad Controller's touch screen to search for hidden blocks and freeze enemies in place.
- “E” w/Mild Cartoon Violence
4. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag — a historical action-adventure alternative
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag offers a historical setting and a different action-adventure emphasis from the fantasy and science-fiction RPG picks. Nintendo Life’s Wii U guide speaks positively about its open world. The reviewed sources do not establish a detailed feature-by-feature comparison, so consider it a setting-and-genre alternative rather than a direct match for Breath of the Wild’s exploration style. Nintendo Life’s Wii U guide
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to find Wii U copies now
Nintendo UK states that purchases in the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS eShops ended on 27 March 2023. For these games, look for physical Wii U copies and verify the platform, region, disc condition, and compatibility with your console before buying. The cited sources do not establish current used-market stock or prices. Nintendo UK’s Breath of the Wild Wii U page
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Best Value
- Motion Controls: The built-in accelerometer and gyroscope allow for intuitive motion controls
- Camera : Can be used for games and also for video chat between Wii U Consoles
- Built In Amiibo Reader: Simply tap your Amiibo to the Near-Field Communication (NFC) Scanner
Rank #4
Rank #3
- Super Smash Bros. Mario! Link! Samus! Pikachu! All of your favorite Nintendo characters are back along with plenty of new faces in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U the next entry in the beloved Super Smash Bros. series. Up to four players can battle each
- Check that the listing names the Wii U version, not a version for another platform.
- Confirm the disc’s region and condition, and check compatibility with your console.
- For Watch Dogs and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, verify the exact Wii U edition in the listing before purchase.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
