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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Breath of the Wild is the better choice if exploration means choosing your own route, roaming freely, and improvising around the landscape. Ocarina of Time is the better fit if you prefer discovery tied to a clearer adventure structure, with an overworld leading into dungeons and progression through items. Neither is objectively better: they offer different kinds of exploration.
How exploration differs between the two games
The key difference is how much the game asks you to decide for yourself. Breath of the Wild emphasizes self-directed travel: you can survey the landscape, pick a destination, and work out how to get there. Ocarina of Time connects exploration more closely to its guided adventure, where the overworld, dungeons, and items shape the journey.
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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - World Edition | $56.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Breath of the Wild: choose a destination and find a way
Nintendo describes a world to explore with towers for surveying the landscape and several ways to travel, including horseback, rafts, shield surfing, and gliding with the paraglider. Climbing and gliding make terrain part of the route-planning: rather than following only a prescribed path, you can look toward a distant point of interest and decide how to approach it. That combination makes the game the stronger match for players who value route freedom and experimentation.
Nintendo says the game has more than 100 Shrines of Trials, offering puzzles and in-game rewards. The figure speaks to one kind of discovery available in the game; it is not a measure of the world’s size or proof that its exploration is better overall. Breath of the Wild was released on March 3, 2017, according to Nintendo’s official product page.
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- Discover Hyrule as never before: by making your own path, choices, and consequences
- Ingenuity is the key to survival: find multiple solutions to tons of dynamic puzzles
- Surprises hide around every corner: scavenge weapons, armor, plants, animals, and more
- Live off the land: find weapons and armor, cook food, and brew elixirs
- Utilize special technology: the in-game Sheikah Slate controls, objects and enemies in fun ways
Ocarina of Time: discovery within a guided adventure
Ocarina of Time pairs its overworld exploration with dungeons and items that support progression. Its appeal is less about inventing your own route across an open landscape and more about moving through a structured adventure in which exploration connects to the next stage of the journey. This comparison is about the broad design feel, not a claim that one game contains more total content or locations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which game should you choose for exploration?
| If you want… | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Freedom to roam and decide how to reach a destination | Breath of the Wild | Its traversal options and landscape encourage self-directed routes. |
| A clearer, dungeon-led adventure | Ocarina of Time | Its exploration is more closely tied to dungeons, items, and guided progression. |
| Environmental experimentation while travelling | Breath of the Wild | Climbing and multiple travel methods let you adapt your approach to terrain. |
Producer Eiji Aonuma described the intent behind Breath of the Wild in a June 15, 2016, TIME interview. When the interviewer characterized the game’s exploration as self-guided, Aonuma replied, “That’s it exactly. Exactly what you said.” He also explained why climbing is controllable rather than automatic: “We really wanted for Link to climb up things, but it wasn’t fun to create an auto-climb function. By contrast, it was really fun to have Link actually grab on things, and then being able to control that climbing motion.” The emphasis on player control helps explain why reaching a place can feel like part of the discovery in Breath of the Wild. Read the TIME interview with Aonuma.
Where to learn more about Breath of the Wild
Nintendo’s features page outlines the game’s exploration systems. For a supplementary look at locations, lore, and characters, Nintendo lists its 44-page Breath of the Wild Explorer’s Guide as a free download.
For broader series context, see Nintendo’s Zelda franchise overview. The characterization of Ocarina of Time here is intentionally broad: it focuses on the contrast between overworld-and-dungeon progression and Breath of the Wild’s more self-directed travel.
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