How Many Hours is Breath of the Wild’s Main Quest?
The core storyline of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BOTW) can be completed in roughly 25 to 30 hours, if a player focuses primarily on main objectives, skipping side content and exploration. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this expansive open-world adventure. The actual playtime can vary dramatically based on individual playstyles and the player’s desire to engage with the game’s rich world.
The Allure of Side Content and Exploration
While the main quest of BOTW is relatively concise at 25-30 hours, its massive open-world design encourages exploration, discovery, and deviation from the main storyline. This often leads to significantly longer playthroughs. If you are one to delve into side quests and embrace the freedom to roam and uncover every corner of Hyrule, your playtime can easily stretch beyond 50 hours to beat the game, and even far more if you’re aiming for a 100% completion experience. This is because BOTW isn’t just about completing the main story, it’s about experiencing the world and its countless activities.
The Elements of 100% Completion
Achieving 100% completion in BOTW is a monumental task that requires dedication and thoroughness. It involves:
- Completing all four Divine Beasts
- Conquering all 120 Ancient Shrines
- Gathering all 900 Korok Seeds
- Visiting every named location on the map
This exhaustive list ensures a comprehensive exploration of Hyrule, and will easily add dozens of hours to your play time.
Playtime in Comparison to Tears of the Kingdom
It’s interesting to note that, despite being considered a behemoth in gaming length, BOTW’s playtime is often compared with its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK). TOTK builds upon BOTW’s foundation, adding additional layers of Hyrule to explore, including the Depths, which is as large as the surface map. This means TOTK is larger than BOTW in terms of content, resulting in longer playthroughs. If you were to focus on just the main storyline, Tears of the Kingdom will take roughly 59 hours, compared to Breath of the Wild’s 50 hours.
The Longest Zelda Games
While playtime can be subjective and influenced by player choices, some Zelda games are generally acknowledged to be longer than others. Here is a list of Zelda games by approximate play time:
- Tears of the Kingdom – Roughly 55 hours (Main Story focused player)
- Breath of the Wild – Roughly 50 hours (Main Story focused player)
- Skyward Sword – Roughly 38 Hours
- Twilight Princess – Roughly 37 Hours
- The Wind Waker – Roughly 30 Hours
- Ocarina of Time – Roughly 27 Hours
- Majora’s Mask – Roughly 20 Hours
It is important to note that these times vary significantly based on the player.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How long does it take to 100% complete Breath of the Wild?
Completing everything in Breath of the Wild can take well over 100 hours, often ranging from 120 to 200+ hours, depending on your pace and thoroughness. It demands an immense commitment and exploration of every facet of Hyrule.
2. Is Tears of the Kingdom longer than Breath of the Wild?
Yes, Tears of the Kingdom is significantly larger and therefore longer than Breath of the Wild. This is primarily due to the inclusion of the Sky Islands and the Depths, adding multiple layers of exploration.
3. What is the longest Zelda game ever made?
Currently, Tears of the Kingdom is the longest Zelda game, followed closely by Breath of the Wild.
4. Has anyone 100% completed Tears of the Kingdom?
Yes. Twitch streamer SmallAnt, for instance, achieved a 100% completion of Tears of the Kingdom in 139 hours, 5 minutes, and 19 seconds, highlighting the vast amount of content in that game.
5. Can you play after beating the main quest in Tears of the Kingdom?
Yes, but the game will revert to before the final quest. This allows continued play without it being locked to the ending, suggesting that the game experience is more important than a complete and final ending.
6. Which is the easiest Zelda game?
Many consider Twilight Princess the easiest Zelda game, noting its simplified combat and puzzles.
7. Which is the hardest Zelda game?
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is often considered the most difficult due to its challenging combat, unforgiving gameplay, and distinct departure from the series’ traditional style.
8. What is the shortest Legend of Zelda game?
The original The Legend of Zelda is the shortest official main series entry, though still innovative in its time.
9. How old is Link in Tears of the Kingdom?
Link is estimated to be around 122-125 years old in Tears of the Kingdom.
10. How old is Purah in Tears of the Kingdom?
Purah is thought to be around 130 years old in Tears of the Kingdom, due to her age experimentation in Breath of the Wild.
11. What are the most difficult items to acquire in Breath of the Wild?
Some of the hardest items to get include: Star Fragments, Shards of Dinraal’s and Naydra’s Fangs, the Master Sword, and the Hylian Shield.
12. What is considered the saddest Zelda game?
Games with melancholic themes, like Majora’s Mask are often cited as saddest, but Link’s Awakening and even Breath of the Wild have particularly poignant moments that make many fans feel emotional.
13. What Zelda game is considered the best by many fans?
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening is frequently praised as one of the best, while many modern players feel that Breath of the Wild is the greatest game in the franchise.
14. In what order should you play the Zelda games?
Release order, which would start with The Legend of Zelda (1986), is one way to experience the evolution of the series.
15. What is the only Zelda game without a “hero”?
Link’s Awakening is unique in that the protagonist does not necessarily feel like a hero, highlighting its different gameplay and narrative structure.
In summary, while the main quest of Breath of the Wild is roughly 25-30 hours, the game’s expansive world and compelling side content can extend your playtime considerably. Players looking for a comprehensive experience can expect a very long adventure that can easily reach 100+ hours for 100% completion. The sheer size and content of BOTW, and its sequel Tears of the Kingdom, ensures that these Zelda titles are among the longest and most replayable entries in the franchise.