The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild redefined exploration with a 97 Metacritic score, matching Red Dead Redemption 2's critical acclaim but achieving it with a smaller budget. Nintendo's 2017 masterpiece empowers players to climb anything and solve puzzles organically, offering over 120 Shrines of discovery. Its physics-driven world is 50% more interactive than the typical open-world rival, setting a benchmark that Elden Ring would later build upon, and its seamless traversal remains a gold standard.