The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's enduring appeal lies in its unparalleled freedom, offering a fully open world where players can tackle quests in any order and solve problems with inventive, often chaotic, solutions. While the exact magic of a first playthrough is difficult to replicate, adopting specific challenge runs can breathe new life into Hyrule and provide novel ways to interact with its vast, breakable world.
Difficulty Modifiers
One popular method to increase challenge is to restrict resource acquisition. This involves eschewing all upgrades for hearts and stamina, forcing players to rely on stealth and careful preparation for every encounter. Survival-mode levels of health and stamina make even minor enemies a threat, necessitating strategic avoidance of combat and extensive preparation for boss battles. For an even greater challenge, these restrictions can be applied to Master Mode.
Another approach involves imposing strict limitations on how Link acquires and uses resources. A "no buying, selling, or trading" rule forces players to rely solely on hunted, foraged, and cooked items, making rupees irrelevant and encouraging engagement with the game's often-overlooked survival mechanics. This challenge means certain armor sets and weapon upgrades will remain inaccessible, though they will be available in future playthroughs.
Players can also adopt a more restrictive diet. A "carnivore" run, for example, permits only the consumption of meat, fish, and eggs, excluding fruits, vegetables, and grains. This dietary restriction significantly limits the availability of powerful buffing foods, forcing reliance on hunting and a reduced safety net during challenging battles.
Environmental and Narrative Challenges
Reimagining Hyrule's environment can also alter gameplay significantly. The "Eventide Island" challenge involves stripping Link down to nothing and starting anew with a fresh inventory every time a new region is entered. This forces players to re-engage with local resources and environmental puzzles in each new area, mirroring the self-contained challenge of Eventide Island itself.
Narratively driven challenges can also reshape the experience. One such challenge involves creating a personal "critical path" through the open world, using the game's quests, environmental storytelling, and NPC dialogue as a guide. This encourages players to forge their own linear story, potentially spending dozens of hours absorbed in side content before even considering the main objective.
Role-Playing and Time Constraints
Role-playing can introduce unique gameplay restrictions. The "Champion Cosplay" challenge involves picking a specific Champion and adhering to their associated region and combat style for as long as possible. This could mean exclusively using heavy weapons for Daruk, bows for Revali, or avoiding water for Mipha, forcing players into unfamiliar combat patterns.
Introducing artificial time constraints can also add pressure. A "Majora's Mask"-style rule requires players to drop all gear except arrows and armor and warp back to the starting area every three in-game days. This forces careful planning of expeditions, as players must consider what can be accomplished and what risks are worth taking before the cyclical reset.
Gameplay Mechanics Challenges
Certain gameplay mechanics can be put center stage with specific runs. The "Cook Your Way Across the Map" challenge requires players to cook a dish using only ingredients found in a region before leaving it. This encourages a slower, more deliberate exploration focused on the game's culinary system, with regional ingredients dictating the types of dishes created.
Companion mechanics can also be highlighted. A "permadeath for your horse (or Wolf Link)" challenge mandates keeping a horse or the Wolf Link amiibo companion close at all times, with any death triggering a reload. This aims to reintegrate horses into the gameplay loop, which often become underutilized after obtaining the paraglider and fast travel.
Speedrunning and Early Endings
For those seeking a swift conclusion, the "Skip the Divine Beasts" challenge involves heading directly to Hyrule Castle immediately after leaving the Great Plateau. This speedrunning route bypasses all the game's major regional bosses and the associated narrative progression, offering a significant difficulty spike and bragging rights for a quick completion.
Companion and Character Challenges
Another challenge focuses on companion preservation. The "Commit to Permadeath for Your Horse (or Your Dog)" rule means if your horse or Wolf Link companion dies, you must reload your save. This adds a layer of protection for your digital companions, making risky encounters a more calculated decision.
Role-Playing Specific Champions
Players can also adopt specific roles by choosing a Champion and limiting their gameplay to that Champion's home region and combat style. For example, emulating Revali means relying heavily on a bow, while Daruk's style would favor heavy weapons. This challenge encourages players to explore combat styles they might typically avoid.
Culinary Exploration
The "Cook Your Way Across the Map" challenge encourages players to create a dish using only ingredients found within a specific region before moving on. This promotes a slower, more deliberate exploration of Hyrule, turning the cooking system into a culinary tour dictated by local flora and fauna.
Resource Management
A strict "no buying, selling, or trading" rule forces players to subsist solely on items they hunt, gather, or cook themselves. This makes rupees worthless and encourages deeper engagement with the game's survival and crafting mechanics, though it does limit access to certain armor and weapon upgrades.
Dietary Restrictions
The "carnivore" challenge restricts Link's diet to only meat, fish, and eggs, excluding all plant-based foods. This significantly alters the game's available buffs and cooking options, forcing players to rely more heavily on hunting and presenting a greater challenge in boss battles.
These varied challenge runs offer ample opportunity to rediscover Hyrule and its mechanics, providing a fresh perspective on a beloved open-world adventure.