Most would agree that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a great game. It features an epic story, colorful characters, and tons and tons of things to do. However, it is not the first game of its kind. Breath of the Wild largely mirrors Skyrim, the game that made gamers thirst for Nord Mead and want to steal some sweet rolls.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is still selling copies over a decade after its release, and it has been ported to virtually every system in existence. It still produces some quality memes from time to time as well. There are many parallels between Breath of the Wild and Skyrim, some of which are a lot more obvious than others.
7 They Have Expansive Open Worlds
The worlds of these games are massive. Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule has diverse environments and landmarks. These include the Dueling Peaks, the Gerudo Desert, and the green fields surrounding Hyrule Castle.
The land of Skyrim is on a comparable scale. It is a vast land of forests and mountains, populated by creatures both friendly and dangerous. The scenery can be incredibly tranquil as well, much like a Bob Ross painting. Thanks to the Anniversary Edition, it is now possible to sit back and do a little fishing while enjoying the scenery.
6 Gameplay Is Nonlinear
One of the complaints leveled against Breath of the Wild’s predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, was that it was far too linear. Breath of the Wild took note of this. While the main quest is to regain control of the four Divine Beasts and defeat Calamity Ganon, Link is free to stray from the main quest.
Skyrim takes a similar approach to gameplay. While the introductory stage is restrictive, Dragonborn are free to do whatever they choose after they complete it. They can ascend High Hrothgar and consult the Greybeards, or they could just randomly wander, hunt, mountain climb, or break into people’s houses.
5 Link Will Rescue The Princess Eventually
The Kingdom of Hyrule boasts dozens of towns and hundreds of NPCs. Plenty of them have tasks for the Hero of Hyrule to take on. If that does not suit Link’s fancy, then the game map has 120 shrines to navigate and 900 Koroks to find. When he gets tired, Link can rest at an inn and eavesdrop on conversations to get hints on treasure locations. He can also mess with some Bokoblins as well if he wants.
Skyrim has plenty to keep the procrastinating Dragonborn occupied as well. They can explore the caves and dungeons across the land. They can learn magic at the various Academies. The Dragonborn can also choose sides in the war between The Empire and the Stormcloaks.
4 Let’s Get Cooking
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The core gameplay of Breath of the Wild and Skyrim share some uncanny similarities. Both games focus on traversing the open world, discovering treasures, and interacting with NPCs to uncover quests. Both Link and the Dragonborn will need to feed themselves as well. The characters will have to forage for ingredients to create meals that will restore their health.
The silent heroes of both Skyrim and Breath of the Wild have plenty of ingredients to pick from. These include mushrooms, fish, fungi, and animal meat. These recipes not only restore health and stamina, but they also boast status effects.
3 The Mods Need More Mods
It is impressive enough that Skyrim is still selling after a whole decade on the market. Part of this longevity is due to the passionate modding community that is introducing additional creatures, visual enhancements, and gameplay overhauls to this day. One Skyrim mod that added a new story event even became its own game: The Forgotten City.
Breath of the Wild has its own dedicated modding community that is adding new weapons, skins, and experiences to the game. One of the cutest series of mods swaps out Link with his female counterpart Linkle, giving her unique animations and changing characters' dialogue to make the experience feel built specifically around her. While Zelda fans are eagerly awaiting Tears of the Kingdom, the Second Wind mod adds new quests and materials to Breath of the Wild. Essentially, it is a free expansion pack.
2 Settling Down
Adventuring across the land is thrilling, but sometimes it is nice to put down roots somewhere. Both Skyrim and Breath of the Wild have this option. The Dragonborn can purchase a house in Whiterun (and keep the money, if they exploit a particular glitch), get married, adopt some kids, and even have pets around the house. The Dragonborn cannot pet the dog, though.
Breath of the Wild presents the same opportunity. For the right amount of rupees and some bundles of wood, Link can buy a house in Hateno village. There, he can display the various weapons that he has collected upon his travels, as well as get some much-needed rest.
1 Every Day Is Something New
It seems that even after all its time on the market, players are still discovering new things in Skyrim. It may be one of the bugs that gave Skyrim its charm in the first place. Maybe a new approach is found toward a task in-game.
Similarly, fans of Breath of the Wild are still finding secrets. This is largely thanks to the way the game encourages experimenting with different weapons and abilities. This enables creative approaches to tackling monsters and even “hacking” the game’s many shrine puzzles.