Full Zelda: Breath of the Wild map revealed: roughly 360 square kilometres

Eggplante breaks down the size of the map in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and finds that it is staggeringly huge. 360 square kilometres (140 square miles) kind of huge. Take a look at the size of the E3 demo area as well as the full map, as well as how Link discovers new regions in the game.

[sirultimos]

That's... a big map.

[Fin_The_Human]

My only concern with the demo was that it was so empty, where are the variety of animals, where are the villeges, where are the random NPCs...hopefully that was an early Beta an the world feels more alive on final release.

Edit:Also why does Nintendo feel the need to censor the littlest things.

I watching the the live play through and this woman names Chicco or something like that started shooting an arrow at a wild bore and one guy was like "just to be clear you don't have to kill innocent animals and we don't condone animal cruelty -_-

[D2K]

They said in the stream that they withheld any access to towns and such because they did not want to spoil the game. What was shown was literally 1% of the entire map.

[TacticAce]

360 sq kilo is roughly 140 sq miles. Skyrim was only 16 sq miles, what are you smoking on there buddy? lol

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

Are you sure?
http://gamingbolt.com/witch...

Go back to the gameplay they had for the Game Awards. The map is much larger and Skyrim map isn't that big.

[sullynathan]

That's much much larger than Skyrim. This game is 140 sq. miles, Skyrim is 14.2 sq. miles. Not sure why people are liking ignorant comments.

[jessionpc]

Wait... Skyrim was 19km by 19km?...

W-wasn't it something like 5.5km high, and 3km wide?... That's literally 15 square KM, not 360...

Not to mention most of Skyrim's map was a big mountain or 2...

[Fin_The_Human]

Anyone know the release date and was it confirmed for the NX?

[Segata]

You are DEAD wrong. Skyrim is 15 Square miles. "for a nintendo console" Dude XCX is 154 Square miles. It's larger than Skyrim,Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 combined.

[Metallox]

That's not censorship...

[JunMei]

The way I see, it makes the game more like Shadow of the Colossus. Which is one of the best games of all time.

[3-4-5]

* They removed the towns/villages to not spoil them, so when we get to play the game this first starting area will be even more populated and have even more stuff to do.

[jessionpc]

Sigh... This sucks. I don't wanna play the Windwaker version on the U, I wan't the upgraded version for the NX... But if I wait, everyone's gonna spoil... Sigh... FUCK YOU Nintendo.

Fk you. You KNOW people aren't gonna turn around and rebuy or buy the U for this... They all gonna wait, like me, and have to deal with spoilers...

[D2K]

O_o...........They are both coming out at the SAME TIME.......

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

...
Are you pretending to be stupid, or are you just ignorant?
This is going to be a simultaneous release for NX and Wii U next year.
If you're getting an NX then you're not going to have the time to be spoiled because you'll be playing it.
Also, you're not going to be seeing a different art style on the NX version; just give that up and you'll be a lot happier with the final product.
But either way, quit trying to ruin people's day with negativity. Stay away from the game if the art style is so repugnant to you, but quit whining about it.

[NukaCola]

I am getting this on NX. But I have to say, I love the brush art and the WW style cell shading just looks so beautiful. They really have opened this up. It almost feels like the original Zelda all over again. You step out into the world and it's yours to discover!

[deafdani]

Dude, this game was delayed to next year, and NX is releasing march of next year.

Put two and two together. It's obvious this is a simultaneous release for both consoles.

[pcz]

its very impressive. incredible even.

i just hope that the game can live up to the name. breath of the wild conjours up in my mind the image of a living breathing place, a place that is bursting with life. nature.

by creating a map so large, along with that title, it would suggest nintendo want to bring a particular experience to the gamer, one of exploration and immersion.

lets hope nintendo give this game a believable ecosystem that will bring the space to life, as apart from deer, the only thing i saw was grass and trees. and a horse. and a wolf

[deafdani]

And ducks!

:D

[Metallox]

Pretty much.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

There's also boars, frogs, birds, lizards, and insects such as grasshoppers and butterflies.
All of which were shown on the E3 demo during the Treehouse segments on the first day.
And all of which could be killed and used as cooking ingredients.XD

Oh, and just FYI, the demo had all of the towns and NPC's, except for the Old Man and the Shrine Monks, cut out, to prevent spoilers.
The final game will have all of that and more, so it won't feel AS barren, but keep in mind that the title is emphasizing a wild and untamed Hyrule, so there's bound to be stretches of uninhabited land.
Just like wandering through a grassy plain or a forest IRL, you're not always going to find something within every 10-foot-square patch of land, but there's still going to be plenty to see and discover for those that look.

[Raoh90]

due to this coming out on Wii U too, with hardware limitations, even though it's a big map, i dont expect it to be full of NPC's and monsters like Witcher 3

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Well prepare to have your expectations broken, then, because Nintendo themselves stated that they cut out all of the towns and NPC's from the E3 demo to avoid spoilers. And we've already seen that the demo alone is filled with threats.
The full game will be just fine. I mean, look at Xenoblade X; there were monsters literally around every hill and bend in that game.
If the Wii U could handle populating Xenoblade X, then it'll have an easy time filling the world with just as many monsters and NPC's as Witcher had.
Of course, whether or not the game is filled with tons of NPC's, will depend on how many the back-story allows to exist.
After all, this story takes place in a Hyrule that's falling to ruins.

[Pogoplay]

Yeah, so, if you don't own a Wii U or didn't plan on owning an NX - You do now.

[Good-Smurf]

Well I just sold my Wii U but don't hate for that I just need more money to save up for Japan Trip.
But not to worry after what I've seen with Breath of The Wild,I'll buy an NX for it!

[CluelessB0B]

Holy effing eff! Wasn't Fallout 4 something like 10 square miles?!? This is INSANE.
So much Zelda.

[sullynathan]

F4 is around 14 sq. miles

[Majin-vegeta]

How big is this compares to Horizon map?

[Fin_The_Human]

Who cares about that...this is a Zelda article and not a who has a bigger map pi$$ing contest.

[_-EDMIX-_]

@fin- lol agreed.

Majin be like "MMO got bigger maps doe"

[ifinitygamer]

Didn't you just say that its the size of the Skyrim map to make a point that map size does matter? Seems like you think it's a pi$$ing contest ;)

[BiggerBoss]

@fin

You LITERALLY were just comparing it to skyrim saying it's not that big. Smh

[sullynathan]

no one knows the size of Horizons map but I doubt its this large

[Number-Nine]

I don't get the fascination with big maps. Majority of that space is not going to be filled and it'll end up being one big uninteresting space.

[The 10th Rider]

I generally agree with this, but mostly in regards to games that use 'quest systems' that boil down to repetitive fetch quests. Thankfully Zelda doesn't look like that, and it looks like it has a huge focus on exploration and discovering new tricks and tricks in the world. If the whole map is scattered with dungeons, caverns, and hidden things, it could make for a very interesting game indeed.

[Goldby]

It also depends on the game as well, for example just cause wouldnt have been as good had it been the same size as this. Mainly due to vegicles and such. But if its populated and dense it could be 10sq kms. Quality over quantity

[_-EDMIX-_]

Agreed. I care not how big a map is, I care more about what I can do. We've gotten some big maps over the last 10 years or so to the point where I'm not even sure one can honestly be able to even tell to what degree a map size is while playing.

What should be relevant is what you are doing.

[jessionpc]

The real world isn't a tunnel, that's why.

There isn't supposed to be big cut scenes and sex scenes around every tree, that would be RETARDED. Gathering materials, crafting, finding hidden caves after 20 hours just to be blown away.

The moment of epiphany, that second of realization. THAT is what freedom offers. Linear maps?... They just suck. And the excuse that they deliver better stories is old and not respectable. It's just easier, "obviously".

Talent speaks. Zelda gonna drop, going to the top, "even if it does look like Windwaker."

[Number-Nine]

Dumbest thing I'll probably read today. Congrats.

[sirultimos]

I agree. When I was younger I LOVED big maps and big games, but now I just don't have the time to get through them. Zelda is an exception though, because the kid in me is screaming in joy.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Well good for you, you're wrong.
The Treehouse presentation showed that the majority of that space is filled with things to collect, fight, and discover.
And that's just the opening plateau area; we haven't gotten to see what kinds of bobbles and baddies the deserts and snowy drift areas have in store for us outside of that beginner's area, let alone any other kinds of environments they have in store for us.
This is one game where the big map is made proper use of.

[-Foxtrot]

Pretty big but hopefully they fix how lifeless it seems in the gameplay videos. No point in a big map if the world isn't alive.

Where does this game take place in the timeline?

It can't be another ruined Hyrule timeline as the world was also ruined in the Wind Wake one. I want to say where the Hero failed since Link wakes up in this 100 years later.

[_-EDMIX-_]

" No point in a big map if the world isn't alive"

Agreed and agreed!

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Dunno what streams you were watching, but if that's what you call lifeless, then you must want a bustling metropolis of baddies or items on every 10 foot square patch of land, at the least. Which is ridiculous.
Compared to Twilight Princess or Skyrim, Breath of the Wild feels positively THRUMMING.

[-Foxtrot]

I'm not looking at Link and the area he's in...I'm looking beyond that in the background. It just seems lifeless.

[Sirk7x]

They also purposely removed NPCs and any sorts of towns or settlements to prevent spoilers.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

"I'm looking beyond that"
What, like the mountains and stuff in the distance?
The one's you'd need a telescope to see any form of life on?
In a world where Hyrule is literally falling to ruins?

THAT'S what you care about when judging how alive the world feels?
With no consideration for storyline circumstances or elements that were held back for the sake of not spoiling the demo?

I'm sorry, but you've got your priorities mixed; what matters is the area around Link.
The background can be worried about when it's a part of the world around the nearby vicinity of the player. And there's plenty going on wherever Link went in just the demo, a demo which had all of the towns and all of the NPC's except for the shrine monks and the old man cut out to avoid spoilers.
There were several times during the demo where Link would run across bokoblins just cooking, sleeping, chatting, or even hunting wild game.
Living lives.
And when the NPC's come into play, you can expect that much the same thing will hold true for them, too; they'll be going about their lives, but it won't matter or seem like they are unless you're there to see it, just like in any other open world game.

[AKR]

Xenoblade Chronicles X was 154.44 square miles. 360 square kilometers = 139 square miles.
So XCX is just slightly bigger than Zelda. Wow!

[FlyingFoxy]

Looked a bit barren to me, however i guess there's still much to show.

[Segata]

Also NPCs were removed from the demo to not spoil story. Towns were removed for the dmeo as well I think. Remember the original video? There was a house and people and the demo they showed this e3 in the same area all that is missing.

[Darkfist]

lets see what they can put on this big map, last time i read about something like this was xenoblade x, and that was just with copy and past monsters and all same caves, even that evil aliens hideout was just copy and past buildings after defeating the boss there.

[Sirk7x]

Xenoblade X was amazing.

[Segata]

You don't even know what you're talking about. XCX was a hand crafted world. Also every video game ever made reuses some assets. It's as common as a main menu.

[TorpeAlex]

Using a large map to create expansive space and scope for the various vistas could be impressive... IF the draw distance does it justice. I have a bad feeling about the Wii U version of this game.

[jessionpc]

Bigger than Dayz's map?! :O

So horny...

[InTheZoneAC]

well I bought a wii u for this game several years ago, but I'll be getting the NX for this iF the NX has some key features I'm looking for without a gimmicky controller.

I would really like some trophy system to go along with a constantly updated/cross buy eshop, especially the virtual console games. And a discount or free VC game for the rest of the consoles if I've already bought the game for one of them. Please have a normal sized controller...

[Ninte]

Don't know why they withheld showing much since we waited long enough to see anything.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Because spoiling too much would obviously decrease desire to purchase.

[LOL_WUT]

Their main focus was showing off the one game why hold back? ;)

[ifinitygamer]

It's about not spoiling the game. They want to show a lot, but they've held back on key story points and activities so that you get the joy of discovering themselves. All too often, a game is shown off in such great detail that it almost fatigues the gamer before the title comes out, then it isn't even something they want to pick up. Here's hoping for a very slow trickle of information over the next six to ten months, assuming the game comes out in March.

[Segata]

E3 is not a LP. It gives free samples so you buy the whole thing. Baskin Robbins is only going to give you a free sample not the whole cone.

[antikbaka]

maps are easy to be done huge, but difficult to be filled with content. what i saw at e3 didn't show me the last, map looks empty and poorly done.

[Aquietguy]

For some reason so many people missed the part about the removal of much so as not to spoil the game.

[miyamoto]

You just simply not launch the supposed to be powerful NX with a game like that. Simply no "wow!" factor. This is not 2007.