The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offers a vast open world to explore, with countless challenges and obstacles to overcome. For speedrunners, however, the goal is not to explore but to complete the game as quickly as possible. To achieve this, speedrunners employ a variety of strategies and techniques to optimize their route, minimize time spent on tasks, and exploit glitches for maximum efficiency. In this article, we will explore some of the top strategies and techniques used by speedrunners to complete Breath of the Wild in record time.
Breath of the Wild Speedrun Strategies
- The Great Plateau Skip
The Great Plateau is the game’s starting area, and speedrunners have developed a glitch that allows them to skip the entire area and proceed directly to the mainland. By using a shield surf glitch and precise timing, players can leap off the Plateau and bypass the game’s intended sequence of events.
- Movement Techniques
Movement is critical in a Breath of the Wild speedrun, with speedrunners utilizing various techniques to minimize time spent traveling. These techniques include jump canceling, shield surfing, and using Stasis to launch Link through the air. Additionally, players often opt to avoid certain terrain types or take advantage of elemental effects to increase movement speed.
- Route Optimization
Optimizing the route is key to a successful speedrun, and speedrunners continually refine their route to minimize time spent on unnecessary tasks. This includes planning out efficient routes between Shrines, minimizing combat encounters, and taking advantage of environmental features such as updrafts and wind gusts.
- Shrines and Divine Beasts
Shrines and Divine Beasts are crucial components of Breath of the Wild’s story progression, but speedrunners often prioritize them differently than casual players. By focusing on Shrines with efficient puzzle designs and prioritizing the Divine Beasts that grant useful abilities, speedrunners can complete the game’s main objectives in record time.
- Combat Strategies
Combat is an essential aspect of Breath of the Wild, but speedrunners often rely on specific strategies and techniques to minimize time spent fighting. This includes using elemental arrows to exploit enemy weaknesses, utilizing shield parrying to avoid damage, and using specific weapons and armor combinations to maximize damage output.
- Glitch Exploits
Finally, glitches play a significant role in Breath of the Wild speedrunning, with speedrunners exploiting numerous glitches to bypass game mechanics and save time. These glitches include item duplication, weapon durability exploits, and various other movement and physics exploits.
Conclusion
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild offers an expansive and challenging world to explore, but for speedrunners, it presents an exciting opportunity to push the game’s limits and achieve new records. By utilizing a variety of strategies and techniques, speedrunners can complete the game in record time, showcasing the depth and complexity of Breath of the Wild’s mechanics and gameplay.