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The Legend of Zelda is a beloved fan-favorite for a good reason. It’s a series of titles that have fans dive deep into adventures rife with an expansive story, in-depth lore, and memorable moments.
Players have enjoyed the expansive Overworld, delving deep into dungeons and solving puzzles, defeating bosses, and acquiring loot.
Recommended Read: Best Single-Player Games for the Nintendo Switch
One of the Zelda titles that really had people longing for more was Breath of the Wild.
So, whether you are looking for a Nintendo Switch title like The Legend of Zelda series in general or specifically Zelda: Breath of the Wild, we’ve got a title for you.
In this list, we give you the best titles similar to the feel of The Legend of Zelda and The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, all on the Nintendo Switch!
Table of contents
- Skyrim
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Okami HD
- Darksiders
- Ittle Dew 2
- Hyper Light Drifter
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2
- Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King
- Link’s Awakening
Skyrim
If you like expansive overworlds, you’ll really like Skyrim.
Skyrim is the fifth edition in the Elder Scrolls series, where you start out captured and facing execution before miraculous events involving the resurgence of dragons allows you to escape.
After, you’re taken on a wild adventure all over Skyrim, dungeon-diving and putting together the puzzle pieces on why the dragons are returning.
It is set in a medieval fantasy setting with a high emphasis on roleplaying and story. With an impressive battle system on top of the story, you’re sure to be engaged for a long time.
When building your character, you can choose from a multitude of races, such as High Elves, Orcs, Imperials, and Nords and dive deep into a world that allows many branches of play styles.
On your journey, you choose what stats and aspects of your character you want to focus on, making it truly unique.
If you like the idea of exploring the world at your own pace with secrets hidden everywhere and loads of sidequests, this game is for you.
Fans of Breath of the Wild will recognize the feeling of exploring a vast world with opportunities everywhere!
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
With an immersive story and explorative world similar to the Overworld of The Legend of Zelda, fans of BOTW will find a lot of similarities when playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
This game is an action role-playing experience where the player controls Geralt, a monster hunter known as a Witcher in a world based on Slavic mythology.
At the beginning of the story, Geralt hears that his long-lost adopted daughter, Ciri, has reappeared after escaping the elusive Wild Hunt.
It’s up to Geralt and a close cast of memorable characters to find Ciri and finish the Wild Hunt once and for all.
This title is considered one of the best RPG games due to the possibilities and thought put into the leveling and customization system.
In the game, you’ll get to experience everything from the available glossary, alchemy, crafting elements, a memorable main questline, equally enjoyable side quests to trimming Geralt’s beard.
For those who love having the ultimate choice, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt includes an in-depth dialogue tree that allows players to choose how Geralt interacts with the other characters, ultimately leading to one of 36 different endings.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is great for Zelda: Breath of the Wild lovers who want to get back into an explorative, story-intense atmosphere.
Okami HD
If you want to try a game that took inspiration directly from the Legend of Zelda, look no further than the atmospheric, painted landscape of Okami.
Okami, which means ‘great god’ and ‘wolf’, is an action-adventure game set in classic Japan.
The player controls Amaterasu, a Shinto sun goddess who has taken the form of a white wolf.
You are accompanied by Issun, a small artist who is seeking the 13 Celestial Brush techniques and guides Amaterasu on their journey to save the land from dark forces.
Okami offers a unique, painted atmosphere called sumi-e, styled after traditional Japanese ink illustrations.
The gameplay is filled with action, platforms, and puzzles to keep the player engaged while they learn more about the story, with several features reminiscent of BOTW.
Throughout the main questline, there are small activities and side quests the player can complete to earn Praise, which allows them to increase their stats, such as health and inkwells for the Celestial Brush.
Combat is engaged via its own virtual arena where Amaterasu uses a combination of weapons, techniques, and unlocked Celestial Brush moves to defeat the enemy.
Extra rewards are given for clean, quick fights. If you’re looking for a story that’s highly applauded by the gaming industry, with the director being a huge Legend of Zelda fan, then this is the game for you.
Darksiders
With an emphasis on exploring an open overworld and discovering the weakness of epic bosses, Darksiders is a great pick if you want something similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Darksiders is an action-adventure game with hack-and-slash elements, based in a world where Earth is on its last legs in a post-apocalyptic time.
Angels and demons are fighting their last epic battle, and the angels are slowly losing.
Among the chaos and darkening skies, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse stand, tasked with bringing balance to the universe.
The bosses are not to be taken lightly in Darksiders, making the player have to find the boss’ weak point to inflict maximum damage while avoiding being taken out.
So if you’re looking for a boss-intensive open-world that values exploration, check out Darksiders!
Ittle Dew 2
If you’re feeling nostalgic and are in the mood for something that reminds you of the classic Legend of Zelda titles, then this is a game for you.
Its overworld has been referenced to The Legend of Zelda and is highly praised.
Ittle Dew 2 is an action-adventure game where you control the main character Ittle, accompanied by Tippsie.
Like some of the earlier Zelda titles, Ittle Dew 2 is a 2D world played from an above-view.
In Ittle Dew 2, the duo, Ittle and Tippsie, find themselves stuck on an unknown island after their raft broke, and their goal is to recover all of the raft pieces, repair their raft, and escape the island.
What makes this title great is the massive overworld that allows players to explore and travel between dungeons, where the player must fight enemies and solve puzzles.
At the end of the dungeon is a boss who will drop a raft piece upon being defeated.
As an extra, players also get to enjoy smaller caves that have optional puzzles and challenges that usually give collectibles or upgrades as a reward upon completion.
With all of the dungeon-diving, puzzle-solving, and boss-fighting, Ittle Dew 2 will make any Zelda fan feel right at home.
Hyper Light Drifter
Hyper Light Drifter is another game which is played in a 2D world from above, like the older Legend of Zelda games.
It has satisfying moments of puzzle-solving and tactical battles with the odds stacked against you.
Hyper Light Drifter is a 2D action role-playing game with Metroidvania elements and has been called a mix of The Legend of Zelda and Diablo.
In the game, the player becomes the Drifter, a mysterious character with technology that has been long forgotten by the inhabitants of the world.
The Drifter is tasked with destroying the Immortal Cell, a creation made by scientists that caused an apocalyptic event.
The Drifter wields a unique blade of light but has access to other abilities as well. These abilities often require the use of batteries, which are found hidden throughout the world.
Players can choose what type of weaponry they want to use, such as long-range guns and AoE attacks.
For puzzle action and clever battle tactics, look no further than Hyper Light Drifter!
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
For another fascinating, open-world title, check out Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an action role-playing game set in the world of Alrest, where humans live on giant creatures known as Titans.
Players control Rex, the protagonist that finds a legendary Blade called Pyra.
The Blades are living beings, with their wielders called Drivers. As Rex becomes Pyra’s Driver, he vows to take her to the elusive paradise called Elysium.
While players progress through the game, they can find additional Blades that can be equipped, dictating their fighting style between offensive, defensive, and healing.
For an action-packed title that’ll remind you of Breath of the Wild but with a much bigger focus on fighting, check out Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
UPDATE: The third game in the series, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, has been released and is also a game we recommend you give a try if you like Zelda BOTW.
Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King
Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King captures the feeling of discovery that’s felt in Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past.
It offers a huge open world with action-adventure that Zelda fans will love.
In this game, you’ll play as Lily, Knight of the Rose, who is tasked with saving the Kingdom of Blossom from eternal darkness, slashing foes, clearing out dungeons, and solving puzzles.
Blossom Tales comes with five challenging dungeons jam-packed with enemies, treasures, puzzles, and items that you can collect and use to enhance your gameplay and fighting style.
To go along with all these elements is a charming, memorable story.
If you’re craving a title that’ll really remind you of the old classic Legend of Zelda games, give Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King a visit!
Link’s Awakening
Why not get some Legend of Zelda enjoyment straight from the source in Link’s Awakening?
Though this game doesn’t play exactly like Breath of the Wild in terms of mechanics and style, you’re still looking at an amazing Zelda title.
This game is an action-adventure where exploration and combat are focused on and take place after the events of A Link to the Past.
Link washes ashore after his boat is destroyed at sea, and he discovers he must wake the Wind Fish of the island to return home by collecting the eight instruments of the Sirens.
As the game progresses, players will find that the dungeons become more difficult, featuring a challenging boss that is repeatedly defeated in each dungeon, changing forms and becoming progressively harder to beat.
For those who miss the old Legend of Zelda style, here is the perfect Switch game for you.
Link’s Awakening is the modern version of the classic Zelda style on the Nintendo Switch.
Those are our picks for the best Nintendo Switch games like The Legend of Zelda and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild!
Know of any other great titles that you believe deserve a spot on this list? Let us know in the comment section below.
