The Great Plateau – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of my favorite games of all time, perhaps surpassed only by Tears of the Kingdom. I also maintain that its opening sequence in The Great Plateau is one of the best in gaming. You’re introduced to many core mechanics, from cooking, climbing and combat to Shrines, Sheikah Towers and Koroks in a fairly well-paced space. Also, getting your hands on the different Runes and trying them out, from lifting chests at the bottom of a lake with Magnesis to hitting boulders at enemies with some help from Stasis, is great.
However, by the fourth or fifth playthrough, it gets old, especially since it’s a tutorial and preparation stage for the bigger journey ahead. Yet the premise of going anywhere in any order or straight to Hyrule Castle to face Calamity Ganon kind of wears thin when you’re always starting in the same place every time.
Hilariously enough, you can unintentionally leave the Great Plateau with Magnesis, Stasis and clever use of a door to go flying out. The downside is that you won’t have the Paraglider and must return for the other Runes (unless you’re bold enough to manage without any of them).
