We might be two sleeps away from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s hotly anticipated release on the Nintendo Switch but its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, just achieved the impressive distinction of being ranked as the best game of all time. According to one group of industry notables, at least.
The Week In Games: Return To Hyrule
Monday 3:53PM
On Wednesday, GQ published a list attempting to rank 100 of the best video games of all time. GQ’s best games list was constructed with the help of a list of 300 experts including video game developers, journalists, and influencers (you can see who at the bottom of the page—hi, Luke Plunkett!), each of whom submitted a top 10 of their personal favorite games. Of the 652 games submitted to GQ, Breath of the Wild “not only received the most votes, but also placed in people’s number-one [slot] more than any other rival.”
BotW changed the game for a lotta folks
In its blurb about BotW being the best video game of all time, GQ said the 2017 Nintendo Switch launch title “changed how many saw open-world experiences” with its freeform approach to exploration, combat, and puzzles.” GQ’s last point is evident in the fact that folks are still discovering secrets and wacky new ways to solve BotW’s puzzles six years after its release.
In our BotW review at the time, we said “can’t” is one word that will rarely come up whenever players talk about the game with their friends, because the game lets you decide how you’ll climb to the zenith of the Temple of Time or descend to the deepest abyss of Hyrule. Whether or not Link hilariously ragdolls while blowing stuff up in the process is just part of BotW’s charm.
Read More: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: The Kotaku Review
For those curious, GQ’s top 10 games of all time in descending order are:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- The Last of Us
- Tetris
- Bloodborne
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Mass Effect 2
- Metal Gear Solid
- Portal 2
- Dark Souls
- Half-Life 2
Read More: The Wii U Presented ‘Restrictions’ In Breath Of The Wild’s Development
To GQ’s credit, its best-of video game list rankings seem less hampered by recency bias than these things often are. For example, fan-favorite games like Supergiant Games’ roguelike, Hades (#38), ranked lower than Konami’s 2001 cult-classic horror game Silent Hill 2 (#37) and the 2022 game of the year, Elden Ring (#20), ranked below Doom 1993. Even deep-cut landmark games like Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss (#95) were represented among GQ’s best games of all time list. Time will tell whether Tears of the Kingdom will dethrone its predecessor as the best video game in the hearts and minds of players and industry professionals. One thing is for certain, Ganon’s TotK design is the glow-up of the decade.