Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Zelda expansion brings more mild combat, creative puzzles.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Champions' Ballad
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 kid reviews
Kids say this is a highly engaging and rewarding expansion to the original game, featuring challenging trials and creative bosses that enhance the overall experience. While it may be demanding for younger or inexperienced players, many appreciate the intricate puzzles, expanded lore, and the excitement of unlocking new content.
- fun gameplay
- challenging puzzles
- rewarding experience
- engaging expansion
- great lore
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD - THE CHAMPIONS' BALLAD is the second and likely final bit of downloadable content for Nintendo's popular action/adventure game. It doesn't add any new regions to the already vast lands of Hyrule, but instead creates a network of new objectives scattered across the world (note that you must free all four divine beasts as a prerequisite to accessing this expansion's content). It begins in the chamber where Link first wakes up. He is bestowed a new weapon -- the One-Hit Obliterator -- that can kill any enemy with a single hit, but his life gauge is also reduced to a mere quarter heart, meaning that taking a single hit will defeat him, too. He must use this weapon to clear several areas of enemies, and then work through a set of new shrines that erupt from the ground. Link is then provided with a quartet of quests that give players a chance to explore the game's huge map once more and revisit many of the activities found in the base game, from shield surfing to intricate puzzles. Along the way, players will have a chance to earn some new gear for Link, explore a new dungeon, and eventually earn the Master Cycle Zero, a vehicle that makes getting around Hyrule a lot easier.
Is It Any Good?
Once you get over the disappointment of not being provided a new region to explore or any significant new storytelling to enjoy, this downloadable content (DLC) pack becomes a lot more fun. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Champions' Ballad is about being given a chance to revisit one of the best games ever made. You'll get to re-familiarize yourself with its gorgeous world -- and will likely find plenty of secrets you missed the first time through -- and re-master Link's key abilities along the way. And once you've completed the new content, you'll be able to explore with greater freedom than ever before via the Master Zero Cycle, which is about as close as this DLC comes to providing Link a new ability. It's kind of like riding a mechanical horse, but it's much faster and surprisingly more useful when fighting tougher enemies -- especially for those who prefer combat from a mount.
Still, there are moments of disenchanting repetition. Facing down each of the four primary pre-Calamity Ganon bosses a second time rather than taking on new villains feels like a wasted opportunity for fresh challenges. And while the new dungeon is fun, it's neither as complex nor as lengthy as veteran players might expect. In the end, the best reason to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Champions' Ballad might have little to do with the expansion itself. Instead, it might simply be that it serves as an excuse for players to come back to a game they thought they were finished with and remember all the reasons it was so special.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in the media. Are there any battles in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's second expansion that felt unnecessary to you, or was Link always justified when fighting his enemies?
Talk about puzzle solving. Unlike many puzzles in video games, those found here often have more than just one right way to go about solving them. Did you feel clever when you came up with solutions that the game's makers might not have intended?
Game Details
- Platform : Nintendo Switch
- Pricing structure : Paid (This expansion is part of the game's Expansion Pass.)
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Nintendo of America
- Release date : December 8, 2017
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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