Great write up.
With Zelda I absolutely felt the magic but the combat gameplay for me is antiquated. I love exploring but was never happy about any combat scenario. Another thing about Zelda is though the game is amazing to explore the surroundings can be very drab and barren at times.
You are 100% right about the Witcher as I have put over 200+ hours into that series. Best character and world ever. However, even though I have come to terms with the combat systems I really only play those games for the story and characters. The combat is just not good imo
Horizon just plays perfectly for me. I love the main character so far and am excited to explore the world but I look forward to fighting. I can't remember the last time I felt that way in an open world game and so for me GG come out ahead of the pack... So far
Saw your post as I was falling asleep, so forgive my late reply. Appreciate the response!
To put my view on Breath of the Wild in context, I wouldn't call myself a Zelda fan per say. At the start of 2017, I was more excited for Horizon, Spider-Man and God of War (please make it this year Kratos!).
Zelda came out of nowhere for me, but I find myself in a bizarre situation where I prefer the combat to Horizon.
A true lock-on, a parry system, backflips and sidesteps and a wider assortment of melee weapons (though not gear in general) all make the combat feel more engaging to me.
Boomerangs, swords, claymores, spears, clubs, magic rods... each weapon feels unique and has a specific purpose in combat.
And while I know some people don't like weapon degradation, I think it's a great way of forcing you to use different weapons regularly which change your approach to enemies.
On top of the weapons, you've also got various physics-based abilities you're given at the started of the game that can be used in combat and can be upgraded later on.
In terms of enemies, gear and the tactical side of combat, Horizon does beat it handily. Being able to rip certain parts off enemies to render certain functions unusable is amazing.
But I actually think outside of the enemies themselves - which lets face it, are the stars of Horizon - Zelda is a stronger combat game at a mechanical level.
Just a side note on Zelda combat, I also think the ability to brew various timed buffs and resistances adds an extra layer of combat Horizon simply doesn't have.
ONE thing that truly frustrated me in Horizon's combat (well, the game in general) was the camera. It's super weird.
I constantly found myself having to adjust it by quickly aiming or tapping my focus. It always seemed to slowly but surely find it's way to the left of Aloy, leaving her body to the right side of the screen.
The camera in this game starts of centrally and gently drift either side depending on how you use it. It might be a pet peeve to some people but I hated it.
It's made worse in combat because your only options of evading enemies are rolling.
The one thing I'll say in regards to your exploration point is that while the environments aren't always packed full of details in Zelda there's usually something to find in them.
If it's not an icon in the map, there's nothing there in Horizon. After exhausting all the game's content I went on the search for secrets, scouring every corner of the map, but was disappointed to find there's just nothing to find. Don't get me wrong, you'll uncover the odd side mission, but there's something so very controlled about it all.
That little alcove at the edge of the map, which could have housed something cool - yep, there's nothing there.
As for Witcher, I actually enjoy the combat but I'd agree Horizon is better in that regard - just for me, it's worse in every other area. lol
I'm not in any way trying to belittle Horizon, it's a great game, a huge achievement for GG and a solid launch pad for a new franchise.
They've created everything from scratch and delivered arguably the best combat in an open-world game ever.
It deserves its plaudits, but I don't think it stacks up to the very best. Horizon 2 could be something really special though.
