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Masahiro Sakurai's thoughts on Horizon vs. Zelda: BOTW - "Very Close, Very Different"
- Thread starter Koozek
- Start date
My opinion is just it, my opinion. But I think Zelda BoTW is an unconventional game that explores new gameplay mechanics and has great ambition, and Horizon is a fine open world game, but very generic at its core, except for its combat system, which has lots of room to improve but feels great.
Refreshment.01
Member
Before it keeps been given the wrong connotation:
Also are we remembering this is about Sakurai's thoughts on both games and not about weapon durability discussion for the 1000th time?
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
It is just a bit weird that in a game all about freedom people want to be forced to do something they could already do... just by choosing to do it.
Steve McQueen
Member
Personally, after starting Zelda, I had a hard time playing Horizon again. Pretty much the same feeling I had after finishing The Last of Us. It 'll take a while for me to enjoy other games again.
Feel free to propose a better translation, will update the OP then. You could also tweet to the guys from Source Gaming, I guess.
To Japanese speakers, is the translation from @alcabcucu above accurate?
More for me to love then, you can send me any games sakurai has made that you don't enjoy.
Original Man
Member
I like Horizon better. The pace is leagues better than zelda. I want to play the zelda for the story, but then you have these 120 shrines which are time consuming and a chore to find with the big ass map. They should've listed the locations of the shrines from the get go. That would dramatically help the pace. As is, you can probably put 100+ hours into the game and only do a couple story missions....
kuroneko0509
Member
that's the power of his personal fountain of youth
KLoWn
Member
This entire post... I don't even...
Tomeru
Member
Mendouksai is not complex. Thats not the translation. If you wanna say he used the word 'bothersome' sarcasticly thats cool. But he said bothersome/troublesome.
Heck, everyone should recognise one of the most iconic words from naruto.
Have you actually played the game? Because if so, your comment is quite baffling. You're not supposed to find all 120 shrines to beat the game. Discovering things is the entire premise of Breath of the Wild.
Gaf never disappoint me...
Jim_Cacher
Member
I hope you are joking. The focus of the game is exploration and adventure. Marking all the shrines on the map makes it another checklist simulator.
Original Man
Member
Yes. I was actually just playing it before I posted that. I like the game, but as I said, the pacing is absolute crap. You have to do the shrines in order to boost your health, stamina so I don't see them as optional(unless you want to pull your hair out during story missions). The map is so big, and not having any indication of the next shrine is just too time consuming and slugs down the pace of the game
Can you link us to your 1/10 BotW metacritic review?
I didn't say you can ignore the shrines (although speedrunners are doing so), but you absolutely do not need to get all 120. There are so many that you naturally discover on your own and was designed in a way that you should find a good portion of them through natural exploration due to the sheer density and number. Aside from that, through the use of potions and food, a player can overcome any lack of hearts or stamina. You are seriously making a mountain out of a molehill here.
Boo this man!
There are many indications in the game, if you actually think like an adventurer:
- Talk to people: They have rumors, tips, stories and side-quests to share.
- Look at the map: Travel to interesting looking places and there is almost always something there.
- Look around: if something stands out, then there is something to do there.
- Use the radar to find more hidden shrines.
DXB-KNIGHT
Member
pretty done
Member
They really are both amazing. Horizons bow combat is the best in gaming whereas Zelda is just the best open world in gaming. Great games with different priorities and strengths.
Kind of the opposite feeling I had. Horizon felt like more work with the collecting of resources (health pouch) and it was very disruptive to the game flow (kneeling down) whereas Zelda I felt like I could play without collecting any resources or crafting items. When I chose to it was because it was simple (grab it as you run by). Either way they were both ultimately outstanding.
Play Horizon for the combat and story. Play Zelda for the exploration, puzzles, and sandbox. Play Horizon for serious story with heavy lore. Play Zelda for a simple romp.
They really couldn't be more different.
Play Horizon for the combat and story. Play Zelda for the exploration, puzzles, and sandbox. Play Horizon for serious story with heavy lore. Play Zelda for a simple romp.
They really couldn't be more different.
Then why compare them?
I actually pointed out before these games' releases how strikingly similar both are to each other. To the point it's uncanny. But they execute these mechanics and features in different ways which I believe is a good way to see how eastern and western game design is thought out. It's absolutely fascinating.
I would love if someone made a video to discuss this.
I would love if someone made a video to discuss this.
Herb Alpert
Banned
OMG this post is awesome
Jaded Alyx
Member
... And you're not using the Shrine Tracker because?
That still sounds awful, I like choosing my weapon based on the situation. For me the current system weapon breaking and all is great.
I would say the only "flaw" is that it feels like the higher levels don't break fast enough, so at a certain point, you're always having a Selmie's choice moment.
Can't wait to play horizon, because it looks like a crazy good action game with a good story for once.
The Shrine Tracker is annoying as fuck and less than helpful and I turned that shit off almost immediately.
Papo Swing
Member
I was playing both at tje same time. Both masterpieces. I started by dividing my time 50/50 but eventually Zelda consumed me. I get that it was a repetitive routine, but I loved climbing to the highest cliff then finding something and going for it.
Horizon, when I returned to it was also amazing, but still repetitive. The hunting gameplay loop was fun and the story was the best I've seen in a while.
I'd still give the edge to BOTE because the gameplay is sublime. It is like MGS5, sublime gameplay with a story that has issues.
Horizon, when I returned to it was also amazing, but still repetitive. The hunting gameplay loop was fun and the story was the best I've seen in a while.
I'd still give the edge to BOTE because the gameplay is sublime. It is like MGS5, sublime gameplay with a story that has issues.
kunonabi
Member
The game is nothing but checklists anyway but yeah marking all the shrines is an awful idea.
KiefbladeMaster
Member
Horizon is one of the best examples of an open-world game done right, imo.
Zelda also looks great, but I haven't tried it. Glad to see he enjoyed both!
You should def try Horizon first.
Zelda also looks great, but I haven't tried it. Glad to see he enjoyed both!
You should def try Horizon first.
Going from Zelda to Horizon had me annoyed at how restricted Horizon felt. Having to look around for the highlighted root to climb when I want to get to a side mission on top of a huge rock was annoying. That's just bad game design. Why not just allow Aloy to climb up the rock without dealing with uncharted tier shite? Also found multiple invisible walls during the 7 or so hours I spent with Horizon.
phantasmic_glaive
Member
What do you mean, he's right. Nobody got time for a 200 hour game. I work for a living and have a family, how y'all pump these shits out, I'll never understand. But don't try that "this post.." "Jesus" bullcrap, he don't have time for it , he don't have time for it!
I feel the same way. I bought a Switch, got MK and Zelda.. and the thought of playing Zelda makes me want to sell it, so I just leave it alone till I feel I have the time. (Sell Zelda not the Switch)
The checklist still exists in your head with a game like BotW. It's just how the brain works. Having it in the game just helps materialize it for convenience, but I can also get why people want to make their own.
I like the fact that having the materialized checklist almost makes everything in it seem obligatory, and its lack of it does make it seem like discovering this is more "at your pace".
It doesn't become fun because other games do it. It's shitty design and restricts the gameplay. Climbing becomes automatic nonsense and frustrating when you have to look around for the correct path to climb. There are also so many things that just can't be climbed because you don't have any freedom to climb in the game unless there is a linear path set out by the developer. Nonsense design for people who hate video games.
Though to a degree BotW still has them with the picture encyclopedia and memory fragments since they appear as blank spaces in the journal.
SMOK3Y
Generous Member
Power of plastic surgery