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[antibolo]

its not arbitrary at all. Its pretty clearly defined, and if you still cant understand what people are referring to by traditional Zelda dungeon, and compare getting to Zoras Domain to those? It doesn't make much sense at all.

That's just one example over many other better ones, get over it already.

 

[lvl99 Pixel]

That's just one example over many other better ones, get over it already.

none of the ones listed are at all the same thing. If you cant understand that criticism then maybe you should get over it?

 

[polyh3dron]

To keep your shield from breaking fast, you have to learn how to time your blocks. The game really punish you for that: a guardian can destroy most shields in one blow. In terms of weapons, I found it best to use the non-special weapons like bodkin arms (or spamming bombs) for killing minor enemies, and save the special ones for major ones. This will get easier to play around with when you get the

Spoiler

Master Sword,

but the game still punish players for recklessly using weapons.

you don't say?

Yeah, I've lost them because I don't time it perfectly all of the time, and sometimes I'm fighting the camera to get the right positioning, other times there's some Yiga clan asshole messing with me while I'm trying to fend off a guardian. And of course, when you get the timing just barely wrong on a shield deflection, and you're recovering, sometimes when you hold the left trigger in to bust out the shield again, it doesn't get you facing the Guardian because the lock-on system is kind of buggy that way. I end up fighting the lock-on system to face the right way before the next beam is fired off. And yes, I already have the

Spoiler

Master Sword

. You're not telling me anything I don't know.

 

[antibolo]

none of the ones listed are at all the same thing. If you cant understand that criticism then maybe you should get over it?

It's a stupid criticism that boils down to "they changed it so it sucks", even though the core elements are still there.

 

[lvl99 Pixel]

It's a stupid criticism that boils down to "they changed it so it sucks", even though the core elements are still there.

thats not at all what was said....

 

[watershed]

BOTW is an amazing, almost redefining game for the Zelda franchise. The next 3d Zelda game has the potential to build on this foundation, address it's flaws, and make a damn near perfect Zelda game.

 

[bounchfx]

BOTW is an amazing, almost redefining game for the Zelda franchise. The next 3d Zelda game has the potential to build on this foundation, address it's flaws, and make a damn near perfect Zelda game.

yep, next one is really going to be something special. This one already was incredible, and it was their first shot making something like this. Imagine all the shit they learned!

 

[1morerobot]

I've got 100 hours in and have only finished one divine beast.

Loving every second of it.

 

[Paskil]

I enjoyed the minimalist story and felt it had just the right touch for the game. It suited it well. I agree though OP, the dungeons were pure garbage. Like I was severely disappointed in the four lite dungeons. Hopefully, the next Zelda game rectifies that because those shitty mini-temples don't even come close to making up for the lacking main dungeons.

 

[watershed]

yep, next one is really going to be something special. This one already was incredible, and it was their first shot making something like this. Imagine all the shit they learned!

At the same time every game has at least minor issues and I'm sure the devs at Nintendo will make some new mistakes as well. Seeing the changes from one Zelda game to the next, and how fan feedback and criticism informs Zelda titles is one of the many interesting parts of the franchise. But yeah, I can't even imagine what they will do next.

 

[bionic77]

Normally, when I play a Zelda game, I'm all about the dungeons. Everything in-between is kind of filler. This was true even in games like OoT and LttP, and looking back I think the reason I like those games so much is because they didn't fill much space in-between each dungeon. Then you start getting to games like SS that have excellent dungeons but a shitload of stuff I couldn't care less about in-between each one.

BotW however has a much different aim than previous Zeldas. It's all about the moment-to-moment gameplay, the exploration, with significantly smaller dungeon set pieces sprinkled throughout. No longer was I playing just to get to the next dungeon. It scratched a very different itch for me, and for that it felt like a much-needed

Spoiler

breath of fresh air

for the series. That's just me though.

I 100% agree about it being a breath of fresh air and this series definitely needed it. It is really hard to reimagine any franchise and for Nintendo to do it for a game that is 30+ years old was incredibly brave and all the more wonderful because they somehow pulled it off.

If you don't reimagine a series eventually fatigue always sets in.

I can't think of another developer who has done something similar over such an extended period of time. Hopefully someone can correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Poppyseed]

I've got 100 hours in and have only finished one divine beast.

Loving every second of it.

I can't fathom that, but to each his own. I have a little more than 40 hours and about to be on the third. If I had some sort of way of knowing where I'd been to explore, I'd be much more inclined to find more shrines etc. *cough* DLC fix on the way /*cough*.

But since I don't, there's no skill involved in just aimlessly running around the map trying to find (read: happen upon with luck) shrines. I know some people like the exploration/wonder aspect, but I find too much of that a complete drag without some form of "direction."

 

[FreedomFighter]

If the next Mainline Zelda can combine the exploration/openness of BOTW and the amazing dungeons ala OoT, and then improve some minor things, it will be one of the GOAT games.

Yes indeed. Imagine BotW with all the shrines still AND massive dungeons, at least 8 of them. I'd cream my panties.

 

[antibolo]

I can't fathom that, but to each his own. I have a little more than 40 hours and about to be on the third. If I had some sort of way of knowing where I'd been to explore, I'd be much more inclined to find more shrines etc. *cough* DLC fix on the way /*cough*.

But since I don't, there's no skill involved in just aimlessly running around the map trying to find (read: happen upon with luck) shrines. I know some people like the exploration/wonder aspect, but I find too much of that a complete drag without some form of "direction."

The game doesn't force you to explore if you don't want to. In the end you're still in control of how you want to experience the game.

 

[Poppyseed]

The game doesn't force you to explore if you don't want to. In the end you're still in control of how you want to experience the game.

Except you're not. The game doesn't force you to explore because you simply can't know everywhere you've been. You can miss small nooks and crannies by a whisker because of the crap map system which, again, is getting fixed in the upcoming DLC.

BotW is absolutely art (and I'm addicted to it), but it has so many issues that are just glaring.

 

[lvl99 Pixel]

The game doesn't force you to explore if you don't want to. In the end you're still in control of how you want to experience the game.

BOTW without exploration isnt very substantial, so yea you either like that aspect or the games going to be very short and disappointing.

 

[Moobabe]

My biggest issue with BotW was how stretched out and empty some of the world was.

I feel like half of my playtime was spent just walking from place to place with not a whole lot in between. I wish the world was a half of the size and everything was a bit closer together.

I don't understand this mentality at all, sorry. It's not just you, but I see this complaint a lot about open world games and the need for "content."

Who goes for a walk in the park and wonders why there isn't more "stuff" to do? Or goes on a hike and wishes everything was a little closer together?

BOTW is a game for explorers, not box tickers.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

I don't understand this mentality at all, sorry. It's not just you, but I see this complaint a lot about open world games and the need for "content."

Who goes for a walk in the park and wonders why there isn't more "stuff" to do? Or goes on a hike and wishes everything was a little closer together?

BOTW is a game for explorers, not box tickers.

People are going to tell you that a video game shouldn't try to mimic real life and should be as densely packed as possible.

Just know that I agree with you one hundred percent.

 

[Poppyseed]

I don't understand this mentality at all, sorry. It's not just you, but I see this complaint a lot about open world games and the need for "content."

Who goes for a walk in the park and wonders why there isn't more "stuff" to do? Or goes on a hike and wishes everything was a little closer together?

BOTW is a game for explorers, not box tickers.

Sometimes while playing BotW I wish you'd get one-shot by rogue Gorons. You know, something to mimic getting killed in real life randomly by a drive-by-shooter while minding your own business. Or maybe just having a random heart attack/Game Over from all that running and climbing. Hell, you shouldn't even be allowed to click the Continue button cause in real life that ain't never happening.

Let us love BotW for the reasons we do, but still find it imperfect for numerous others. Most of us play video games to escape real life.

 

[aravuus]

People are going to tell you that a video game shouldn't try to mimic real life [...]

And they wouldn't be wrong. It could also be argued that most people play video games and go on walks in the park for vastly different reasons - I know I do - which is why I think the analogy misses the mark by a country mile. But I'm not gonna start arguing about this.

I hope my inevitable replay will also knock my socks off. I enjoyed the game on Wii U, like it was a solid 7.5 or 8 out of ten for me, and I can appreciate the things it does very well, but there were just too many small design decisions I found frustrating, annoying or just unfun for me to ever consider it best of anything other than it being the most fun Zelda game overall.

It looks like the first dlc pack adds some neat quality of life stuff though, so I'm planning on buying the Switch version when all of the dlc is out.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

And they wouldn't be wrong. It could also be argued that most people play video games and go on walks in the park for vastly different reasons - I know I do - which is why I think the analogy misses the mark by a country mile. But I'm not gonna start arguing about this.

Good, because I'm not interested in arguing about it. We all have our preferences. I think for open world titles, creating an environment that's as believable as possible is a good thing. If you feel that a game should instead be as densely packed as possible, that's totally fair.

 

[Poppyseed]

And they wouldn't be wrong. It could also be argued that most people play video games and go on walks in the park for vastly different reasons - I know I do - which is why I think the analogy misses the mark by a country mile. But I'm not gonna start arguing about this.

I hope my inevitable replay will also knock my socks off. I enjoyed the game on Wii U, like it was a solid 7.5 or 8 out of ten for me, and I can appreciate the things it does very well, but there were just too many small design decisions I found frustrating, annoying or just unfun for me to ever consider it best of anything other than it being the most fun Zelda game overall.

It looks like the first dlc pack adds some neat quality of life stuff though, so I'm planning on buying the Switch version when all of the dlc is out.

So much of the first DLC pack seems like it should be free that it just rubs me the wrong way...

http://zelda.com/breath-of-the-wild/news/expansion-pass-dlc-pack-1-detailed/

 

[aravuus]

Good, because I'm not interested in arguing about it. We all have our preferences. I think for open world titles, creating an environment that's as believable as possible is a good thing. If you feel that a game should instead be as densely packed as possible, that's totally fair.

I don't really think in black and white like that, but yeah.

So much of the first DLC pack seems like it should be free that it just rubs me the wrong way...

http://zelda.com/breath-of-the-wild/news/expansion-pass-dlc-pack-1-detailed/

Heh, I actually saw what the first pack contains for the first time today and that's exactly what I thought. I'm pretty fast and loose with my money if I'm being honest, so I don't mind that much, but I hope the second (and last?) pack contains a bit more than just that.

 

[Yohane]

What Breath of the Wild can learn from Breath of the Wild

 

[Nessus]

If the next Mainline Zelda can combine the exploration/openness of BOTW and the amazing dungeons ala OoT, and then improve some minor things, it will be one of the GOAT games.

Man I would love that.

I also wouldn't mind if, in addition to a few LTTP/LA/TP-quality dungeons, they kept something like the Divine Beasts, but improved on them.

First make them part of the overworld, not a separate instance. And they should be like Hyrule Castle, something you can attempt at any point in the game without any prerequisite aside from being able to navigate them, but which are very difficult if you aren't powerful enough yet.

And there should be some kind of substantial reward for doing them. If the game insists on not giving the player meaningful, permanent weapons or new items, then at least some piece of unique armour with a unique status effect in every dungeon. Something that won't ever break and thus feel worthless.

Will be very interested to see what they do for the next entry.

 

[hiro_x]

The only thing I don't like is breakable weapons. I understand why they did it but I think having the ability to check the durability as well as to repair weapons is better.

 

[Hermii]

This seems like.....not the type of game to re-play.

I mean. There's enough to discover in the first play through that you likely missed stuff.

Depends on how thorough you were on your first playthrough. If you are not a completionist like OP there is likely a ton of stuff you missed.

 

[D.Lo]

The only thing I don't like is breakable weapons. I understand why they did it but I think having the ability to check the durability as well as to repair weapons is better.

The ability to see how worn out a weapon is would indeed have been a good addition. Sometimes you can't remember which Royal sword you have been using (swapped to wood for lightning etc) and want to 'finish one up' before moving to the next.

Depends on how thorough you were on your first playthrough. If you are not a completionist like OP there is likely a ton of stuff you missed.

Yeah I'm almost done with 120 Shrines and I think two separate playthroughs might have been more fun than one huge one. I can't see myself replaying this for a long time now.

 

[Ushojax]

BOTW laid down a fantastic foundation for the next round of Zelda titles. Now I want them to really flesh things out, with more dungeon-like areas, massive caves, more enemies and bosses, more everything.

Hopefully the DLC will give us a taste of the future.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Yes indeed. Imagine BotW with all the shrines still AND massive dungeons, at least 8 of them. I'd cream my panties.

I think all of the shrines should have been hidden like the one I just found behind a waterfall and then make stables and towns the fast travel points. I love the hidden shrines and I even feel like doing them right away. The ones in the open and obvious feel more checklist to me.

 

[butman]

It misses a strong story, traditional dungeons, enemy variety, music. Other than that, it does everything better than the others.

Please don't forget proper boss fights.

 

[Future]

One of the best games and open worlds of all time. Add classic Zelda dungeons to it and I'd have a hard time envisioning a better Zelda

 

[thechristoph]

I can't fathom that, but to each his own. I have a little more than 40 hours and about to be on the third. If I had some sort of way of knowing where I'd been to explore, I'd be much more inclined to find more shrines etc. *cough* DLC fix on the way /*cough*.

But since I don't, there's no skill involved in just aimlessly running around the map trying to find (read: happen upon with luck) shrines. I know some people like the exploration/wonder aspect, but I find too much of that a complete drag without some form of "direction."

Bold 1: I used the towers for this. I'd activate a tower in a given province and explore that province. If the tower was activated, then that was somewhere I'd been to explore. It worked for me; though admittedly I'm not going for a completion run. Just if I couldn't find any more or got sick of that area, I moved on.

Bold 2: That's valid. To me, the direction would be "hey, look at that mountain over there. I'm gonna climb it. Look at that bridge, I wonder what's under it. Look at that river, wonder what I'd find if I follow it." For many, that's direction enough. For many others, it's not. Cool.

I think all of the shrines should have been hidden like the one I just found behind a waterfall and then make stables and towns the fast travel points. I love the hidden shrines and I even feel like doing them right away. The ones in the open and obvious feel more checklist to me.

On a second playthrough, shrines out in the open tend to feel like Oblivion gates... Oblivion players will know what I mean.

 

[bobone]

It misses a strong story, traditional dungeons, enemy variety, music. Other than that, it does everything better than the others.

It certainly misses those things, and those happen to be my favorite features of Zelda games.
BotW didn't click with me the way Skyrim or Fallout or other open worlds did. I think the fragile weapons and repedative/pointless enemy encounters turned me off really quick to the combat. And the dungeons were very good, but there weren't enough, and the bosses were completely forgettable.

Bosses, dungeons and music made the Zelda games for me. So I really hope BotW is a one off and they go back to normal next time.

 

[Hubbl3]

I sank about 110 hours into my first playthrough of BotW and I'm now doing a second playthrough using the pro-HUD and I'm about 20 hours deep into that one. I still keep finding stuff I didn't see the first time around.

I freaking love this game, haha

 

[Kevin Shields]

I sank about 110 hours into my first playthrough of BotW and I'm now doing a second playthrough using the pro-HUD and I'm about 20 hours deep into that one. I still keep finding stuff I didn't see the first time around.

I freaking love this game, haha

How many shrines did you complete the first time? How did you feel about them? I'm not sure what to think about the shrines as they've had my biggest highs but also some are so run of the mill easy.

 

[Calamari41]

Nintendo probably listened to people bitching about Skyward Sword's lack of an overworld and its focus on dungeons, and then decided to give the big "classic" dungeons a back seat in Breath of the Wild in favor of spending their dev time making the overworld a work of art.

Tradeoffs are tradeoffs, but hopefully now with the engine in place they can bring back some classic style dungeons in a sequel while still having a special overworld.

 

[NSESN]

It certainly misses those things, and those happen to be my favorite features of Zelda games.
BotW didn't click with me the way Skyrim or Fallout or other open worlds did. I think the fragile weapons and repedative/pointless enemy encounters turned me off really quick to the combat. And the dungeons were very good, but there weren't enough, and the bosses were completely forgettable.

Bosses, dungeons and music made the Zelda games for me. So I really hope BotW is a one off and they go back to normal next time.

With the way Botw was received, both critically and in sales, it is the normal now.

 

[Shaanyboi]

It's so fucking good when you just do your own thing.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

So I really hope BotW is a one off and they go back to normal next time.

I can assure you BotW is the new normal. Though Nintendo will probably reintroduce some classic elements in the next game.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

I'm kind of interested in why people say the game misses a strong story. To me it didn't feel any worse than in previous games and it seems more like people missed a "guided narrative" type of storytelling more than anything.

If you collect all the memories you get a pretty clear picture of the story, the characters and what's going on in the past. From completing the guardian quests you get a clear picture of how those events have affected different races and the world, with Link because the "link" between the two timelines.

I actually really loved the story. I enjoyed Zelda's conflict between destiny vs her own desires, the King's growing concern/frustration over the threat of Ganon and how he took that out on Zelda, Link playing this silent guardian that she grows to care about, and each champions role in aiding the kingdom

 

[Kevin Shields]

I'm kind of interested in why people say the game misses a strong story. To me it didn't feel any worse than in previous games and it seems more like people missed a "guided narrative" type of storytelling more than anything.

If you collect all the memories you get a pretty clear picture of the story, the characters and what's going on in the past. From completing the guardian quests you get a clear picture of how those events have affected different races and the world, with Link because the "link" between the two timelines.

I actually really loved the story. I enjoyed Zelda's conflict between destiny vs her own desires, the King's growing concern/frustration over the threat of Ganon and how he took that out on Zelda, Link playing this silent guardian that she grows to care about, and each champions role in aiding the kingdom

I would say the story is about on par with most of the series. If there were better voice acting, I think the presentation would have helped service the story a lot as well.

 

[LotusHD]

I'm kind of interested in why people say the game misses a strong story. To me it didn't feel any worse than in previous games and it seems more like people missed a "guided narrative" type of storytelling more than anything.

If you collect all the memories you get a pretty clearpicture of the story, the characters and what's going on in the past. From completing the guardian quests you get a clear picture of how those events have affected different races and the world, with Link because the "link" between the two timelines.

I actually really loved the story. I enjoyed Zelda's conflict between destiny vs her own desires, the King's growing concern/frustration over the threat of Ganon and how he took that out on Zelda, Link playing this silent guardian that she grows to care about, and each champions role in aiding the kingdom

I didn't like it at all compared to the previous entries. Maybe it's also a little bit because of the guided thing, but yea, very disappointing. The memory thing wasn't as cool as I thought it'd be either.