synchronicity
Member
Zelda for me is the most curious of franchises. I'm deeply drawn to them on a certain level. There's a wonderful sense of (child like) adventure and innocence, an epic tone and atmosphere, iconic music, interesting puzzles and just a love and attention to detail that permeates those creations. And they are gameplay-first type of games, where the focal point is more on controller-in-hand than eyes-on-flashy-cut-scene. Great stuff.
On the other hand, I often find myself frustrated and annoyed with the games - even the ones I really love. There is something about Zelda that often puts me off. There is this navigational tediousness where you're blocked off at what feels like every turn sometimes, and you find yourself searching for that one single element - item/location/character interaction/hoop-to-jump-through - in order to progress. And this needle in a haystack could be anywhere in this large world, and so you find yourself wandering aimlessly at times. Let me make it clear that I'm no proponent of hand-holding. I generally love it when games leave you to your own devices. In some games I'll wander endlessly until I figure something out. But something about Zelda - at least for some entries - doesn't grab me in the right way, and I end up frustrated and missing the fun I want to feel. Granted, it's always satisfying to discover what blocked your way or solve that puzzle that leads you forward. But in the Zeldas I've played, the reward for progress often doesn't outweigh the frustration or tedium at points, and I find myself not wanting the hassle. It's, "Yay, I've unlocked this mystery. What's my great reward? Oh, a quarter of a heart container or Oh, some rupees." There's often a sense of deflation *attached* to your progression, and that leaves me a bit hollow in its anti-climax. I know there are benefits to these little things in the bigger picture, but I just struggle to get jazzed up about them, as they are so pervasive throughout the adventure(s). There are other elements that are very frustrating and fun-draining as well, like the item switching in Link's Awakening. (I didn't want to go into all the little annoyances I often find in this series.)
Even in the entries I love the most, there are incredibly tedious elements, like the Elegy of Emptiness usage in Majora's Mask. I guess the essence of my rambling is that I often love Zelda more in concept and presentation than in execution.
Full disclaimer. These are the Zelda's I've played:
The original
Link's Awakening (Game Boy)
The Minish Cap
Wind Waker
Majora's Mask
Breath of the Wild
I felt both Majora's Mask and Breath of the Wild were classics - albeit for different reasons. But the rest didn't reach that level for me. (even the original, as transformative as it felt, was more frustrating than fun imho.)
So yeah.
On the other hand, I often find myself frustrated and annoyed with the games - even the ones I really love. There is something about Zelda that often puts me off. There is this navigational tediousness where you're blocked off at what feels like every turn sometimes, and you find yourself searching for that one single element - item/location/character interaction/hoop-to-jump-through - in order to progress. And this needle in a haystack could be anywhere in this large world, and so you find yourself wandering aimlessly at times. Let me make it clear that I'm no proponent of hand-holding. I generally love it when games leave you to your own devices. In some games I'll wander endlessly until I figure something out. But something about Zelda - at least for some entries - doesn't grab me in the right way, and I end up frustrated and missing the fun I want to feel. Granted, it's always satisfying to discover what blocked your way or solve that puzzle that leads you forward. But in the Zeldas I've played, the reward for progress often doesn't outweigh the frustration or tedium at points, and I find myself not wanting the hassle. It's, "Yay, I've unlocked this mystery. What's my great reward? Oh, a quarter of a heart container or Oh, some rupees." There's often a sense of deflation *attached* to your progression, and that leaves me a bit hollow in its anti-climax. I know there are benefits to these little things in the bigger picture, but I just struggle to get jazzed up about them, as they are so pervasive throughout the adventure(s). There are other elements that are very frustrating and fun-draining as well, like the item switching in Link's Awakening. (I didn't want to go into all the little annoyances I often find in this series.)
Even in the entries I love the most, there are incredibly tedious elements, like the Elegy of Emptiness usage in Majora's Mask. I guess the essence of my rambling is that I often love Zelda more in concept and presentation than in execution.
Full disclaimer. These are the Zelda's I've played:
The original
Link's Awakening (Game Boy)
The Minish Cap
Wind Waker
Majora's Mask
Breath of the Wild
I felt both Majora's Mask and Breath of the Wild were classics - albeit for different reasons. But the rest didn't reach that level for me. (even the original, as transformative as it felt, was more frustrating than fun imho.)
So yeah.
