Nice job ignoring the rest of that line.
Calling Dark Souls a fairly linear game is fucking ridiculous. It's almost completely open from the word go. Just because you can't run to the final boss after an hour of gameplay doesn't make the game linear. "A Mega Man game with a hub world" is like... what. I mean I don't even know how to respond to that besides saying I strongly disagree.
I don't understand how Dark Souls can get away with having a Drake Sword but a Zelda game, balanced properly of course, can't.
You're misrepresenting my point here. What is the benefit to a game like Breath of the Wild to "unlock" being able to hold onto weapons for more longer when the game so easily gives you plenty of weapons to hold onto and it's treated like a universally disposable element? Many of which can end up being better than the ones you have on you?
Of course a theoretical Zelda with a dexterity system wouldn't hand out weapons like candy the same way BOTW does.
Your second comparison is also flimsy, you can play just fine without needing any clothing that protects you from heat/cold by cooking elixirs and food that raise your resistance. Even when you don't have the ability to induce it passively, you can still induce it actively, and that's smart design that allows players to bypass issues, mainly because none of it is actively given to you in the sheer abundance that weapons are. The elements that are in Breath of the Wild encourage something of an immediate-if-earned inclusion which I think would be at odds tremendously if beating a dungeon would let you "carry higher tiered weapons" or something like that - which is the main thing I took issue with since that is even more prohibitive than the actual game's systems.
You are missing the point. With cold/hot, you are being prohibited from exploring the map until you do SOMETHING to get around the issue. The very same game that lets you go straight to the final boss from near the start of the game... doesn't let you scale a mountain because it's too cold? Unless you eat specific foods or wear specific clothes? It's just another of many small annoyances in the game that I just have a hard time understanding the reasoning behind.
You'd also be able to play the entire game just fine with a dexterity system, which, like the hearts/stamina system, could be ignored if you want. Not prohibitive in the slightest, certainly no more than "find the right food/tunic to brave this cold temperature."
I'm trying to find a system that can make weapons feel earned again. You beat a dungeon, and oh shit, now there's a bunch of new weapons to use, learn and experiment with. Each weapon has their own unique quirks and differences, which encourages you to use them, instead of having them be nothing more than disposable crap you keep cycling through. You might have a 1 handed level 1 sword, but now you found a 2 handed level 2 sword. Even if you prefer the 1 handed sword, do you really want to trek foward with the weaker weapon, or learn a new style of combat with the more powerful weapon? Or keep exploring until you find that 1 handed level 2 sword? It's entirely up to you! Now that part of the map overrun with OP enemies is a little more tolerable. A sense of progression and difficulty curve, while still leaving the game entirely open and free to explore. No raiding Ganon's castle at the beginning of the game, grabbing a bunch of 50+ weapons and wrecking bosses with those.