Honestly - nah. BotW got so much exposure cause it has Zelda coat of paint and all of the sudden people forget (or just don't know) that there are much better "fuck around" games for that -  Just Cause being prime example, being much, much better in that regard.

I can understand why Nintendo decided to take, what is generally, mass-market open-world approach to Zelda, that is after what sells these days, but there are different open-world games they should've taken notes from, which would much better suit exploration + puzzles formula - this way we got "fuck around" in mostly empty world + light, slapped on puzzles with no memorable dungeons/shrines.

But most of all - that 3D Zelda feel is just completely absent from game all together - well, at least for me.

Edit: you know what? That was snarky and uncalled for. My apologies.

Check out some cool Zelda prints from artist Tom Garden:

Source

I know, right? 

Seriously though, a lot of people, including mainstream gaming media, have gone quite silly with all the praise - and as someone who is both Zelda fan and who have played a shitton of open-world games in my 45+ years, I really can't see anything particularly exceptional or new in BotW's approach - yeah it's fun to fool around for a bit, but underneath all that, it's fairly shallow, repetitive and derivative game that, at least in my opinion, lacks so many things to be anywhere near considered the game that sets any standards.

Then again, some "professional" gaming media, like EG, refer to upcoming AC: Odyssey Exploration mode as "BotW" mode - honestly, as if clueless toddlers who never played anything older than 10 years are working there - so I guess, for some, it does sets some standards...for me, it's just - nah.

I wouldn't be so quick to label those who hold BotW aloft as either ignorant or inattentive. I think you can make a solid case for its exceptional qualities as an open-world experience.

I too have absorbed a great deal of Zelda titles and open-world games, and I am confident that it's the best of both categories.

There's nothing in BotW that's unique per se, but the way in which it folds together several different physical, chemical, mechanical, and general gameplay systems is extraordinary.

Think of the ways the player interacts with the game environment. Yes, there are the usual open-world staples, like the ability to delay the main quest and experiment with the surrounding sandbox, but there are also scores of intentional and unintentional gameplay scenarios created by realistic weather, complex artificial intelligence, chemical reactions, physical reactions, and Link's rune abilities -- magnesis, stasis, cryonis. Not only can Link change the environment around him, by interacting with flora, fauna, and inanimate objects (each of which has its own chemical and physical reactions), but he can stop the flow of time, freeze water, and manipulate metal objects. He can electrocute enemies in a lightning storm by throwing a metal sword into the fray. He can trick a Moblin into striking a Cuckoo, which will summon a vengeful swarm. He can use a leaf to propel a sailboat. 

Then there's the spatial freedom allowed by climbing, which is informed by friction/stamina and weather systems; and improvisational combat, dependent on weapon fragility/durability; and food preparation, which opens up many new avenues for experimentation.

I haven't encountered a game that unpacks all these different ideas and mechanics as masterfully as Breath of the Wild.

I've played a tonne of open world games across 30 years now not one has the level of freedom BOTW allows, the fact that players can go out and do an array of things such as build an airship by playing with mechanics highlights what it brings to open world games its put a new spin on sandbox mechanics.

Show me another open world game where you can do this

The deer part is cruel Poor deer

Take your time Link the Princess has only been in battle for 100 years.

Beautiful. I like those temples a lot, especially the forest one.