Zelda BotW has a lot of hype, "best game ever" is thrown around a lot when talking about it. Not since OoT have we seen Zelda talked about in such terms.

For you personally, those who have played through it, does it live up to the hype? Was it a groundbreaking zelda game, a groundbreaking game in general? Did it do things that you feel no other game has? Is it high on your favorite games ever list? Did some things annoy you that made it not live up to the hype for you? Were some things not good enough for you?

What say you community?

Yes, top 3 game of all time

Nice, i like this answer rolstoppable. I must admit even though I got the game way back in Summer 2017 I only played it a few hours just cuz I didn't feel like launching into some like 100 hour game at the time! After watching it played a bit on Twitch the past few weeks I started getting really excited to start playing it. Just seeing all the different environments and how huge the map is and well just watching people explore got me excited for it.

But of course I've heard complaints about the lack of the standard zelda big dungeons, lack of enemy variety, weapons break way too quickly, the world not being filled enough to be interesting beyond just getting to explore it, and maybe cooking is kinda tedious (at least I felt it might be based on the bit of cooking I've done). I guess I've been assuming what you just put into words - that it was a groundbreaking and great game that did some truly amazing things, but has enough ways to improve that it won't be topping everyone's lists but it could lay the groundwork for significantly better Zelda's in the future that really take the open world game to a high art.

Yes, it did. Mainly because I didn't expect another Ocarina of Time. I expected something along the lines of Witcher 3 greatness, and I wasn't dissapointed. Ocarina of Time had certain advantages back in 1998 that perhaps no other game in the series (or in the medium itself) will ever posses.

The climate was different upon BotW's arrival and it still delivered in my eyes a 10/10 experience. It introduced certain mechanics to the open world genre that solved issues in previous open world games. It also featured the usually level of "Nintendo Polish" in a game whose world was perhaps larger than any open world seen previously, which made it a different more refined experience than other games in the genre (Skyrim to me remains an incredible experience but man was/is it buggy). It also moved the series past the established gameplay conventions (which Ocarina set) that had grown a bit stale in my view (Skyward Sword was the first Zelda game that didn't really hit all the notes with me) and into the modern open world era. It was the reason I got a Switch and I loved every hour of it.

Yup.

I think BotW lived up to the hype. While the critical acclaim, franchise record sales, and continuous talk about the game almost 3 years since it released speak for themselves, I can say, from my 100+ hours playing the game, that the game was/is a game changer. While its not the first open world game nor the one with the most original elements, its an open world game that really made discovery and adventure the heart of the game, With the concept of "open air," it allowed Link (and, in extension, the player) to explore the world of Hyrule in ways you probably could not have imagined back in previous Zelda games or in previous open world games. With other open world games, despite their acclaim, you could see there were some elements that held them back from being truly open world (i.e., the game giving you too many markers on a map, some areas you are restricted in going to beyond one way, etc.).

With the use of the hang-glider and the ability to climb walls, trees, etc., it allowed you to feel that you can get over almost any obstacle and discover areas and able to share it with others. No one can have the same story from their experience playing the game. I remember discovering the Lost Woods and the Master Sword for the first time as well as discovering places like Eventide Island or creating Tarrey Town through various quests. I also remember finding a dragon out of nowhere and finding my first 3* horse. Lots of great memories.

Of course, there are some issues and the game is not perfect. However, it creates an incredible template for future games. All in all, its an incredible game with a lot of leg room to get even better, which can be hard to believe. It shows why Zelda is an iconic franchise and it brought the Nintendo Switch to the forefront. Without BotW, would we see the Switch the way we do now?

Yes and then some!

Those first 20-30hrs or so are some of my most enjoyed gaming moments of all time.

For me, absolutely.

My expectations coming out of E3 2016 were intense excitement for a vibrant and dynamic world where an organic network of interactive elements would product an almost endless range of gameplay possibilities, and the game absolutely delivered on that.

It's my #3 game of all time.

It would've if a few technicalities didn't make it unplayable for me.

Very easily!

Funny you should bring up Ocarina of Time. That game didn't quite live up to my initial expectations given the "Zelda 64" advertisement that indicated a much larger and robust world than the one we got. BUT, Breath of the Wild is exactly the sort of game I expected Ocarina of Time to be.

In other words: Breath of the Wild, to me, is the fulfillment of what Ocarina of Time set out to do.

Not only the greater framework of the game is vastly improved, but it removed almost all of the annoying aspects of dungeons that have plagued 3D Zelda games from the beginning. Two issues that killed the fun-factor for me in all the 3D Zeldas were: poor pacing, puzzles that are really just about wandering around for 45 minutes+ to find a key or switch. Consequently, it's the first mainline Zelda game, since A Link to the Past, where I enjoyed the dungeons.

So, in a way, to me, Breath of the Wild is like the Super Mario Galaxy of the Zelda franchise, the game that finally got the 3D version right (although, IMO, Ocarina of Time did 3D Zelda better than Mario 64 did 3D Mario).