| etking said: The reason for a below 80 rating could be that it is not a Zelda game and does not play like one. According to earlier rumors there could also be a lack of story and content besides the 100 uninspiring mini dungeons. |
No offense, but how is it "Not a Zelda game". And how does it not PLAY like a Zelda game? Certaily seems to, on both counts.
The definition of what is or isn't a "Zelda game" is not so strictly defined. This game is harkening back to the more open approach of the original NES hit, where you can technically (almost) "go anywhere or do anything, if you feel like trying". The emphasis is on exploration of a huge land, over a linear dungeon to dungeon to dungone approach of games like Ocarina of Time. They are shaking up what many might argue is a "tired" (though classic) forula, by having you need to gather and cook food for hearts, instead of just collecting hearts. They're making you wear different clothes for different environments, such as cold-weather clothing for icy tundra so you don't freeze and take damage. That is something not even Skyrim does.
They're making it so that, for the first time ever, you're actually going to be able to (thank god) MANUALLY jump in a 3D Zelda game, which will not only affect the free-form climbing you'll be allowed to do all over the land, but it will undoutedly also open up a lot of avenues previously not available in areas like combat and puzzle-solving. There are said to be plenty of things to see and collect and interact with. Those "100 uninspiring mini-dungeons" as you put it, sound like most of them will be entirely optional (which is great), and it's already been confirme that there WILL still be a few large, more traditionally-styled Zelda type dungeons as well. Also, given that last trailer, it's highly doubtful there will be a "lack of story". I'm going to guess that in addition to some cut-scene and dialogue moments, that there might be some sort of "lore" system, similar to what a game like Metroid Prime 3 did, where you collected bits of lore that, if you CHOSE to look at it, gave you a lot of back-story to the game.
So really, I don't see how any of that seems to NOT be like Zelda. Zelda has been many things and taken many forms over the years. Zelda II was VERY unlike Zelda 1, as a difficult, almost strategy-based side-scrolling action game. But it's certainly still Zelda, you still roamed around the kingdom and explored. And roaming around and exploring seems, to me, to be the only true touchstone, aside from Link, that a Zelda game needs, to "be Zelda". If anything, I would say the argument can be made that this game is far MORE "like Zelda" than many other entries have been. It's truer in spirit to games like the original and ALttP. So I really don't see it getting scores lower than 90 from most outlets. There's always going to be people who shit on everything. But if this game comes close to living up to even half of it's potential, I'd say it's going to be a very strong "Game of the Year" candidate.
