mZuzek said:
I'm just going through a tough process of beginning to accept BotW isn't the best thing ever. It's hard to come to that after all the hype and excitement. It's just, funnily enough, not much of a replayable game to me. I don't ever feel like playing it anymore, because even though it's such a huge playground filled with things to do, I feel there's not much to do anymore. It's hard to explain, really, but I do feel more inclined to replay some of the more linear games, which is strange. |
I mean, I think it's a lot of things. The story isn't good or well told, the dungeons aren't good or expansive, and the enemy variety is lacking.
Most people don't like the original Zelda, but I still think it's one of the best Zelda's. I think what it get's right is that at it's core, it strikes the perfect balance between overworld and underworld. The overworld feels vast and inviting, while the underworld feels labyrinthine and claustrophobic. There are a lot of small reasons for this, but the biggest thing is that you're outside just long enough for you to want to be back in another dungeon, but you're inside just long enough for you to miss the outside that much. Every element in that game lends itself to making those opposites complementary.
Even with the issues I have with the overworld in BotW, it really does feel just as good to explore as the original Zelda, if not more so. It perfectly captures that spirit, but the shrines and Devine Beasts absolutely do now capture the underworld. Personally, I don't know that any 3D Zelda dungeon ever truly has, but at least all the others are time sinks. I think it's telling that shrine quests in the overworld like the Shrouded Shrine Quest or Eventide Island are the most well received shrines in the game; I think the game woulds have been served better to have way fewer quality quests like these dotted throughout the overworld instead of 120 small shrines. And all the left over effort could've been put towards making 8 super-massive, oppressive "traditional" dungeons instead.
Maybe this is just me, but dungeons should feel completely overwhelming and borderline unpleasant. With an open world Zelda, there should have also come even larger and more labyrinthine dungeons. Or hell, I'd even take more of the Puzzelda "temples" I often criticize if they were huge, but the Devine Beasts seriously failed to match the scale of the world, and I don't think there shouldn't been a story quest before each one to even be able to attempt them. I think dungeons should fill 50% of the gameplay loop in Zelda, and when you ignore the shrines (and I do), the Devine Beasts come nowhere near that.
I love BotW though - I genuinely didn't think Zelda would ever get that open again, and everything I complained about feels like they could be fixed in the many sequels this formula will spawn, so all and all, a monumental step forward for both the franchise and the medium. Very overrated, though.
