Veknoid_Outcast said:
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. |
Anytime someone tries to downplay Zelda as something now new, or revolutionary, I always like the comparison video between BotW and Horizon. (this happens due to them being both released at same time, but can be replaced with 90% of other open world games)
The video showcases many of the same things happening in both worlds and how it's much more immersive in the Zelda world.
1. Link and Aloy swimming in a lake. In Zelda, the water ripples realistically, and fish move away, ect. It Horizon, the water does nothing and you clip through fish.
2. Walking through grass. Same thing basically. Most of the grass in horizon is static and doesn't realistically move away.
3. Shooting arrows. There is arc and physics involved in Zelda arrows, in Horizon it shoots like a bullet and will go in a perfect line forever.
4. Throw stuff in BotW, physics makes it roll down to where it should. Throw a rock in horizon and it sticks ot say a cliff wall like it has glue on it.
4. Link can climb anything, Aloy can be stumped by a 1 foot rock ledge at times.
Ect.
All may be small minor things, but each little thing can slowly take a person out of the world being 'real' I mean especially the last one I listed. How many times playing an open world game do you find yourself swearing when you can't cross some minor ledge that is total bullshit. Or where you try and get to an area by cheating the games mechanics by jumping backwards or at angles, ect ot try and get over that little hill that you should be able to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVPXKdSEGNQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEGWtyJAkO0
Then you have the biggest, yet smallest change imo. The shiekah towers vs other open world games towers. Same logic, climb big tower, get view, know world map. The smallest difference, yet biggest difference is in most open world games when you do said thing it then immediately clutters your map with points of interests and tasks to do. Even the most recent spiderman does this. Grab a police tower thing and bam, your map just gave you a list of a dozen missions you can do, backpacks, poi, ect.
Zelda on the other hand, just fills in map with a classic map look. Elevation, rivers, ect. That's it. It's still 100% up to you to go and explore what you see on the screen versus chasing an icon on a map. The map only adds icon to the map if you add them yourself, or after you discover something like a shrine. It brings you more into the game, cause you are exploring yourself versus chasing then next icon.
