Wyrdness said:
Quite the opposite actually BOTW is true to the original hence why it uses the original as a template and the fact that the development team agree that the free open adventuring aspect was what was the core appeal highlights this key mechanics weren't ditched in BOTW other mechanics were focused on/added/expanded on instead and for the better what you think is the DNA of Zelda was only ever part of it that appeal mainly to players like yourself now the whole DNA of Zelda if focused on. Comparing Ultima to Zelda is like comparing old hack and slash titles to the first DMC as while the former were using the concept already the latter's execution was far more advance and game changing in going forward. |
Development team could've said whatever they liked, games speak for themselves - both exploration and gated-item progression are key features of original Zelda DNA, BotW has only one of those. If they wished, they could've made the game that is actually true to original and add some of the new mechanisms, they just chose not to.
As I said, we'll never see eye to eye on BotW - I'm quite critical even toward games I like way, way more than any Zelda game, let alone BotW, you seem to be...well, very protective, to put it mildly, about BotW.
I wanted to write something about your remark about Ultima, what is arguably THE most influential video game IP of all times (if you know anything at all about VG history), but I'll just leave it at "No comment".