Guessed by @drbunnig
Well, last year I raved on about how nothing could compare to the experience of exploring this Hyrule for the first time, and... yeah, I was right. Not even the sequel recaptured that first time magic. And in doing so, I think it hurt my opinion of Breath of the Wild a tiny bit, but only a tiny bit. I'll always cherish this game for the masterpiece it was, for how it revolutionized open-world games and how it revolutionized the Zelda series (albeit I'm no longer confident about this new direction). It revolutionized the way I approached a video game.
I think what blew me away the most in Breath of the Wild, and this is probably the same for most people, is just how natural it felt. If you think you can do something, usually you can. Whenever faced with a problem, whatever organic solution your head comes up with probably works in the game too. This game was all about finding these little interactions, creative problem-solving. Going into the freezing mountains holding a lit torch. Using the shade to get through the heat of the desert. Cutting down a tree to bridge a gap. Feeding a dog and seeing it dig up things for you. Being attacked by a bear, or giving it fish and riding it. These were the moments that were at the heart of Breath of the Wild's experience, and sadly, the developers seemed to forget that because its sequel didn't improve on these kinds of organic interactions, instead focusing on the very not-organic "powers" they give you. Basically, they missed the whole point of their masterpiece. But that's what Breath of the Wild is, isn't it? A masterpiece. And it'll always be.
