It's a game mechanic that is different, for each person. Example. Minecraft has a durability and food system. I don't find it annoying one bit. Why? Because it isn't fast, hounding you, or causing you to stop what you're working on. Zelda causes a lot of the issues, I hate. Weapons break from a fight, open a chest. Crap items. I either continue. Or waste my time, on a reload. Because, the game wasted my time, on a worthless fight. Finding diamonds is annoying as hell, in Minecraft. But, I find it more satisfying. Because the diamond armor, and weapons, last the longest. With Zelda. Things break in x amount of hits. Even the best weapons, break fast. So it's more often easier to find a cheese tactic. And stick to it. I don't bother to ugprade my hearts. Intil my Stamina bar is maxed. It's easier to just reload. Than to deal with the statmina limitations. That's not a good designed game. 

Another reason why this is a bigger problem. Is the same issue RE 0-3 fans. Have towards RE 4-6. BOTW changed thesystem. It wasn't gradual. It hit you. So the annoying item breaks, are hated more. Because people are like: This worked better the old way. Or I liked the item system, the old way. As for this being more "rewarding". I got that from past Zelda games, just fine. I loved unlocking the big goron sword. Was it useful? No. I ignored it. But, I have it. And it counts towards my 100%. How about adapt this logic, in real life. You own a 2001 digital camera. And get a 2017 one. The 2017 one breaks, after 5 uses. Are you happy to go back to the 2001 one, yes or no. Simple question.

No. What it really does. Is make you find the best exploit way, to beat the game. By avoiding fights. Looking at walkthrough's. So you know what to not bother with. All because you don't want to break your items. Or just rush threw the game. Because some, people aren't having fun. It doesn't encourage you to explore. It encourages you to go around.

The unique weapons are not bad. If you notice spears are like 30 at highest damage, and the unique is like 27 or something. The greatsword weapon is like 60 and that fits in line with high end greatswords. And so on. They aren't OP, but they are not underpowered.

I would not considering showing off a mechanic with a small textbox or animated video/image hand holding (assuming not even those things are shown on a new mechanic)

Also, that weapon would not be available so early IF NOT for the weapons being so frail. Otherwise, that would be a god-awful balance issue.

Yes. That's the thing. I don't find them balanced, because of that. They break too easily. I don't care about a single weapon I get. I just look at the number. And understand the basic weaknesses. Counter them. Move on. They're disposable items. I don't care about nothing. That's the problem. Makes Link less of a person. More of an managing item box.

You might not have had the gear scaled high enough for you yet, but as of right now (and there's some potential spoilers about weapons here so some may which to stop reading) I've completed all of the dungeons, received that gear and such, and don't bother carrying any of them. They are indeed remarkably weak compared to the stuff I come across at just about every camp, and while I tried to hang on to them just because it was neat I just didn't find it was worth it. I think the last thing to go was the Gerudo shield... unfortunately, it too just doesn't measure up.

Also, I had a number of these items long ago and even then they sucked. The only thing that's decent is the Master Sword, but yet again I generally have a whole assortment of 1h weapons that are superior as it's really only impressive against dungeon bosses and such where its damage doubles.

I'm not dismissing the criticism itself, I'm saying that it in no way deserves the kind of attention it's getting (to the point that a thread to condense all related threads had to be made).

Early on the clear criticism that likewise was probably receiving too much attention (though it also is a valid criticism) were the frame rates, and no one was bothered by the weapon durability enough to make an issue of it. Now, with (primarily) one well known reviewer voicing his disdain for the durability system (despite essentially admiting in the review that he must not have played very far as he couldn't speak to the durability of better late game weapons), suddenly the entire gaming community is discussing it and throwing words around like "lazy" without thinking through the implications of their complaints (that's one thing Sterling was particularly guilty of in his review on multiple occasions, especially in regards to any progression whatsoever and stamina).

I suppose it's to be expected as it's certainly not something that occurs only with games; I think to basketball where LeBron does impossible things night in and night out, and yet for his entire career people have been looking for flaws to label him with. Whenever we come across something that is essentially a masterpiece, it seems to be almost human nature to focus in on any negatives we can find.

I think these pictures can best explain my position on it:

Zelda: BotW and the Durability Issue
[Diamond with tiny scratch]

How Zelda BotW has been covered over the last couple of days:
[Diamond with tiny scratch with tons of arrows pointed to it]

Based on the discussions and threads I've been seeing, the above examples don't seem far off ;)

When you actually play through, weapons do have a fairly unique feel for a while.  When you initially find it, it's usually rare and awesome and you save it for when it's needed.  And that doesn't mean one battle, you can usually use a good weapon for several major battles.  And by then you are probably moving along to the point where a newer, better weapon is coming along.   When you factor in that in between those battles you've probably done a bunch of exploring, found a town, done a shrine trial or two and the pacing is pretty much perfect.  You have your favorite blade, its your baby for a period of time but then its time to move on to something new and special.  So bash it one more time until it explodes over a moblin's head and move on.  It's very well done.

But this is Zelda. There is only one real improtant weapon, and that is the Master Sword.  The very fact that as you said all the other items lose their identity makes the master sword that much more iconic in the game.

You don't want to make a game where the ultimate weapon becomes outshined by others. That always bugged me in RPG's where in the main story you get hinted at about this ultimate weapon, and it is the weapon that is on the coverart, or has huge story significance as the ultimate weapon, ect. Yet you can go to some optional dungeon or boss fight that gives you weapons that dwarf that one. Or do some colloseum fighting and get rewarded with some insane sword. WTF are these people doing with a weapon like that. Always worrying about like MMO problems of endgame or whateve ryou call it brings this about.

This Zelda solves that problem, by not having essentially an endgame. YOu start the game out wiht final quest. Head to Hyrule Castle, beat Ganon. It doesn't tell you to get master sword or anything else.  It's essentially engame the instant you leave the plateau. You can head to the final boss if you want, or start doing optional stuff to beef up, max out, 100% complete, whateve rou want to call it. You know basically the point you reach in a typical RPG where they say "NO turning back point" where you can head to fight final boss and beat game or go off and do all things you missed, side quests, optional bosses/dungeons, ect to power up, level up, explore world, 100%, ect. BotW is just basically in this endgame point the whoel game. And even heading to hyrule castle you can turn back whenever you want. I have a few times now gone and cleared out a few more rooms each time exploring, looting, reading, memories, ect. Not going to go see Ganon yet though.