Or I can just state my preference and hope for the best, thanks for the useless advice though :)

As a series that's prided itself on reinvention, I expect the next game to surprise us and not just be more TOTK with endless fusing and constant menu navigation during puzzles

But that same point is also why I think a real modern remake of OOT is really valuable. I hope it's real and updates the mechanics within reason why still respecting the tone and pacing that comes from more linear gameplay & level design

You talk about reinvention as if the series never had a base template as a reference, in the modern era that is now BOTW, I'd rather another TOTK than any of the older games far more depth in gameplay instead of so called intricate items that become useless outside of their dungeon.

I'm salty about Pokopia haha. I was sold on the game and preordered it as soon as preorders opened, but due to financial circumstances, I had to cut back on my gaming expenses, and since Resident Evil 9 and Fatal Frame 2 are coming out soon too, I decided to cut Pokopia out after a lot of consideration. Then THE VERY NEXT DAY, the internet, which has been quiet about Pokopia for months, started spamming articles and posts day after day about how Pokopia is better than sex actually.
Yes I could preorder it again and cut out something else, but now I don't wanna, I hold grudges for silly things lol

February is stacked leading to a knock on effect for March.

I hope it's good, but I don't know if I'll have the patience to play a FromSoftware game.

Cute nostalgic ad from Nintendo of Australia for Mario Galaxy 1+2

Fortunately the route ahead is not black or white.

Skills in TOTK  like Ascend essentially function as "intricate items" yet have lots of cool puzzle solving application, they don't have to become useless. I would like complex skillsets married to the old games romanticism around cherished, less disposable items.

The patent, speaking on fusing 3 items together, just sounds exhaustive and even more likely to breathe more hotchpotch, disposable equipment from endless loot with no history, design or lasting impressions.

But each to their own.

Fusion is the best ability the series has ever had period it's not even close as it gives every item a valid use, it not just creates a resource framework it gives the player customization of weapons, items and shields to their liking from Ice Boomerangs to homing arrows to even smoke bomb shields that blind enemy groups if struck, the player creates their own legendary items. The ability is far more intricate than any item that the series has had by an immense margin and that's not even debatable so the ability making a return and being expanded on is not a surprise as it's the type of mechanic that can carry an entire game by itself.