😲 I've been saving them because I thought they were to precious to waste. I feel like a fool!

Just a heads up many of what you mention here is actually new and exclusive to BOTW in the series lol prior games were great but were effectively dungeon crawlers great games but dungeon crawlers non the less. You may find it hard to player other Zelda games after BOTW as the only game with any vague similarities is the original.

On the game itself it can be one that can take some getting into for it to click as you've found it happen for yourself, I feel for you to get even more out of BOTW you should look up some tricks the game has to give you an idea of just what you can do with the game's freedom one good player to look up is Peco (will link his channel below). Play around with any tricks you see or experiment to see what suits how you want to play personally.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiHRLXRO262KdNSW_GcJVog

You can get replacements from where you were given but I think they require a certain gem to create.

Huh, that's weird, I must have been misremembering, it has been a long time since I finished BOTW.

But anyway, to the OP, yeah don't feel like they're one-off weapons that are gone for good once broken. In fact, you'll enjoy BOTW best if you're not afraid of using any weapon, hoarding them forever serves no purpose. Just use them, you'll always find replacements that are as good or better.

I think all of your concerns are legitimate. I shared many of those when I first played the game. It took me several hours, at least, to go into it. So I'd keep rolling for a while.

It is tough sometimes going from PS and XB to Nintendo games with their often unorthodox control schemes. I've never liked that. But, like anything else, you get used to it after a while, and it feels normal.

anyway, like I said, I shared all of those concerns when I first started playing the game. But, I found it to be one of the most enjoyable games of my lifetime. So, I suggest you give it several more hours before you give up on it.

With all that said, not every game is right for every gamer.

You definitely need gems to replace them I remember that part as I recall replacing one and it required a diamond.

It's worth noting that unlike weapons and shields, armor does not degrade. The soldier's set nets you the best defense and is fairly easy to get from relatively early in the game; it's a little expensive, but worth it.

As far as investing spirit orbs and Korok seeds go, I built up hearts first, then got myself to two full wheels of stamina, then poured everything after that into more hearts. Korok seeds I invested mostly into melee slots as those are by far the most useful.

Once you reach the point of being able to upgrade your Shiekah slate powers i'd recommend powering up Stasis; this allows you to freeze enemies which can be a lifesaver in combat.

A large portion of the game's appeal is discovery. Thinking, "I wonder if this will work" and being in absolute disbelief when your crazy idea actually pays off. The feeling of uncertainty and the wonder of seeing something new.

While playing, if you see something that catches your eye, go there. You might be surprised by what you find. You see a place you've never been? Go there. You may find something useful. Even a hundred plus hours later, you'll still be discovering new things--IF you trust yourself as a gamer. And you'll marvel at how good you've become with your skills. The same stuff you do at the end of the game will be the same things you had the ability to do at the end of the game (minus a few gifts). You just didn't know you could do them.

And that's the magic of this game. We all want you to have the joy that we had back when we played it but, by telling you too much, we may be robbing you of that sense of discovery.

Breath of the wild till this day is my favorite game of all time and a major inspiration in my life.

It’s funny because it’s the second zelda game that I’ve played. First one being phantom hourglass and I couldn’t even finish that one. Stuck in the one of the temples when I was young and I just gave up lol. I’m just not interested in zelda games until this one. It changed me for the better PeriodT.

I never hoard weapons in the game. They are literally just ammo. I just used whatever was available.

It adds so much flavor and spontaneity to gameplay.