This what finally clicked for me in the Zelda series. The exploration genuinely gave me a child-like sense of wonder. This didn't feel like a typical open world, where areas had clearly been handcrafted to exist for you to just stumble into, no matter their insignificance to the grander events at play.
Weapon degradation makes you go out of your way to constantly change up your load out, but is a double edged sword in that you just didn't really want to use any of your high level gear for fear of it breaking.
This game was a fantastic starting point for me; someone who was not actually a fan of the Zelda franchise. It has since made me revisit older games in the series with a greater appreciation.