Am I having fun? Uhhhhhhhhhh.

Due to my 'burnt' experience with BOTW, I was extremely skeptical of any re-iterations of BOTW whether a straight sequel or the formula itself. But, I wanted to understand what can be monikered as 'the BOTW magic,' so I always intended to queue for Breath of the Wild 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Admittedly, it's nice seeing some disappointment from a wide array of people this time. Prior, I was in a minority so small it was a gag; imagine not liking BOTW! Whatever... I'm glad that, people are airing grievances they forgave in the first, realizing that they don't like this or that, any etc reasons for disgruntlement. Video game Schadenfreude...

So, the big memeable mechanic is Ultrahand, which addresses perhaps my most upset with BOTW; hated that I couldn't impact the world in any meaningful way, that all my solutions or impacts were temporary, to be erased when the game unloaded that area... now, there's an illusion of... tactility? Although it'll eventually disperse still, I can reuse the mecha. For example(s), multiple times I'd stumble upon an unpaired Korok. I'd build my NASA-knock off machine, and enroute (through clever world design) I'd discovery a battle, or Hudson's fanboy, or anything nearby I can drive towards... and once I'm finished with that, Goodwill NASA remains! The Korok's still lonely! Wheeeee!

In spades, the road - and roadtrip - is better, longer, more immersive. Without Guardians' anthills across the fields, the path well-traveled feels simultaneously secure and suspenseful. I have to rely on, I got a bad feeling about this, versus treading faaaaaaaaar awaaaaaaaay from the presumable zombies. Even midair, diving down from any particular high elevation; I take chances, to see if at this angle I'll see a new shrine, or a Stable, or a campfire, or, or, or, or-!

I dunno. It's a good timesink. I committed so little of BOTW's map to memory thanks to my aforementioned apathy; if I did care for it like most, would I now dislike this map? Odd situation; if I compliment it now, it's an insult to the original, and the vice versa...

But, if I am praising TOTK for ingenuity -

I don't like that your Zonai devices are disabled in shrines. Why? Cheese? Shouldn't players be rewarded for participating in the gachapon & individual creativity re: problemsolving, instead of punished for the easiness? Not everyone is going to understand, have fun, or care for every single puzzle; keeping them as a discouraged possibility is better than total denial. A lot of shrines would've been more fun, engaging, if I was allowed to solve with them the devices *I* felt were best appropriate. Something something, NakeyJakey Lego bucket vs. Lego set analogy, something something.

That's all I got so far. I arrived to this 'marathon' fashionably late, in this world of fast metabolism game release-intake, and I only just finished the Rito quest. I might tire of the journey soon... or I'll appreciate it further. Who knows.

Weeks later, I'm still reeling over IT2.

Prior to this, I couldn't fathom why it won 2021 GOTY. A simple-looking co-op game...? Really? Is the generic audience that lonely?

Uh! It! Totally deserves that GOTY! I was deceived by appearances, I wish I played this game months ago, I adore it to bits.

For hand problem relevancy - I had, few, near nonexistent, problems with grip and motor control. It was really nice and the only pain I got was emotional.