Just beat this game for the third time, all 120 shrines and armor upgrades, but not all the side quests or Korok seeds this time.
I maintain that the exploration in this game is absolutely fantastic, but that becomes a problem upon repeated playthroughs. The game is great, but the magic is in the discovery. Without anything new to see, the gameplay is still fun, but it feels a bit aimless. Link's previous adventures hold up sublimely to repetition, but BotW relies a bit more on novelty.
In every other main Zelda game, there's a feeling of escalation. With each dungeon, new item, or story beat, you come closer and closer to the epic climax. That is ultimately the most glaring ommission here. Unlike every other Zelda game besides the '86 original, BotW just gets easier and easier the longer you play it. And what awaits you when you finally decide to enter the Sanctum to defeat Ganon? Easily the weakest ending to any 3D entry in the series. The Ganon fight is as much of a disappointment today as it was in 2017. Like the rest of the bosses in this game, you just throw on Barbarian Armor, slap some Bomb Arrows into a Savage Lynel Bow, and it's over before you know it.
And those ending cutscenes... Man. It's a good thing we're getting a sequel someday, because there was no payoff to this adventure. There's so much to do in this game, but the stumbling anti-climax does sour the experience a little.
...ah, who am I kidding. I can nitpick and wish certain elements were better, but there's clearly a reason why I've put so much time into this game and can play it for 8 hours at a time. Breath of the Wild rules.
I'm excited for BotW 2, but I do kind of wish we were getting a new traditional 3D Zelda instead. I'm glad that I finished this playthrough the day before Skyward Sword HD came out! The contrast between these two VERY different Zelda games really emphasized what each of them excels at. Now all I want is proper dungeons in BotW 2!
I maintain that the exploration in this game is absolutely fantastic, but that becomes a problem upon repeated playthroughs. The game is great, but the magic is in the discovery. Without anything new to see, the gameplay is still fun, but it feels a bit aimless. Link's previous adventures hold up sublimely to repetition, but BotW relies a bit more on novelty.
In every other main Zelda game, there's a feeling of escalation. With each dungeon, new item, or story beat, you come closer and closer to the epic climax. That is ultimately the most glaring ommission here. Unlike every other Zelda game besides the '86 original, BotW just gets easier and easier the longer you play it. And what awaits you when you finally decide to enter the Sanctum to defeat Ganon? Easily the weakest ending to any 3D entry in the series. The Ganon fight is as much of a disappointment today as it was in 2017. Like the rest of the bosses in this game, you just throw on Barbarian Armor, slap some Bomb Arrows into a Savage Lynel Bow, and it's over before you know it.
And those ending cutscenes... Man. It's a good thing we're getting a sequel someday, because there was no payoff to this adventure. There's so much to do in this game, but the stumbling anti-climax does sour the experience a little.
...ah, who am I kidding. I can nitpick and wish certain elements were better, but there's clearly a reason why I've put so much time into this game and can play it for 8 hours at a time. Breath of the Wild rules.
I'm excited for BotW 2, but I do kind of wish we were getting a new traditional 3D Zelda instead. I'm glad that I finished this playthrough the day before Skyward Sword HD came out! The contrast between these two VERY different Zelda games really emphasized what each of them excels at. Now all I want is proper dungeons in BotW 2!