[...]I still think it's the series of games with the highest quality. It's just that the series started off as a sandbox game with no direction given to the player. ALTTP and OOT gave direction but still allowed for significant deviation within the main quest. Now Zelda games are closely tied to and dependent on the plot and allow for little deviation from the intended path through the game. Many people would disagree with me, but I think this is regrettable as I believe the sandbox/nonlinear style is the superior style for Zelda games[...]
Although I was half-joking with my comment about the Zelda series, MW7 speaks what I take as the truth. The ability to nearly do anything what you want, given by LoZ, ALttP and OoT (some say MM allows it as well; reverse bottle adventures I believe possible but I do not know for sure) has noticeably gone absent from recent titles, along with what I believe to be series mainstays such as the Boomerang (I mean it's usefulness), Magic Meter and well...ability to be different in story. What is the deal, Nintendo?
The plot like never changes between Zelda releases. The biggest change, and the only noticeable one at that, was with Majora's Mask. The story in MM was the best one since Ocarina of Time. I could continue to praise MM's story, but the point is, we've been tied down to complete the story which literally is the same plot since OoT, and there seems to be less and less to do with each new release. Don't get me wrong, the story is somewhat important to the game, but the freedom to do what we want I value a LOT more.
The console games after WW have been disappointing (TP and SS) due to what I feel has been really really poor story writing and too much linearity. I really wish Nintendo would give CHOICE back to the players, both in terms of what you can do IN the game as well as HOW you play the game. I think the series is going downhill and suffering from too much player restriction.
Sorry Xinn but I gotta quote this as well. It's no secret that the Zelda games have had the same story since TWW (the story started with ALttP I believe), and I do believe that the linearity of Zeldas has steadily been increasing since TWW.
I won't comment on the Boomerang. I just miss it's practical application in games like TWW and OoT.
The Magic Meter, it adds limitation to the series. I don't mean it stops the series from being awesome, I mean it stops the series from becoming incredibly dull. You all saw what happened with Skyward Sword: the Sword was the singlemost important item in the entire series. What happened to Fire, Ice and Light arrows? What happened to diversity in item usage? What happened to having to think beyond ammunition when in a battle? Nintendo, you're not even trying. I realize a company's existence is to gain money, but I'm not a noob to Zelda. I want challenge, and I want the Magic Meter because it provided me with challenge as well as great fun.
As I made a point before, the story seems to never change in the Zelda releases. They're following the same ol' plotline: Peaceful establishment, evil force, find stuffs out, dungeons, find out moar, forge something, undeniably WIN in the final boss. Where's the ambiguity? Where are the alternate scenes? Where are the unexpected events? I understand that Zelda has never really touched upon multiple endings and particularly sad events with the exception of Majora's Mask, but given that we do have an example of what Nintendo could do, why resort to the typical, annoyingly predictable "Hero Story" that we've played for the past 14+ games? Nintendo, please try harder.
I would mention Final Fantasy but not because it is in anyway bad (FFXIII was a great game, but felt a bit disappointing) but because they just don't feel like Final fantasy games any more, not since 10 imo. I also fall in the camp that really misses the world map, it was a feature of the games I absolutely loved.
XII felt like a Final Fantasy in an odd kinda way, with 13 it didn't feel quite as much. I feel like the switch to amazing graphics did it to Final Fantasy...now it's really just a brand title...no way, it's because the ATB gauge isn't the same anymore. In 12, it was just like an attack loader. We didn't "take turns" like in classical Final Fantasy. Same in 13. 11 and 14 were MMORPGs and I haven't played them.
Also, Sonic is still pretty good, mind you nothing in Sonic will ever be as good as the dreamcast era no matter how hard Sonic Team and SEGA try. And they have tried... REALLY hard.
I do not feel like Sonic Team and SEGA tried at all with the recent Sonic releases. Undoubtedly, they were rushed with Sonic 2006 because of fan demand for an HD Sonic. We saw how that turned out. Unleashed was another failure that they didn't try with. Colors was decent, though nowhere near the point of the Adventure series. Generations...I don't know what was wrong with Generations but I just didn't like it. I think it's the control scheme, IDK.
