Very positive first impressions so far. I've played for around 10 hours now.
Pros:
- This is hands down the best iteration of Hyrule that has ever existed in a 3D space. Every other 3D game pales in comparison, and looks like a bunch of segmented rooms with a theme rather than a believable world. All of the complex terrain, locations, and names that BotW has makes it very much like Xenoblade Chronicles X in the way that you buy this is a single, coherent world with little limitations.
- The exploration aspect in the best its been since the original game, no joke. No other game in the series has combined this type of freedom with such a vast explorable space, and the terrible habit that 3D Zelda had fallen into of guiding the player every step of the way is gone in favor of just doing what you want when you want. Again, very XCX in the way that I feel like I can do what I want without restriction.
- The shrines are a great replacement for the relatively small amount of dungeons (although I haven't even gotten to a dungeon yet because I've been so distracted filling out the map). I've had about two so far that have been a little difficult to crack, but I'm already noticing that there isn't a set solution for a lot of them - you can think outside the box and find a solution that maybe wasn't the "developer's intention". It leads to a much more satisfying feeling of accomplishment.
- I'm liking the upgrade system for hearts and stamina a lot more so far. It encourages you to go out of you way to find shrines, and makes sure that you don't B-line towards the end of the game without thinking because you'll probably get annihilated without the proper upgrades.
- It's about time we had a difficult Zelda game, one where the difficulty came from the game itself and not the player handicapping themselves with inferior hearts or equipment. I've already gotten in over my head a few times, and I'm not quite good at the combat yet to make up for the strength difference between Link and the monsters. That's where the difficulty should come from - just not being good enough yet, not arbitrary restriction.
- Really happy that we have so many options for clothing, weapons, shields, and things like that. It really gives you a sense of both the magnitude of the game and the freedom of choice that you as the player have when it comes to getting ready for a certain situation.
- Cooking is a fantastic addition to the series. I'm having a blast seeing what combinations yield what results, and its been my main method of getting rupees so far. It adds another strategic layer of preparation that's going to vary depending on the situation, which again, adds to the complexity of the game and the freedom the player has.
- I'm so happy the "Zelda tradition" of pretending like voice acting isn't a thing in games has finally been done away with. It was about time Zelda joined the rest of the gaming industry in the 21st century instead of being perpetually stuck in 1998.
Cons:
- I'm having a bit of a difficult time getting used to the controls for the Switch, which may just be a consequence of the system being brand new. I find myself bringing up the rune menu when I want to change weapons, or getting the jump button mixed up with something else. The default button layout isn't very intuitive, but hopefully this will improve the more time I spend with it.
- Combat seems like a step behind TP, surprisingly. The depth seems to come from the preparation for combat, both from an equipment/food perspective and a physical one when it comes to how you'll literally approach the enemy. The actual combat itself seems like it doesn't give me as much control as TP did, and I feel more helpless as a result. Maybe this was intentional to put more emphasis on the weapons, but it's really weird that I like TP combat more so far.
- Story seems to be lack-luster and lacking depth. Although this is Zelda, so it's not like I was expecting much to begin with.
- Still not sold on this graphical style, and I don't think I ever will be. Hopefully the next Zelda exclusively for Switch ditches this shaded over detail-less style for something more complex and engaging. There are some great landscape visuals, but everything up close (including the characters/creatures) just looks kind of sterile and plastic to me.
This could very well be my favorite Zelda game, and I already believe it to be the best in the series since Majora's Mask. We'll see if it keeps it up.
