I finally got the paraglider thingy and was going to do some major exploring but it was like 3 in the morning and I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. It's hard to put my experience into words at the moment because I'm really enjoying it a lot, but kind of at "great game" levels and not "ONE OF THE BEST GAMES EVAR" levels or even necessarily up with my absolute favorite Zelda games, but since the game is getting ONE OF THE BEST GAMES EVAR level review scores and most everyone here seems to feel that way, it feels a bit like I'm missing something here. With that said I know I've still barely scratched the surface so I'm just going to keep playing and see what happens.

One thing I know that I feel as a lack is not having any big dungeons so far. Dungeons are pretty much my favorite part of Zelda games! The whole explore / get keys / open new parts / get new item / open even more new parts / fight boss loop... maybe people are sick of that but I still love it! The trials have all been good so far but they're pretty short / linear.

With that said it certainly has the best "overworld" in a Zelda game in like... ever? When I say that Ocarina of Time disappointed me a bit way back in the N64 days, a large part of that is that I had this idea in my mind of an overworld more like original Zelda / Link to the Past where there were many ways to get from point A to point B on the map, but instead what we got was just a hub with rather linear spokes coming out to nearly contained areas without much substantial connection between them. I certainly wasn't expecting anything as big as Breath of the Wild back in the N64 days, but I had this picture in my mind that Ocarina of Time just didn't live up to, and frankly, no Zelda game since has either (though Twilight Princess' overworld came close.) But this overworld... so far I'd say this pretty much surpasses those expectations in one big leap.

Breath of the Wild also adds all of this new stuff that I never really associated with Zelda, but are definitely great additions. For the first time in like... forever in a Zelda game... when I see a group of enemies I stop and look around and try to determine how best to approach the fight. The combination of enemies actually being sort of tough with stealth gameplay with a whole variety of items and weapons and environmental advantages you can use in interesting ways makes it so just rushing in button mashing is probably not the best plan in most cases. It actually feels a tad bit like Dark Souls (OH NO I MADE THE FORBIDDEN COMPARISON) in this regard since that game sort of pushes you to analyze and be cautious in battles too, though Zelda is not quite as unforgiving, and Dark Souls has no real stealth to it, so... bad comparison? Maybe it feels a bit like Metal Gear Solid as well, in that you try to be a bit stealthy at first but once your cover is blown you can still just go all out action and pull it off. Still I like that Zelda now pushes you to get smart and creative with how you take out enemies, even back when the series was hard (basically the original Zelda) there was still usually just one way to approach your fighting, it didn't require much thinking just skill. Now you need both.

I guess I'll just have to see if the many smaller "dungeons" can make up for the lack of many big ones for me. My mind is still like "shouldn't X be happening at this point?" and I need to get used to the fact that this is a very different type of Zelda game. When I think about it, Majora's Mask ended up one of my favorite Zelda games despite not really being about the dungeons, but I think the lack of quantity / more polished dungeons also kept it from the absolute top of the Zelda pack for me too so... WE'LL SEE.

@Zero

I wasn't immediately blown away by BotW, but once I got to the part you're currently at (a few hours in, right after getting the Paraglider), the game just got better and better and better and better...and better...and better...

It's not necessarily that there's some singular magical event happening like Wind Waker's mid-game trip to sunken Hyrule or something (although for all I know, there could be some stuff coming up on that level, I'm still early on), but it's really just the world becoming more and more immersive and inviting as you play it. There are distractions everywhere and as you learn the tools of your trade and get better with the (pretty involved) controls, it becomes clear that this is a game with a zillion things to do in it, and almost all of them are fun or memorable.

As for your question about "real" dungeons, apparently there a few in the game although they come a little later and play out slightly differently than in past Zeldas. But there's more than the shrines. Regarding the shrines, I've found that they have gotten significantly trickier as I play further. There was a particularly difficult puzzle I recently did and I felt pretty great when I figured out how to get the optional chest there.

I've put in about a dozen hours so far. BotW is constantly surprising and rewarding to play--I'd call this the ultimate adventure, but it's really more a collection of hundreds of adventures. Just last night, for instance, (and I'll try to keep it fairly vague) I followed a sidequest's enjoyably cryptic hints through a forest next to a river. In the forest, a saw a (new animal type) that promptly attacked me! I decided to charge it, and the game actually let me mount and tame it, so I was wandering about the woods on the back of this creature for a while, feeling like a BA. Then I ended up eventually finishing the sidequest by coming across the secret cavern where I found some lost treasure. Then on my way back, a massive monster was just roaming the woods and absolutely crushed me. This is just one example of dozens of the game letting the player forge their own path and make their own stories through non-scripted events. It's really impressive!

@Zero

I was kinda feeling the same way you are at the same point you are at, but last night changed all of that. Part of it is that the content has gotten better and better from that point, but I also experienced a moment of that "something" that's hard to describe, but it's that feeling when you know you're playing something special.

I don't want to jump the gun, but I am so far having more fun with this game than even Wind Waker.

So... I dunno, this may be a new era of Zelda-appreciation for me.

VofEscaflowne said:

Avoiding reading much in this thread cause really want to experience and discover things at my pace but yeah, all I have to add as well is wow.

Same, I might skim this thread now and then, but I kinda want to take this game at my own pace and junk.

But yeah, this is a lot of fun. Just got the glider. The world is my oyster now.

Just downloaded this for Wii U after much studying of the two versions.
Excited to maybe start this game tonight - ignoring the dreaded backlog for now

Zero said:

Breath of the Wild also adds all of this new stuff that I never really associated with Zelda, but are definitely great additions. For the first time in like... forever in a Zelda game... when I see a group of enemies I stop and look around and try to determine how best to approach the fight. The combination of enemies actually being sort of tough with stealth gameplay with a whole variety of items and weapons and environmental advantages you can use in interesting ways makes it so just rushing in button mashing is probably not the best plan in most cases.

That's a great point, and I totally agree. Spotting a group of enemies now feels completely different. You check out the landscape, look for environmental help, etc. It's great!

I'm getting sick and tired of the fall damage in this game. Link falls like 15 feet and dies. What a wimp. I know there's the paraglider and all, but it uses stamina just like climbing and stuff, so not always reliable... On that note, I'm not finding exploring to be very fun at the moment. There are way too many things that just outright kill Link. I feel like this is the kind of game that gets better as it goes, and I certainly hope that's the case, and also hope that point isn't like 30 hours from now.

On the other hand, I found a mop as a weapon. That's the one thing missing from Ocarina of Time.

10/10

EDIT: Aaaaaand Link just got struck my lightning. This game is hilarious and stupid at the same time.

@Mop it up

Even if your stamina is depleted you can time the glider right before you land to avoid fall damage.

@Mop it up

Were you high up in the mountains when you got struck by lightning?

@Mop it up
@DrFinkelstein

Metal equipment will arc and draw a lightning strike during storms. If you see it start to flicker lightning will strike. You can also use this to your advantage by tossing something metal near enemies. If you're just exploring choose something non-metallic (you can see in your inventory what will arc) or just unequip until the storm passes.

@DrFinkelstein Nah, it was a trail somewhere or something.

A few hours later and I'm still not particularly enjoying this game. It's worth noting that I don't play or particularly care for open-world games, but I was hoping being Zelda would help things. This game could very well be better than other open-world games, I wouldn't know (though many sites tend to give out 10s like candy to open-world games), but for me, it's falling into a lot of the same trappings that turn me away from the genre.

@Mop it up

Well if you don't like Tuna Sandwiches, the Zelda lunchbox won't make it any better I suppose. I hope you can find more enjoyment from this game since you own it now.

@DrFinkelstein Mmm, tuna... Well it isn't like I think it's a bad game or anything, hee hee. I do enjoy the combat options as mentioned in posts above. I think it'll get better soon, I should be strong enough so that everything isn't a one-hit kill... unless they keep ramping up enemies to make everything a one-hit kill...

I'm at a point now where, unless I'm missing something, there are several places to go and no indication which one would be best to start with. For anyone past this point (if anyone is yet,) any advice? Here's the part I mean: Impa marked on the map the four races with the four guardians. There's also the option of finding more of the picture spots, though I don't recognise most of them. Are any of these choices an easier route?

@Mop it up

You can do anything in any order you like but some will just be easier than others. I think that the Zora one is the easiest so far.

@Mop it up

I've only done the Rito one with the bird mech. It wasn't too hard with 4 hearts, as they give you pretty much everything you need. And the reward is a huge boon. actually, I happened upon that main story quest without having it pointed out in the map for me. That was awesome, and it makes me want to do the same with the other story quests.

Ha, I thought I nearly got struck by lightning last night but I wasn't sure if Link could actually be struck. That's awesome that it can happen like that, haha.

@Stephen I figured you could do them in any order (and probably some other stuff not marked), I was asking which was easier. I think I tried heading towards that one and there were a buncha Guardians everywhere, but maybe there's an easier way around.

@Stephen Also I forgot to respond to this, but yeah, it happened when I was fighting a group I hadn't seen before, so I thought it was an indication that one of them was targeting me with some sort of attack and I should take cover or defeat them quickly. Looks like that wasn't the case, hee hee.

Mop it up said:

IOn the other hand, I found a mop as a weapon. That's the one thing missing from Ocarina of Time.

Haha, I found that and thought of you.

Game is great and all don't get me wrong but is anyone finding it just a tad...overwhelming? Like there's so much stuff I feel like I'm skipping so many things I could be exploring! I went haring off to some other village on the way to Kakariko and spent a couple of hours mucking about down that way.

I have images of Miyamoto trapped in a phonebox, surrounded by a mob of angry Zelda fans. "I need the biggest open world you have!...No that's too big."

Nearly every moment of this game, wow.