Basically alot of the stuff I criticized prior to playing it still applies, along with new criticism.
But I have praises to say.
This game in terms of freedom is the most open world-y game I have ever played, They were right when they said you can go to the final boss and kill him now at the start.
I just like how fully realized Hyrule looked. The vastness and the sheer draw distance, like you can see the robot dungeons moving from a distance its scary. And alot of moments in this game is scary aswell, when the Blood Moon rises, the Thunderstorms, and those moments of utter darkness. And the GRASS, SO MUCH BEAUTIFUL LOOKING GRASS!!!
I love how Link controls and feels here, and that he can use a whole bunch of weapons and gear, and no gimmicky items like the ones scene in Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. And cooking is also a fun thing to do.
Combat is actually challenging...if a bit too much. I mean is it fair that you have a total of twenty hearts and giant monster can chip away ten of it?
But that's all I have to say about the good because really I have alot of bad to say.
Getting this out of the way, the music sucks, mostly at least for there are decent tunes but jeez what a horrible mistake it was to have this constant minimalistic score. This pitiful piano music playing in the background, I mean Shadow of the Colossus did it better.
Then we have the whole theme of this game's Hyrule and I hate it. This stupid pseudo sci fi esque machine that are all over the place, the Divine Beasts, the Robot Guardians, the Towers, the Shrines, I hate the designs and look of these things becaues it just doesn't feel like Zelda to me. And it would not be so bad if it wasn't so recycled constantly. I enjoy the Open World more than being in these places. I mean is it too much to ask to have a Normal Zelda game that looks like Ocarina of Time anymore? And the fact that all the dungeons are the same hurts it more. I get they don't want to do another "Forest Dungeon, Fire Dungeon, and Water Dungeon" but at least they all felt distinct and unique. The Forest Temple in Ocarina of Time is nothing like the one in Twilight Princess.
In regards to the Open World, I am a bit dissapointed of no bigger settlements like cities, I mean I just wish for a place like Clock Town in this game at least. Zora's Domain, and Gerudo Town was fine though.
Then I go to the plot and I have very mixed feelings on this. Its interesting seeing a Zelda game finally voiced, but the performane here is a mixed bag. The King sounds too young and not regal enough, should have used a Shakespearen British Actor to play a King. And Zelda sounds too foppish. But really the biggest issue is not giving Link a voice because seeing these cutscenes and these characters talking to him and him being completely silent is really bad. Especially the ending where Zelda ask if he remembers her, and Link is just standing there staring at her and saying absolutely nothing in response.
And also what the fuck have they done to Ganon in this game? What happened to the Great King of Evil that hailed from the Desert? This Calamity Ganon is stupid, its just some unexplainable force that exists, Yes I know that apperently Ganon just "gave up" and let loose his rage and spirit and became this force because of his constant defeats. But at this point you dehumanize Ganon, whether he's a pig man or the king of the Gerudos, he was a person, a character. The best Ganon we had by far was the one in Wind Waker, because of his persoanlity and history. I feel something when he gave his speech at the climax. Here I feel nothing, just some weird and unexplainable force that exists because its evil.
And last but not least, the Cel-Shading style. And its more than just the fact that its Cel-Shedad. It extends to art style. Like for one most of the common monsters here look too goofy. The Bokoblins, Moblins, Lizafoes, Hinox, Chu-Chus, and Bats. Its says alot that the only thing intimdating in this game is the Lynels. And I just feel this was done to appease the annoying Wind Waker fans that loves Cel Shading so much because "it ages better" dude have you seen Skyward Sword? Link's eyebrows in that game looks so low-res and poorly textured. Again I just want a modern main line Zelda game that looks like Hyrule Warriors, please? There was so much color and detail in that game.
In the end I just feel this game has a solid foundation, but too many problems to make it the best Zelda game ever. Now if the build upon this foundation in the sequel hopefully they succeed.
Keep the open world and overall gameplay, but now do things like add big cities and settlements, and have them all be as alive and lived in as Clock Town from Majora's Masks.
And please make the dungeons, like dungeons place and don't rehash this stupid techy theme please with everyting. I just want my Elemental Themed dungeons again. Heck you can make the major story dungeons radically different, and make the equivilent to shrine dungeons the elemental ones like forest, fire, and water.
And please make Ganon a person this time. And have Link talk.
But I have praises to say.
This game in terms of freedom is the most open world-y game I have ever played, They were right when they said you can go to the final boss and kill him now at the start.
I just like how fully realized Hyrule looked. The vastness and the sheer draw distance, like you can see the robot dungeons moving from a distance its scary. And alot of moments in this game is scary aswell, when the Blood Moon rises, the Thunderstorms, and those moments of utter darkness. And the GRASS, SO MUCH BEAUTIFUL LOOKING GRASS!!!
I love how Link controls and feels here, and that he can use a whole bunch of weapons and gear, and no gimmicky items like the ones scene in Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. And cooking is also a fun thing to do.
Combat is actually challenging...if a bit too much. I mean is it fair that you have a total of twenty hearts and giant monster can chip away ten of it?
But that's all I have to say about the good because really I have alot of bad to say.
Getting this out of the way, the music sucks, mostly at least for there are decent tunes but jeez what a horrible mistake it was to have this constant minimalistic score. This pitiful piano music playing in the background, I mean Shadow of the Colossus did it better.
Then we have the whole theme of this game's Hyrule and I hate it. This stupid pseudo sci fi esque machine that are all over the place, the Divine Beasts, the Robot Guardians, the Towers, the Shrines, I hate the designs and look of these things becaues it just doesn't feel like Zelda to me. And it would not be so bad if it wasn't so recycled constantly. I enjoy the Open World more than being in these places. I mean is it too much to ask to have a Normal Zelda game that looks like Ocarina of Time anymore? And the fact that all the dungeons are the same hurts it more. I get they don't want to do another "Forest Dungeon, Fire Dungeon, and Water Dungeon" but at least they all felt distinct and unique. The Forest Temple in Ocarina of Time is nothing like the one in Twilight Princess.
In regards to the Open World, I am a bit dissapointed of no bigger settlements like cities, I mean I just wish for a place like Clock Town in this game at least. Zora's Domain, and Gerudo Town was fine though.
Then I go to the plot and I have very mixed feelings on this. Its interesting seeing a Zelda game finally voiced, but the performane here is a mixed bag. The King sounds too young and not regal enough, should have used a Shakespearen British Actor to play a King. And Zelda sounds too foppish. But really the biggest issue is not giving Link a voice because seeing these cutscenes and these characters talking to him and him being completely silent is really bad. Especially the ending where Zelda ask if he remembers her, and Link is just standing there staring at her and saying absolutely nothing in response.
And also what the fuck have they done to Ganon in this game? What happened to the Great King of Evil that hailed from the Desert? This Calamity Ganon is stupid, its just some unexplainable force that exists, Yes I know that apperently Ganon just "gave up" and let loose his rage and spirit and became this force because of his constant defeats. But at this point you dehumanize Ganon, whether he's a pig man or the king of the Gerudos, he was a person, a character. The best Ganon we had by far was the one in Wind Waker, because of his persoanlity and history. I feel something when he gave his speech at the climax. Here I feel nothing, just some weird and unexplainable force that exists because its evil.
And last but not least, the Cel-Shading style. And its more than just the fact that its Cel-Shedad. It extends to art style. Like for one most of the common monsters here look too goofy. The Bokoblins, Moblins, Lizafoes, Hinox, Chu-Chus, and Bats. Its says alot that the only thing intimdating in this game is the Lynels. And I just feel this was done to appease the annoying Wind Waker fans that loves Cel Shading so much because "it ages better" dude have you seen Skyward Sword? Link's eyebrows in that game looks so low-res and poorly textured. Again I just want a modern main line Zelda game that looks like Hyrule Warriors, please? There was so much color and detail in that game.
In the end I just feel this game has a solid foundation, but too many problems to make it the best Zelda game ever. Now if the build upon this foundation in the sequel hopefully they succeed.
Keep the open world and overall gameplay, but now do things like add big cities and settlements, and have them all be as alive and lived in as Clock Town from Majora's Masks.
And please make the dungeons, like dungeons place and don't rehash this stupid techy theme please with everyting. I just want my Elemental Themed dungeons again. Heck you can make the major story dungeons radically different, and make the equivilent to shrine dungeons the elemental ones like forest, fire, and water.
And please make Ganon a person this time. And have Link talk.
