EH_STEVE

I do find open world games DO have that effect. Almost like eating _____. Too much and you get so sick of it.
 
Like my Fallout 4 file has 300+ hours on it. I'm never, NEVER going to play that game again. Same with Skyrim, Fallout 3, any Assassin Creed game, etc. I'm too completionist and sometimes can't see the forest through the trees, get sidetracked with too many bullshit collectibles (and this is coming from someone with all 900 Korok Seeds) and sidequests, that I almost don't want finish the game. And if/when I do, no matter good the experience I'm never going to play it again.
 
This game however, is different. Maybe it's the fact it's Zelda game, or maybe it's not filled with as much bloat, but I didn't really get the "adventure-fatigue" that I usually get from an open-world game. Like I've mentioned before, I've done two full playthroughs (120 Shrines and 4 Divine Beasts) and am working on more-or-less speedrun for my 3rd play.

Our tets shall heal together!
#BosomBuddies

Our tets shall heal together!
#BosomBuddies

Our tets shall heal together!
#BosomBuddies

I beat the game last night, and I believe my completion percentage is just above 41% with more than 120 hours put into the game. I knew early on that Breath of the Wild had overtaken the rest of the Zelda games that I have played and beaten...maybe even prior to doing any Divine Beasts. I have beaten Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, Four Swords Ann., Ocarina of Time 3D and A Link Between Worlds, and for me personally it was the start and freedom of Breath of the Wild that got them all. Breath of the Wild's start actually reminded me a lot of Metroid Prime Hunters', very little in the way between me starting a game and actually playing. Not much in the way of narrative BS that I usually don't care much about until I've already been immersed into the game world. Freedom-wise, Breath of the Wild nailed it from the world to its gameplay mechanics. I liked that I could go anywhere and develop and implement the battle strategies that I wanted for the most part.
 
The way the main narrative is handled in this game I feel is nearly perfect for the open-world design. It reminded me more of my experiences with the Metroid Series rather than the Zelda games, as it was something optional and had to be searched for. Most of the memories helped make more of the world feel interesting, and personally I would not have minded more of them within the world. Specifically, I would have liked more of them that involved the other Champions, as in spite of them having such major roles they never felt that major as characters. Their equipment should have been unbreakable as well...but in general, I found myself more invested with the minor characters within the major villages than I did the Champions. The story felt a little imbalanced there.
 
When it comes to side story content, I think the inhabitants of the villages were amazing for the most part. The only villages/towns I did not feel too much for were Zora's Domain and Lurelin Village just in terms of their NPCs. Kakariko and Hateno Village were my favorites and felt much more developed than other locations. Kakariko in terms of characters was pretty great, and I would no longer put Zelda and Link together after seeing and interacting with Lady Paya. She also has one of the best side quests present within the game next to the construction of Tarrey Town. That village had some heaviness to it as well with Cottla, Koko and their dad Dorian. That was one of the few times that I felt Ganon's ideology had a heavy impact within the present game world beyond the occasional ruins site, which in general felt like they were just there. It would have been nice to have had spirits Link could talk to as he did within the Temple of the Ocean King just to give ruin sites more depth and add more heaviness to the game. I personally think lives are going along too well within the world of Breath of the Wild which helps make these villages feel more welcoming but at the same time disconnects from the presence of Calamity Ganon and the impending doom he is suppose to represent.
 
Hateno I believe is the village I spent the most time in...maybe. That helped me relate to Link's character just a bit more with the implication that he once lived in Hateno and I did enjoy getting that vacant house back. It was nice to have to get better pictures of equipment and to secure the Champions' gears, which should not have been breakable. I also really liked the flow of Hateno Village with the fact that it had waterfalls and streams around the location and I felt that complemented the energy of the people a lot. The dye shop was really great, and I'm glad that bit of customization was present within the game. I had Link in all black Sheikah gear for a majority of the game. That was a great way to make Link himself a little reflection of me. Hateno is general is about Link, it made me feel like he was more than just a knight constantly around Zelda and actually had some form of life going on. It also helped Link feel more like my presence within the game from the dye shop to just how far I was willing to invest into his house (went all the way).
 
Weapons...my opinion is mixed about them and how they were implemented. I think the weapon durability system went too far. The Master Sword in my opinion should have not been the only weapon that could last. Mipha's, Revali's, Daruk's and Urbosa's gear should have been unbreakable as well as they are all Champions. Having them breakable made them feel more generic, which took away from these Champions by making it feel as if they were much more inept. They already felt like weaker characters within the game being almost non-existent within the present world and being second to Zelda and Link in nearly every other appearance. All of their abilities were great though, and I think that is the shining moment for these Champions more so than any cinematic scene they were present in.
 
Beyond that, weapon durability in general just made a lot of the cool weapons eventually seem pretty throw away. Durability issues never let me get attached to any particular weapon, and so I ended up finding myself having trouble retaining the design of most weapons I did not have in Link's House. If something is called great, it should not break. Most wooden weapons, rusty weapons, torches and branches, yes, have them break. If the combat for the game wasn't as solid and open ended as it is, I think weapon durability could have been very detrimental as it hurts the story believability and goes against the open nature present in most of the game. The game has a lot of fantastic looking equipment so it is a shame that equipment comes and goes so often.
 
The way Breath of the Wild looks is phenomenal as long as there is something active or there is plenty to see. I think the only spots where I wasn't really that drawn in were parts of the Hebra Mountains, some of Death Mountain and the badlands. In general, I feel the northern areas in the map really could have used more to do as well as higher elevation spots. I think Hebra Mountains specifically could have used a village, possibly having the inhabitants be Anouki, and try to give the village a sense of being isolated. Unfortunately, most of my last 30 hours with the game has been in these areas of the world, so the game did not quite end on the same high as it was riding for nearly 90 hours. This is also one of the main reasons why Breath of the Wild did not slide above MPH as my favorite game of all time. Overall though, it is inspiring and I personally love that they included the camera to further connect the player to the details of the world and what thrives within it.
 
If this post ends up sounding like it's all over the place and critical, it's because Breath of the Wild is such a large game with many things to discuss and it had me thinking it was going to top MPH for about 80-90 hours of my +120 hours first run through. I believe my opinion will get better when I go on to inevitably replay the game, and certainly when I start getting artistic with this game's content. It can still be improved with DLC depending on where in the map the DLC events occur and I would not mind seeing another open world Zelda game in the future with a stronger emphasis on unique side quests and more developed character interaction. The game would have been much better if a lot more side content was on par with the Sheikah heirloom and Tarrey Town.

Beat game.
 
ALL shrines= 120  @ 27 hearts 3 full stamina wheels
 
Koroks @ 206
 
ALL Divine Beasts
 
Did enough side quests to beat the game.
 
Armor upgrades as of me beating the game:
Barbarian Helm * / Armor * / Leg Wraps **
Champion Tunic *
Diamond Circlet  ***
Rubber Helm *** / Armor ** / Tights ****
Snowquill Trousers *** / Headdress  **** / Tunic ****
Radiant Tights ***/ Mask *** / Shirt ***
Desert Voe Headband ****/ Spaulder **** / Trousers ****
Flamebreaker Helm **/ Armor ** / Boots **
Zora Helm  ** / Armor **** / Greaves ****
Stealth Mask *** /  Chest Guard *** / Tights ***
Climbing Gear *** / Boots ***/
Ancient Helm **** / Cuirass ****/ Greaves ****
Hylian Hood ****  / Trousers ****
 
****
Full Dark Set
Full Wild Set
Bought all the masks
 
************************************
************************************
 
Overall Generic Thoughts:
 
Loved the game with its large map, apocalyptic and dark tone, and finally getting out of the mode of most of the 3D games of late in terms of having to rehash areas over and over again for different objectives.  Loved the graphics and music.  Guardians had a real good "striking fear" score and attacks that kept you on your toes.  I'm not sure where I settle in in the  items/dungeons/bosses/Ganon from prior games to the Divine Beasts/Shrines/Koroks/find & upgrade your own gear yet.
 
I'd recommend it to anyone... and I'd probably score it a 9/10
 
 
Bullet Point Thoughts in no particular order:
 
Why no actual Zelda dungeons?
 
Divine Beasts were a cool concept but it felt like some were more worked out than others.  I disliked having to fight Ganon forms at those  and then having to do another form set at the end.
 
Shrines--interesting concept.  I did like working for my hearts and stamina compared to finding stuff lying around and doing 1/4 heart pieces all over.  I felt like I earned what I got more.  That said, some of them had some real unique puzzle solving solutions while others, the puzzle was just unlocking it.  Most of the rewards inside the shrines were good.  However, the combat trials got old fast.  I didn't necessarily think the apparatus ones were great--it seems the motion sensor toggling solutions weren't always registering just right--or either you really did have to hold your controller in a weird way.
 
Motion aiming versus right stick aiming.  RS was slow.... to respond, not as fast as in prior games.  However, motion control aiming, while faster and arguably more accurate, in some cases was a pain the ass to accomplish the task.
 
Amiibo line: looked great, didn't use them.
 
Amiibo support: I scanned my Wolf Link like 3x... it was cool.... but since so much of the amiibos put stuff in you could get, I never really got into doing their drops.
 
Horses: while the game handled them well.... and offered lots of unique ways to work with them....  I hardly ever found a use for even bothering with them.  Nearly every area you have to go to you can't do on horseback all the way and most of the stuff you need to find is off the beaten path so your horse really won't work out well it having it tag along.  I didn't bother registering horses till I had some quest to do right near a stable and once I knocked off the Bokoblins I took their horses and registered them.
 
First truly open world game I have played, and it suffered from what I knew it would suffer from-- as much as exploration is cool, and there is stuff to do and find around every turn.... you eventually hit the wall of wanting to go ahead and finish it and move on...  I think that is what will make it hard for me to pick it back up and add upgrades to what I have.  I mean, with what I do have, I don't see much need to t 4* everything as I can get by most enemies with what I have on me now.
 
Cooking, a great concept, and if I had cared to put time into it, I would have conjured up a ton of recipes but I just ate everything like it was.
 
I really liked the fire, electricity, ice options for a lot of the arrows, rods, and what not....  lots of abilities.
 
I liked using the runes too, some cool abilities that simplified some of the past games item searching IMO.  They also allowed for more in-depth puzzles.
 
Not sure how I feel about some of the "alternative" characters in the game-- in some cases, the characters felt forced, others it seemed to ruin the vibe of the game for making social statements.
 
As I said before, I loved the apocalyptic tone.  I loved that the Hyrule Castle area looked like the war zones in the future from the Terminator movies-- I mean all those Guardians gave off a real Skynet vibe.... come to think of it.... with all the time travel and what not... maybe they have something in common... time travel messes up the story line(s)--you have to go multiverse at some point.
 
I can't quite put my finger on it, but something about how the story "started" then, rebooted when Link awoke out of the chamber, and basically they had to start over in the future... kind of felt odd in the way it played out to me.
 
I did like Zelda's dynamic of being thrown into being one part of a world saving team, and being unsure if she'd ever measure up.  With her family issues, and the issue at hand of defeating Ganon, I could totally buy all her emotional issues she was dealing with.
 
As much as I like how they handled Ganon in this one, I am awaiting them taking a break for a while and doing a completely new villain.
 
The Gerudo/ Ganon dynamic felt weird with their person being part of the team for the Divine Beasts, even though I would find it plausible that some Gerudo's were not having it with his evil intentions.
 
I thought all the landscapes were very well done.
 
I think the vertical aspect to this game really broke a lot of molds.
 
With a lot of the design elements they put in this game, it will be tough for them to go back from this kind of style.
*But, with me, that is a issue....  most of the 3D Zeldas I have trouble going back to over and over again for all the travelling and side questing you have to do....  I feel like I, II, ALttP, ALBW, Minish Cap, and GB era games I can go back to at any time and not take eons to play and beat.
 
I liked the personalities of the champions.  Bird was my favorite.  Then the Gerudo.  The Goron was cool.  The Zora girl had a real heart warming story to her.
 
I think with this style of game, it might cool to have different playable characters.
 
I think there would be a happy medium with the way this game handled your weapons and armor and the way ALBW did it...
 
Not sure how I felt about the need for Korok seeds to get item slots.... 
* In that same vein, why couldn't a quantity system be used for weapon and shield types like your food?
* I didn't mind dropping low level weapons when I had to, but then you get these cool elemental weapons you want to keep around...
 
I am highly interested to see what the Season Pass DLC will offer for this game.
 
I thought the aspect of Kilton and the Monster Shop was great.... wish he had some more masks and some cooler dark stuff...
 
I liked the way the game played out the finding the memories for Link to recover what happened to him.
 
I liked how they handled the horses and stables with the game.
 
*****
 
Well, that is about all I feel like typing out tonight after beating the game.

Raise 
 
 

Making pancakes, maple bacon pancakes

Dinner tonight is maple bacon pancakes. Will update when finished cooking 

120!
27 hearts, 3 full stamina wheels
 
************
 
Now to finish off the memories.

LOL.....  All I have left now is the 2nd shrine @ Kakariko Village with its own sidequest.
 
 
3 of my last 4 were places I had already been but were Strength tests.... I had passed on due to not really wanting to go through with that at the time.... I had to search my map over and over again only to realize that while I had found them and activated them for the map, I hadn't actually done them to completion.
 
Going to do memories in full and maybe trade in the Koroks I have built up and I should have this game done today!

Vagina.

FUCKING CENSOR THAT SHIT
 
THIS IS A FAMILY FORUM

Nip slip. 

Juuuust realized the Master Sword starts glowing around live Guardians just like Frodo's elvish blade glows around orcs. Color me amused~

Fuck the Thunder Blight 

That's not exactly STRAIGHT to Ganon now is it?

Tropic Thunder was Stillers last good movie.

its a trick
 
none of florida is well-maintained, let alone real in the first place

My 3HC was still decently challenging when I took out the DBs. 
 
There's a lot of weapons in the Castle you can use, no need to farm really. Getting hearty items on a direct-to-Ganon run is pretty hard, which is my main issue. 
 
Also, you don't to register a horse. You'll be fine. 

I definitely need more than a cellphone to respond to all that. 
 
 
Though in the child timeline none of the Sages awoke, so nothing should be named after Darunia, Ruto, or Nabooru. 

Yeah...

Outside of CC's awful writing it was a solid season compared to the dreck that was seasons 7-9. Also the mythology would always change, for the most part in the original series and many times characters would be fleshed out later.  Anyway it gave me this:
 

 
which is now permanently saved in my bank. Oooooohhh yeeeeees.
 
Carter should really bring back Millennium, which was amazing!