Zelda - Breath of the Wild

[Stevo985]

10 minutes ago, Paddywhack said:

I hope it’s not just me dying every 5 minutes or so.

I wasn't when I was just following the main quest. 

But I've wandered off to try and open up some other areas (as in climb the towers and do some shrines) and I'm dying a lot. 

I think it's the game's subtle way of saying "you're not ready, bro"

[Risso]

I can see how you get used to it, I just don't know why they've done it.  Adds nothing to the game.  And yes, I've died a few times, but it's not that much of a bother usually.  And I genuinely am enjoying the game, but another annoyance is rain.  I get that it's a mechanic to affect certain side quests like lighting lanterns etc, but when you're just trying to climb a cliff, it's a right ball ache.  Lasts bloody ages, and does nothing except make me stand there a few minutes.  Unless I'm missing something?

[Chindie]

Rain is just bollocks.

[Stevo985]

I'm also very uneasy with there being a jump button  

[Risso]

That shrine where you have to roll the ball around the maze....

Nearly lobbed the Switch out of the window.

[Stevo985]

1 hour ago, Risso said:

That shrine where you have to roll the ball around the maze....

Nearly lobbed the Switch out of the window.

I loved that one.

I've just tried two combat shrines

Spoiler

one out in the sea and one on a cliff nearby

 

and I got my arse absolutely handed to me! Nowhere near ready for that

[Nigel]

Just jumped into this too. Really does make you smile, suppose that's got a lot to do with nostalgia though.

[Chindie]

All this Zelda talk has me tempted to buy this on the Switch and play through again with the DLC...

[Nigel]

I got a switch for this game!

[Risso]

I'm enjoying it, just not as much as I hoped I would.  It's not as good as Ocarina or Windwaker, for a start.  I think part of the trouble is that since Zelda games first came out, there's a lot more free roaming RPGs out there, that it feels similar to, like Witcher and Skyrim etc.  And the weapons thing, I really can't see myself getting to even partly accept it, it's just wrong.  It means you're effectively having to pause the game mid battle sometimes, to switch weapons, which is a pain in the arse and interrupts the flow of combat. That for me knocks 2 marks out of 10 off its score, making it a 7 instead of a 9.

[Paddywhack]

I’m starting to get a sense of just how big this game is now and it’s intimidating.

[Stevo985]

16 minutes ago, Paddywhack said:

I’m starting to get a sense of just how big this game is now and it’s intimidating.

Same. I’m kind of at a stage where I’m not really sure what to do. I’ve got a couple of side quests but the main quest doesn’t seem doable at the moment. Something about finding places from memories. 

So I’ve just been exploring a few places. But it seems so vast. 

[Paddywhack]

9 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Same. I’m kind of at a stage where I’m not really sure what to do. I’ve got a couple of side quests but the main quest doesn’t seem doable at the moment. Something about finding places from memories. 

So I’ve just been exploring a few places. But it seems so vast. 

I think we’re at the same point, but I’ve been doing the opposite. I’ve not really explored or done many side quests. I’d turned the Sheikah Sensor off as well because the beeping was annoying me, but I’ve realised I’ve probably missed loads of shrines.

[Risso]

So many annoying aspects to this game. Was just attacked by some mobs, so set about them with a wooden club. Of course it broke, and with no wooden weapons left I had no choice but to use an iron axe so got killed by lightning. Couldn’t climb a cliff to get away from them because of course, it was raining.  This game feels like a slog at the moment. 

[Daweii]

16 minutes ago, Risso said:

So many annoying aspects to this game. Was just attacked by some mobs, so set about them with a wooden club. Of course it broke, and with no wooden weapons left I had no choice but to use an iron axe so got killed by lightning. Couldn’t climb a cliff to get away from them because of course, it was raining.  This game feels like a slog at the moment. 

I see more and more comments like yours online as the game gets further and further from it's initial over hyped release.

Now I'm not saying that anyone playing at launch has an incorrect opinion as while I am a word removed, I'll never stoop that low, but launch for this game was overbearingly positive and I do seriously think it was clouding players ability to see the game for what it was.

'Breath Of The Wild' is a good game, but it's not the unanimous 10/10 game it was touted as at launch. It's good, but all of the issues you just contended with don't happen in masterpieces.

I get that 'Breath Of The Wild' is an open sandbox where you can do anything, but dying because your wooden weapon broke during a storm forcing you to use an iron weapon so you died from a lightning strike? Sounds like rewarding gameplay.

I like the new Zelda, but I know that my issues with it are because I played it when the world finally stopped telling me it was the greatest game ever made. It's a good game, but it's also infuriatingly bad at times and launch hype glossed right over that shit. 

[Ingram85]

I think any game has its flaws. Ocarina has glaring flaws but the sum of its parts was far greater. Everyone’s mileage will vary of course but for me, the unpredictable nature of the games weapons/weather etc added to the feeling of ‘I could be really **** here and it’s not my fault’. Obviously some people won’t like that feeling, but it appears the majority who play it do. If you let new game hype cloud your judgement of a game then that’s your own fault. I’m still playing it now a second time round 9 months later and I still think it’s one of the best games I’ve ever played with nearly 150 hours played. The weapons thing isn’t an issue to me, if a sword breaks mid combat it’s literally two quick button presses and I’ve got a new one in hand. As always, it would be boring if we all liked the same thing.

Edited December 30, 2017 by Ingram85

[Stevo985]

The weapon thing is genuinely my only real issue with the game at the moment.

I actually like the rain thing. Makes it a bit more interesting.

But the weapon thing is seriously annoying. I could kind of understand it for random things you sue as weapons. Like when you pick up a hoe or a rake and use it as a weapon.

But if you find an actual real sword, it should last longer than half a dozen enemies. It's infuriating.

 

Everything else is lovely though. My only other slight thing is I still feel slightly lost. I'm not entirely sure what I should be doing. There's no safe storyline to go back to at the moment. I'm just kind of wandering around. Which is fine, but feels slightly aimless.

Edited December 30, 2017 by Stevo985

[Ingram85]

I played this game for over 120 hours first time round, thought I’d seen everything worth seeing and moved on.

On my second play through now, I’d guess about 20 hours in, I’ve seen loads that I missed on my first go just by exploring and stumbling across places. That it continues to surprise after I thought I’d seen it all speaks volumes.

Came across a massive old ruined temple buried and carved into the rock walls, guarded throughout by about 20 guardians, got battered so will try again further down the line, it was at the end of this never ending canyon that I’ve ran through multiple times before but must have just exited at the opposite end or quick travelled elsewhere. Also came across this meadow that had a Cass riddle with these natural stone rings on mounds dotted around. Never seen them before.

I was reading Eurogamers top 10 judging conversation and how they justified BotW was exactly how I felt, it was exactly how we were all talking about it the last few days, a couple of people waxed lyrical about the world, others loved how it tried to recreate what you think is a ‘zelda game’ and others just didn’t like it for whatever reason which is all fine. I’ll get the link sorted in a minute. Just thought it echoed VT’s own mixed thoughts. The rest of the article was a bit plop talking about Destiny 2 loads but the Zelda bit was interesting to me and the bit I’ll quote hits the nail on the head about why I enjoyed it so much.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-12-31-eurogamers-games-of-2017-the-big-argument

Quote

 

.... “But to draw a comparison with Breath of the Wild and say it's about things you care about, well, Breath of the Wild is about things I really do deeply care about. It's about being in the world and seeing the world around you and being present, and noticing it. Many video games, including in the open-world genre, really work to numb that with their overlays, with their structure. Even really good ones like Assassin's Creed, they tabulate and map out that experience for you and deaden it for you. Even after having put you in this wonderfully created ancient Egypt, say, or New York City - whereas Zelda was all about, no, be present, look at what's around you, respond to that environment.

 Edith Finch was continually surprising, but Zelda, astonishingly for an open-world game I spent 150 hours playing, was continually surprising while I played it. That is why I think it deserves to be the Eurogamer game of the year. It managed to make video games of the kind that are currently extremely popular, these big sprawling open-world games that have been designed out of having any kind of sense of life, it managed to make them into something living and surprising and real, where you could turn any corner and change what you were doing because you weren't beholden to a checkpoint or to a to-do list. You were beholden to what the world around you was pushing you or tempting you or pulling you into doing.

It's an impossible comparison between two games that are trying to do two such different things. But if you're talking about surprise then Zelda is a game that offers an incredible amount of surprise. I don't want to discuss its storyline or its themes because those are pretty basic, let's be honest. But if you're talking about a game that responds to humans in a really exciting and interesting way, and that invites you to be human as a player rather than a routine running through what they want you to run, then Zelda is amazing and offers you so much freedom to do that while still being really rewarding”.......

 

 

Edited December 31, 2017 by Ingram85

[Risso]

Getting into it a bit more. I’ve basically been going round climbing as many towers as I can to open the map up. Some of them are quite tricky and well protected.  Have done about 12 shrines, so went for two hearts and one stamina upgrade so far. I’ve got into the first divine beast but am going to explore and gear up a bit before really going for it. The rain is still shit by the way. Wouldn’t be so bad if it changed weather more quickly.

 

[Stevo985]

7 hours ago, Risso said:

Getting into it a bit more. I’ve basically been going round climbing as many towers as I can to open the map up. Some of them are quite tricky and well protected.  Have done about 12 shrines, so went for two hearts and one stamina upgrade so far. I’ve got into the first divine beast but am going to explore and gear up a bit before really going for it. The rain is still shit by the way. Wouldn’t be so bad if it changed weather more quickly.

 

Which divine beast?

I ask because if it's the Zora one then the rain is constant in that area.

I've just done the Zora divine beast myself. Was good fun and to be fair I didn't seem to need to be too geared up to do it.

Other than that I've done basically what you've been doing. The main quest for a bit, couple of side quests, and then just doing a few towers to open it up a bit.

 

Main thing I've found is for the tougher enemies it's much better to just run away  

Spoiler for Zora bit:

Spoiler

 

For the bit where you have to climb the huge mountain in the Zora part and fight the Centaur guy at the top to collect Shock arrows.
I tried it about half a dozen times and got my arse kicked comfortably every time. Then realised I could just sneak around up there collecting shock arrows and never have to face the guy.
I assume he's still up there