** spoiler alert **
I finished the game 2 nights ago. I thought it was an incredible game and certainly the best game ever put out on Wii U (I don't have a Switch), but I can't agree with all the Perfect 10 reviews I've seen.
Without going into a full review, let me just vent for a moment on the one aspect of BotW that bothers me. Having played every Zelda game since the very first, I felt like Breath was missing just that little something special that would push it higher than Ocarina in my mind (imo, Ocarina of Time is one of the best video games ever made, maybe even THE best.)
Breath is missing the typical sense of Zelda progression, and it felt almost a little too open. I appreciate that RPG aspect change, but it never felt right to me *as a Zelda title*. You start off on the platform and before you can venture out into the world, you are given all the techniques that you'll use for the whole game. Previously, you'd venture out and get to a place you can't pass without say, the Hookshot. Later in the game, after you obtain the Hookshot, that section opens up to you. In BotW, nope - you can go pretty much anywhere anytime. I don't think I like that; let me explain why it's a problem.
At the beginning of the game, you are given the quest Destroy Ganon. OK... Well, you can run right up to Hyrule Castle and find him just sitting right there, waiting. The 4 Divine Beasts seem like the equivalents to dungeons in previous games, and they are simple, minor puzzles. The cleverly designed, head-scratcher dungeons are what made Zelda games incredible and they are basically gone. That right there, more than anything else, keeps it from dethroning Ocarina. In the game I finished the 4 Beasts, and then Impa tells me - ok, you're all set to fight Ganon. Good luck. So uhh.... ok. I decided to hike on up to Hyrule Castle, did a bunch of climbing and found Ganon. Got him down to a quarter health but kept running out of healing. I decided to leave and beef up, but it just seemed wrong to me. I didn't have the Master Sword or the Hylian Shield. I didn't even know what I was doing, if I should really be fighting Ganon so soon. So I spent the last 2 weeks exploring everywhere, doing side quests, and all the time I'm thinking "ho hum, maybe tonight I'll go get Ganon. Nah, lemme see what's over here... ooh a treasure chest."
There was no sense of urgency and it just didn't feel right to me. However, I did have a wonderful time exploring. I expected after beating Ganon to explore more post-game, but the ending cut scene is only like a minute and then.... well that's it. Game Over. Roll the credits.
Now that I've finished it, I've watched a speedrun where a guy finishes the game in less than an hour! Un-freakin-believeable!! That's the opposite of what a Zelda game should be. Though I admit it is kind of cool to think about Link waking from his resurrection, saying "f*ck it" and making a beeline to kill Ganon again!
All in all, I loved it. N did a lot of things right (ie, unlimited bombs) and I really enjoyed my time with the game.
