Octopus Overlords

So, I'm very disappointed in you all. We've got a Switch thread that's lightly tread, and no Breath of the Wild thread whatsoever despite it having been released more than four months ago. For shame!

As detailed in the Switch thread, I finally got me a Switch late last month via an old friend who works for Big Mario. I picked up Mario Kart 8 and Breath of the Wild along with it. MK Wii must have eaten hundreds of hours of my time back in the prior decade. I mention MK8 to provide some background on what happened next.

I've barely played MK8 at all to this point. I tried it out, then tried out Breath of the Wild. MK8 is fantastic, but BotW is just on an entirely different level from what I had expected. This game is easily worth getting a Switch for--it's that spectacular. I'm 60+ hours in, and nowhere near finished with it (in fact, I haven't even completed the main quest line).

Breath of the Wild trailer

It's damn near perfect. In coverage I'd seen prior to grabbing my copy, folks focused on how it runs at a lower res than other AAA titles, how the framerate periodically takes a bit of a nosedive, etc. Allow me to tell you that none of that matters. If you don't yet have BotW and you enjoy having fun, you're doing yourself a disservice. It nails just about every aspect of the open-world game, without losing the core of what makes a Zelda game.

The sense of exploration without constantly shuffling back to a map or list of objectives; the combat that has depth but doesn't feel overwhelming or frustrating; the way the game lets you go out and largely do what you want, then come back to a piece of the main storyline when you want to. It's clear that Nintendo took their time with this one--not only in the 'usual' development process, but at the beginning, when choosing what the game would and would not be.

Rather than prattling on, I'm going to link to a few videos I've come across recently that do a better job summarizing the beauty & genius of BotW than I could do on my own. They're about as spoiler-free as they come, but of course there's some stuff shown--feel free to skip the rest of this post and go get the game if you prefer.

Cool Ghosts - Breath of the Wild: The Best Game Ever (21 min)
Peanut Butter Gamer: Breath of the Wild spoiler-free review (13 min)
Ken Levine, Jake Kazdal, Jake Rodkin, and Aaron Linde gush about BotW (45 min)
Breaking Conventions with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - GDC 2017 session where Satoru Takizawa and Takuhiro Dohta spend nearly 90 minutes discussing the game's development

I've watched my kids play it (for hours and hours and hours on end) and it really isn't grabbing me. Maybe playing it would be different, but just watching leaves me cold.

(And for frame of reference, the only other Zelda game that I've ever played was Twilight Princess on the Wii, and I really enjoyed that when I played it.)

I can see that, as the trailer didn't really do much for me when I first saw it. There's definitely something to actually playing it, as you don't get a great feel for the options available to the player when just watching.

It's been a pretty constant presence on the TV since we got it for the WiiU on release day. The wife has played through it once and immediately started a new game while Elise is still working her way through her first play-through.

I actually bought a Switch so they could play it but decided the experience on the WiiU would be the same (or better given the controllers). The switch got eBayed until there's enough of a game library to justify buying one (and they are actually available).

Breath of the Wild is our GOTY easily and probably Best Game Evar in our house - at least until the next Zelda comes out.

At least availability is getting better-Amazon had them in stock twice this week.

Glad to hear I'm not alone in my obsession with this game.

Zaxxon wrote:At least availability is getting better-Amazon had them in stock twice this week.

Glad to hear I'm not alone in my obsession with this game.

You're not. It's hands down my game of the year so far. My 8 year old daughter loves it too, she's already beat it once and she's working on a second play through.

I bought Mario Kart 8 and I thought the kids would play the heck out of it, but Zelda easily has it beat in terms of play time.

Addendun: still awesome.

Zaxxon wrote:Addendun: still awesome.

Maybe I need to play this. Both my sons (9 and 14) ripped through it obsessively and loved it. I watched a bit and thought it looked interesting, but not crazy compelling. But I did just finish up Witcher 3 and all the DLC (over 160 hours worth), so I need something new. Perhaps I'll give it a try.

It's one of those games that doesn't look nearly as good as it is, IMO. it didn't click with me until I was a few hours into it, and realized that everything-everything- you can see, you can get to. And it's virtually all interesting.

I constantly feel like Dog from Up. *SQUIRREL*

I'm 90 hours in and nowhere near finished.

I think Zaxxon and I are on the same page. I put over 40 hours into the Wii-U version and another 50+ on the Switch.

I'm up to 110+ hours in, and just completed the 2nd DLC storyline (Champions' Ballad). Still a bunch of side stuff in the main game and first DLC to go. With BotW recently winning The Game Awards' GotY, I thought I'd bump this thread. Those of you with a Switch lined up for the holidays are in for a treat.

The Verge is out with their GotY pick today (spoiler: it's BotW). But they go further, calling it Nintendo's best game in decades, perhaps since the original Metroid Prime. Not sure I'd go that far, but man it's incredible.

Side note: I'd recommend grabbing the DLC early on if you like the game, as it adds some stuff--specifically the Hero's Path--that makes exploration easier for the rest of the game. Also, you know, it's well-worth the $20 if you love the game.

My 11 year old daughter just started playing this last week. After a few hours, she came to find me and asked, "Are there, uh...any other types of games where you roam around a giant world, going where you want and completing quests?"

My job is done.

And then you handed her Grand Theft Auto.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote: ↑Wed Dec 13, 2017 11:31 am And then you handed her Grand Theft Auto.

DADDY THESE ARE NOT KOROK SEEDS!

I just got to Kakaroki village. Holy cow this game is beautiful! Just tamed Emerald...that mechanic is genius. I can't believe you guys tried to keep this game secret.

Next time I'll try to share my thoughts.

I'm apparently one of the very few who didn't really like this game. This article does a good job of summing up my thoughts. Especially this part:

At least in the early going, the flimsy, constantly shattering weapons and countless same-y Bokoblin camps provide an overwhelming disincentive to explore and try stuff out: The sight of enemies in the distance evokes an Ah crap, not more of this shit feeling, rather than an excited Let’s do this. In a practical sense, this seems like a pretty bad game- and/or story-building failure: The heart of an adventure game or story, after all, is the impulse to get out into the wild unknown and see what there is to see—to have an adventure. Breath of the Wild’s opening hours seem perversely bent on punishing that impulse. Oh, wandered off toward the horizon, did you? Time to throw away all the weapons in your inventory dispatching the same three Bokoblins you fought 90 seconds ago at an identical campsite in a different spot. Your reward for this intrepid venture? A chest with a useless fucking opal in it and three shitty, disposable wooden clubs, all of which you will shatter at the next Bokoblin camp, 90 seconds later.

(Or maybe you will use the GPS on Link’s iPhone to find a shrine! The shrine will contain no enemies, a single puzzle which you will solve in under three minutes, and a wrinkled mummy who will reward you with an orb you can maybe cash in for more stamina later. It will look pretty much exactly like every other shrine you have come across.)

Then again, I've never been much of a Zelda fan to begin with. They've all kinda fallen flat with me.

I just started playing it (is there some in game way to find out how many hours you’ve played?) and the only issue I have is the game not keeping recipes I already discovered. It feels like I need a paper notebook while playing which is super annoying in 2018.

Lorini wrote: ↑Thu Jan 04, 2018 10:19 am I just started playing it (is there some in game way to find out how many hours you’ve played?) and the only issue I have is the game not keeping recipes I already discovered. It feels like I need a paper notebook while playing which is super annoying in 2018.

On Switch, you can see the hours played in your profile (top left of the Switch home screen), but only after you've had the game for several days.

Thanks. I broke down and got a recipe app on Google Play this morning. That should really help my experience with the game. I’m don’t have good reflexes so it’s slow going. I’m at the first of the four beasts and I can tell that’s going to be a real challenge.

Without spoiling anything, the divine beast bosses can be difficult at first, but most have a pretty solid weakness that you can exploit once you find it. I'm not great at Zelda combat but got through all of them but one pretty easily once I figured them out.

I have the strategy guide and consult the ign wiki sometimes which helps a lot. I have 30 hours played, mostly in the main quest but I don’t know how that compares.

I'm around 120 hours currently and am mostly but not fully done.

Do you need to attach a Nintendo account to get the stats? We've been playing since Christmas and I don't see any stats under my profile, but I'm not attached to an account either.

stessier wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2018 12:45 pm Do you need to attach a Nintendo account to get the stats? We've been playing since Christmas and I don't see any stats under my profile, but I'm not attached to an account either.

Possible. I added mine the day I powered up the Switch, so I don't know for sure.

Don't tell Zaxxon, but I spent a couple hours with Breath of the Wild last night and I am intrigued. I got the paraglider and just finished the first shrine off the starting plateau. The mystery of it all is both intriguing and bothersome. I am not a huge fan of not knowing and this game seems to be full of the not knowing. On the plus side I bought my son the guide last year so I may need to do some learnin'.

Just beat the game. It definitely deserves the 10/10.

Hmm I'll have to get this for the Wii U. At least I'll use that darn thing for something.

I have to say I'm a bit underwhelmed as well, even though it's still the early going. I bought it mainly for the kids to play, so I haven't really sat down and focused on it.

I think the biggest problem for me is that it's an exploration game, and I'm not an exploration-focused gamer. I like to know where to go and what to do. GIve me a map full of locations to go through and I'm happy. Just running around aimlessly? More my kids' style.

I think the biggest sinking feeling I had was then I climbed a tower and instead of locations of interest popping up ala Assassin's Creed, I found out I have to look through binoculars, then spot and mark stuff manually (with a limited number of pins, no less). Ugh. Fuck that. I also hate, hate, hate the constant weapon breaking. I hate having to cook food. So far there seem to be a lot of things in the game that seem built in to waste your time and make the game longer than it needs to be.

On the other hand, it's Zelda. The game is beautiful, I love the open world, and I have a feeling once you grow and get better equipment, the irritating problems of the early game probably start to fade away. But I 100% agree with that negative review - the game tries its best to dissuade you from the beginning from having any fun. Neither night I've had free to play it without the kids have I felt the urge to boot it up.

First, let me say that your comments are all valid. BotW is a big departure from traditional Zelda, and there are a lot of mechanics that won't hit home for everyone. With that said, I think part of the issue is mindset.

YellowKing wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:01 amI think the biggest problem for me is that it's an exploration game, and I'm not an exploration-focused gamer. I like to know where to go and what to do. GIve me a map full of locations to go through and I'm happy. Just running around aimlessly? More my kids' style.

It's true that a big part of what I love about this game is the exploration aspect. But if that's not doing it for you, I think the game's probably not going to work for you. IIRC much of the core storyline is doable without much blind exploration, but I can see how it'd remove much of the personality from the game.

I think the biggest sinking feeling I had was then I climbed a tower and instead of locations of interest popping up ala Assassin's Creed, I found out I have to look through binoculars, then spot and mark stuff manually (with a limited number of pins, no less). Ugh. Fuck that.

FWIW, I mostly ignored the pins and binoculars. You can generally see the next tower and a couple-few shrines w/o ever pulling those out. They're not necessary.

I also hate, hate, hate the constant weapon breaking. I hate having to cook food. So far there seem to be a lot of things in the game that seem built in to waste your time and make the game longer than it needs to be.

I disliked the weapon breaking mechanic at first, but it grew on me once I realized that no weapon is great enough to worry too much about saving. Use the weapon you like the best out of your current set, and when it breaks... Move on. You will always have something good enough, if my experience is any indication.

Similar for cooking--I didn't spend much time trying to min-max my cooking. I got the general hang of how to make not-shitty food though a small amount of experimentation, and then I just largely tossed in what I had within the general parameters I'd figured out. Good enough was good enough, and I actually came to enjoy the relaxing moments spent cooking eventually. And there is one part fairly early on where you have to discover/figure out a recipe to move on (or find the backdoor way through). That was one of my least favorite moments from BotW.

Not that this means everyone will have the same reaction.

Thanks for those thoughts Zaxxon - I'll definitely continue to give it a chance. Part of the problem could be that I just came off of AC: Origins. It's just going to take a little mindset adjustment on my part.

I had the same reaction to weapons early on. Weapons are usually an important part or extension of your character, things you strive to get. In this game they're just disposable tools. I've played through the game and still think it's odd but I got used to it. The worst part for me was finding that I preferred a certain type of weapon, like 2-handed axes, and then have a streak of finding anything but.

I see the reason for the love, why everyone says it is the greatest game since I am Sliced Bread, but I just can't get it to click. I don't know why. Maybe I'm just not in the mood for a sandbox game (and this feels more sandbox than open world.) Then again, Subnautica is exactly that, and I'm in love with it. Maybe it is the washed-out art style that turns me off (it looks like it has a permanent blue light filter turned on.) I don't know - I don't see a hard flaw I can point to, but after probably 15+ hours, I just can't get into a groove with this game. I had a similar experience with Final Fantasy 15, but at least there I could identify the elements that were dragging it down for me.

Sounds like me with Twilight Princess. Just didn't grab me and I quit around halfway through.

Just conquered my first Divine Beast. I don't get to play very much, so this is actually pretty good. My kids watched me and were amazed by my gaming prowess. Of course, their idea of a challenge is to run in the opposite direction and hope their quarry dies of old age, so I'm not sure I should be taking any victory laps.

It is a very fun game, though, and I wish I had more time to play.

If you like I could lend you my 12yo and he could tell you all the things you could be doing better... and unlike when he was giving me crap on my tetris gameplay, he is pretty on point when it comes to BotW. He has finished it 3 times now and has done pretty much everything the game has to offer. I'm pretty sure Ganon has nightmares about him.

coopasonic wrote: ↑Mon Jul 30, 2018 11:59 am If you like I could lend you my 12yo and he could tell you all the things you could be doing better... and unlike when he was giving me crap on my tetris gameplay, he is pretty on point when it comes to BotW. He has finished it 3 times now and has done pretty much everything the game has to offer. I'm pretty sure Ganon has nightmares about him.

I'm preparing myself for this moment. My oldest is six, and in the past year she's gone from being unable to do anything but the simplest gaming task to routinely winning 100cc Mario Kart Grand Prix. I give myself another 18 months before she starts beating me on any game she seriously attempts.

I can't tell you how often he has saved my bacon in Borderlands 2 and yeah, he owns me at Mario Kart (and racing games is WHAT I DO!). He hasn't made a crack at XCOM 2 yet, but he has done some training runs with Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

I gave up on BotW partly because of his criticism. I need to see about turning him into a supportive gamer (yeah, as he enters his teen years, hahahahaha).

coopasonic wrote: ↑Mon Jul 30, 2018 12:13 pmI gave up on BotW partly because of his criticism. I need to see about turning him into a supportive gamer (yeah, as he enters his teen years, hahahahaha).

Well, Dad, at least you didn't die immediately when that skirmish began!

Hey, Dad, for someone who doesn't use the proper weapon, you did OK!

Dad, I really respect your choice to neglect to min/max your encounters!

Skinypupy wrote: ↑Sat Dec 30, 2017 5:48 pm I'm apparently one of the very few who didn't really like this game. This article does a good job of summing up my thoughts. Especially this part:

At least in the early going, the flimsy, constantly shattering weapons and countless same-y Bokoblin camps provide an overwhelming disincentive to explore and try stuff out: The sight of enemies in the distance evokes an Ah crap, not more of this shit feeling, rather than an excited Let’s do this. In a practical sense, this seems like a pretty bad game- and/or story-building failure: The heart of an adventure game or story, after all, is the impulse to get out into the wild unknown and see what there is to see—to have an adventure. Breath of the Wild’s opening hours seem perversely bent on punishing that impulse. Oh, wandered off toward the horizon, did you? Time to throw away all the weapons in your inventory dispatching the same three Bokoblins you fought 90 seconds ago at an identical campsite in a different spot. Your reward for this intrepid venture? A chest with a useless fucking opal in it and three shitty, disposable wooden clubs, all of which you will shatter at the next Bokoblin camp, 90 seconds later.

(Or maybe you will use the GPS on Link’s iPhone to find a shrine! The shrine will contain no enemies, a single puzzle which you will solve in under three minutes, and a wrinkled mummy who will reward you with an orb you can maybe cash in for more stamina later. It will look pretty much exactly like every other shrine you have come across.)

Then again, I've never been much of a Zelda fan to begin with. They've all kinda fallen flat with me.

So far that's the only thing i don't like about the game. I mean, I do like that your items are destructible, but holy cow their blacksmiths, carpenters and what not really suck and making quality items. The rate you go through weapons is too crazy.

I made it to the village and spoke to Impa or whatever her name is. I've tamed a horse, and fallen off cliffs too many times.

It's a fun game, but I'd have to say the above is my only peeve.

The sound is unbelievable, it really adds to the gameplay.