The Legend of Zelda BOTW has ruined Open World Games for me

....... Wow, I guess it took Nintendo to truly incorporate the concept of Open World to near perfection. This is probably the best Game I've ever played, and I'm not talking so lightly (played games since SNES era, played countless of games what many people consider masterpieces) This is how you make an Open World, not what other devs consider "open"(to do lists, game turns into mediocre racing/fetch game game, skill trees etc)

You get dropped in that World and make every step your own, perfect sandbox experience. Not to mention they truly nailed the controls as well, it's one of the best playing open world games ever, not riddled with usual op world jank (weightless character movement etc aka gta iv) Bravo Nintendo, not only is this your best game, you've revolutionised what open world truly means.

Gotta agree, best game ive ever played.

Gotta agree, this is the first game that makes a meaningful use of its open world that I have played. Going back to other older open world games will be harder after this (though I hear MGSV shares a lot of the same DNA as BotW, so I do definitely want to give it a go).

I honestly don't see why people hype it up so much. It is very good, but there have been plenty of other good open world games that do many things better. Have you people not played The Witcher 3, Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption, Far Cry 3, GTA, Horizon, etc?

The game is pure gaming bliss. I'm just running around, and i've only liberated one of the Divine Beasts. I'm going out of my way to get specialty armor in order to endure the heat climate ATM, rather than just chugging a bunch of heat-resilient elixers. So much to do.

I haven't played it yet but the hype just seems outlandish. I can't imagine it ever living up to the life changing experience people are making it out to be. I will certainly get a switch and give it a go at some point in the future and see for myself.

@charizard1605: I heard the same about mgsv, I only played the ground zeros demo. I read that reviewers say botw has followed mgsv structure of open world. You just get dropped in the world and figure out things for yourself. Dark Souls started the concept, but Wow Nintendo perfected it

It's very hard to explain why it is as good as it is- in fact, when you play it, it'll probably be a few hours before you realize that yes, yes it does live up to the hype. There has never before been an open world this interactive and this finely crafted on so large a scale. It's an incredible game, and for once, actually befitting of the hype.

Dark Souls didn't even start it- this was the original Zelda game, it did this first. Breath of the Wild is just the series returning to its roots.

Actually, the original Zelda on NES was very much drop you in and do your own thing. There was very little guidance.

@charizard1605: Well I can't be anything but anxious to try it with these kind of recomendations. I love open world games anyway and don't at all get into the open world bashing trend that's popular these days so I guess I won't be able to help but love it.

I think it's more deserving of a 10 than most "10s" thats for sure.

The problem with a lot of modern open world games is that the open worlds are just... there. They're the backdrop, they don't add or contribute anything to the game or how it is designed, and in fact often detract from it by diluting gameplay, level design, or storytelling. Very few open world games have actually meaningfully leveraged their open world in their gameplay- I guess Skyrim is actually a good example, Rockstar games usually do it well (albeit I can't vouch for this, I have not played a Rockstar game since GTA4), The Witcher 3 did it well, but more narratively than mechanically, and MGSV created a perfect set of tools and mechanics to be able to utilize its open world and integrate it into its mechanical vision, but failed to do so because of its rushed development (again, this is what I gather from others who have played the game and are more qualified than me to comment on it, like @ConanTheStoner- I personally have not yet played MGSV enough to pass any judgements on it).

Breath of the Wild is the first open world game where the open world is an integral part of the game's mechanics. The entire game is balanced around the open world not just being there to move from one portion of the game to the next, but being the game itself. In other words, think of the open world here as one gigantic 3D level, designed with Nintendo's immaculate knack for level design. Throw in Nintendo's mastery of mechanics for levels they do design- and you can maybe begin to understand why Breath of the Wild has the kind of hype and hysteria that it does.

@BassMan: yes I've played a bit of Witcher 3, I played skyrim, i played rdr(fantastic game btw) and yep botw is still the best game I've ever played. It's truly open, it's the little touches that makes it stand out. I also love how subtile it is in it's storyline (some characters/travellers give vague description about events that take place in the world, which lead to hidden fantastic boss battles you won't expect cause how subtile they are.) It feels like a playground made for you, without unnecessary text or constant waypoint pop ups (again to do lists) that harm my immersion. The actual controls, physics, and combat in this game is also way above thise games, which is the icing on the cake

@charizard1605: I like the comparisons that people are making to MGSV as that is one of my all time favorite games and also one that is shit on way too often. The gameplay is masterclass in that game. There are times when the open world may not be utilized to its fullest potential but I have never said when playing an open world game that I wish it was merely linear. To each their own.

mmkay we can probably temper the hype just a tad there. I'm all gungho about the game after beating it a couple days ago, it's one of my favorite games in years, but it's doing so by building on the success of other games in the past. Much of it's secret solving and exploring feels like upgrades to previous Zeldas or open worlds. Indeed a lot of quests are very similar to what RDR and Skyrim did with treasure map hunting, giving you just enough environment clues to work out solutions by yourself. It also regularly reminds me of the best part of Phantom Hourglass, the quest where you find and map out an island by yourself, then solve the puzzle by what the shape of the island was that you drew. It's that, but lots more of it, basically.

And there are plenty of fetchy quests in it, even though they're fairly easy to handle if you spend the time exploring other stuff. I think where the game succeeds over others is just the simple breadth of the world, how exploring will invariably lead to something cool, and how there are basically never any stretches where it feels uninteresting or padded out. I can't think of a single point in 60ish hours of game where I was losing interest, which is a big achievement for an open world.

But it isn't like it was sooo amazing you suddenly can't go enjoy other open worlds now. I just played Witcher 3 earlier in the year and I still loved the hell out of it. It's just that most of Witcher 3's fundamental reward systems are very different, and it isn't quite as ambitious or expansive in it's gameplay options as BOTW is.

On topic: I mean I will say it's made me look at any footage of open world games I see now look extra dull, but I always thought gaming had only found ways to be excessively boring when it came to all these open world games.

Of those, only Skyrim gives you a similar sense of freedom, the other shit are completely rigid. And without having played Horizon or Skyrim

The Witcher 3's combat is mediocre, and the game isn't a sandbox.

Red Dead is auto shooting, and GTA basically never had good mechanics until like 5, and even that is being generous given that the gameplay is a mind numbing cover shooter. Nice and varied, but a game you play by Rockstar's rules. They even took the concept of having 3 playable characters, and turned the missions into these super scripted things with barely any room for more emergent action.

Far Cry 3 is sort of there, but eh. Zelda's more in the camp with things like the first half of Crysis, or what Metal Gear Solid V is, or what Shadow of Chernobyl is.

Of the stuff I played, the presentation is better in The Witcher 3, the writing is much much better, and there is generally more life to the worlds of GTAV and The Witcher 3, on a presentation level. But you're handcuffed, a lot in those games.

If you dig MGSV then there is a good chance you'll dig BotW. Completely different types of games obviously, but they both utilize their spaces so well and have a stunning attention to detail when it comes to their interactive possibilities.

I'll go ahead and get it out of the way, from a purely mechanical standpoint MGSV is a much stronger game. Its layers of systems also carry more depth. Thing is, BotW is also rock solid on a mechanical level, but unlike MGSV it has a very well designed and much more interesting open world. It's a much fuller, much more varied experience and it doesn't carry the mountains of baggage that weigh down MGSV in the long run.

I could go on and on, but I'll cut myself short here. BotW is good shit lol.

@BassMan: Most of these games are trash.

@BassMan: Have you played Breath of the Wild?

Yes. I have played over 40 hours and finished the main campaign. Feel free to check out my brief user review...

http://www.gamespot.com/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild/user-reviews/2200-12721131/

@BassMan: just read your review of BotW. You said it lacks variety of enemy, are you sure sonce I heard someone here said it has a lot of different tyoes of enemies.

I'm just going to go out there and say the game is overhyped. The mission structure is actually really basic (which isnt a bad thing), but to say its revolutionary is being way too generous. It even rips the towers straight out of AC ffs. I havent come across a shrine that was like, wow this is a cool puzzle. Some of which are embarrassingly bad (Not joking here, there is a shrine where you walk in, there is a chest that gives you a fire sword, and then the end two steps away). Dungeons are a little better, but having the same kind of dungeon each time lessens the wow factor and moving from the camel to anything else just feels cheapened. The side missions are generally unappealing where I never felt compelled to actually do them because the ones I did do made it feel like it wasnt worth. The enemy variety was poor where you mainly are facing the same goblins and lizards over and over. The boss battle are unappealing as well, no imagination put into any of them and being easily exploitable. The soundtrack is dull and doesnt fit the scale of the adventure. The story is awful, boring, and predictable. The controls are too simplistic, no quick swapping between weapons on the fly, cooking is not robust enough, when locked on you cant swap to another enemy (which is something most games have), and all too often the camera has messed with me on boss fights because I wasnt in range I guess? Its a boss fight, there is one enemy. I could go on...

Overall I liked it. The animations are amazing and the world itself is great with the level of interactivity. I hope this can be a base for the next game to improve upon, but people claiming that its perfect are being swept up in the hype.

@aigis: Whats your score mate?

@iandizion713: 8/10, I was close to give it a 9 early on. Then as I progressed the freshness kinda started to wear off, especially with the divine beasts and the boss fights. Also I started to notice all the things that werent as tight as they should have been. It needed more variety

@aigis: Thats pretty high coming from you, im shocked.

@Vaasman: I think the Zelda charm is also what helps make the world more appealing to me. The world is kinda like a surprise egg, you never know what to expect in the next corner, tree, hill or sliding down a mountain. Its also so damn interactive. Its a playground where you experiment your abilities, for example you see a hill and wondet if you can slide down with your shield and find new pathways to claim with your glider. Its so mechanical and I've never felt that a game allowed me to experiment with the possibilities this much, it's truly a welcome change of pace (especially regarding open worlds)

@trollhunter2: Its funny, they give you a horse but you spend most your time wanting to walk around and explore.

@iandizion713: Is it? I did like the game for the most part, it shows a lot of promise going forward. A lot of the things are little irritating things (except for the story, damn is that bad after they hyped it) that could be fixed in another game. The world itself is the draw here and it is done well for Nintendo's first shot.

@aigis: Zelda's story isnt for everyone, its an acquired taste.

@iandizion713: for me its claiming tops of mountains and sliding down or gliding in the air lol

because the horse is never there when you want it, so annoying. It pisses me even more off that they make fun of you when you first register a horse...

best 3D zelda without a doubt. ocarina in 2nd.

There was barely a story there. I should know, I've got all the memories and saw the post credit sequence. Calling it bare-bones is being nice

@aigis: Just call him.

Yeah, im addicted to climbing. Its the most innovative and revolutionary thing in gaming. Something ive always wanted to experience.

maybe like 4th best 3d zelda for me

something left him permanently deaf it seams, he doesnt respond

@aigis: Your bond is weak.

I love how actual climbing is challenging and rewarding in the game. I hope the next uncharted follows suit, cause this is how you make climbing fun and rewarding, not the auto climb bullshit. It got better in U4 but it's still not quite there. Also f*ck the rain in this game lol

@trollhunter2: Those games always annoyed me how linear their climbing was. Such shallow gameplay is unwelcoming in open world games. Yeah, ive been stuck countless times while climbing or bout to climb.

@iandizion713: probably, I didnt have time to babysit

@aigis: My bond game is so strong, i ride bears.

Like @aigis mentioned earlier, it is mostly goblins and lizards. There are some different enemies and attacking animals thrown into the mix here and there, but most enemy encounters are similar get repetitive after a while.

It is very similar to the Assassin's Creed games except in Zelda there are less restrictions on what you can climb.

I mean depending on how you travel across the world I can see how you might think there are too many mokoblins and lizalfos. But I ran into plenty of different kinds of creatures. I don't want to spoil too much about it the kind of shit you find, needless to say though I did not feel the same way about enemy variety. Even among lizalfos they have several elemental variations that look and behave very differently, and camps and the world designs had plenty of variables to shake each combat up. And I liked the world bosses too, I think they rounded out the dungeon bosses nicely.

Exactly what I was thinking

I sure as hell haven't played an open world game before that's so damn well designed.

Who else here thinks the Story is perfect for a non-linear experience?

Problems I've had in past open-world games: I'm threaded along main quests, and while I get distracted by a side mission, it has little to no substance to the main quest and it will in fact disjoint the flow of the main narrative, making the fluidity choppy and unappealing.

I know the story in BotW isn't the messiah of storylines, but it might just be one of the most perfect setups for an open-world game I've played and it lends itself perfectly to the non-linear setup and I think part of the beauty is it never loses focus no matter how much you choose to explore off the beaten path and choose your adventure. For the first time, I'm playing a game where the side quests don't feel so much like a burden to the main story as much as they are the story that you choose to create.

So...Spoilers...

The story starts up with Link waking up a hundred years into the future from last he faced Ganon, and then he embarks on his journey for it's told he'll only wake up from his eternal sleep when the evil of Ganon is on the rise again. I know it doesn't sound awfully unconventional for a Zelda game, because it is NOT. But playing the game, it really occurred to me it might be one of the most perfectly implemented Zelda stories yet.

As Link travels across Hyrule, he will run into many many characters, and many of them will remember him from the past, and many will recall his legend and react in astounding energy that they're seeing him at all. Characters that knew him before his hundred year tragedy will react "oh my god you're back! We got lots of catching up to do!" Whereas some character that may have neither known nor had a clue of his legend will simply say "nice to meet ya."

I think that this game's story does perfectly, is no matter which direction you walk in, you're bound to run into characters that are ready a big welcome back party or ask for your autograph (not really, or Idk?).

I think it's genius that part of Nintendo's storytelling efforts in this game makes it so that most characters are close to on the same page with the main narrative, so that traveling off the beaten path is never quite a mistake or a break from the story at all.

Has anyone else realized this and feel the same way?

@jg4xchamp:

The 3 character thing in GTAV is so weird.

It's like they took player freedom that should have been integrated into the game world from the beginning and made it a rigid, 3 solution mechanic instead. It doesn't make any sense to me. It's like That mechanic is like the anti-thesis on what a sandbox should offer.

I never got around to it, but GTAV was one of the titles I was going to use in that topic 'Game Design vs. Popularity'.

Not that GTAV is not a fun game. It's really fun! But I feel there are a number of ways the game's design could be majorly improved.