I, too, was concerned going into this experience that the new weapon durability mechanic would frustrate me. After all, who would appreciate the tedium of having to constantly monitor your weaponry and switch to a new tool every dozen or so enemies? Well, surprisingly, this has actually become second-nature during my time with the game—and I actually have come to appreciate it. You see, the absence of a solid bedrock of tiered/progressively-stronger weaponry (and shields) simply opens up the diversity of gameplay experiences that much more. Because now, rather than defaulting to your newly-upgraded sword, you're forced to plan and manage your usage of items to preserve the more powerful ones for tougher situations. In other words, it's survival. And, against all odds, it's fun.
There was never a situation where I was dying for a weapon and couldn't locate one. By contrast, more often than not, my inventory was full and I was unable to collect additional weapons. This can sometimes be irritating, but it's necessary, of course—otherwise the game would be far too easy. So it isn't so much a problem of scarcity, but rather, a problem of abundance and careful selection.
