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[Shamrock7r]

Most rewards were heart containers (or fragments of those), bottles and that's it. Majora treated it differently with the masks.
I don't get this complaint either. Personally just discovering the areas is rewarding enough for me! I had a awesome time yesterday by attacking akkala fortress to climb its tower.

Even Majora's Mask, which I still find to be the king of the sidequests in Zelda games, didn't have that many rewards that were that great. Most of the rewards were masks and only a handful of them did anything of merit (the vast majority of them were just glorified trophies in your menu). Playing and finishing the different sidequests is what I remember being so fun about MM, not the end reward. That's how I feel about the world in general with BOTW, in addition to some awesome weapons, clothing, and items.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Majora's Mask is definitely the previous 3D Zelda title closest to BotW's ethos, to my mind. The way the reward structure works, the interaction between the overworld and the dungeons, the story structure of foreboding and past losses (even the way that the four characters that lend your their powers all die in doing so), the focus on teaching through doing. I've seen people say the Wind Waker, and couldn't possibly disagree more.

 

[jariw]

Is there any reason to get all outfits? Eg in gerudo there are extra outfits that seem to simply be cosmetic variations on what I already have. Also that

Spoiler

radiant

set that doesn't mention any benefits, other than looking odd.

The second set you mentioned at least has a set bonus. Don't know if the first one have one.

EDIT: Just checked in the game. Both those sets have set bonuses.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Regarding rewards:

In previous Zelda games, you'd get wallets to expand your pathetic max rupee count and upgrades to your pathetic max bomb and arrow count.

Couldn't be happier this nonsense is gone.

However, the game replaces these with korok seeds, which expand your inventory slots. And I actually like this.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

Majora's Mask is definitely the previous 3D Zelda title closest to BotW's ethos, to my mind. The way the reward structure works, the interaction between the overworld and the dungeons, the story structure of foreboding and past losses (even the way that the four characters that lend your their powers all die in doing so), the focus on teaching through doing. I've seen people say the Wind Waker, and couldn't possibly disagree more.

Yeah, it's no coincidence that BotW and MM are my favorite Zeldas by far.

 

[Sword Of Doom]

Regarding rewards:

In previous Zelda games, you'd get wallets to expand your pathetic max rupee count and upgrades to your pathetic max bomb and arrow count.

Couldn't be happier this nonsense is gone.

However, the game replaces these with korok seeds, which expand your inventory slots. And I actually like this.

The rewards in past games didn't match going through the trouble of finding them imo. You'd find something you thought was very well hidden or difficult to get and you already knew it was going to be rupees. When you boil it down BoTW may not be that much different but it definitely doesn't bother me because it feels rewarding

 

[Megatron]

I really hope the quest design in the next Zelda is better. There is so much I havent done but I dont know where to begin.

In world of warcraft you have questhubs in each zone and you can track how many quests and objectives you have finished in each zone. Botw really needs that.

You mean you don't know where to get quests? Or you can't remember the ones you have/where you got them?

If it's the former you get them by talking to people, most of those are in the main cities, and they even make it obvious which ones you even need to bother talking to with a red dialogue marker.

If it's the latter you can go into the menu and see all side quests you have been given and select the one you want to do which wil put a marker on the map where you want to go, or on the person who gave it to you.

Seems pretty well designed to me.

 

[RRockman]

Next time: shoot it with an ice arrow, get behind it, mash A while waiting for it to unfreeze, ???, profit.



I've visited that shop over 20 times and it has had regular arrows like a grand total of 3 times. Entire in-game weeks can elapse and Link can travel round the world several times without him restocking. I wish I knew what triggered it, because I'm forced to buy them from Beedle the overpricer.

I would try again after a blood moon. I usually force it to happen more often by killing minibosses and lynels.

 

[GiantBreadbug]

Regarding rewards:

In previous Zelda games, you'd get wallets to expand your pathetic max rupee count and upgrades to your pathetic max bomb and arrow count.

Couldn't be happier this nonsense is gone.

However, the game replaces these with korok seeds, which expand your inventory slots. And I actually like this.

I feel the same. The rewards in past Zelda games were "congrats you get some basic gameplay or mechanical functionality." I would a million times again trade the old system of one item per dungeon for the go anywhere style we got in BotW.

Though, today I thought that there would be some items that would make very cool rewards for super challenging puzzles. Namely the Gust Bellows from SS, since it's not necessarily integral to traversal like the other runes are, but it would be a fun extra tool with which to screw around. I think a handful of these types of items would have made good "super secret" rewards. The Beetle would have been god like. I understand some of these would make some things way too easy, but that's why I think they would make good things to stick in really difficult and obscure locations. Maybe some of these would break the game, but I'm inclined to think they just give more options to the player for interacting with the environment, which can only be good in a game like this.

Also the game needs more weapon classes badly. Weapon durability is fine and integral to the game design, but I want more unique movesets. Basically, I think it would make approaching defeating enemies with actual combat way more appealing.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

Also the game needs more weapon classes badly. Weapon durability is fine and integral to the game design, but I want more unique movesets. Basically, I think it would make approaching defeating enemies with actual combat way more appealing.

Yes, so much. Biggest change I want to see for next game. The game BotW needs to learn from is Kid Icarus in this respect. If there were 9 relatively distinct movesets, combining with a wider range of bonus than the +Atk/+durability already in the game...

I'm salivating.

 

[marc^o^]

look at your map, there should be an hint

The bartender tells me to go north of the city at day time, but I can't find the character she tells me to meet :-/

 

[jariw]

The rewards in past games didn't match going through the trouble of finding them imo. You'd find something you thought was very well hidden or difficult to get and you already knew it was going to be rupees. When you boil it down BoTW may not be that much different but it definitely doesn't bother me because it feels rewarding

The rewards in BotW are more multi-layered regarding its rewards. In addition to the korok seed=stash rewards, there are two different trading systems (one with rupees, one with mons) for where resources can be used, armor sets where gem rewards found in chests can be used, a crafting/chemistry system for resources, a weapon system where weapon rewards can be used, traversal rewards for finding shrines, heart/stamina rewards for solving shrines.

 

[Com Truise]

The rewards in past games didn't match going through the trouble of finding them imo. You'd find something you thought was very well hidden or difficult to get and you already knew it was going to be rupees. When you boil it down BoTW may not be that much different but it definitely doesn't bother me because it feels rewarding

No, it could also be a heart piece. Or a bigger bomb bag. Or an empty bottle. Or the Golden Zora Scale (useless but still a wtf moment), or a new magic spell, or it could be friggin Biggoron's Sword.

If you're going to create a massive world you need to fill it with more than just shrines and Korok seeds and 2 kinds of bosses. So yeah, I feel pretty good about calling BotW's reward structure completely fucked.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

No, it could also be a heart piece. Or a bigger bomb bag. Or an empty bottle. Or the Golden Zora Scale (useless but still a wtf moment), or a new magic spell, or it could be friggin Biggoron's Sword.

If you're going to create a massive world you need to fill it with more than just shrines and Korok seeds and 2 kinds of bosses. So yeah, I feel pretty good about calling BotW's reward structure completely fucked.

They did.

You've just chosen to ignore them for some reason.

 

[Shamrock7r]

No, it could also be a heart piece. Or a bigger bomb bag. Or an empty bottle. Or the Golden Zora Scale (useless but still a wtf moment), or a new magic spell, or it could be friggin Biggoron's Sword.

If you're going to create a massive world you need to fill it with more than just shrines and Korok seeds and 2 kinds of bosses. So yeah, I feel pretty good about calling BotW's reward structure completely fucked.

That's actually, you know factually wrong.

and lol at your examples of bomb bags and empty bottles

 

[Rodin]

Tried to get a concrete answer on how previous Zelda games had better "rewards" than BOTW but I have yet to get any solid answer.

Because there isn't a concrete answer to something that factually isn't true.

 

[GiantBreadbug]

Yes, so much. Biggest change I want to see for next game. The game BotW needs to learn from is Kid Icarus in this respect. If there were 9 relatively distinct movesets, combining with a wider range of bonus than the +Atk/+durability already in the game...

I'm salivating.

Don't know why I never dreamed to combine the two, but yes to this. Uprising's weapon system is probably the most satisfying implementation of such a mechanic in any game I've ever played.

Though it may not jive well with the durability part of the weapon system, but it depends on how it's implemented I guess.

Because there isn't a concrete answer to something that factually isn't true.

Kinda glad to see this getting pushback, because it's been causing me to scratch my head a lot as I've seen the sentiment become more popular. I really don't know what people want some of these rewards to be, but I'd rather not go back to the old Zelda style "reward by un-restriction."

Also, complaining about Korok Seeds as shitty rewards comes across as really, I dunno, dumb? They're just little things to discover. They're environmental puzzles, and the hook is that you have to pay close attention to get them all. What would people rather them be? I personally love finding them, as they're not all "finish the rock circle." A lot of them are really challenging or well hidden and make me feel rewarded just for being thorough and finding them. They're like a collectible for "exploring for exploration's sake."

The term "exploration reward" seems like an oxymoron to me. Sure, there can and should be rewards for accomplishing tasks and completing challenges. But exploration should be compelling in and of itself if the world is designed well (which it is in BotW).

 

[Com Truise]

They did.

You've just chosen to ignore them for some reason.

That's actually, you know factually wrong.

What great exploration rewards are you guys constantly stumbling upon, if I may ask?

You know when you see some kind of environmental puzzle or you start climbing a tall mountain and you think "I wonder what this will lead me to?".

Oh right, that doesn't happen, because you know it's going to be a shrine and Korok seed.

 

[CrazyHorse]

Just how good is this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51WnOx9m34k

 

[CrazyHorse]

The biggest problem with this game is the reward system. It needs multiple endings at least.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

What great exploration rewards are you guys constantly stumbling upon, if I may ask?

We're not just talking exploration, but optional rewards in general, from activities like sidequests.

You were talking about this as well, so don't try and move goal posts. It's why you mentioned rewards like bomb bags and Biggoron's Sword.

Some exploration / sidequest rewards in BotW, apart from things like weapons, rupees, food / elixirs, and gems / materials:

Spoiler

Camera
Rune upgrades
Armor pieces
Armor upgrades
Spirit Orbs, which expand health and stamina
Korok Seeds, which expand inventory space
A house, which can be used to store some weapons and shields, and acts as a free inn for health restoration

 

[marc^o^]

The biggest problem with this game is the reward system. It needs multiple endings at least.

I'm 85 hours, each moment has been the rewars so far. So yeah, the journey is the reward, I've never played a single player game that addictive.

 

[jariw]

No, it could also be a heart piece. Or a bigger bomb bag. Or an empty bottle. Or the Golden Zora Scale (useless but still a wtf moment), or a new magic spell, or it could be friggin Biggoron's Sword.

If you're going to create a massive world you need to fill it with more than just shrines and Korok seeds and 2 kinds of bosses. So yeah, I feel pretty good about calling BotW's reward structure completely fucked.

It's comparing apples and oranges. You list the individual rewards in the older games, while you compare it to some of the reward mechanisms in BotW.

If you're comparing it to shrines and korok seeds in BotW, you should list things as "dungeon boss" and "chest" as a comparison for the older games (both these mechanisms still exist in BotW, BTW).

If you're going to compare BotW to what you list in the older games, you should list all the weapons and gems that can be obtained from the shrines. Or anything else found in the overworld, that can be turned into armor upgrade, ability boosts, etc.

And there are more than 2 boss types in the overworld.

 

[ColdPizza]

Just how good is this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51WnOx9m34k

The video after this guy absolutely destroys a Lynel with finesse.

 

[Shamrock7r]

What great exploration rewards are you guys constantly stumbling upon, if I may ask?

You know when you see some kind of environmental puzzle or you start climbing a tall mountain and you think "I wonder what this will lead me to?".

Oh right, that doesn't happen, because you know it's going to be a shrine and Korok seed.

A few off the top of my head

Spoiler

- Multiple shrines contains 1 of 3 clothing items with special abilities like the climbing set and the barbarian set

- multiple shrines contain rare elemental weapons

- There are specific, special horses you can find. At least 3 or 4

- The 4 great fairy fountains one of them extremely hidden (also the horse fairy fountain)

- In this game, items are a means to gaining abilities and upgrading your stuff. There are rare items sprinkled around (the dragons, mini bosses, ores, star fragments) that must be found to create rare recipes and upgrade equipment.

- there is one observatory that is entirely optional and contains rare sheikah equipment

- There is one sidequest where you literally create an entire town

- There is another town that is entirely optional and would never be needed for the main quest unless you search in that area.

- Several mini games are hidden around the world like snowboarding, horse targets, and a gliding mini game

-Specifically, the Blue Dragon sidequest was pretty awesome

-The spread out mini bosses are a great addition and hold valuable items (Lynel, the Rock guy, Hinox, Mogdula? )

- There is a whole hidden store with a different monetary (mon) exchange for rare items, including head sets with abilities and a whole dark link costume set

Some of the "rewards" are traditional Zelda fare, and some of them are a means to a reward based on the new system (cooking, upgrading with found items)

 

[Rodin]

No, it could also be a heart piece. Or a bigger bomb bag. Or an empty bottle. Or the Golden Zora Scale (useless but still a wtf moment), or a new magic spell, or it could be friggin Biggoron's Sword.

If you're going to create a massive world you need to fill it with more than just shrines and Korok seeds and 2 kinds of bosses. So yeah, I feel pretty good about calling BotW's reward structure completely fucked.

What great exploration rewards are you guys constantly stumbling upon, if I may ask?

You know when you see some kind of environmental puzzle or you start climbing a tall mountain and you think "I wonder what this will lead me to?".

Oh right, that doesn't happen, because you know it's going to be a shrine and Korok seed.

I'm not exactly sure who you're trying to convince with your arguments when people are actually playing the game and know for a fact that what you're saying is wrong. Not to mention the bad comparisons.

Also, complaining about Korok Seeds as shitty rewards comes across as really, I dunno, dumb? They're just little things to discover. They're environmental puzzles, and the hook is that you have to pay close attention to get them all. What would people rather them be? I personally love finding them, as they're not all "finish the rock circle." A lot of them are really challenging or well hidden and make me feel rewarded just for being thorough and finding them. They're like a collectible for "exploring for exploration's sake."

The term "exploration reward" seems like an oxymoron to me. Sure, there can and should be rewards for accomplishing tasks and completing challenges. But exploration should be compelling in and of itself if the world is designed well (which it is in BotW).

Yeah, also this. And the korok seeds are what you said, with the bonus that they do one of the most important things in the game (expanding your bags so that you can carry more stuff), but they still don't get in the way (you don't need to wander for hours searching them because 1) you don't need to find all of them and 2) there's plenty of them around that you can spot simply by observing the environment - and you get rewarded even for doing that).

 

[Pif]

Worked through 106 shrines alone, I think I'll put the game to rest until the DLC hits.

 

[Com Truise]

We're not just talking exploration, but optional rewards in general, from activities like sidequests.

You were talking about this as well, so don't try and move goal posts. It's why you mentioned rewards like bomb bags and Biggoron's Sword.

Some exploration / sidequest rewards in BotW, apart from things like weapons, rupees, food / elixirs, and gems / materials:

Spoiler

Camera
Rune upgrades
Armor pieces
Armor upgrades
Spirit Orbs, which expand health and stamina
Korok Seeds, which expand inventory space

So, armor, shrines and Korok seeds. Yeah, I still feel pretty good about my little list being better rewards than stuff you collect in quantities of several hundreds. BotW is also a game focused on open world exploration. Older Zeldas are not. Yet BotW compares really poorly to the variety of stuff a linear 30 hour action adventure provides for its players.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

So, armor, shrines and Korok seeds. Yeah, I still feel pretty good about my little list being better rewards than stuff you collect in quantities of several hundreds. BotW is also a game focused on exploration. Older Zeldas are not. Yet BotW compares really poorly to the variety of stuff a linear 30 hour action adventure provides for its players.

Hilarious. I actually gave you an answer that completely shot down your argument and you just hand waved it off.

 

[Shamrock7r]

So, armor, shrines and Korok seeds. Yeah, I still feel pretty good about my little list being better rewards than stuff you collect in quantities of several hundreds. BotW is also a game focused on open world exploration. Older Zeldas are not. Yet BotW compares really poorly to the variety of stuff a linear 30 hour action adventure provides for its players.

lol... I would rather think you are trolling than think of the alternative

 

[KevinG]

I didn't feel much of any sense of reward exploring and finding Korok seeds.

Spoiler

The reward was the journey.

 

[Lilo_D]

What great exploration rewards are you guys constantly stumbling upon, if I may ask?

You know when you see some kind of environmental puzzle or you start climbing a tall mountain and you think "I wonder what this will lead me to?".

Oh right, that doesn't happen, because you know it's going to be a shrine and Korok seed.

take the tall mountain as example see that you can go there
When I got to Haneto village there is a tall snowy mountain
I used all my cold resistant food to go to the top what awaits me is a

Spoiler

fucking dragon and I fly though the entire mountain to fight it and get its scale to finish a shrine quest

I don't really care the chest in the shrine but I call this experience a reward

When I go to Hebara area there is another snowy tall mountain I decide to go there
What's rewarded me is some best environmental puzzle

Spoiler

the rito big bird quest and snow ball knock the gate shrine

and there is also a mini game and some seeds

 

[kadotsu]

I think some people not liking rewards is only a symptom of the actual problem with the endgame of BotW. The game is missing a mission to cash in your inventory of OP weapons and armor. I would've loved a true ending that had some incredibly hard bosses that made an 88 armor and 100+ attack weapons worth it.
That's the reason why I can't understand the durability criticism. BotW is at its best when you are just scraping by. Beating Ganon in 20 seconds with a 5x bow and ancient arrows isn't that exciting.

This is also exciting, Nintendo made a incredible game template but you can see so much that could be improved in future titles. Just never make the tutorial gauntlet come back.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

I think some people not liking rewards is only a symptom of the actual problem with the endgame of BotW. The game is missing a mission to cash in your inventory of OP weapons and armor. I would've loved a true ending that had some incredibly hard bosses that made an 88 armor and 100+ attack weapons worth it.
That's the reason why I can't understand the durability criticism. BotW is at its best when you are just scraping by. Beating Ganon in 20 seconds with a 5x bow and ancient arrows isn't that exciting.

This is also exciting, Nintendo made a incredible game template but you can see so much that could be improved in future titles. Just never make the tutorial gauntlet come back.

Absolutely. Tons of room for refinement and overall improvement and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

 

[CrazyHorse]

I'm 85 hours, each moment has been the rewars so far. So yeah, the journey is the reward, I've never played a single player game that addictive.

It's an excellent game but the main quest feels almost like a side quest. The game needs to do what the latest 3D Mario games did with extending the game after completing it.

I feel like I am playing it without a cause. I have also got 85 hours +.

BTW sports games can be very addictive for single players.

 

[Shamrock7r]

I think some people not liking rewards is only a symptom of the actual problem with the endgame of BotW. The game is missing a mission to cash in your inventory of OP weapons and armor. I would've loved a true ending that had some incredibly hard bosses that made an 88 armor and 100+ attack weapons worth it.
That's the reason why I can't understand the durability criticism. BotW is at its best when you are just scraping by. Beating Ganon in 20 seconds with a 5x bow and ancient arrows isn't that exciting.

This is also exciting, Nintendo made a incredible game template but you can see so much that could be improved in future titles. Just never make the tutorial gauntlet come back.

This I can agree with. I do wish there was a hidden section of the world that required you to have incredibly beefed up weapons and equipment just to be able to have a chance to beat that area.

 

[jariw]

So, armor, shrines and Korok seeds. Yeah, I still feel pretty good about my little list being better rewards than stuff you collect in quantities of several hundreds. BotW is also a game focused on open world exploration. Older Zeldas are not. Yet BotW compares really poorly to the variety of stuff a linear 30 hour action adventure provides for its players.

I'm not sure if you're trying to troll or not, but if you want unique rewards you have all the non-purchasable armor sets, for example?

 

[jokkir]

Shiekah Armor set too strong.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

This I can agree with. I do wish there was a hidden section of the world that required you to have incredibly beefed up weapons and equipment just to be able to have a chance to beat that area.

Would have been cool, yeah. Hopefully the DLC addresses this, beyond hard mode. End-game content is an area they can improve on in the next game, though I kind of get why they didn't have it in this game.

 

[watershed]

A few off the top of my head

Spoiler

- Multiple shrines contains 1 of 3 clothing items with special abilities like the climbing set and the barbarian set

- multiple shrines contain rare elemental weapons

- There are specific, special horses you can find. At least 3 or 4

- The 4 great fairy fountains one of them extremely hidden (also the horse fairy fountain)

- In this game, items are a means to gaining abilities and upgrading your stuff. There are rare items sprinkled around (the dragons, mini bosses, ores, star fragments) that must be found to create rare recipes and upgrade equipment.

- there is one observatory that is entirely optional and contains rare sheikah equipment

- There is one sidequest where you literally create an entire town

- There is another town that is entirely optional and would never be needed for the main quest unless you search in that area.

- Several mini games are hidden around the world like snowboarding, horse targets, and a gliding mini game

-Specifically, the Blue Dragon sidequest was pretty awesome

-The spread out mini bosses are a great addition and hold valuable items (Lynel, the Rock guy, Hinox, Mogdula? )

- There is a whole hidden store with a different monetary (mon) exchange for rare items, including head sets with abilities and a whole dark link costume set

Some of the "rewards" are traditional Zelda fare, and some of them are a means to a reward based on the new system (cooking, upgrading with found items)

I don't even know how anyone who has played past Zelda games and BOTW can argue that BOTW doesn't provide way more optional rewards to be doscovered than past Zelda games. The developers put in so much optional content that players might never even discover in their playthrough.

 

[takriel]

Shiekah Armor set too strong.

The GOAT.

 

[Com Truise]

Hilarious. I actually gave you an answer that completely shot down your argument and you just hand waved it off.

You shot nothing down, your counter-argument is that besides shrines and Korok seeds there is also armor. And a camera and rune upgrades (both of which you get early in the main quest). And this somehow makes for a great reward structure? I'm still exploring these bazillion square miles of land and still only finding shrines ( 0.5% of them have an armor piece in them, see I'm not forgetting) and Korok seeds, am I not?

 

[OrbitalBeard]

You shot nothing down, your counter-argument is that besides shrines and Korok seeds there is also armor. And a camera and rune upgrades (both of which you get early in the main quest). And this somehow makes for a great reward structure? I'm still exploring these bazillion square miles of land and still only finding shrines ( 0,5% of them have an armor piece in them, see I'm not forgetting) and Korok seeds, am I not?

lol

"You shot nothing down, except when you did, by naming a bunch of things I ignored".

You have to be trolling (or you're not actually exploring or engaging in sidequests at all), especially considering you've completely failed to reply to Shamrock's list, which is far more detailed than mine.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

A few off the top of my head

Spoiler

- Multiple shrines contains 1 of 3 clothing items with special abilities like the climbing set and the barbarian set

- multiple shrines contain rare elemental weapons

- There are specific, special horses you can find. At least 3 or 4

- The 4 great fairy fountains one of them extremely hidden (also the horse fairy fountain)

- In this game, items are a means to gaining abilities and upgrading your stuff. There are rare items sprinkled around (the dragons, mini bosses, ores, star fragments) that must be found to create rare recipes and upgrade equipment.

- there is one observatory that is entirely optional and contains rare sheikah equipment

- There is one sidequest where you literally create an entire town

- There is another town that is entirely optional and would never be needed for the main quest unless you search in that area.

- Several mini games are hidden around the world like snowboarding, horse targets, and a gliding mini game

-Specifically, the Blue Dragon sidequest was pretty awesome

-The spread out mini bosses are a great addition and hold valuable items (Lynel, the Rock guy, Hinox, Mogdula? )

- There is a whole hidden store with a different monetary (mon) exchange for rare items, including head sets with abilities and a whole dark link costume set

Some of the "rewards" are traditional Zelda fare, and some of them are a means to a reward based on the new system (cooking, upgrading with found items)

Yeah. Memories as well. And completely unique locations, like mazes, ruins,

Spoiler

Eventide Island and The Lost Woods.

 

[Lee Chaolan]

Shiekah Armor set too strong.

Is Shiek's Mask from the Amiibo the same thing as the mask you can purchase from the store? Like, does it still give you the complete set bonus?

 

[watershed]

You shot nothing down, your counter-argument is that besides shrines and Korok seeds there is also armor. And a camera and rune upgrades (both of which you get early in the main quest). And this somehow makes for a great reward structure? I'm still exploring these bazillion square miles of land and still only finding shrines ( 0.5% of them have an armor piece in them, see I'm not forgetting) and Korok seeds, am I not?

This game has 2 distinct towns as completely optional rewards for exploration/side quests, one of which yoh actually help create. No past Zelda even comes close to the rewards this game provides. At least 4 distinct horses that are not of the vanilla variety, etc. There's a list above that you don't want to acknowledge.

 

[Nyoro SF]

This game has 2 distinct towns as completely optional rewards for exploration/side quests, one of which yoh actually help create. No past Zelda even comes close to the rewards this game provides. At least 4 distinct horses that are not of the vanilla variety, etc. There's a list above that you don't want to acknowledge.

The game also rewards you with minigames for exploring too. And since the minigames are part of the natural environment they really feel like part of the world. Wind Waker tried this too but it's realized at a much fuller scale in this game.

 

[Shamrock7r]

As it pertains to the "rewards" argument, I tried to make the case to one guy that I think he was mischaracterizing the problem he has with BOTW. Simply put, I said it sounded like he wanted a more linear game, with something like dungeon items from previous games representing a sense of progression and opening up areas that were closed off.

The vast majority of dungeon items in previous Zelda games aren't even used much outside of their dungeon, except for a few uses here and there to get somewhere. They acted as "keys" to the open world for a couple of doors.

I don't even think wanting a game like that is a bad thing. It's a preference, but they need to articulate it correctly instead of coming up with this factually incorrect argument about a lack of "rewards" in BOTW over other Zelda games.

 

[watershed]

Concerning some great overworld challenges, I just beat the

Spoiler

Typhlo Ruins by paragliding over the darkness and finding the glowing Sheikah sphere. I also beat Eventide Island which was a lot of fun, and I like how the flying minigame unlocks after beating the challenge.

The only major overworld challenges I have left are

Spoiler

the labyrinths

.

 

[The Librarian]

Hiya!

So I started this game yesterday. Quick question. As someone likes to explore and do so many of the things as one can, I was wondering how much I should ignore the main quest in order to do as much as I can before facing Calamity Ganon.

I guess what I mean to ask...does the main quest take you to all areas of the map, or only to some parts leaving the rest for you to see on your own?