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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Review Thread

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RoadHazard

RoadHazard

Gold Member
It's actually staying at 98, amazing! Only beaten by its own grandfather (and shares the spot with a few others). And given that this must surely be a better game than OoT judged purely on its own merits (even if OoT was ever so slightly better in its day), and taking also into account that a lot more reviews factor into this game's overall rating... best game ever? Sure seems like it! Damn.
 
J

jariw

Member
Tagyhag said:
Sure, but that's the point, framerate does affect gameplay.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, and if Splatoon 2, ARMS or Mario Odyssey have frame rate issues, there should be a score reduction.

Zelda is an adventure game, and if the framerate doesn't break the game, it can be an great (but of course not ideal) game experience anyhow IMO.
 
G

Grakl

Member
wildfire said:
Congrats to Nintendo. Late to the party but the first to create a "truly" open world game.

Man this industry is slow.




But what if I really don't want to buy Zelda?

dd5996c7bc36801d5dc054d1af1ecf1d.png
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then wait
 
M

Mael

Member
are we still discussing reviews?
Because don't watch Ign video review, it's chokeful of spoilers and they clearly could give less of a shit about spoiling stuffs.
 
L

Lasty95

Member
JawzPause said:
I never said that a perfect 10 means it's perfect. I said the reviewers that are giving it perfect scores should acknowledge it at least in their reviews.

C'mon now.
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But you were/are suggesting that technical issues like frame rate should necessary be reflected in score.

So actually you are sort of saying a 10 means perfect, right?
 
B

Bloodporne

Member
Goddamnit, I really don't want to get this into and hyped about a game that I don't own the console for.

Oh please baby jesus in the manger, grant me the strength to not impulse-buy a Switch just for one game this weekend...
 
S

Scrawnton

Member
Mael said:
are we still discussing reviews?
Because don't watch Ign video review, it's chokeful of spoilers and they clearly could give less of a shit about spoiling stuffs.
Click to expand...
I haven't read or watched a review yet. I want zero spoilers and I'm not taking my chances. I'm not even going on YouTube out of fear of thumbnail spoilers.
 
J

jblank83

Member
Lasty95 said:
But you were suggesting that technical issues like frame rate should necessary be reflected in score.

So actually you are sort of saying a 10 means perfect, right?
Click to expand...

10 doesn't mean "perfect".

10 means "incredible in a way few games are; one of the best games of all time".
 
M

Mael

Member
Lasty95 said:
But you were suggesting that technical issues like frame rate should necessary be reflected in score.

So actually you are sort of saying a 10 means perfect, right?
Click to expand...

we had that debate for GTA IV, that game was full to the brim with tech issues like popin and had a godawful story to boot.
10 means that they really liked it not that it's perfect.

Scrawnton said:
I haven't read or watched a review yet. I want zero spoilers and I'm not taking my chances. I'm not even going on YouTube out of fear of thumbnail spoilers.
Click to expand...

No kidding, even spoiler free reviews feature advanced tools and you can clearly see they're farther in the story with a pretty clear indicator you can't really miss.
It's the most specific I can be without spoiling shit.
 
S

serenewarfare

Banned
I just counted, and it's fucking mind-blowing to me how many outlets gave it a perfect score. Out of 61 reviews counted on Metacritic, 37 of them are perfect.
 
Shoebox

Shoebox

Member
blankempathy said:
To an extent yes. This is coming from someone with a 144hz monitor. There are diminishing returns. The difference between 5 fps and 60 is like night and day compared to 144 and 60.
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I really love playing at 144fps, surely it's a massive difference from 60, but going back to 60 reallyonly takes a few minutes to get used to. Hell, even 30 quits bugging me after getting used to it. Anything less is jarring-PS version of Shadow of the Colossus comes to mind. But it still didn't keep me from feeling that it was an astounding game...and that one had some very consistent framerate drops.

I'm not really sure what Im getting at, except that whatever technical issues this game has are obviously grossly overshadowed by it's merits.
 
N

Nerokis

Member
Arturo said:
True. But why doesn't it affect review scores then?

Not trolling, honest question.
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there's no objective metric such that having this many frames as opposed to that many frames automatically detracts some amount from a score

if you accept this, then logically you have to accept that it's ultimately the overall subjective experience a game achieves for you that's most relevant, and we kind of maneuver through all the moving pieces in a somewhat arbitrary way

if the technical issues or limitations a game has noticeably interfere with the height or depth of that subjective experience, then they'll clearly deduct from the score

on the other hand, if the technical issues a game has don't noticeably interfere? if they feel like part of a compromise to achieve something that wouldn't have been possible with an emphasis on technical flawlessness? if it doesn't feel like they reflect a lack of technical competence (in fact, the game might be technically impressive in other ways) or an overall lack of polish, but merely reflect the limitations that the design of a game cut itself against? maybe that's a different story

i kinda feel like being a technical marvel tends to boost a review score more than not being a technical marvel tends to detract from one, because your capacity to notice the achievement is equal to your capacity to adjust to imperfect performance and aesthetics that don't rely on cutting edge graphics, depending on the quality of everything else
 
M

Mael

Member
Punished_Snake said:
I usually don't watch video reviews until I finish games, but I recommend watching this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aul9Eu9qTIk&t=312s

Happy console gamer is a big Zelda and RPG fan.
Click to expand...

Thanks I'll keep the link in hand :)p)
Seriously though I have my Gamestop copy ready but Wallmart just provided a preorder for the coll 100bucks edition and I REALLY want my pouch...
But that one drop tuesday!
Thank god for snipperclips!
 
J

JershJopstin

Banned
Arturo said:
What a weekend... Horizon Zero Dawn on one hand and BotW on the other. Yay!



True. But why doesn't it affect review scores then?

Not trolling, honest question.
Click to expand...

It did affect some scores. I've seen it mentioned quite a bit in the 9-9.5 reviews, some even saying it was the main detractor.
 
M

mocoworm

Member
randomengine said:
The idea that it must be the best graphically or so many frames to be good has just been obliterated. The Switch, a portable system, just released the greatest game of all time and beat every single AAA effort on PS4, PC, and Xbox. The greatest game of all time mantle is now held by a portable game.
Click to expand...

How can it hold the greatest game of all time mantle when 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time' (N64) beat it on scores?
 
I

icespide

Banned
BOTW being amazing does not equivocally prove that frame rate or graphics doesn't matter or anything. The fact is that it is so good apparently that it transcends whatever technical issues it has.

If the frame rate were locked, it would be better. If it were 60fps it would be even more incredible.
 
bukowski81

bukowski81

Member
Nerokis said:
there's no objective metric such that having this many frames as opposed to that many frames automatically detracts some amount from a score

if you accept this, then logically you have to accept that it's ultimately the overall subjective experience a game achieves for you that's most relevant, and we kind of maneuver through all the moving pieces in a somewhat arbitrary way

if the technical issues or limitations a game has noticeably interfere with the height or depth of that subjective experience, then they'll clearly deduct from the score

on the other hand, if the technical issues a game has don't noticeably interfere? if they feel like part of a compromise to achieve something that wouldn't have been possible with an emphasis on technical flawlessness? if it doesn't feel like they reflect a lack of technical competence (in fact, the game might be technically impressive in other ways) or an overall lack of polish, but merely reflect the limitations that the design of a game cut itself against? maybe that's a different story

i kinda feel like being a technical marvel tends to boost a review score more than not being a technical marvel tends to detract from one, because your capacity to notice the achievement is equal to your capacity to adjust to imperfect performance and aesthetics that don't rely on cutting edge graphics, depending on the quality of everything else
Click to expand...

Good post.

IMO the bottom line is that despite the technical limitations, however big or small they are, the experience the game offers guarantees a 10 for the people that have give the game a 10. This suggest that those technical limitations do not hinder the enjoyment of the game. On the other hand, a really bad game that is technically perfect, will get a very low score if the experience it offers is not fun or interesting.

I cant wait to try this game. One more week for me, I placed the preorder on february, but my expected delivery date from amazon mexico is March 8.
 
P

PrimeBeef

Member
Shoebox said:
I really love playing at 144fps, surely it's a massive difference from 60, but going back to 60 reallyonly takes a few minutes to get used to. Hell, even 30 quits bugging me after getting used to it. Anything less is jarring-PS version of Shadow of the Colossus comes to mind. But it still didn't keep me from feeling that it was an astounding game...and that one had some very consistent framerate drops.

I'm not really sure what Im getting at, except that whatever technical issues this game has are obviously grossly overshadowed by it's merits.
Click to expand...

You know whats funny? I can't see a difference between 60 and 120. But 144 is a whole new game.
 
S

StarStabbedMoon

Member
re: BotW only getting perfect scores because it's Zelda.

I actually see it the opposite way. As far as I can tell, this game is getting perfect scores because Zelda decided to finally join the critics' darling genre: open-world.

Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly hyped about this game, I'm getting my Switch pre-order tonight at midnight with it, but I freely admit to holding classic games from the 90s up as impossible standards, and I don't think it's within me to enjoy a game as much as I did back then, or the linear styles common from that time. But critics evaluate games with a very different standard, and it's their job. The reviews for this game have probably benefited more from embracing current gaming trends then it ever would from nostalgia. If it was just a good Zelda, it would have scored the same as every other Zelda, a solid 90/100 give or take a few. It's doing as well as it is because of something more, something I probably won't fully appreciate, being the old gamer that I am.
 
M

Mcdohl

Member
Wow, I have tamed expectations after Skyward Sword, but it's hard to not get hyped with such high scores...

Tomorrow I'll see for myself.

At least I think it's pretty safe to say it won't be a bad game.
 
P

Plum

Member
Just saw that, when it's "released", it will be the highest score ever on OpenCritic. That one point difference doesn't feel so bad now :p
 
D

daxy

Member
mocoworm said:
How can it hold the greatest game of all time mantle when 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time' (N64) beat it on scores?
Click to expand...

The context in which the game came out is important. OoT today is not as impressive as when it released. I think the takeaway here is that, like OoT, Breath of the Wild will likely be looked back upon as a game design standard for many years to come.
 
S

Spman2099

Member
I think the real question is... if we were to remove all the Zelda trappings, and release the game under another name, would it still receive the same torrent of perfect scores? We won't be able to say either way until we get our hands on the game.

I am automatically suspicious of Zelda scores, as I feel like the series has a tendency to be given the soft treatment. That being said, ProJared came out and said that the Zelda series has been reviewed overly generously in the past, and he still gave it a perfect ten out of ten. So, just because something was true in the past doesn't necessarily mean it is true in the present...

By the way, I am not saying that the games media is corrupt or anything. I think there are a number of reasons why the games have been so generously reviewed in the past. A large part of it probably comes from the power of the Zelda name, and what it means to gamers. It also probably has something to do with how slightly dissenting voices (even when they are still overwhelmingly positive) have been treated by Zelda fans in the past.
 
G

Grakl

Member
Spman2099 said:
I think the real question is... if we were to remove all the Zelda trappings, and release the game under another name, would it still receive the same torrent of perfect scores? We won't be able to say either way until we get our hands on the game.

I am automatically suspicious of Zelda scores, as I feel like the series has a tendency to be given the soft treatment. That being said, ProJared came out and said that the Zelda series has been reviewed overly generously in the past, and he still gave it a perfect ten out of ten. So just because something was true in the past doesn't necessarily mean it is true in the present...

By the way, I am not saying that the games media is corrupt or anything. I think there are a number of reasons why the games have been so generously reviewed in the past. A large part of it probably comes from the power of the Zelda name, and what it means to gamers. It also probably has something to do with how slightly dissenting voices (even when they are still overwhelmingly positive) have been treated by Zelda fans in the past.
Click to expand...
nah this isn't a real question
 
M

Manzanas

Neo Member
aBarreras said:
do you remember that scene from ratatouille where the food critic taste the ratauilled and remember his childhood and why he loves food?

that is breath of the wild for video games
Click to expand...

Haha
Very interesting way of putting it.
Just one more day and I will be playing this.
 
R

Realeza

Banned
Spman2099 said:
I think the real question is... if we were to remove all the Zelda trappings, and release the game under another name, would it still receive the same torrent of perfect scores? We won't be able to say either way until we get our hands on the game.

I am automatically suspicious of Zelda scores, as I feel like the series has a tendency to be given the soft treatment. That being said, ProJared came out and said that the Zelda series has been reviewed overly generously in the past, and he still gave it a perfect ten out of ten. So, just because something was true in the past doesn't necessarily mean it is true in the present...

By the way, I am not saying that the games media is corrupt or anything. I think there are a number of reasons why the games have been so generously reviewed in the past. A large part of it probably comes from the power of the Zelda name, and what it means to gamers. It also probably has something to do with how slightly dissenting voices (even when they are still overwhelmingly positive) have been treated by Zelda fans in the past.
Click to expand...

It would probably receive the same amount of praise. Imagine a nobody developer releasing a new IP of this caliber out of the blue.
 
N

Nzyme32

Member
randomengine said:
The idea that it must be the best graphically or so many frames to be good has just been obliterated. The Switch, a portable system, just released the greatest game of all time and beat every single AAA effort on PS4, PC, and Xbox. The greatest game of all time mantle is now held by a portable game.
Click to expand...

randomengine said:
The scores don't matter. The text of those reviews, the consensus, is that this is the greatest game of all time. Greater than OoT.
Click to expand...

With your usual trolling aside and to take the post seriously - this has never been the issue. Orcarina of Time has done pretty much as well if not better if games journalism reviews are your benchmark as opposed to playing it yourself. OoT looked merely okay for an N64 game and had crap performance (as was common for most games back then). Yet, you play that game even today on that system, and despite being obviously dated, it doesn't suffer too badly since the game is designed around those limitations, had great scale, exploration, tons of unique ideas all of which make an amazing game.

Of course this Zelda is also sounding pretty great - but it's hilarious to me that you decide this is "the greatest game of all time and beat every single AAA effort on PS4, PC, and Xbox. The greatest game of all time mantle is now held by a portable game." - having never played it, and of course dismissing that so many will have their own opinion as to whether it is or isn't so perfect for them. If metacritic / reviews are your benchmark, there are quite a few in the top 20 that imo don't deserve the high spot (hello GTA IV), same being true with reviews of such acolades.

If it was my opinion for such a list, Mario 64 and then Ocarina of Time sit highest for me - but I'll judge Zelda BotW when I eventually get it. Everything without doubt looks pretty damn good

Dre_G_Writer said:
5a8a6c01637cbd5242b760900ad5afb2721a86030c5722f818d1cfea3bc6564e.gif


*dead*
Click to expand...

Brilliant. Zelda BotW has pretty much had that effect for me from the start as do most Zelda games. Just a shame Nintendo haven't got much more to justify a more immediate purchase
 
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