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

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Gee, I'm naive enough in thinking some of these "user" reviews are actually amateur reviewers that received a copy. If that's not the case I'll take it back.

I need more coffee, thinking is too hard.
Yeah, its best to not care. Personally if I want amateur reviews I always find the impressions threads and OT the best way to do that. It can get a bit funny because obviously the more you're posting you're likely to be a fan of the game but what negative opinions are there to have about this game? Seemingly none.

Then in six months we can get the inevitable 'I love the game but...' 'I don't get the hype behind...' stuff. Always fun but it takes a while to form an opinion on these kinds of games, I guess.
 

foxuzamaki

Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
Wii U in 2014, nuff' said. How can people expect games on that console at the time seriously making a dent onto public perception. Sure, they got great scores, but if "no one" (quotation marks!) plays them for themselves and is left with what we got, then of course the year in review will look pretty bland for most. This goes also for niche PC RPGs and the likes. For a year to go down in history or even be recognized as great by the majority of people, there have to be at least a few memorable heavy hitters that hit the mainstream. So, I think that is the reason why people keep saying that.

I mean...other than bayonetta, we arent exactly talking about niche titles here, infact we're talking about some of the highest selling games in the industry
 
For those of you picking the game up today from Gamestop - make sure to ask for your free "The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild" double-sided poster!

From what I understand, they don't just hand them out - you have to ask for them and they have lots of them, so don't worry about them being out - at least initially ;)

I got 2 of them, so feel free to ask for more than 1 ;)
 

Cloukyo

Banned
Blows my mind that there are so many people who've never played a Zelda game before. I guess Nintendo hasn't really been relevant for almost a decade but still, Zelda is like, the grandmother of gaming.

Nintendo consoles have been the "optional extra" console for a long time. A console you get if you like nintendo exclusives (which were almost always just nintendo games).

Im surprised zelda is still as popular as it is if anything.
 

Gaminar

Banned
If you don't give anything a ten on some strange principle, then you're just operating on a nine point scale where your nine is the equivalent of everyone else's ten and should be considered a 100% score. There is no objective score by which to measure games. All reviews can only ever be comparative - how enjoyable is this compared to other experiences? If BotW leads the field in that respect, even in the face of framerate drops, that is a 10 (for that reviewer).

Gonna go with the same lame ol' argument from my side about - then what's the point of a review? For example Football Manager might be something of a 10/10 to the reviewer but for me it holds 0 relevance to his/her subjective feeling of hype or emotions towards their likes. Now I'm sure you will counter with, well go find out for yourself... and don't read reviews to which my argument is:

I'm not arguing against the idea of reviews as a plurality, but of the singularity of one's opinion (in this case A reviewer). The real question then is; why does this one person's opinion matter? I understand the business side to it. But it's something no one has experienced yet. Like for example, I'll have a friend who goes out to eat and we have similar tastes who will give me a word of mouth review of some yummy food. That's an actual experienced informed opinion. In this scenario, I have no idea who the reviewer is or his/her tastes and why I should believe them. I'm not trying to take away from a possible great game which it probably is. I'm just peeved about perfect scores... cue Uncharted 4 and MGS4 as examples.

And there is a 10 scale, sometimes it's added with the .0 system right after the prime number. But even that's a moot point.

Also, out of the list down there, how many of those perfects do you agree with?
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/gamespots-complete-list-of-1010-reviews-and-how-th/1100-6422955/
 
If you don't give anything a ten on some strange principle, then you're just operating on a nine point scale where your nine is the equivalent of everyone else's ten and should be considered a 100% score. There is no objective score by which to measure games. All reviews can only ever be comparative - how enjoyable is this compared to other experiences? If BotW leads the field in that respect, even in the face of framerate drops, that is a 10 (for that reviewer).


Not sure if any expectations of reviewers is fair.

I feel annoyed if a reviewer is willing to state that 'I don't give 10s' vibe or stance in a review but if they find good reason for a 9.5 I am fine with that.

I think as fans we need to respect reviews verdict even though we wanted them to love a game we are hoping is deserving of a perfect score. This is harder to do when the reviewer is someone you love to follow.

Example, I find myself uncomfortable with EZA's 4.5/5 because I am a big fan of those guys and wanted love / hype from those guys.

Waypoint's review filled that love and hype that I was hoping from EZA
Dan from Giantbomb also filled that spot.

So I think when you are a fan of reviewers and hyped for a game, you kinda want those reviewers not to play that 'I don't give 10s' game

So when it comes to a game like this we have high expectations which I am not sure is fair
 

moerser

Member
i fucking love reading metacritic user reviews. "ill give it 1 star because all the media is paid to give it a 10... also, i dont own a switch or ever played a second of the game"
 
Just an observation or call it my opinion... the mostly middle aged 30 year old men playing this game living out nostalgia in front of their eyes see these same inconsistencies in other games and take away points in reviews. But because the name "Zelda" is tied to it... I feel like the hyperbole and myopic vision is just way too much.

No game is perfect.
Your tears are delicious
 

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
There is not one game in my library of the 25+ years of gaming that is a 10... perfection is also subjective for many. I can't talk for anyone else. What matters is the experience and journey. I've been blown away by games like Shadow of the Colossus to LOZ: The Minish Cap with their interesting narratives or contextual worlds but they are confined by the limitations of:

a) their hardware
b) limited set of actions

Whether the choice of these limited set of actions is a caveat to the creator's imagination is another story... I take them as they are.

Anyway, I guess I'm treading towards extreme idealism where the A.I. has extremely intelligent beings and the physicality of the world mirrors ours (with the creator's own creativity, reality and context thrown in).



Although I really liked Bloodborne, I had no idea of its story narrative which although builds up the mystery of the game also took away from it. Also the ambient occlusion is horrible.

An opinion opposite to yours sir, is not nonsense. I have yet to play the 2 best games out now as an example and will reserve judgement when I do play them. But for those who do have these games :) have fun my friends!
But a 10 isn't perfect. Just like a 5/5 movie isn't perfect. The scale is 1-10. Does the game hit what it needs to to receive the highest score? As the poster you quoted said.. if someone "never gives a 10", then really they are only operating on a 9 point scale and their 9 is still a 10 anyway.

A 10 to me is that the game/movie/whatever hits all of the important notes, all of the nice touches, and as a whole (important there) doesn't leave me with thinking "it was REALLY good, but these 2-3 things really could have been better and were a little distracting". That's not to say there is NOTHING that could be done better in a 10/10... just to say that criticisms there, taken as a whole package, didn't reduce the experience at all for me. Wind Waker is a perfect example of a 9. If it weren't for the ridiculous amount of sailing before the start of the end journey, easy 10. Instead, 9. Red Daed Redemption on the other hand... 10. Even with the typical R* flaws, I spent 100+ hours in that game.

Though honestly I usually apply a 5 point scale to things. Nothing we are talking about ever needs more than that. And the 100 point scales used in the industry (including the 9.3 and such)? Ridiculous. Did you like it? If you can't express that across 5 ranks, then frankly you are doing a poor job of expressing your opinion.
 
I didn't buy a Wii or a WiiU and missed out on Skyward Sword but I'm pretty sure I will be buying a Switch in the near future. I can't possibly say no to a Zelda game receiving this much praise.
 

Trickster

Member
Are you really that shocked? I'm sure tons of people were just chomping at the bit to drag the Zelda user meta down.

Being surprised at any high profile or exclusive games being showered with 10/0 user rating is honestly like being surprised at water being wet.
 
B

bomb

Unconfirmed Member
I love reading the negative user reviews on metacritic. so much salt from people who never played it.
 
Just an observation or call it my opinion... the mostly middle aged 30 year old men playing this game living out nostalgia in front of their eyes see these same inconsistencies in other games and take away points in reviews. But because the name "Zelda" is tied to it... I feel like the hyperbole and myopic vision is just way too much.

No game is perfect.
I only have one question to you:
Did you play the game?

If yes, ok, it's your opinion after playing it.
If no, you only sound like a salty console warrior.
 
Nintendo stopped being relevant with their WiiU, which was a disaster. Only 14 Million units sold over all. Look at Starfox on the WiiU it was widely criticized for its bad controls, Nintendo wanted it gimmicky and still thought that people would enjoy the experience. They built games around the control scheme, look at skyward sword, it sold badly, not because it was a bad game but because they pushed motion controls on it, just to have them.

When they developed Breath of the Wild they realized that they didn't even need the WiiU Gamepad for it, they realized this game would work just fine without any "LOOK AT THE CONTROLLER" Signs on your TV like many WiiU Games have. With the switch Nintendo is finally back to the roots, they won't mess up their main titles anymore, Mario Odyssey will most likely work without any gimmicky controls.

They still have their motion control Wii-Mote lookalikes with the two switch controllers but they will use them for dedicated software like 1-2-Switch rather than on their main IPs. We are finally cured of Motion Controls pestering great Nintendo Games.

Also: Nintendo is bold now, they understand that they can be successful if they reinvent the genres a new, like they did with Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time. The Nintendo we see now is the one that created some of the best 3D games back in the N64 days that still pass the test of time. -Too bad the old Rare isn't hanging around to join the party :(
You should read the post you quoted more closely. He said Nintendo hardware stopped being relevant for most people, but their software is generally top-notch. Even Starfox (though a good game apparently if you invest in the control scheme) is an outlier. Their software output has consistently been stellar - which is true. Nintendo has never been irrelevant in the games development space and your issues are hardware related.
 
And just like MC did with all the Nintendo trolls giving HZD a 0, those will get removed.

Was that also a thing? It's really sad that fans on both sides are more worried about which game will get more recognition, higher reviews, and/or better sales instead of just being excited that we are getting these great games.
 

Peroroncino

Member
This really doesn't make sense. Did these people openly say Zelda was better in those reviews? Seems more like something XBox One console warriors would do, not Zelda fans.

It goes both ways really.

Let's be honest here; Nintendo sought out to try and copy Horizon, but ended up doing nothing of the sort. This can hardly be called a copy since it's more flawed in every single way.

Fanboys will be fanboys.

I love clicking on Horizon/Zelda user reviews and just ctrl+f horizon/zelda - so much salt.
 
This really doesn't make sense. Did these people openly say Zelda was better in those reviews? Seems more like something XBox One console warriors would do, not Zelda fans.

Yes they did. And there's crazy fans on all sides. Horizon threads pre-release always went to shit due to a couple of crazies.
 
People have to understand why fanboyism arises, particularly when it comes to video games.

- People have limited resources, and therefore have to choose their game systems selectively.

- People want to feel vindicated that they made the correct choice, and therefore will do anything they can to justify their decision. They search for information that vindicates their decision and disregard information that doesn't.

- Deriving from this feeling, it arises in some people that the other side is the enemy. They develop feelings of animosity. Anything good that happens for the enemy is an assault on them personally. Some of these people will criticize the other side when they can, some others will actively troll the other side. Ultimately, attacking the other side derives from the feeling of insecurity about how they spent their limited resources.

- Additionally, there are some people who root against the other side (Nintendo in particular) because they hope they will stop making their own consoles, which will lead to them developing games for their console of choice. Ultimately, this is a selfish consideration, but at least a rational one.
 
Blows my mind that there are so many people who've never played a Zelda game before. I guess Nintendo hasn't really been relevant for almost a decade but still, Zelda is like, the grandmother of gaming.
It's cuz of he hardware bro...I haven't gotten a Nintendo console since I put my Wii away in the closet after 2 months of use.
 

spekkeh

Banned
Just an observation or call it my opinion... the mostly middle aged 30 year old men playing this game living out nostalgia in front of their eyes see these same inconsistencies in other games and take away points in reviews. But because the name "Zelda" is tied to it... I feel like the hyperbole and myopic vision is just way too much.

No game is perfect.
You're using difficult words for a ten year old, impressive.
 
Asking this hear because I don't want to see a spoiler in any of the other threads. Only only want people that actually have the switch version and have started it to reply.

Does the Switch Cart version require a install (outside of the small update)? I have a friend who is adamantly stating that the switch cart version requires a 14.5GB install, even the cart version. I don't believe him but he said he read it in the Gameinformer article. Before I call him out on being wrong, I would like a confirmation of people who have the game.
 
Asking this hear because I don't want to see a spoiler in any of the other threads. Only only want people that actually have the switch version and have started it to reply.

Does the Switch Cart version require a install (outside of the small update)? I have a friend who is adamantly stating that the switch cart version requires a 14.5GB install, even the cart version. I don't believe him but he said he read it in the Gameinformer article. Before I call him out on being wrong, I would like a confirmation of people who have the game.

He's wrong. There is a small update and then you can play. It took me under a minute last night.
 
Happy for the devs that worked so hard on BotW, it must feel so good to read all the happy words from players. Especially the younger ones, the old guard already has many of these critically acclaimed games in their belt.
 

Nickle

Cool Facts: Game of War has been a hit since July 2013
I love how salty people get when a Nintendo game gets incredible reviews.
 

magnetic

Member
I love reading the negative user reviews on metacritic. so much salt from people who never played it.

This game is much worst then the Witcher 3! The garaphics look like a Atari from the 90s I wish I was kidding! Graphics 0/10 it hurt my eyes as well as the "music" hurt my eyres! It's like babyies first mine craft game are you kidding me Nintendo nobody should of ever play this game for morans
 

boiled goose

good with gravy
Just an observation or call it my opinion... the mostly middle aged 30 year old men playing this game living out nostalgia in front of their eyes see these same inconsistencies in other games and take away points in reviews. But because the name "Zelda" is tied to it... I feel like the hyperbole and myopic vision is just way too much.

No game is perfect.

Meh. If you haven't played the game yourself this is just a baseless assertion.
"Technical issues" vary in the degree they affect the overall experience.

The praise of Botw seems centered on the new things it does regarding gameplay systems and mechanics. Deviations from current formula. If anything, things like story and visuals are much more vulnerable to "hype".
 

watershed

Banned
Asking this hear because I don't want to see a spoiler in any of the other threads. Only only want people that actually have the switch version and have started it to reply.

Does the Switch Cart version require a install (outside of the small update)? I have a friend who is adamantly stating that the switch cart version requires a 14.5GB install, even the cart version. I don't believe him but he said he read it in the Gameinformer article. Before I call him out on being wrong, I would like a confirmation of people who have the game.
Your friend is seriously misinformed.
 
Your friend is seriously misinformed.

Yeah, that's what I thought. He was trying to tell me every game on switch is going to require an install, and tried to tell me to look into it, even Zelda requires a 14gb install. He said he read it in Gameinformer. I figured he was full of shit lol.
 
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