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[Griss]

...So how in the fuck is Mario Oddesy going to top this then?

A Mario game has no chance at all of these reviews.

This is a special confluence of factors outside of Nintendo's core gameplay genius (which would apply to both Zelda and Mario):
-Zelda series bias: It's a special series for a lot of people out there including myself, many of whom are game reviewers
-Reinventing a much-loved series: This is a massive departure from the norm, which always leads to better reviews of a game in a series if it's done right
-Delivers and perfects modern design trends: People fucking love open world games. This is an open world game, done to a stunning standard.
-Value: Much bigger game than mario ever will be, 100 hours of content.

There's no way even the best mario game could compete with that witches' brew of good score alchemy.

 

[Infinite_Daremo]

I don't really follow Metacritic but.... GTAIV?!?!.... Fuck off!

 

[Smellycat]

Can we take the spoiler tagged shit out of this thread, there's an impressions thread for just that. Not hard to accidentally tap those walls of black on Mobile.

Seriously! This page is all black markers lol

 

[jmizzal]

I thought this game would get high scores but MOTHER OF GOD 98 from Metacritic

This is the game of forever lol

 

[pablito]

I expected 90s. Didn't expect a 98. Lordy. I won't be able to play this for several months, but I hope it's earned that score. This could be a very special game.

 

[Air]

All hail the king!

 

[Recreat3]

Spoiler about a certain in game sound that im not sure has been cleared up yet

Spoiler

the opening treasure chest "build up" sound is in the game. That is all im going to say, i think i saw someone mention it wasnt when they opened a chest. Cant confirm if it doesnt come when you open a big chest.

 

[APZonerunner]

Yeah, I keep hearing that rationalization but it still doesnt really address the issue.

The question is really... is it an issue? I'm an old Zelda stalwart - the type who would miss dungeons - but I played for 50+ hours (and am still playing) and didn't miss them.

It's a bit like saying MM is half the game OOT is because it has half (less - a third!) of the dungeons - but anybody who has played that game knows it's not true because you have these sprawling personal quests and the like that make it more than the sum of its parts on paper. BOTW is like that too.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Shrines are

Spoiler

Not strictly speaking just puzzle rooms. Often, like I say, shrines can be the reward for environmental puzzles. There's a couple of huge labyrinth mazes in the corners of the map for instance - and if you work your way through them, a shrine is your reward at the middle. One of my favourite puzzles in the game took me about an hour. It was all out on a specific island of the world, and the reward for that was a shrine. So there's not just the "puzzle rooms" inside the shrines, but a lot else besides attached to them.

Are there cavernous places with room after room, locked doors and small keys though? No. It's not what the game is going for.

Gosh I'm worried and exhilarated at the same time. Dungeons are my fav part of Zelda. Stuff between dungeons goes from tedious to good. If Zelda could make dungeons and world really seamless that's great. But I may miss my traditional dungeons. I guess I always have like 5 games that I can go back to... bring it on!!!

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

YEET! Return of the KING! Cant wait for tomorrow!

 

[Inferno313]

A Mario game has no chance at all of these reviews.

This is a special confluence of factors outside of Nintendo's core gameplay genius (which would apply to both Zelda and Mario):
-Zelda series bias: It's a special series for a lot of people out there including myself, many of whom are game reviewers
-Reinventing a much-loved series: This is a massive departure from the norm, which always leads to better reviews of a game in a series if it's done right
-Delivers and perfects modern design trends: People fucking love open world games. This is an open world game, done to a stunning standard.
-Value: Much bigger game than mario ever will be, 100 hours of content.

There's no way even the best mario game could compete with that witches' brew of good score alchemy.

Uh... Whatcha talkin' 'bout?

 

[dannie]

I got an hour to play it this morning and checked out some trouble locations, and noticed -- when comparing to old footage I took pre-update -- the framerate drops were shorter, and less severe.

The update fix bumped it from that 9.5 to a 10, because it was my main complaint.

Which version you play? Wii U or switch?

 

[AniHawk]

it will probably drop to 95-96 ish which is still very good

reviewers lost their damn minds in the 7th gen, and tossed out high reviews like candy. i think it was partially because there had been an industry built around supporting websites and magazines with ads that doesn't really exist anymore. the 8th gen's seen a decline in the hyperbole, where we're back to more down-to-earth assessment of games. although, some things still slip through the cracks, like zero time dilemma.

 

[Servbot24]

Scores don't mean anything, sorry to teach you this. The void that this thread is built on confirms this.

Void? What void are you talking about?

 

[Pinky]

Thank you for these. They are beautiful and brighten my day when I see them.

You're more than welcome! Glad you enjoyed them!

 

[Malus]

I 98 would've been super impressive 10 years ago, nevermind now. I'd be shocked if it didn't fall to 97 at some point. Should still be a healthy amount of reviews left and even excellent 95 scores would drag it down.

 

[kswiston]

There's "high" and then there's 98. A 98 may not seem much different from a 93, but that five point difference is something that only a handful of games in history have done. And it did it in the current review landscape, no less. Games don't get 98 anymore. They just don't.

Also, context matters. Read the actual reviews, not just the scores. Even by Zelda standards, this game is being called something special, a defining moment in video games history.

I think that there are still a few series that are largely immune to the review score erosion that we have seen in recent years due to the massive hype they generate after multi-year absences. GTA and Metal Gear Solid are the obvious examples along with Zelda.

That said, 98 is still the best score this series has seen in close to 20 year, so most reviewers are leaving this game feeling like it is top tier Zelda.

 

[The Incredible Muffin]

You're not mistaken but...

It clearly didn't bother them enough, if it bothers you then it does but I'd assume that any technical issues mentioned don't actually detract from the game enough to warrant not giving it a perfect score.

Maybe it'd make you give the game an 8/10 but I wouldn't worry if not even one reviewer has thought that the framerate was bad enough to warrant a lower score.

I think this response hits it on the nose: "Not enough of an issue to warrant a lower score."

It's not my type of game but I'm thinking the people that are are in for a treat enjoy.

Though I must admit that I hoped seeing the game in action would pull me overboard to get a Switch with Zelda, Mario and Mario kart. Ill wait a bit see how Mario turns out

 

[balohna]

I didn't think going above 95 on Metacritic was a thing anymore.

Even after previews hit, I thought some of the "the one thing I don't really like..." chatter could lead to like... you know... Scores that aren't 10/10.

I'm impressed, and I feel content with my $500 CAD investment.

I could have bought the game for Wii U, but fuck it. New hardware. I'll need it for Mario anyway.

 

[cleveridea]

So I always hated dungeons in zelda game since I dont like puzzle games. Sounds like I can play zelda BOW without doing difficult/time consuming dungeons right?

what an amazing time for action RPG's with this, nier, mass effect and horizon all out within a month or so of each other

 

[Atomicfireman]

I don't think you watched anything if you could make that statement.

I have watched a fair bit. Obviously I've seen other stuff, but the thing that seems to be common in all the videos I've watched is fighting the red pig men. Like I said, the game probably just isn't for me. And that's OK. I'm not saying it's a bad game.

Same goes for me for Witcher. Every time I watch gameplay footage, it is just talking and talking and rolling around.

Watching videos and playing will never be the same.

Yeah, maybe it just needs to played to really understand. That said, in my experience watching gameplay is a much better measure of potential enjoyment than reviews. People's opinions differ greatly, so as helpful as reviews can be, it's better to try and make decisions for ourselves.

 

[Dangansona]

Damn I knew my guess the score was too low at 94 once previews came out. And I thought that was a respectable guess!

 

[Mudo]

Are there Wii-U impressions in any of the 60 reviews? Metacritic has no reviews listed for it yet and i'm deciding whether to stand i line after work for a Seitch, or get Wii-u version if it's good. Really hard to find any hard facts on the differences

 

[lmcontaldi]

Which version you play? Wii U or switch?

Switch!

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Uh... Whatcha talkin' 'bout?

People on here like coming up with crock theories to explain things

 

[Version 3.0]

Thank you, Nintendo, for having a review embargo. If these reviews had come out a week or two ago, it would've stretched out time and made the wait unbearable.

Instead, I've just got to get through today. I feel like I've been waiting for this game since Zelda 1, so I think I can make it one more day.

 

[MrSaturn99]

Was this ZAM review shared? It's the only negative review I've found.

 

[reKon]

Yes those are all amazing games.

 

[Burny]

So I always hated dungeons in zelda game since I dont like puzzle games. Sounds like I can play zelda BOW without doing difficult/time consuming dungeons right?

Seems there are still plenty of puzzles. Only you don't get an unskippable hour or more of them thrown in your face repeatedly.

Am hype!

 

[Triforce141]

Cannot wait for this game

Uh... Whatcha talkin' 'bout?

Galaxy 2 has the same critic score, but better user score =P

 

[Symphonic]

Hype from 0 to 60 in like one day. Holy fuuuuck

 

[Wallach]

You could tell from the previews that Nintendo knocked this shit outta the park.

 

[WordsintheWater]

These review scores are absolutely amazing, can't wait to dive into this.

 

[LordOcidax]

 

[Griss]

Uh... Whatcha talkin' 'bout?

That was 10 years ago, I'm referring to 'The best mario game that Odyssey could be', in the modern climate. Maybe I'm wrong. I am a Zelda fanboy after all.

Galaxy is a good example of what leads to good reviews, though.
-Stunning core gameplay
-Total reinvention of many of the series principles
-Tons and tons of content, lots of value

 

[Labombadog]

Damn I knew my guess the score was too low at 94 once previews came out. And I thought that was a respectable guess!

I also guessed 94 in the Zelda Preview thread. I'd proudly eat crow.

 

[Forkball]

...So how in the fuck is Mario Oddesy going to top this then?

New
Donk
City

 

[Max_Po]

How long is the game? sorry at work, cant check reviews.

 

[lionpants]

The music is so fucking good. (what I heard in the Gamespot review)

 

[Dark Cloud]

How many of us said "reviewers are harsher this gen compared to last gen?" I didn't see a 98 ever coming this entire gen.

 

[Busaiku]

Was this ZAM review shared? It's the only negative review I've found.

The dream is dead.

 

[cleveridea]

Seems there is still plenty of puzzles. Only you don't get an unskippable hour or more of them thrown in your face repeatedly.

Am hype!

Yeah I actually like the idea of many small dungeons that are much less time consuming than large blocks in one go

 

[aBarreras]

How many of us said "reviewers are harsher this gen compared to last gen?" I didn't see a 98 ever coming this entire gen.

they are, botw is just that good

 

[BitStyle]

Was this ZAM review shared? It's the only negative review I've found.

Posted way earlier

 

[CharminUltra]

The more you look at this picture, the better it gets.

 

[mavericktopgun]

i want this to beat zelda 64

Already did

 

[TheFuzz]

I agree.

As a lifelong Zelda fan, Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword don't belong in the same category as Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, and the Wind Waker (which I believe deserve all the praise in the world).

But from everything I've seen of Breath of the Wild, it really does look like a return to form - and beyond.

I'm in my first playthrough of Minish Cap and thoroughly enjoy it. I feel Iike it should be a tad higher too.

 

[BeauRoger]

Excellent scores, really looking forward to it. Revered classic franchises always get a bit inflated totals on metacritic, but even with that in mind its looking great. Only waiting for the DF Switch - Wii U comparison now. Anybody know when it will be up?

 

[ASilentProtagonist]

Whew.

 

[Chris R]

Well, assuming switch moves enough units, 2017 goty already decided.