I've been pretty bored so far. Nothing feels organic - it feels like Zelda by the numbers. So you have the Sky world and the surface world, but nothing is connected. You travel to the different areas of the surface via the sky, so essentially the sky serves as a overblown warp station. Gone is the sense of mystery of seeing something like Death Mountain in the distance and then traversing over hill and dale to get there, anticipation building with each step.
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| Oh man! What's IN there? |
That's not to say that the game is bad. All the elements of a masterpiece are here - startlingly accurate 1:1 swordplay, excellent (if derivative) puzzles, unique areas and bosses - it's just that nothing is coming together for me yet. The sky feels emptier than the sea in Wind Waker, the areas leading up to the dungeons are a parade of monotonous fetch quests, and Fi, your guide through the game, is about as exciting as Dodongo doo doo. Her dialogue is very "Artificial Intelligence" with percentages and ratios making up the most of what she says. Coming from Twilight Princess' sassy and rebellious Midna, Fi feels like a glorified information ATM.
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| I'd rather hear, "HEY! LISTEN!" |
Strangely, I'm compelled to keep playing. Maybe because I know (read: hope) it will get ridiculously better, I actually just got to an area that's got a really cool time shift mechanic which I'm really excited to see what they do with - and so far no fetch quests!
See? It's already getting better.
You say "Gone is the sense of mystery of seeing something like Death Mountain in the distance and then traversing over hill and dale to get there" but I don't recall having this experience in any Zelda game. Care to specify the game in the series to which you refer? I have played virtually all of them except Twilight Princess (which I played, but quit after 10 hours of being bored to tears).
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, your observation is not far off. This game is absolutely the most linear and non-exploratory Zelda game ever created. There is no need for exploring, period, as the game will eventually walk you through every area and every quest, even the "side quests" are handed to you on a platter.
I will also mention that you have just reached the point where I really started enjoying the game. I was feeling rather negative about it through the first dungeon in the woods. Once I reached the desert, my feelings began to change.
Hey Zing,
ReplyDeleteI was referring specifically to Ocarina. The moment you get out to Hyrule field and see all the different areas laid out in front of you, it just builds excitement knowing that you'll eventually see each of those places, but you can't yet. So when you finally do, there's a real sense of satisfaction.
I'm glad I'm at the point where it "gets good" I'm already jonesing to get home from work to keep playing.