#I can't understand the people who want Zelda to feel exactly like playing Link

[gaylactic-fire]

Y'all: Because we can't physically go up to an enemy and press A to stab Nintendo are obviously trying to suggest Zelda is too dainty and feminine for combat

Nintendo: Here is Zelda killing things with a rock. Here is Zelda killing things while riding a giant beyblade. Here is Zelda killing things by using twisted clones of their fallen brethren. We have invented many new ways to kill

[mobloomspell]

I've played more, so some first impressions: this is a good game. Considering I spent most of my first days with it just exploring and doing side missions, I can't deny it was worth the delays for just how much stuff there is to do.

For the first few hours I was frustrated, because I accidentally kept running into enemy camps I wasn't adequately prepared for and didn't understand the fusion mechanic. I feel the latter would have been helped if Nintendo used advertising to tell me what their games actually *are* but that's a whole rant for another time. Once I finally figured out how the game wants me to create my own weapons, I started having fun with it. It helps that I travelled from tower to tower to fill out most of my map first and thus found little areas to mark for resource gathering. Still have trouble finding good bows though, which are basically exactly the same as BOTW, and that can get annoying when they break in the middle of doing something.

I like the side missions. A lot are still basically get item for person, receive reward, but the game also has slightly more involved, interconnected quests like finding musicians and helping them get back to their troupe. Most of my playthrough so far has been going from stable to stable chasing rumors for a newspaper. Why save the world when I can instead be a plucky little reporter working with some Rito guy who reminds me of the albatross from Rescuers Down Under, right? These side adventures help the world feel just a bit more lived in, and like characters are actually doing stuff even when I'm not around. It's the main thing I wanted from a sequel and I'm charmed by what I've encountered.

As for the main story I've glimpsed so far... meh. Don't get me wrong, I'm intrigued to see more, and I've even liked the vibe of the few cutscenes I've gotten. But the basic shape of the story I'm seeing is "Ganon was just born evil, and other people can stop him because they were simply born powerful." I'm not surprised, Zelda games are formulaic to a fault, but I will be disappointed if nothing more interesting happens even by accident. I'm also getting the impression this game is more standalone than people were first theorizing. It practically overwrites Sheikah tech from the previous game as if it doesn't exist anymore, and references to BOTW's story can be summed up in a sentence or two. I actually enjoy this approach, I prefer when sequels take the chance to build on what was done before and do something different, but I can see how this might bother other fans. On the bright side, for those annoyed most of BOTW focused on snippets of a story that happened a century prior, Link's side of things seems most focused on the present.

Also, Zelda herself is still basically my daughter. Seeing her get excited about finding murals at the beginning is immediately endearing, and I want to find out what her half of the story is. I know it won't bring up the flaws that helped her feel like a person before, but I hope the writing treats my girl well.

TL;DR I love the world that's been created, but wouldn't be shocked if the main story is lacking in some much needed complexity.

I told myself I was gonna get through main story quests as quickly as possible when I play TOTK, and save exploring for a later date. 

But then the game told me I could find cool outfits in caves, so now that’s all I’ve done. I’m literally in Rito Village ignoring their plight because frostbite set pretty and I will scour every inch of mountain to find all of it.

[ghosttoasts]

LITERALLY!!!!

Y'all: Because we can't physically go up to an enemy and press A to stab Nintendo are obviously trying to suggest Zelda is too dainty and feminine for combat

Nintendo: Here is Zelda killing things with a rock. Here is Zelda killing things while riding a giant beyblade. Here is Zelda killing things by using twisted clones of their fallen brethren. We have invented many new ways to kill