#ok tbh. i like the quiet parts in the forest and the animism themes. but i dont like the human characters and i've never liked cottage life

[fitzrove]

got some custom 'the cat returns' merch for xmas (😌😌😌😌😌) because studio ghibli doesn't actually make any and that got me googling stuff again and finding out how the viewing public at large likes that film sklslsld. i can't believe 90% of people in the world have bad taste and hate it. to me it's the best ghibli movie

(me when people say that wh*sper of the heart, which i found deeply boring partly because i first saw it 15 years after first seeing the cat returns, is better and the original™️ and if i enjoy tcr i should watch that:)

[hyroole]

(There are definite 100% spoilers in this) I wanted to write a review of sorts of BOTW. I might forget some things, but here are my pros and cons of the game:

PROS: -the graphics, of course. The game is beautiful. I love that at certain angles there’s rainbow light spots from the sun, I also like how nothing was just ‘placed’, every tree and every object looks good. The style is very realistic, yet very Zelda. I really can’t praise the graphics enough. -exploration. The map is HUGE. Every time I have to go somewhere, I forget how long it really takes to run from one spot to another. You also always find something new or interesting along the way. Exploring is one of every Zelda fan’s favorite things to do, I think, and this game really gives you the ability to explore every single area. -side quests. There’s so many fun ones that are interesting and unique to Zelda and quests that also have great/funny/interesting dialogue to read. I personally loved getting Link's house and helping build Tarrey Town, I’m always a sucker for building things like towns from the ground up (why I love Animal Crossing and games like Harvest Moon/Rune Factory). There are also a lot of other interesting side quests that help give the game much needed life. -the music. I especially love the opening theme. It sounds so unique to Zelda games, but also EXACTLY like something that belongs in a Zelda game. (I do also miss the more charming music, like when you’re in a house, you all know the song). The music when a dragon is near is also a favorite. The Blood Moon song and when a guardian is attacking you are also great, anxiety-inducing songs. The only problem is, I wish there was more music. I like when it’s quiet while roaming a field or forest, but sometimes I wish music was playing. -towns. Hateno Village is huge and very nice to look at. There are 8 (I think?) towns to explore, which to me, is great. I was so surprised and excited when I stumbled upon Lurelin Village right when I thought I had seen the last village in the game. -the puzzles. Finding the Korok seeds is fun and an added bonus in the game. I think the shrines are really fun, and really annoying at times. I love how detailed and sometimes difficult each one is. (Although, I get sick of the same color scheme and design in each one. It really makes me miss the themed temples in past games, will continue in cons). -the characters. I think this time around we really get some good characters with interesting and fleshed out stories. Zelda and her dad, for example, are very interesting, and if you haven’t already, I would highly recommend finding and reading each of their diaries after finding all of the memories. Zelda herself, this time around, is definitely a fan favorite. She's very likable and interesting, it's a shame about that voice though (lmao, will continue). I’m also pretty happy that there are some non-white appearing side characters (besides the Gerudo of course). The only problem with the characters, which I’ll write about in the cons, is there’s not many we “get to know” and the ones we roughly get to know, we get no emotional attachment to. -collecting. Being able to cook is really fun and makes the game feel more modern, as I think it was meant to. I believe this game is the most “present” of the games, and it is also a land that is in ruins, so it would make sense that there’s a lack of random ruppes and hearts hidden in the grass, which leads us to have to cook for survival. Also collecting every type of weapon and shield and armor is fun. I also like having to collect the pictures for the Hyrule compendium, it’s not as good as the pictograph sculptures in Wind Waker, but it’s still cool, especially since you can pay to have a nicer picture in your compendium. -the physics engine. I use that term “loosely” because I barely know what it means (I’m not someone who knows a lot of terms like that lmao). But based on my understanding, it’s amazing. You can truly do so much in the game. You can test out how high the vertical limit is in the game by placing balloons on a rock and floating into the sky. You can travel by log if you want. It’s way too much fun trying to find what you CAN’T do. -the connections to past games. Discovering that Lon Lon ranch was destroyed years ago was completely heartbreaking. Recognizing the Temple of Time and realizing it’s in ruins was as well. When the master sword lights up in the final memory and makes that familiar sound, it was really just exciting. It made the world of Zelda feel more real and alive. I wish there was more lore to go along with it (will continue in cons).

CONS: -the story is lacking. It begins so interestingly and so full of potential, but then it falls short. There aren’t enough “temples”, there isn’t enough lore, and the memories don’t really coincide with actually experiencing things for yourself. It’s hard to get to “know” and like the characters when you’re only “secondhand” meeting them and experiencing their personality and story. I love the open world aspect, but it just doesn’t feel like Zelda without more of a story. -weapons. The variety of weapons is very cool and I like discovering new ones and collecting them all, but them being able to break so easily is annoying. I think the concept of them wearing down and you having to collect more is interesting, but they should be more durable. It feels like just as soon as you begin to get a feel for a certain (rare, probably) weapon, it breaks. I will say, however, I’m glad the Master Sword can’t actually break, that would be a disaster. (I wish I could say the same for the Hylian Shield). I also think the lack of “key weapons” makes this game feel a little more desolate and less like Zelda. I’m not saying they’re necessary, but I do miss items like the hookshot or the iron boots and so on. They’re really iconic Zelda aspects. -I have to say it, the sexualization of Zelda. This isn’t a HUGE issue, but it’s something that is bothering me, and hopefully some others. Zelda is 16, and then 17. In what way was it necessary for them to “define”/“emphasize” Zelda’s butt so much to the point where I can’t watch a video without everyone in the comments saying “that ass”? It’s blatant and really gross and unnecessary, especially because they clearly have her bending over, etc. -200 points for that, Nintendo. We all see it. -the voice acting. There were some characters’ voices I liked, and some I HATED. In my opinion, Zelda’s voice is all wrong. It’s way too grating and posh, I never pictured her sounding like that, it really ruined every single memory for me. The other voices were simply OK. They could have been better. -the final boss. So…. was it just me or was the greatly feared, the disastrous, the evil, Calamity Ganon incredibly easy to beat? I didn’t die a single time, I wasn’t even close, and I’m a Zelda player who dies CONSTANTLY and over stupid things. But the final boss was easier than one of the temple bosses? -the “temples”. I was really disappointed when I found out there were only four and they were essentially all the same with the same boss. What happened to all the variety and the themed temples with a matching themed boss? It gets really boring after four temples when they all look exactly the same and have essentially the same boss. It was a little hard to get the motivation to beat ANOTHER temple that looked and felt the same. Couldn’t they have made each Divine Beast a different color scheme or used the elements of each one just a little more? This con is forgivable because of how big and varying in environments the world is and how much you can explore, however. -the lore. This goes along with the story con, as well as the connections to past games in pros. BOTW is missing some essential Zelda parts, one of which is lore. This game is really an epic, or I guess it would be if it had more lore. There’s not much connecting us to Ganon, other than the fact that we have to help Zelda and the champions defeat him/it. He doesn’t even have a human form, a voice, or any dialogue. I would have AT LEAST liked to learn why or how he exists the way he does in the first place. There is also little information about those past game connections I praised earlier. They’re just THERE, which makes me feel sad, but I am happy to at least feel something, which is hard in this game with the lack of an emotional connection to pretty much anything.

There’s probably more, but I can’t think of them right now. Remember, these are just my opinions. If you want to make your own lists, go ahead (even tag me tbh), thanks for reading! (If you did).