As you may remember I decided to forgo on pre-ordering the Switch before it’s release. For several reasons, but the main one was that I felt it didn’t have the release games I could get behind. Most people went in for only one game, Zelda Breath of the Wild of course.
Now it’s not like I never played a Zelda title. I finished Windwaker playing together with my husband, we had a great time with the game. I managed to finish Phantom Hourglass, well, almost finished it that is. I had to persuade my niece to do the final boss fight for me.
I played A Link Between Worlds half way through and found it to be enjoyable. But I didn’t like Ocarina of Time one bit, and sold Twilight Princess after just playing the opening sequence. So you my history with Zelda isn’t hugely successful .
Lately though, I’m in doubt. Doubting whether I should have ordered the Switch and the game. Not because everywhere I turn I see news coverage about it. But because several of the ladies in my Facebook group are playing it. Ladies that hadn’t played Zelda before too, and are really enjoying it.
My doubt is intensified by this article on NintendoLife. The writer highlight the different ways the game can be played in, and recounts how his mum is having a grand time with Zelda too. It’s a good read, with the love for Breath of the Wild very clear. His review was a 10 out of 10 after all! 
It’s a moot point though: I wouldn’t be able to get a Switch now even if I wanted too. We seem to be reliving the times where you almost had to lie in wait in front of the store to get a scarce Wii. So, ample time to make up my mind!
Wow, that NintendoLife article is very interesting. As someone who’s played a whole bunch of Breath of the Wild these past weeks, I feel quite torn about how accessible it is. In my home, Maya plays some and enjoys exploring, but I get handed the controller if she wants to get rid of a nasty monster.
On the plus side, as the article points out, while the game can be hard it’s also very fair. You can save anywhere anytime, there are multiple solutions to every situation, and if you can’t come up with a solution… practically everything in the game is optional! The downside is that the controls are more complex than any other Zelda game – all 18 buttons on the Wii U gamepad are used. Thankfuly they are relatively intuitive, and you don’t need to have mastered them all to get by.
Maya sounds like me! I might have to look into handing my hubby the controller for the more difficult fights. Good to hear though that almost everything is optional, I’d definitely go for the exploring part. That’s what I loved about Windwaker too. Sailing along, not knowing what you’d find next!
I can see why that’s such a tough call to make for you.
Why did you drop Twilight Princess and Ocarina of Time? Maybe the answer to that question will tell whether or not you will enjoy Breath of the Wild.
I’ve found I don’t enjoy games much where the characters get to real in their representation. For instance, we love the Harry Potter series on GC until the fourth game, where they made it much less drawn characters but more life like.
As for Ocarina of Time, the game got to be so grim…and then I couldn’t even beat the race to get Epona. Totally stumped by how to make him run faster, lol.
hahahahahaha
Well, Breath of the Wild’s characters do not get real in their representation. So there’s hope for you.
It sucks how Nintendo still fail at making enough stock to meet demand. Oh well, if you aren’t the biggest Zelda fan it’s best to wait for the Switch’s library to grow before buying.
True. But I do feel I’m getting the urge to buy me a Switch. You know, women can be very unpredictable! A good thing for my wallet that there’s no Switch to buy anywhere!
I could see why getting involved with a game of this scale can raise some flags, especially with your history of the 3D Zelda games (Ocarina and Twilight). It’s hard to categorize this one into the typical Zelda lineup, simply because it does so much different.
I will say, however, that based on the games you said you enjoyed, you seem to enjoy the happier, whimsical installments more so than the bleaker games. Although I’d put Ocarina of Time in the “whimsical” camp, so maybe that’s not a great gauge…
Breath of the Wild doesn’t have that signature “happy music” or anything like it, at least most of the time, so it might not be your cup of tea, so to speak. I don’t want to tell you to write off a game of course but maybe borrow it from someone if and when you get a Switch before committing to the full price!
Thanks for your insights, so far I’ve only heard people raving about the game which made me wonder if I’m really missing something!
I highly recommend BotW if you like exploring and treasure hunting. There are battles but this one doesn’t have dungeons to clear to become “stronger”. You’ll be given all the tools early in the game and you can go anywhere from there, and the map is huge. You’ll get more life and stamina as you solve a little puzzle at a time. The physics engine enabled multiple solutions for many puzzles, so you’ll also enjoy watching other players play. My daughters and I are constantly amazed how differently we play. Beating the horse race to get Epona in OoT was pretty hard, I remember! There are such mini games in BotW too but they only offer small prizes that don’t affect the progress of the game if you don’t care for them and there are so many more things to do anyway! You might be put off by some of the traumatically nasty enemies but you can stay away from them most of the time.
Thanks Miho, for the heads up! I love the way BotW plays differentely for everyone, that’s how gaming at its best should be. I do know the Ladies in the gaming group have lots of fun with the game too. Sadly I haven’t been able to get myself a Switch yet though.
So I take it that all your gaming time is taken up by Zelda at the moment?
>all your gaming time is taken up by Zelda at the moment?
This game is so addictive and you’ll always find something new every time. I’m on the second round (i played first in Japanese and I now play English version just to see what it’s like LOL and it never bores me! But I finally am winding up in a few days so I can start playing MHXX online with friends, while I wait for the BotW DLC coming out in summer(already been purchased).
Two rounds of play Miho! That’s amazing!