Tears of the Kingdom -- Non-spoiler-based chit-chat

[hennethannun]

Happy Tears of the Kingdom Day!

First thing I'm struck by: is this the first Zelda title to include lichens?

[hennethannun]

Well, this game is overwhelmingly massive. I'm continually shocked (and made to feel vanishingly small) by its scale. I thought BotW was large, but this is . . . something else (and I don't know whether or not that's a good thing — I'm not sold yet on open-world maps and vast scales as necessary for a video game).

I do think that TotK has made some lovely changes upon BotW's gameplay, though: menu cards, different menu sorting systems, additional horse features, adding to the stable network, new Korok quests (though . . . why? Why Koroks?), etc. They seem to have done quite a lot of listening to fans about basic improvements like that.

Also, the addition of caves and wells puts me in mind of OoT and TP, and this aspect of the game has my complete approval.

Slow going, but enjoyable going.

[wahzol]

hennethannun wrote

Well, this game is overwhelmingly massive. I'm continually shocked (and made to feel vanishingly small) by its scale. I thought BotW was large, but this is . . . something else (and I don't know whether or not that's a good thing — I'm not sold yet on open-world maps and vast scales as necessary for a video game).

Oh, it's definitely not necessary for a video game to have a giant open world, but I love it when they do. Personally, I get a ton of satisfaction filling out my map, or completing some kind of compendium/encyclopedia/database inside game, or finding tasty tidbits of lore hidden in far-away places. I see a cool mountain? I climb it. I see a pretty cherry blossom tree in the distance? You bet your buttons I'll be making a beeline for that sucker. I don't need any prompting from NPCs to traverse a well-designed digital landscape (or even a poorly designed one, lol). I just throw myself in willy-nilly, for better or worse.

'Course, this stuff is all a matter of personal preference - I
 I primarily play games to immerse myself in other worlds and stories, not to perfect a fighting style or do speedruns or win competitions. So the less confined I feel when exploring the in-game world, the happier I tend to be.
 

hennethannun wrote

I do think that TotK has made some lovely changes upon BotW's gameplay, though: menu cards, different menu sorting systems, additional horse features, adding to the stable network, new Korok quests (though . . . why? Why Koroks?), etc. They seem to have done quite a lot of listening to fans about basic improvements like that.

Definitely! It's encouraging to see, especially since Nintendo's legal team has been so merciless lately. I wish the company was more supportive of fan-made content, or at least not as militant as they are when it comes to protecting their IP... but that's a topic for a different day.

hennethannun wrote

</quoAlso, the addition of caves and wells puts me in mind of <i>OoT and TP, and this aspect of the game has my complete approval.

Slow going, but enjoyable going.

Agreed. I've put in over 100 hours and still have many places to explore. I want to say more, but I'm not sure how spoiler-y I can get here.

I think I'm safe bringing up this topic, however, so I'm just gonna go ahead and ask:

What real-world cultural influences do you see in the architecture of the Zonai and the Sky Islands?

I just completed my first dungeon last night (Wind Temple) so any impressions I initially got with the Great Sky Islands and possible cultural influences have really gone out the window at this point. I'm honestly not well-versed enough in a TON of subjects to even begin collecting my thoughts. Would love to know yours, though!

[hennethannun]

Perhaps necessary isn't the right word. Appropriate? Ideal? I've never been a completionist (except for Minish Cap, which is easily doable), but the large maps make even random exploration daunting. There are so many approaches and paths to tread. I agree about beelining for lovely things, but I wish there wasn't such a vast scope between all those lovely things. For some reason, this quashes my desire to explore. Also, since when does a video game need to attempt the scope of the real world in size and detail? For my part, I like games that seem small worlds in themselves, like snow-globes we can pick up and immerse ourselves in for a while. I'm sure this is partially preference, though, as you say.

As far as the Zonai and Sky Islands go, I'm still up in the air about a few things. Obviously anyone can tell you there are Mesoamerican threads throughout this architecture, but I'm not ultimately sure what other real-world cultures are involved. There are also explorations to make of the labyrinths and various things in the jungle. I have some other intimations, but need some time to put two and two together. (And I don't want to let the proverbial cat out of the bag before I've had time to digest!)

My next task is to "save" the last Great Fairy and then head to Hyrule Castle! (I am appalled that the designers force us to pay in both resources and rupees.)

Onward and upward.