Review Nintendo Switch Game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Yes. I am reviewing the game that already out for almost three years. This is my personal review for a game that universally agreed as the best Nintendo Switch game ever.

And I have a different opinion about it.

0 - 60 Hours

The first 60 hours of playing Zelda was amazing. I couldn't play it without spoke to myself that this is the best game ever. It gave me the same feeling when I first played Portal game, in sense of how the game stands above other game decisively. 

The first thing that left me in awe was how big the game is. It felt really really big, like I can run, climb, fly, and warp without limit. I felt free. I can go anywhere while sensing a progression. The story is wrapped so nice so I didn't even realize that you can do the divine beast in any particular order. I always thought that story is linear. 

Playing the game felt so rewarding. Exploring the new places will unlock the shrine or tower that I can warp to anytime, so any journey is not fruitless. Once I found the shrine I don't ever need to do my long journey ever again. If I came to the place with no shrine, at least it almost always have korok seeds, a little compensation that still made me happy. 

The orb system is amazing. I always wanted to do one more shrine before I stop playing, because the orbs reward can be used to increase my stamina or health, which will make me able to go to the places which I cannot reach before.

60 - 70 hours

Past the 60 hours mark, I started realizing that I don't have to kill all enemies that I met. It will be faster if I ran past them. The red moon will bring them back anyway. I only did the bokoblin camp that have chest reward, only to find the disappointing item inside.

Zelda do not have level system, so my stats will not grow. The only real permanent upgrade is a gear set. No matter how powerful a sword or a shield is, it will break anyway. Arrow is fun and it seems like I got a lot of it, but one big fight can cost me around 50 arrows, so I never feel safe with the amount of arrows that I have. My stamina wheel was maxed out long ago, the the heart doesn't matter after a certain point. Fights in Zelda is never about the battle of stamina. It either I kill the enemies without taking damage (unless a small amount of damage when I messed up, which a certain amount of health really helps) or the enemies killed me no matter how much health I have. I never have a situation when I trade hits with enemies and won because I have a lot of health. So in this point, almost all rewards are disappointing.

I then try to complete 100% of the shrines per area. I had to sit in front of my computer, having the maps open while playing the game. Often times even that doesn't help. I need to watch YouTube to find the exact location. I lost countless time at this point. I climbed the highest mountain for minutes only to find that my sight was blocked by another mountain in far away. The sheikah sensor is useless. It just keep beeping randomly, and one I found the exact location of the shrine (with YouTube help, of course), it was nowhere near the loudest beeping location shown by the sensor. Some of the side quest is nonsense. The quest does not have the "in game pattern" so sometimes the answer is just random. I like the clever one like the secret club in Gerudo Town, it has a clear clue and a clear logic, but the one like "find this person" just went without any hint. It was impossible for me to clear without having to Goggle it. It is not playing the game then, it's just cheating and not satisfying.

70 - 90 hours

I lost countless times, hard to find shrine or do quest without have to Google it, I have a really good sets of gear so there are no rewards that interest me anymore, I was 70+ hours into the game. I felt burnout. I am tired. I just want to finish it.

So I went to Hyrule castle to fight Ganon. I was really craving a sense of progression. I was thinking that maybe I will feel better after defeating Ganon, then I can complete the shrines and quest in peace.

Oh God.

It just end after Ganon was defeated. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. I always thought that you can continue playing after that. It just doesn't make sense for me, after a lot of grinding the story just end right there. And I got a little star on my save file. I want to enjoy the result of my hardwork. I want to explore Hyrule in peace. I want to see the joy of the people which I just saved. I want to have a long deep talk with Zelda. I don't care how that will fit in the story, but just make it work somehow.

90+ hours

I was at 90+ hours of gameplay and I just didn't want to play the game anymore. What is the point. I cannot go crazy in fight because the source is limited. I didn't want anymore grind. And I was sad. Really sad.

My suggestions for the game

Below are the things that I want to be implemented in Zelda. It is not possible in BOTW, but I hope somehow BOTW 2 will have something like these *finger crossed*.

1. Make the freaking sheikah sensor better!. I think it is best to have it as a reward for defeating Ganon. A real sensor with some obvious arrow or some shit. I will certainly find 100% of the shrines or korok seed or the side quest if I have that. I beat the game, right? I just do not want to lost anymore, I want a clear direction.
2. Make the resources infinite! Again, I think it also best to be a reward for defeting Ganon. My idea is you have an area full of enemies (just say they are the leftover of Ganon power or something like that) and in that area, your swords and shield does not break, and your arrow stocks does not deplete. I want to go all out, releasing the steam by overkilling those poor enemies. I want to swing my thunder sword infinitely. I want to bombard them with my meteor rod. I want to see the enemies stuck when I keep them frozen with my ice arrow. Doesn't it sound like a lot of fun? 

With those feature, I am sure I will enjoy Zelda BOTW a lot more. Despite all of that, I still rate Zelda BOTW 8.5/10. It is a really good game. I just want it a little bit different and it will be 10/10. I definitely will play BOTW 2 once it come out, and I wish it will erase my frustration.