Topic: Favovite Zelda game?

I don't see how the hookshot would necessarily break climbing, seeing as it's usually only good for swinging from a limited selection of targets. It's also used for hitting switches, collecting drops and stunning monsters, none of which would appear to be unreasonable in BOTW.

Also, Revali's Gale totally breaks climbing too but they put that in the game. I suppose it's a late game ability that you've got to do a bit of work to pick up but it's not like they'd have to give you the hookshot on the Great Plateau either.

Besides, given that Link appears in the BOTW2 trailer to have gained the power to levitate and tunnel through ceilings, it doesn't look like he's going to benefit much from an extra means of cheesing up a cliff face.

Ultimately, it'll come down to what the developers think works best though. Even with five years and an enormous team there's only so much they can get in there.

@VoidofLight
For the first game, captain blanket statement.

All people who eat salads are skinny, amirite?

I didn't grow up on the games, sadly. I've loved BotW, LBW, and Awakening remake. LttP is also very good, although a tad fiddly switching items.

I only played OoT (3DS) a couple days ago. Very enjoyable. A little too obtuse for what I consider to be good game design now though (despite loving FROM software games ha!). Not just the side quests... I couldn't quite beat the Water Temple because I went in there without the Zora armour and had just 12s to beat an underwater fight in the central tower. I'm extremely thankful for all the QoL and other additions that the 3DS version gave us. Couldn't imagine beating it as a kid on the N64.

@rallydefault I assume the second game will also have climbing, making it useless.

@Zeldafan79 I still don't understand how Zelda II became 'hated'. It's one of the seminal Metroidvanias (and possibly even Souls-likes). Many modern indie hits were influenced by it (for example Hollow Knight and Shovel Knight). Already back in the day many developers imitated the formula (e.g. Faxanadu, Ys3, Battle of Olympus). Not exactly characteristic of a hated game.

Phantom hourglass and spirit tracks.