
I'd consider myself to be quite a traditional gamer; I tend to prefer games that have a simple core structure and a finite length. Now in my 30's I've found that whilst getting older has many benefits it has also restricted the amount of time I spent playing games, typically an hour or two here and there with the occasional weekend-long binge.
Whenever I hear the terms "sandbox", "open world" or "grinding" alarm bells start ringing in my head. With a huge stockpile of games I have never even opened I don't like the idea of starting another when it seems unlikely that I'll actually be able to finish it. Can you even finish a sandbox game anyway? I'm one of those, potentially in the minority I admit, that doesn't understand why you would sink 100+ hours into a game and not even "finish" it - what's the point?

It won't come to you as a shock that I'm a Zelda fan, I did setup my own Nintendo website after all. Like many of you, I have extremely fond memories from a number of Link's adventures and multiple entries in the series would rank in my top 10 games of all time. Most recently was A Link Between Worlds, which I felt was a fantastic game that drew heavy influences from past Zelda games but came with a slight twist in terms of structure.
Nintendo deserves some credit for identifying that Legend of Zelda needed to shake things up after Skyward Sword.
For me it was an extremely important twist, the legendary "Zelda formula", whilst tried and tested, was perhaps starting to feel a little stale and predictable. For those that haven't played it, instead of the game dictating the order in which you come across items/weapons you are able to acquire almost any item straight from the get-go from a shop that simply hires them out, giving you far more freedom in how you go about your adventure.
Nintendo deserves some credit for identifying that Legend of Zelda needed to shake things up after Skyward Sword, and whenever the company has spoken about Zelda Wii U (now formally titled The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) it's been keen to talk about freedom of exploration, size and scale. Initially I was fine with this; obviously the latest Zelda is going to be the "biggest" they've made, right?
Then last month E3 2016 happened and Nintendo Treehouse dropped a mega-ton of footage of the game during the Treehouse Live broadcasts. They talked about the enormous scale of the "Great Plateau" demo area, let alone the size of the full game, the completely changed weapons system, a new health system and mini-dungeon like shrines. To be perfectly honest, without being able to play the game for myself it felt a little like information overload and I wasn't quite sure what to make of it all. I'm a supporter of change, so the new features were welcome, but I was unsure as to where it left things as an adventure game with a narrative, a story, a purpose, to actually progress and "finish" it.

Whilst after E3 I kept an open mind about the game there was still a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that this might be too much of a change to the formula for me - remember I'm the kind of gamer that avoids unnecessary side quests and just wants to progress the main objective. So, when Nintendo UK invited Thomas, Alex and myself to come and play the game at their offices I jumped at the opportunity to see for myself what the game is actually like first-hand.
It's a long journey down to Windsor for me and Thomas so we had ample time to discuss our thoughts on the game in depth prior to playing it for ourselves. It was apparent that Thomas also had similar concerns about how the story would fit into the new structure for Zelda and whether or not it was a true "open world" game like others on the market.
On the day I had about an hour or so with the game and interestingly the demo came in two modes, one that followed the story and one that was more of a free-play-and-do-whatever-you-like mode. As you can imagine I was far more interested in trying the story mode and opted for that to begin with.
The opening sequence was short but fascinating - it reveals very little about the Hyrule you find yourself in but crucially just enough to intrigue you and make you want to learn more. Following that you are then guided along a path with clear instructions and of course - at all times - being able to explore beyond the given path. Instantly this felt familiar and reassuring; that original Zelda DNA is still present, giving me back the confidence that the final game will retain that purpose and direction that I crave.
Don't get me wrong though, there is still a lot that is new and different, starting with the control scheme. For me the button layout was a little awkward to get used too, even at the end of my demo session I was still sometimes using the wrong button - hopefully that is just my ability or a matter of time, Nintendo rarely gets this kind of thing wrong in the final product.

Almost certainly the order of the day with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is experimentation - everything in the game allows the player to experiment. Countless weapons, abilities, clothes and food items along with the environment itself all have different properties and different ways to interact with each other. That and Link's ability to jump and climb practically any surface on a par with Nathan Drake makes the core game feel totally new and refreshing.
As more and more is revealed about the game I believe a clear narrative will emerge that will appeal to more traditional gamers like myself, whilst also retaining that openness for experimental gamers that just want to play about in a world they enjoy.
When I wasn't playing the game myself I watched others as they toyed around with different elements of the game; it's a great game to simply watch others play and I'm sure Nintendo are aware of this. I will stick my neck out and say that Breath of the Wild will be Nintendo's most popular game with YouTubers and Twitch streamers when it releases next year. It's got a hint of GTA to it in terms of being able to simply explore the world and mess about with the physics engine - I can also confidently predict a subreddit dedicated to Link death GIFs complete with "wasted" meme. You heard it here first.
Nintendo has already announced that Breath of the Wild will launch simultaneously on both Wii U and NX, and whilst we have no confirmation that NX will be more powerful than Wii U it should be seen as a very likely possibility. If there is one criticism I have of the game thus far it's the performance on Wii U - though I believe that the art style Nintendo has developed is wonderful, frankly when it struggles on occasions, even at 720p30, the artist's vision really deserves better. If you were one of the people who played Skyward Sword at 480p and said to yourself "man, this would have been great in HD" you already know the feeling I had when playing this. I almost certainly won't be playing the Wii U version and have my fingers crossed on the NX version.
Overall playing the demo has more or less put my concerns to bed about the structure of the game; it's doesn't feel like 'just' a sandbox game and it's definitely no longer a completely linear game; in fact it already feels like the best of both worlds to me. As more and more is revealed about the game I believe a clear narrative will emerge that will appeal to more traditional gamers like myself, whilst also retaining that openness for experimental gamers that just want to play about in a world they enjoy.
I don't know about you, but I can't wait to play the final game.
Further Reading:
- Feature: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Nintendo's Boldest Step Into Contemporary Game Design
- Hands On: Wide-Open Walderlust in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Hands On: Taking a Breath in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Hands On: Embracing Freedom in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
What did you think about Anthony's concerns about the new Zelda? Are you the kind of gamer that wants structure and purpose? Or do you prefer to spend hours and hours just playing in the sandbox? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments 112
Sucks to be Anthony Dickens.
I hope this game isn't suited for casual gamers at all. Sorry I'm selfish.
On a related note, I downloaded the Hyrule Legends character pack yesterday in Hyrule Warriors. That's a game I'll never finish and there's still more DLC to come.
I think the way they've set up BOTW sounds good. You can do as much or as little as you like.
This one of my main concerns about the game too because lately every series under the sun has "evolved" and become open world and not necessarily for the better in my opinion. There are some times that I don't want to be bothered about pointless side quests, endless amounts of collectibles, and a huge world to explore and Zelda has always been a series that I could rely on to not bog down the core gameplay with those elements. That being said this is Nintendo so I will definitely be giving them the benefit of the doubt because to be honest the game looks great, and a Zelda game hasn't disappointed me yet.
I subscribe to the belief of tyranny of choice, especially when it comes to playing games. While I love the illusion of freedom in games, when I'm just dropped into a world with no general direction and endless possibilities, I usually don't do anything. So no, not all choice is bad, but too much can be overwhelming.
Have to agree I'm 32 tomorrow got 3 children, wife and a job I'm sorry but it's very hard to find time to play games for anything more then an hour or two a couple of times a week wish I could but cannot find time love rpg and adventure games just shame have to put so many hour to fully enjoy them, guess companies arn't going to please everyone but it's nice to know I'm not only person thinking the same
Tool Old?
No matter what they say, I can't imagine this way won't ave a story line and you'll be able to "finish it" just fine in 40-60 hours. Or you can play if for 500-600 hours. XCX is probably close to the model, just minus all the sidequests and affinity missions.
I'll look forward to it if they ever tell us what "it" is. I'm sorry, they haven't shown us anything yet, every Zelda game has a hook - dimensions, time, water, darkness - all we've seen so far is a tech demo, and a very limited 1 at that.
But there will be a story, a beginning, middle and end.
@Dpishere as a side note; it's interesting that the new Deus Ex is avoiding an open world style in favour of dense and narrative driven areas. Many wanted to see them go open world so the decision is admirable.
That said it may suck, it's not out yet.
My biggest concern about this game is the size of the world. Is it packed with things to do (that actually matter to the story and progression) or is there the same amount of content as your average Zelda game and you just have to traipse much further to get to it? One of the things I disliked about Wind Waker was the time spent just sailing in a straight line waiting to get somewhere (and the game was short on content too).
I'm hoping that the ingredients that made A Link Between Worlds so fantastic are present in this game, but considering it was a game that made getting from one side of the world to the other fairly quick I'm not so sure. What I really don't want from this game is for it to be like an MMO that has endless grinds. Some of the bug catching in Skyward Sword felt like it was going in that direction...
Traditional gamers? As in retro or casual? The game is clearly made to be enjoyable by all people, you can do almost anything and go at any pace you want.
Got the same concern here. But I am also 35 with second kid coming in September. Not that much time to play anymore therefore I prefer games that last not longer than 40-50 hours. I also usually avoid open world games.
I guess you cannot suit them all, can you?
I am 36 - my backlog is constantly rising - mostly due to the fact that my game of choice has been mario kart 8 for the last 1,5 years. And yes, I have to agree, the older you get the less time you spend on gaming (which is not my only hobby btw). So it is actually possible that I will never finish the new Zelda, maybe not even come close to the middle of the game. So what? I am not buying games in order to beat them one after the other so as to tell other people about how many games, in how much time, on which difficulty I have beat - thats not me. To me its like owning a small library of great games, mostly not played with the possibility of playing them whenever I want. RIght now its summer - I barely play games - but one things is for certain: Winter is coming!
@rjejr And also the fact that Monolith Soft is assisting in development.
I'm still excited to see Nintendo's take on an open world game. I am a bit tired of Ubisoft's AC/Farcry formula, but still like what Rockstar and Bethesda does with their games.
It depends for me, if it's really well made and I like the game world I don't mind sinking countless hours into sidequests and exploring but a lot of open world games are just too overwhelming with really no incentive to go further than the main story.
I'm pretty confident Nintendo is going to nail it with this one though, I'm already in love with the game world and we've only seen a fraction of it.
I don't know why linear games are all of a sudden a sin... As someone who prefers more linear games, it's very depressing seeing every game go open world, and getting more complicated. I'm not saying complicated games shouldn't exist, but I'm tired of every game having to use every button on the controller, and every game having to sink hours in to it before you get started.
My problem with so many open world games is that they're all so story driven, which always turns the game in to a "Get to point A to point B", but do to the size of the world, it just takes ages to get to point B to continue the story. All the things you come across while traveling to point B are more distractions than anything else. Story and exploration don't mix, one must be sacrificed for the other.
The Legend of Zelda has always been about exploration, I understand this, but this seems like overkill. A Link Between Worlds was perfect for me due to the smaller size of the world, shorter length, and it's simplicity.
Too old? That might be for some. I'm 40 and enjoy gaming just as I did when I was younger. Maybe even more so now. Even with other hobbies and time restriction you can still play big open world games. Just depends on how you spend the time you have. Saying that the older you get the less gaming yout do is not true for every and being narrow minded. Most people I know who have families and jobs still play any game they want.
To say that this game is overkill is ridiculous. You want a short game. Then buy the new Zelda game and go right to the end tof beat it. You don't have to play everything. It's time for Zelda to change. Just like metroid did and super Mario. If you don't like it don't play it or buy it. The new Zelda is getting a ton of praise and I can't wait.
I don't think you can be too old for any game.
I think open world games are great cause u get to stretch the imagination and b creative
@Zach777 10/10 response
I feel like I'm one of the few who are absolutely blown away by the visuals, I think it's gorgeous- it's definitely the most beautiful game on the U in my opinion..
"Too old"....."In my 30s"
Sounds like you need to reassess the suitability of these 2 statements!
I also feel as though "open world" games are a mixed bag. On one hand I enjoy the relative freedom and expansiveness, but on the other, I don't want to spend an hour of my time on the game, look back on that hour, and realize that I haven't made any progress. If I had a lot of spare time on my hands this would be fine, but since my gaming time is limited these days, I like to feel like that time was well spent.
I'm glad that it appears as though this is the "best of both worlds", as the article puts it. One of the main things that keeps me coming back to the Zelda series is the story, and I'm glad that it doesn't appear to have been compromised.
@Zach777 lol, thanks Personally I don't find it so bad!
Sorry, but the old games are still there. Not every game has to please everyone.
@Ibberson
"Shame have to put so many hours in to enjoy them"
I never understood this type of thinking. Almost as if the game isn't fun until it's completed. The fun comes from the journey, not the destination. Shouldn't matter if you play 5 hours of a 100 hour game or 90. What's important is that you were enjoying yourself for the duration of the hours you did plays
Way I see it, is who cares if you finish, or don't finish, or take a year to finish. If the game is really good and provides top-shelf entertainment, then play it. Don't worry about when you're gonna beat it or if you're gonna beat it, just enjoy the ride.
And if the day comes you lose interest, or aren't having fun, then move on.
It always makes me happy and excited to see that panorama of Hyrule!
Regarding the article, I'm sure they will make more traditional Zeldas as well. Maybe the handheld versions will be traditional and the console versions open world?
It depends on the game and your personal preferences. For example, even if you like Xenoblade Chronicles, you have to admit that the side quests are the most boring side quests ever. The game becomes boring and tiresome because of that and the repetitive gameplay, even though the story is good and I enjoyed that. I don't care if the game is huge if the game is boring. Metal Gear Solid V is also sand box but I really enjoy it because the gameplay is great. I hope that this new Zelda game is fun to play and touching, otherwise Twilight Princess will be still my favourite Zelda. I have my doubts about Breath of the Wild after the E3 show, but I hope there's more to see so let's hope that the final game is great. I understand the concerns, though.
..hopefully, with the world being so big, it'll mean less backtracking and having to see the same path over and over to get to the next objective...can't wait to see..
Ant, they said you can go straight to the final boss. You will have to be that guy.
I'm neutral about this, I mean we still know very little about the game and also about how much if anything the NX existing is ruining the Wii U version.
You can't exactly finish a "sandbox" but you can finish most "sandbox" games.
A "sandbox" game, as I see it—and basically as it is defined—is really just a game that has a well considered and realised "sandbox" of core mechanics and gameplay elements that all just work in the context of that game's world and give you freedom to try different things and use different approaches to overcome each of the challenges that confront you. Even Super Mario Bros. is a "sandbox" game as far as I'm concerned, because the little world is perfectly realised, everything works just as you'd expect within the rules of that world, and you're free to experiment and try new things within the world (and the game won't suddenly break because the "sandbox" isn't designed to work beyond just doing exactly what the developer expected you do in order to from point A to point B only).
Breath of the Wild is a huge open world game (which is the part where I could see you personally being put off). The "sandbox" part, however, just means you're able to properly mess around and play about in that world, having fun experimenting and trying different things, beyond just doing the bare minimum stuff required to get from point A to point B.
Please don't be one of those guys that automatically equates every "sandbox" game to an open world game; those two things are not always one and the same.
In my opinion, the best games are almost always great examples of "sandbox" gameplay design too, regardless of their genre or whatever else.
I'm not really feeling the Zeldabreath. Seems like just a whole lot of grinding and not a lot of actual gaming. The enemy responses seem really lame too.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE is someone who wants structure and purpose the equivalent of a casual gamer? No wonder Candy Crush is so popular.
I think most people will ultimately find Breath of the Wild a very rewarding game, as long as the story part has been implemented well enough for those particular gamers who would rather just move through it from start to finish without too much getting lost and wandering around aimlessly in the world. People who love both open world and sandbox games are going to love it regardless, but it also has to make sure to give those people who aren't adventurers and explores something to guide and motivate them to play beyond the first hour or two. Many Zelda games have lost me because I just couldn't be bothered figuring out what to do next once I'd got about an hour or two into them. I've only ever completed Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword; the others I just gave up on eventually because I ended up losing sight of what I was meant to be doing next and couldn't be bothered fumbling around for an hour and still not working it out. But, I'd like to think that Nintendo knows how to do both types of experiences right at this point in time, and will basically nail it in this Zelda game.
@rjejr
Have you thought about the possibility that the game could have multiple endings? If you can beat the game at any time it makes sense.
@Kirk Good point. Sand box games are not necessarily big world games, probably the huge world in Breath of the Wild is what is worrying people since it looks so dull and empty. And yet people at Nintendo Life's E3 chat room were like OHHHH WOW OOHHHH I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT! BREATH OF THE "WIND"!
I have a strong feeling that this game will have a great blend of story driven content, and free exploring content. I mainly play Zelda games for the exploring, but narrative bits along the way help keep me entertained. As for this particular Zelda game, I highly doubt I will ever "finish" it. I'll just enjoy what I do manage to play.
I guess everyone has different opinions, because I'm also an adult and I actually LOVE when games are open-ended and/or endless. I don't have a lot of time to play games so I don't buy them in great numbers in the first place, which makes me appreciate the value of a single, well-made game that can soak up as many hours as I want to put in. Normally it's sim and sports games w/some Etrian mixed in there, and not open world, but I'll probably go in for Zelda.
This isn't a sandbox game, so no worries everybody. Zelda will never be sandbox unless you like to call games what they aren't, like calling Metroid Prime a first person shooter when it's barely that at all and misses what Prime's gameplay really is.
@Samuel-Flutter I've played the demo at japan expo in paris,and you're not dropped in the world with no info, you have a goal, there is things you need to do. and in the demo all the npc were removed (aonuma said they didn't wanted to spoil anything)
@nathatruc But there was that "Goddess" moment out of the blue. Isn't that a spoiler?
This is a Zelda game. They aren't going to leave you stranded with no story or puzzle based dungeons to plunder. Not going to panic over a demo. As for the size, play it in chunks until you beat it. That is what those of us that work 80 hours or have other time restrictions do.
@nathatruc Oh good. I heard that it started like the original, with no instructions. I just hope I don't get overwhelmed.
LoZ has always been open world. This is nothing new
My most anticipated game...maybe ever? I echo every fear in this article but also echo my confidence that Nintendo will do me right. Open worlds can be cool but too much of a good thing can ruin the experience imo. There NEEDS to be story.
@RandomBlue
Yeah that too. I'm expecting a blue flying ball to lead us in the right direction. I almost never used it in XCX, but having it was nice on those rare occasions I needed it. It will probably be related to that tech Link has on his arrow they haven't told us about yet. Or maybe a compass on the Gamepad? There will be something to get us back on track if we want it.
@Zeldafanforlife
Until they tell us what's in the game I haven't really given it much thought. But I don't expect multiple endings, just 1, Link beats Gandodorf in 1 on 1 battle with the Master sword.
@antdickens But on the bright side, if you are playing Zelda Wild you won't fall off a cliff.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/15/health/pokemon-go-players-fall-down-cliff/index.html
it has to be a very, very good open world game for me to care, titles such as fallout new vegas, gta v and witcher 3 fall into that category for me. i'm sure zelda will be awesome as long as i can save anywhere at any time. i can really only play games on the weekends because my life is so busy! now i am playing zelda four swords adventures on gamecube and the level structure lets me play a level or two for like 20 minutes or so and i feel like i'm making progress. would be nice for a new zelda title that is similar, imagine the dlc possibilities! you can add new stories! i can only dream....
@VanillaLake i bought xenoblade chronicles and tried to like it but its sooooooooooooo boring for me. and its way too long, i wont ever have the time to finish it. wish i bought yoshi wooly world instead, at least that game i can play in small chunks and 100% it!
@Uncensored
Are you talking about the original Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii? If you are it has one of the best stories I've ever experienced in a video game. It's not perfect and has a few plot holes but all story driven games do. You really should stick with it. How long have you played and where are you at?
Sandbox style games are ultimately shallow by nature. Unless there is a solid architecture of meaningful gameplay development, any ongoing gameplay narrative created by the player on a chance basis is very short lived, regardless of its potential to be infinite. In the end, the best games are virtual stories, with a beginning, middle and an end. Human beings are story tellers, we have been since the dawn of time. A story is far more enriching than poking the sand with a stick.
@Zeldafanforlife xenoblade chronicles x on wii u, chapter 4. i had to restart because i built up the wrong class. i simply do not have the time to play. most of the year i have to work 6 days a week.
@VanillaLake
I don't think the side quests in Xenoblade Chronicles are boring and I like the repetitive nature of the fighting, I think they have the perfect amount of depth to the fighting that makes it very enjoyable to me. There were times where I'd grind for 2 or 3 hours straight and it would feel like 15 minutes.
Too old? I'm 31, been playing Zelda since the 80s, and I am pumped for this!
Interesting article.
It's a time management thing I guess, as I've got older I've reassessed how I spend my leisure time. No more playing WoW for thousands of hours.
It can be good to occasionally step back and think about how to best maximise your leisure time.
I just want to to burn things to crisp while running around naked in Breath of The Wild!
Sounds more like a "finding the time" and "having responsibilities" issue, than an age issue (though those issues usually do walk hand-in-hand), which is okay, a lot of people need to realise when it's time to grow up (and it's painfully obvious on gaming sites).
@MarkyUppy I think saying overworked is too small wouldn't fit with his argument on the new game. The original was still shorter and he was a kid. Now hes an adult ready to play a much larger game with no time.
@BrownGamer4 because theres a caveat that it's beautiful for a WiiU game. Many gamers from outside of Nintendo has been accustomed to better visuals for a couple of years now. Thats why not many are "blown away" by the visuals outside the Nintendo fanbase
@NIN10DOXD I am a 32yo with a full time job and kids. I find time to play games. The key is balance.
I've never really felt that open-world game design worked. It's always kind of a case of exploring empty space for the sake of exploring. Most of the time, there's nothing interesting to be discovered.
@GraveLordXD im being objective and talking about technical visuals.
Why should it cater to gamers who don't like sandbox? It's like expecting a Mario platformer to cater to RPG fans, or Naughty Dog titles to cater to people who like actually playing through games (sorry, I recently tried Uncharted 4 and have to vent about it a little).
In all seriousness, I'm sure there will be a lot of story content. The best open world titles manage to balance things out with a hefty dose of linearity, and I'm sure BOTW will be the same.
Time is passing me by...
Although I don't have even half the responsabilities that people my age have, I feel that comment about not having enough time for games.
But this and that are separate matters... If an open world game is too big and I feel overwhelmed, I simply ignore the game side content until I feel confortable, that's what I did with Xenoblades chronicles. ( I got bored after finishing the main story, so no super bosses or sidequests hunting for me.)
@Fuz
Elite came out in 1984, nothing recent about that 😉
No one is too old...
Hm... I have one Family Oriented Open World game on Wii, it is Go Vacation. Well, typical Open World game but with kid friendly taste, Explore the beauty of 4 different kinds of Resort, wandering around, goofy around, riding any vehicles spreaded over the resort, swimming around river or lake. diving in the sea, do 50 different activities, and many more. Quite time consuming to get all keys but still enjoyable. I don't mind if i must play until 40-60 hours as long there are still so many things to do. I do like Open World game, i like to explore the beauty of nature or places, as long NO ADULT content inside.
The first couple paragraphs about the growing backlog and a preference for games you can wrap your head around put into words my relationship with games. I have a good amount of free time but I don't really have the attention span to play for more than an hour or so at a time mostly on my 3ds.
The last Zelda I played was actually the first one a few years ago. It had been so long and I'm not sure I'd ever been passed the first few dungeons when I was a kid. I beat it this time and quite enjoyed it.
Before that I played Twilight Princess and it felt kind of like a chore. It also felt like playing an N64 game without the charming (Imo) graphics. I realized it one day when I couldn't climb on top of a ledge to try to get to a higher area. It felt artificially limited and archaic. And the game also felt very linear. The original LOZ actually felt very organic in comparison. And I'm glad that it looks like BotW is getting back to that feeling.
On a final note I'd like to point out that Zelda has never really been a "traditional" game series. Up until the gamecube Zelda was a "groundbreaking" series where each new game was not just a high-water mark for the series but for gaming in general. It dawned on me watching the E3 trailer when I was pleasantly surprised that Link could jump and climb and would no longer be foiled by ledges. They've finally caught up to what the rest of the world has been doing. I wonder if the game will end up being a redefining moment the original was or Ocarina was.
Too old to cry and whine, then.
I think they may have created a game with 150 hours of gameplay but the story is only say 40. That way, when people are talking about themselves playing through the game, they all have different takes on basically the same story...y'know, like a legend!. I think this game could be very special
I have similar concerns to be honest, being in my thirties with limited time to play games.
I'm playing XCX at the moment, which took me ages to get into properly (I've had it since launch). I'm loving it now, the world is amazing, but I'm never going to do all the normal and affinity missions. There're just too many of them and they're not all required to "finish" the game so I won't bother. Plus many of them are variations of "collect this pointless item x5" or "defeat these enemies here for a slightly different reason". This is my issue with sandbox games. They're just padded out with guff. I've found this in every such game I've experienced. Not sure if Tatsu would agree....
So in summary, whilst I love massive amazing gaming worlds, I'd much rather take one that is somewhat smaller, guided and limited, filled with less but more exciting and meaningful things to do. I really hope Zelda BOTW meets this criteria.
It's cute to see people who play only / mostly on Nintendo begin to discover the horrible, gaping maw of the open world genre.
And it IS a genre...
@VanillaLake I agree with... your entire post! Breath is going to need a really clever narrative hook / twist to pull itself all together.
@Haru17 What is the objective for an open world genre? Platforming involves jumping from A to B, Racing involves going from A to B as fast as possible, Sports usually involves invading point B starting from point A. Open world just adds more points, or removes them, but I think I am missing the actual genre bit Maybe it's more like a sub-genre?
Idk why anyone want to ruin the game because of their personal issues. You're growing old? Ok. Good for you I guess, but why would want the game to be shorter is ridiculous. The overwhelming content in the Zelda games is definitely one of my favourite things about the series.
I'm getting both versions
@Dislikesfats I think what's being put across here is that when looking at pre-BotW Zelda, Zelda games have barely any content when compared to open world games like Witcher 3. But from what we've seen so far BotW is more like Witcher 3 than a Zelda game.
Seems like it's very much gonna be a play however suits you kind of game.
I'm with the author here. I'm in my mid 30s and grew up with the NES to present. Now that I am older and have 2 little girls, it is quite difficult to grind out hours on my favorite games. However, I feel that I will be able to bust out countless hours as life goes on. Perhaps when I'm in an old folks home in depends, I will be able to complete all the games I've not gotten around to. Because videogames are timeless.
@Zach777
"Sucks to be Anthony Dickens."
"I don't know about you, but I can't wait to play the final game." - Last words of the article.
Yeah! It sure sucks to... to be optimistic and eager about a highly-anticipated game, while being somewhat skeptical about certain aspects but ultimately coming to the conclusion that you're mostly happy with how the game is handling those aspects?
I could say the same of half of the comments here. It seems like most of you didn't even read the article. I've seen this site complain about clickbait titles in the past, but really it's exactly this attitude of "Read title, get outraged, post idiotic comment" that promotes it.
@BLD
Awww nah. I've seen replies like yours before. Read one sentence that consists of less than ten words and become outraged, under the assumption that you know everything going through the person's thought process when they write, assuming they didn't read the article.
For your imbecilic, rude consideration; I did read the article, I also sympathize with the author, having a family of my own and finding it difficult to dig into sand box games with little ones running around the house. I was simply putting a comment that was not meant to be taken to the extreme, which it seems enraged the three year old in you. Grow a pair and get a life, thin skin. Learn to be nice as well.
@antdickens
Yeah I'm sure it doesn't I was just messing with you. I'm in a similar situation myself; huge sandbox game I'm excited to play, family at home. Seems like a tough situation to consider exploring everything, but hey, playing in the sandbox was never any fun alone; as kids get older they like to watch and try out the games too. I would let my daughter try more but she's eighteen months old and still likes watching and pretend playing with a unpowered controller.
I don't assume to know everything that goes on in your brain, actually. Doesn't take a PhD in social etiquette or psychology to realize that your comment sounded rude.
And it certainly doesn't help that you followed that up by calling me an imbecilic three-year old who needs to grow a pair. Wow, it's almost as if you're not a very nice person at all, isn't it?
It's the Legend of Zelda. Of course it's going to be a huge game with exploration. Did that also put you off playing the Wind Waker?
If you feel too old to do something, it's likely because you ARE too old to do something.
So, anyone who hates open-world games is a "traditional" gamer? Okay then.
I hope that Nintendo stops talking about the new Zelda for years without actually delivering it. Anyone tired of hearing it but never actually getting to play it?
Very well written article. I have a lot of the same concerns as you with most games. I still haven't picked up the last Xenoblade because I just don't have the time. But! Watching this game at E3, I felt that this would be the rare exception of an open world game that I could feel myself getting lost in. Bonus? I have a husband who will play the game too, so we can kind of compare notes and 'stories' to see what all is really out there.
But I love this perspective, and I'm glad to hear the demos alleviated your fears. It sounds like the 'best of both worlds' is exactly what I want.
The biggest problem with N. is how they always want an optionless, perfectly slick game-- There's no such things.
@GraveLordXD the drab textures, the sparse environmetal objects, place holder like trees, pop ups. I mean its not an ugly game but come on! you cant sell the game to non fans on visuals alone. There has been other better looking open world games out there.
@GrailUK Objectives are a terrible determiner of genres. If that were the case, action/adventures would be action games would be brawlers.
@GraveLordXD thats not the issue. My comment started when one persob commented the he doesnt understand why people are not "blown away" by the visuals. I was responding to that comment. Hence most will not be blown away by the visuals because there are better looking open world games out there.
Witcher 3.
Skyrim.
Grand Theft Auto V.
3 of the biggest, most important games, and all 3 are a reason why linear, sandbox free Zelda is no longer an option. Not in 2017.
It isn't that Nintendo can't pull off traditional Zelda. It's that the very genre they helped create has left them far behind.
Zelda, in no uncertain terms, must change or die. And with interest in Mario and Nintendo consoles dwindling, it is time to evolve and compete.
With the glaring exception of the entirely obnoxious Pokemon Go, there is no bright spot for the rest of this calendar year. Talk about Moon and Sun. Talk about Colour Splash. Nintendo has found their proverbial Dark Age, and 2 years was too long to react to their shortcomings.
They've dug a hole, and as much as I'd prefer it not to be a grave, I no longer have faith they don't absolutely deserve it. I'm eagerly anticipating them going software only.
Are "traditional gamers" people that like straightforward games?
I enjoy many open world games myself but...
From what we've seen it's not like Breath of a Wild seems like a particularly ambitious open world game either (compared to open world games like GTA or Elder Scrolls), it's not like you're going to be shell shocked or something if you've never played an open world game before.
As someone who enjoys games with a story, and interesting characters you can grow to like, if Breath of the Wild doesn't have those I'll be very disappointed. It's not like the Zelda series has ever been story heavy in the first place, so Nintendo saying it's a less story driven game scares me. Being open world and having a story or narrative, and interesting characters, are not mutually exclusive. Most of the best open world games have a great story with many interesting characters within them for you to discover.
@Haru17 Well I would argue size of the play area is an even worse determiner than play style. I do realise the use of a genre is rather limiting at best and offers little description or letterboxing of a game really.
@GrailUK Actually it's better than you'd think. A racing game on a track takes you 5-10 minutes. An open world racing game, however, takes you however long your navigational skills can support.
An JRPG with a traditional overworld with some dungeons and towns might take you 40 hours. The Witcher 3 and Skyrim take you 400.
You cannot simply ignore how open worlds make the act of traveling a major gameplay component. After all, what else are genres made for?
@Haru17 I'm still not convinced mate. I still say sub-genre Hehe
@GraveLordXD no prob man. I think the person i was replying to edited his original post so you may not have read what he said initially. Anyway i did say it looked good just not "blown away" kind of good.
@Project_Dolphin Much like The Last of Us, I felt like watching a movie with drab gameplay sessions tacked on between scenes. Just not my kind of thing, I guess.
Same here, I'm 33 I live with my girl and work two jobs. I can squeeze about 3 to 4 hours on a regular week, more on the ocassional weekend.
My backlog currently sits at a whooping 21 games for 3 different consoles. Its a bummer, now that I have the money, I don't have the time to play
@GrailUK Sub-genre's fine. I just want people to understand how much open worlds change games.
@Zeldafanforlife For me it is very repetitive and boring but, as I said in my first comment, the story is quite good. We agree about that.
@Uncensored Yep, I haven't really beaten it yet. I play sometimes hoping to reach the end eventually...
@Haru17 Thank you and sorry for late reply. I hope that the story is good and the gameplay is fun, otherwise I don't care how big the world is.
@Uncensored Wii U has some great platformers: Tropical Freeze, Yoshi's Woolly World, Rayman Legends... Even New Super Mario Bros. U is a good choice, at the very least is better than the other "New Mario" games. There are few interesting action/adventure games though.
@NodesforNoids
No matter how much you want it to happen Nintendo is never dropping hardware.
@DarkKirby
You don't think BotW looks like an ambitious game? Did you see the same game I did? Did you see the shrines of trial? We don't know how much of a story there is to the game or how good it is but the one woman from the Treehouse stream seemed like she really, genuinely thinks the story is really good.
I guarantee you the stasis shrine trial is not the most interesting trial in the game and it is still really cool. With over 100 shrines the possible gameplay mechanics they have in store is incredible.
@Zeldafanforlife
Have you played the recent GTAs, Elder Scrolls, or Fallouts?
Compared to those games, no, from what I've seen Breath of the Wild does not look ambitious in comparison, especially if there is an intentional decision to have less story and narrative, when Zelda games have never been heavy on story to begin with.
Opinions from people on Treehouse streams and from Treehouse mean nothing, and you can't guarantee anything based on the information we have other than what's already been shown.
@DarkKirby
How does it not look ambitious? Just because the game MIGHT BE light on story? Is that your only criteria for judging how good a game is? BotW will probably have the best puzzles we've ever seen in a Zelda game.
@Zeldafanforlife
Once again you're making assumptions based on nothing but your own personal faith.
And you still didn't answer my question, have you played the recent GTAs, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout games? Do you even know on what basis I am making my comparison?
@DarkKirby
YOU are making assumptions, not me, I never said there would be a great story, there MIGHT BE a great story, we don't know. Don't ever put words in my mouth. To answer your question, no I have not played any of those and I really have no desire to. Especially GTA, it is an abomination that should not exist. Fallout and Elder Scrolls look all right but nothing special to me. They both look very stiff to me in their gameplay and they both take themselves far too seriously, not willing to accept criticism, but hey I guess paying off reviewers will do that. Nintendo's first party games have fluid, smooth gameplay that I don't hardly see from anyone else.
Zelda is my favorite series ever but I'm not ever going to say the games are without flaws. You can think a game is incredible but still find flaws in it and it bothers me to see people heap SO MUCH praise on The Last of Us when it has some pretty big flaws.
@DarkKirby
What do you have to say? Why is it that I hardly ever see people leveling criticism at sony's first party games? Anyone who does is berated/mocked/ridiculed by countless sony fanboys to no end.
@Zeldafanforlife
???
There is nothing else to say.
As you have not played any of the games I am comparing Breath of the Wild to (what we know of it), you have no idea on what basis I am making my comparison.
@DarkKirby
Yes I know what comparisons you're making, you're making comparisons to the story as that is your biggest complaint against BotW in terms of how ambitious it is which doesn't even make sense as we don't know how in depth the story is. You're assuming that the game is light on story just because you can go beat the game right from the beginning. Will the game have an incredible, in depth story? Probably not, but IT MIGHT!!! You try to point fingers at me saying I'm making assumptions when I'M NOT, YOU ARE!!!
Lastly, whether a game has a good story or not is totally up to the individual. What someone might find entertaining someone else might find boring. The Completionist said in his review that he didn't care too much for the story in Skyrim and from what I've seen of the story it doesn't look too interesting to me either.
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