3/5 ★ – swkaioshin's review of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

As a very long time Zelda fan who saw all the hype about the game, I want to give BOTW a high review. And I really do think the way the world in this game works deserves a 5/5. But I just really don’t think this gave deserves that just for the world itself. I just can’t give it that score. It lacked a lot of things I really value in a video game. I mostly point out it’s down points being lack of plot and characters, lack of goals, lack of rewards, lack of upgrades, lack of music, lack of dungeons, and a frustrating weapons and health system. And I did play this for over 90 hours. I enjoyed those 90 hours, but in the end, I can’t say it tops the list of video games. My biggest gripe really is the plot and characters. I realize there is the argument that most Zelda games contain very little plot, but even those small plots and supporting characters were memorable enough to keep in my heart in the past, and for many other games presently. This game unfortunately focused more on the world then anything else. And it’s gorgeous, for sure. More beautiful than any other game. I like climbing mountains, I love the exploration. But for me, I can do these things in real life, so I need there to be more to it. In a video game, I want to climb that mountain, look around at the world, and also be rewarded. I want to discover a cave where I have to battle a monster to get a cool new item, find the secret way into a dungeon, or maybe even a rupee on top of a mountain. Instead I’ve been given some korok seeds that are impossible to completely collect, and repetitive shrines. I think they laid a fantastic, ground-breaking foundation, but the things they put on their foundation are subpar, and make the game feel rather incomplete right now as it is. I’m hoping that they will improve the game with the next title they’re working on. With the shortcomings fixed, Nintendo could honestly make one of the best Zelda games of all time. But BOTW is not that game yet. I realize my opinion is unpopular most likely, but I just wish more people were willing to really look at this game and be honest rather than simply saying “it’s the best ever!” The best part about video games is discussing what we love and hate about a game, even one we love dearly. And so many people seem unwilling to do just that- have a simple fun little conversation about this title. Sorry (but not sorry)!