Trying to explain why 'Zelda - Breath of the Wild' receives a lot of hate

This is a weird issue, ... that ... right off the bat basically "warp 10"s into cosmically complicated.

What do we want out of life? Why do I ask that question?

Butthurt already?

From Star Trek we know that sometimes the effect can happen prior to the cause - so that when thinking of 'why' something happened, ... we may have to look towards the future. This is perfectly legitimate when not really speaking of the physics of things, but essentially things where we can practically count on God having had Gods hand somewhere therein. I - to clarify that - am not going to rate the game; I didn't play it and cannot play it and for the most part this isn't about Zelda anyway. (See the headline for further details on that statement. And no, I didn't make that up!).

I however ... to be as straight about this topic as I can ... cannot denie and help but conclude that I ... am a bit happy about the game getting its butt shrubbed - which ... kindof surprises me. Honestly. I mean, the last time I wrote about it I wrote it seems like its heading for the right direction; And while being totally off the Nintendo boat my sole interest in the franchise is nostalgia driven ... which I for myself like to 'keep' to the games I played and loved - which doesn't say that I'm playing them anymore. I must say I liked Secret of Mana more than most of the Zelda games; And it didn't take any sequels ... nor any Nostalgia productions ... 'either'.
There are sequels to SoM - which didn't quite take me in as much as the "first" (which is actually the second) ... and a smart individual would recognize this attitude as ... less ... 'blinded' by the brand-name than lets say ... someone who Loves a Zelda game after having bought that Zelda game for being a Zelda game. Kindof. There is a certain expectancy one has in a sequel - like, if the first game was good the sequel has high chances of delivering the same kind of experience ... and that is actually why I abandoned the Nintendo ship (as I eventually concluded that the formula didn't work for me - I'll get into that eventually).
But yet there is a certain joy about seeing Nintendo "fail" (or getting "shrubbed") - as - sortof a release of pressure ... or, a breath of fresh air running through a smoke filled pub. And clearly that from an outside perspective is apparently connected to the ... "Inbreeding of the Nintendo Fanbase" we might say ... so, ... I know ... some people who own a Nintendo also own a Playstation ... duh ... but in a Sense the Nintendo fanbase is like that exclusive Club that nobody wants to be a part of anymore that always give them Nintendo games a 9/10 at least.

Because I have to: Compared to Horizon Zero Dawn, Breath of the Wild is a typical Nintendo release, in the sense that it is the reason why someone would buy a Nintendo. Zero Dawn however, or Sony for that matter, doesn't really "do" that. PS4 players don't. Its a much more open System closer to the "mainstream" or ... 'populus' rather than that ... right next to the PC - so the 'System Base' didn't buy a PS4 in order to play Zero Dawn; And so a lot of PS4 players actually wouldn't care so much. Especially since Killzone was kindof sortof medi-ocre when looking at its success ... yet another Guerrilia game ... well ... "doesn't really matter".

And as a sidenote: How do the two compare if I look into myself? A.k.a.: Whats the "cosmic conclusion"? Well, comparing the two is difficult. And in a sense ... well, I have to first of all praise Horizon to the extent I myself 'have to' in order to the game the justice it deserves according to my experiences. I'm not that far into the game right now ... yet it is the first Open World game where I actually felt rewarded from strolling around the map although not even getting to some treasure chest or something at the end of it. And that is not an experience you would get from simply beating it. Right now I'm supposed to head for a city ... and looking at the map I see where it is ... in the middle of the whole thing ... and there are clouds covering the map where you haven't been. And so I saw ... well, thats quite a long trip. And I wondered: Do I want to advance that far that quick? And its the fun I've had with it that made me explore all the rest ... gear up ... do some challenges; And its not easy - and thats where the game shines. The Animals are machines ... which is ... actually really genious in my oppinion. I mean, all the Animals in any Video game ever are CPU controlled, program driven 'pseudo entities' ... they follow their little "do that" scripts ... and these are really ... the thing. So, these ... lets call them "programs" ... so do their thing ... like machines would ... and so there isn't really a big ... tear ... between how these things behave in game and how they would or should. They are as dumb as programs would be, because they are programs, but they are also as relentless as programs would be, because they are programs. And while the small watchers are one-shots - you're eventually gonna face one of the larger baests and figure: Well, shooting off that large tank isn't actually quite that simple! So, there's a lot of strategy involved ... and ... you actually have the tools. Proper tools. Traps, Trap-casters, ... and everything, at least in the beginning, is sortof costy. So you need some resource to make fire arrows; Which isn't scarce, but eventually you'll have to go hunting for the one or the other thing. I went for a fully upgraded Ressource Bag 'at first' ... which isn't really difficult ... while ... what you start with is good enough to take your time with it ... and ... you can technically buy really high end gear really early on in the game too; Which just adds to the feel of the game; Saying ... you only have to be able to effort it. And you there play as that girl that had a personal aspiration to become a good hunter/survivor ... so the whole ... process of farming is seamlessly woven into the immersion points of the game. And farming ... well, isn't the best word to use. Hunting works much better. Kindof. I mean ... if you see a herd of 4 crab robots ... you can go for them ... or leave it be. They have good stuff ... but ... getting that stuff can be costy; And not all the ressources you 'want' are easy to obtain ... though you can actually buy them - for ... not so cheap. Its really well balanced! To say ... its relatively easy to gather a 'good stash of supplies' to feel secure ... but not too easy. Or simple. And then ... for certain parts of the game you also just have to abandon the stories path ... and now back to Zelda.

Zelda as it seems is much more open than Horizon. Much more. So to the point that if the two games had to compete on the open-worldness level ... Zelda seems to be the winner. And it doesn't seem like people who'd spend their money on it would be in for a huge disappointment - which ... makes me feel surprisingly bad. Just as saying that that Zelda seems to be also score higher when thinking of (non)-linearity. At least do I have to say that though Horizons plot seems to be totally linear ... the world kindof whispers to me: "Explore me!". Its not too huge to really be smashed by its openness ... and while its linear, its a non-linear approach to it ... or a side-tracking ... that as in any other RPG would give you that 'edge' ... though as opposed to "any other" RPG the side-tracks aren't narrow hallways with a treasure chest at the end. So, linear or not ... its nothing to argue about if a game that does it either way does it right!
Logically can Zelda not hold up to the wholistic "Franchise Hype" - as a lot of the elements that 'make' the franchise are ... part of earlier games ... and thats what I make out of that bad feeling. As, to me personally the thing that instead of typical Zelda Dungeons you get mostly to smaller shrines ... thats like ... sorry but ... facepalm worthy. At least to my Nostalgia Based relationship to the franchise. Propostrous. Blesphemic! Its all and everything (rhetorically speaking) I ever hated about ... games ... once my 'Zelda influenced' expectancy of what to find was only ... something small. Thats where my childs heart ... the 'Link' in me ... begins to kindof shake its head.

And at the bottom of it: Dark Souls 3 and Horizon - though Horizon specifically - made it clear to me that there is a serious difference between 'Liking' and 'Loving' a game. I exclude earlier Zelda titles and SoM from that list since ... I was young and possibly Loved everything due to my natural Childhood curiosity.
And in that contrast: Horizon is really a game that grown ups would enjoy ... while Zelda BOTW seems more like a 'Witcher for Kids', and in that category possibly second to none in the sense that its a game that should keep a child busy for long enough to get to a conscious embrace of it, ... which is a topic I'm not confident in being able to properly dive deeper into. I feel some pinch in my chest as I think this ... as so there is the concern that it might be too vast.
(These "Nintendo-ey" gimmicky gadgets that have been part of the Franchise since Wind Waker ... they are to me the big "Do not Enter" sign ... though Wind Waker doesn't count. It really started with Twilight Princess on the Wii).

The thing is: Horizon received good reviews and I couldn't care about it - Zelda received good reviews and that makes me feel like throwing up. Or as though my heart would cry. If the game were available on PS4 I'd probably buy it and would hate on Horizon with a confirmation Bias on overload ... which is the thing I see on YouTube round about this subject. If its so important that the game got good reviews; I kindof tend to say: It cannot be any good! Well, I mean: 'probably' ... and that particular issue is why I wrote the Star Trek piece earlier, so, the cause following the effect.

There are possibly some idiots that hate on Zelda by sortof rubbing Horizon into the Zelda fan-face, though the big thing essentially is that people give it 0 saying that they just wanna down the games Meta-Score. So, it ain't even that. Its not a real rating ... nor has it anything to do with Horizon. Most of them probably didn't play Horizon either. But I feel as though I'd feel it'd suck if I had bought Zelda for some fandom reasons and see how much more exciting Horizon actually looks. Harsh?

Well ... there are some topics/issues that I touched on that I think I have to review. As the entire 'pitty liking' a game thing of the previous article ... it gets me thinking since actually I can't quite name a game that I really did pitty like. Destiny would sortof be the closest to that as of the past few years ... and I wasn't pitty liking it! I was afraid that I would have to pitty-like FF XV in order to enjoy it, but I played a bit more after I was through with the story and then stopped as I kindof had enough. I'll get back to it when I feel like it ... if I'll ever feel like it. Same with Dragon Age Inquisition; And I stopped playing the game because I want to do some more side-stuff before I get to the end, and I don't really feel like doing either of the two ... so, I'll keep it for some darker times. Also World of Final Fantasy.
I think for the most part my impression that I'm pitty liking games is based on the understanding that some of these companies are going through some bad times and getting a lot of bad mouth over essentially nothing ... where, FF XV was certainly good enough to suck me in and that even before the game was released. I mean, Kingsglaive was way better than I had expected; And the recent Trailers/Ads that they have been running on the game; ... they ... I think they're really much better once you've been through the game and loved it.
I was a bit split in two about whether my Nintendo abandonment was such a good thing ... at least so in regards to my public appearance as of here for instance. I mean, I wondered ... though for no real reason ... but its games as Horizon, Dark Souls and Final Fantasy ... and even Destiny ... that flush those concerns away. Its been envy for the PS owners that made me not want to care about Nintendo that much anymore in first place.

And when speaking of Zelda, what it is and what it could or should be, I believe people should also speak more about Dark Souls. I believe I see a few nods to Zelda in there ... though Dark Souls isn't taking a dump on Zelda; While the Zelda fanbase right now is pretty much taking a dump on Horizon; Although its Zelda that jumped on the Open World bandwagon. I mean, kindof. Zelda was Open World like pretty much ever until they took the whole "You can't go there until you have that item" too far - for my taste (MAKING EXPLORATION PRETTY MUCH FUCKING POINTLESS - and if you want the real experience play 'a Link to the Past' (google: SNES Emulator (Linux)) (Thank God for naughtiness!)) - which, actually I have to punk myself right now. I ... have to make myself look a bit silly, or, expose myself to some kind of ... I can't think of anything.
I mean yea ... being considered a Mischief maker is kindof flattering ... when expressed in a somewhat sympathic way ... since actually I don't intend to make mischief. Mischief making however ... I mean, I wouldn't dish out Chaos if I couldn't take it - and I do believe I'm pretty much not overdoing it!

IT IS ESSENCIAL ... to ... be able to take some pun. A good caricature is like a Love letter. Can be. I mean, if its intended as criticism maybe not so much. But there even more so: One has to be able to take it.

There is stuff that Jinx can do - and stuff that Jinx cannot! For instance: An arbitrary enemy encounter in arbitrary game X ... ah, what the heck - so I feel about Zelda - Astair based (unjinxed, a.k.a.: With distance taken): There are pulls ... like, ... assume you like Dark Souls and find some relation to how BOTW plays - but BOTWS is easier, so, its potentially more fun. Now, a "Jinx Soldier" could 'fake enjoy' it, sotospeak, by blending out whats wrong and being sortof like a Child ... playing the shit out of a silly enemy encounter ... but the fake aspect also sticks around in the Astair. So there is this unnatural surge of attraction that to people feels like Hype, but if they are disconnected from the Zelda franchise it kindof feels ... incomprehensive. To a Zelda fan that Hype would on the other side feel like: "Yea, I can have fun!". But the Hype around Horizon does not live up to the game itself, thats for sure!

And this is sortof what I'm talking about. You could make the same Video in response to Nintendo groupies. But if you haven't played Horizon, this video pretty much poisoned it for you! What I think is that this person there will be like that until his head explodes eventually. Metaphorically speaking. I certainly do feel a bit more 'wacka-boo-boo' crazy after having seen it!

Which is how the [holding flat hand towards someone shouting:] "Mirror" works in the mature world!
No special effects, no Valkyries, No Angelic Sing Sang, No Dubstep, ... just words.

A pros pos: Sponsored by the Matrix:

Because ... why not?

Actually ... I'm a fan of that track now!

And so - this is a bit of an instance of ... one crowd responding to another ... not based on any elaborate higher or even charitable intention ... but some "out of principle" kind of naughtiness that allows the unspoken to somehow yet be there ... as ... part of why Astair even exists.

It would at first seem bad, silly or ridiculous ... like ... why would it be a thing? But imagine it differently - if you had no way of emotionally connecting to others. It'd be like we couldn't look straight at each other; And the whole ... I mean, one of the main features of living in this world ... no; The whole point of having a body is to have access to the world around us ... and Astair does that on the mental/emotional level.
And so there are these instances where something 'Astair related' happens without being Jinx ... like ... it is supposed to be, sortof. So, a 'real physical response' to things going on in the Metaphysical - as communication. Which means: Zelda is possibly Overrated or not - depending on what you know and are used to. I for instance do prefer to have some kind of detachment from what I'm playing ... in other words: I like to lean back - and then a game either captures me or it doesn't. I can't speak of a lot of instances either way and usually games have something going for them that makes them worth the while. While, I got to say: We live in an age of extreme wealth ... compared to those times where there wasn't even 3D yet for instance. Nier : Automata for instance is a game that I wouldn't drop money on - but the fun I had is that kind of fun you get once you sortof have nothing else to spend any time on. As ... the ... 'neutral' ideal of what a game should be. You ... take a random pick with the guarantee that you get a game that you can enjoy. As opposed to games that then are 'exceptionally good' - that you then just find yourself ... smacked by ... with nothing left to say but ... "awesome" ... [teardrop].
Horizon is that to me - and actually FF XV too. Horizon though has I would say a steeper ... 'to the point' curve ... arguing: People who aren't all that much into gaming, or not at all, could really get to that 'point' almost right away. Say ... 1 hour. And it won't feel like an hour! FF XV ... ey ... I don't know ... but ... "Stand by Me" - right there in the beginning; Awesome! I mean, I'm a fan! But so it begins with you pushing a car down the road - and it sortof even works as Metaphor, saying, well ... you got to take some time! Though 50 hours would seem little to most of the active gamers; To someone who's actually somewhat skeptic about Mass Media in general ... that seems like a lot of wasted time! But then, in that case framing a 'must play' hitlist ... FF XV must be on top because it really ... gets to the point hard and deep!
And Dark Souls (3) would there also rank higher than Horizon in my oppinion ... though however not without some cynical grin of sadism and schadenfreude.

Harmonies of Dissonant Noise

(Powered by the Matrix) PS: After 1 year of (extensive and sometimes irresponsible over-) usage my PS4 seems to perform worse than in the beginning; The 'negative spikes' being however mostly the incomprehensively long time it takes for the System to respond after closing YouTube ... so I cannot really say anything about all the dead PS4s ... but ... I think rather than considering myself lucky I'd consider those people that had problems as unlucky. But probably I should also consider myself lucky - because if of all PS4s 'mine' would be one of the troubled ones ... I don't know ... I think I'm more important than others! But I bought mine in a normal store! So ... yea, as you would expect! And yet: I don't know anyone who had any problems with it. And thinking of how smooth Horizon runs ... I mean, ... damn ... .

PS2: If Dragonball ever "dies" to the Jinx - then because of all the shitty nonsense produced after Dragonball Z ended. Oooh ... nasty ... (Powered by the Matrix) Over and Out!

by Christopher Nikolaus Sonnberger - 2017.03.14 | 06:36