Breath of the Wild

[Judge]

Anyone picked up a Switch and Breath of the Wild yet?  Post your impressions.  I just started and I just got off the Isolated Plateau so I'll post more as I go along.

[Doug E Fresh]

I actually got it on WiiU and so far I love it!

[Judge]

Best deaths so far:

Falling 3 times off the plateau tower trying to figure out the way down.  Also then missing the steps and faceplanting
Freezing to death.
Murdered by a giant rock monster
Drowned
Fell off a cliff almost to the top when my stamina ran out.  I rag dolled down so hard.
Burned alive.

[Chris Stern]

I did and I been loving it, just got to learn that trying to tame a Lionel as a mount is a very, very stupid idea

[Judge]

I did and I been loving it, just got to learn that trying to tame a Lionel as a mount is a very, very stupid idea

If you glide down from a higher place on to their back, you get 5 free attacks.  Equip buff up armor and eat an attack up meal and you'll knock down a quarter of their health before they even get a chance to notice you.

[Doug E Fresh]

Got my first divine beast. Finally killed a Hinox. Currently exploring the upper east part of the map east of death mountain. Having a wonderful time!

[Chris Stern]

If you glide down from a higher place on to their back, you get 5 free attacks.  Equip buff up armor and eat an attack up meal and you'll knock down a quarter of their health before they even get a chance to notice you.

Oh I have no problem killing them, I was trying to ride one like you would a horse or a bear

[Chris Stern]

Got my first divine beast. Finally killed a Hinox. Currently exploring the upper east part of the map east of death mountain. Having a wonderful time!

Me too, I did the Zora one yesterday. As for Hinox I killed two so far, haven't seen the giant rock mini boss yet.

[Doug E Fresh]

Giant Rock mini-boss was the first one I killed. I was scaling one of the two mountains on the way to first village and found one. Bomb to knock it down, jump on top and sledgehammer a weak point. Rather easy kill TBH.

[Chris Stern]

Giant Rock mini-boss was the first one I killed. I was scaling one of the two mountains on the way to first village and found one. Bomb to knock it down, jump on top and sledgehammer a weak point. Rather easy kill TBH.

I figured, he didn't look tough but I'm still shocked that after 40+ hours I have yet to actually fight one. I actually saw one of the dragons before I saw the rock miniboss

[Snap]

I waited until I could do all of the shrines I possibly could before taking on my first Divine Beast, so that was 117 shrines. I ended up going clockwise from Gerudo Desert with the Divine Beasts, which I think may have been the reverse intended order as Thunderblight was certainly the most difficult of the four.

On a technical level, I think Breath of the Wild surpasses every other Zelda game, though in breaking the conventions and taking a different approach it has lost some of the Zelda flavour, much of which is a  head scratcher as to why they were left out. Most conspicuously being enemy variety, with an incredibly small selection of enemies and once you're off the plateau and encounter your first moblin, octorok and lizalfos, you've basically seen all of the enemies you're likely to encounter outside of the occasional Wizzrobe or boss-type creature and for all of the Stal variations which pop up out of the ground, there is not a single Stalfos to be found. Given the widespread destruction in Hyrule, it seems like a perfect setting for Redeads or Gibdos, while Dodongos were a perfect fit for Eldin and Hebra could have used Freezards and Chilfos but all of that variety is sorely absent. The only real change is that enemies go from red to blue, to black and finally silver.

It's almost like the theme of the game was homogenization as, aside from layouts the Divine Beasts are exactly the same, the shrines all look  the same and you will fight the exact same set of enemies no matter which area or climate you find yourself in. I love the game, but the lack of variety in each of these areas, especially considering how expansive the world is, makes it a great game but certainly not the best Zelda game.

I did find that I kept forgetting about the new elements introduced in the game and ended up doing things the "hard way" as I was thinking in terms of past Zelda games. Such as finding ways to block jets of flame in order to pass through when I'm already wearing armor that makes Link fireproof or forgetting the obvious with the magnesis, stasis and cryonis runes.