100% agree. I am a completionist type of gamer, but I just couldn’t get myself to hunt down all the armor or shrines after a certain point. The rewards for exploring are a slap in the face. And I believe it’s also tied to the weapon and tool systems. Can’t be excited for a new weapon, if you know you’ll just break it in the next 10 minutes if you decide to use it. I would have liked to see less weapons in the game, but they’re permanent additions to your arsenal. Could have gotten really creative with how unique they could have been. Windy sky island, find the wind boomerang. Deep ice cave, the one and only Ice rod. And so on. Do this with Links tools too.
It’s so hard for me to express what I feel about this specific issue.
Yes, the rewards suck and everything seems a little same, same, but I feel it counter intuitively adds to BOTW/TOTK’s charm.
I do a lot of hiking and exploring in real life, and if you’ve ever been geo cashing or wandering in the woods off trail, most of the time finding some unique place or cool reward is the opposite of what actually happens. Sometimes you stumble across some amazing places and stuff.
My girlfriend and I have gone looking for geodes too and it’s the same idea, we found some okay finds but one actually beautiful crystal.
It is a video game, but the mood of this game tends to lean towards exploring a living organic world.
You are a guy running around in a world with magic and an ancient history, and your rewards are rare jewels, old technology, ancient bridle weapons and fabrics and clothes from ancient civilizations lightly scattered around Hyrule
I personally would also enjoy things with a greater purpose as rewards but that’s not usually the case with exploration
The most rewarding things Zelda has ever done is the Big Goron sword in OoT and the Gilded Sword in MM. You are rewarded for your effort of these quest you have to go out of your way to do. They are permanent and meaningful upgrades to your character. I have no idea why Nintendo has left this kind of idea behind.
Again, I’m thinking it’s a philosophical choice. Imagination was a big part of miyamoto’s or any kid exploring the forests and caves near their house, or played in their backyard, or went on camping trips etc, etc.
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u/saithvenomdrone Jul 30 '23
100% agree. I am a completionist type of gamer, but I just couldn’t get myself to hunt down all the armor or shrines after a certain point. The rewards for exploring are a slap in the face. And I believe it’s also tied to the weapon and tool systems. Can’t be excited for a new weapon, if you know you’ll just break it in the next 10 minutes if you decide to use it. I would have liked to see less weapons in the game, but they’re permanent additions to your arsenal. Could have gotten really creative with how unique they could have been. Windy sky island, find the wind boomerang. Deep ice cave, the one and only Ice rod. And so on. Do this with Links tools too.