At first the game had me conflicted.
Gameplay-wise there were too many things that bothered me. I hated the swamp area as a whole, I hated the first two temples, I thought the new songs are all lame, I thought Goron-Link controls like ass, I hated how empty the Zora area felt, I hated the Stone Tower and on and on and on. Despite all that, I was still hooked.
What I realised is that, for me at least, this game doesn't excel in its main content, but in its side content. The 3 day cycle with the NPCs moving to certain places at certain times makes the game just feel so alive and unique. It's so fun to make an appointment with an NPC and then actually have them walk up to the appointed place at the appointed time in a 24 year old game.
What this game also excels in is its theme. Showing all these characters and how they deal with the feeling of dying, losing someone or their impending doom. It's something you don't expect in a Zelda game, yet it fits so perfectly.
This game is a weird combination of insane design choices in terms of gameplay, story, music - everything.
But I wouldn't want it any other way.
Gameplay-wise there were too many things that bothered me. I hated the swamp area as a whole, I hated the first two temples, I thought the new songs are all lame, I thought Goron-Link controls like ass, I hated how empty the Zora area felt, I hated the Stone Tower and on and on and on. Despite all that, I was still hooked.
What I realised is that, for me at least, this game doesn't excel in its main content, but in its side content. The 3 day cycle with the NPCs moving to certain places at certain times makes the game just feel so alive and unique. It's so fun to make an appointment with an NPC and then actually have them walk up to the appointed place at the appointed time in a 24 year old game.
What this game also excels in is its theme. Showing all these characters and how they deal with the feeling of dying, losing someone or their impending doom. It's something you don't expect in a Zelda game, yet it fits so perfectly.
This game is a weird combination of insane design choices in terms of gameplay, story, music - everything.
But I wouldn't want it any other way.