The result of adding GMod to the base formula of 'BotW'. Of course the ominous mural was covered by boulders; shame Link didn't pull out his bombs! Separated from Zelda (again) and left with but 3 hearts it's off the 'Great Sky Islands'. This serves as the tutorial stage akin to the 'Great Plateau'; I think I spent far longer here just playing around with ultrahand which is basically magnesis but now with super glue.

QoL improvements are welcome, but I find the omission of convenience elsewhere perplexing. Arrow types have been replaced with the ability to fuse any material to an arrow for different effects. In order to attach materials to an arrow, you need to open the quick menu and select it. Each. Time. While not as annoying in puzzle rooms where the usage is situational and one-time, it's a nuisance in combat and interrupts the flow. The lack of reworks to the melee combat are probably my complaints at the moment since that was most lacklustre part of 'BotW'. I know the combat's more based around your knowledge of the game's rules and that the bulk of it's depth lies in the interaction between the player's abilities / items and the environment, but flurry rush is too powerful of an option for so little required that simplifies most one-on-one encounters.

Though I've really enjoyed the new range of powers Link has. Creating abominations of science is fun, and 'Rewind' allows me to essentially create elevator anywhere. Favourite shrine currently is the once involving the construction of hot-air balloons.

I wonder if it's become a mandate at Nintendo to include at least some gacha element to their games because both 'Link's Awakening' and XC3 featured gacha machines to get items.

---------------------[Playing on 'Demanding']--------------------

Immediately upon starting I'm struck with the shocking revelation that most characters now talk, have dialogue, and even feature voice acting. Feel very conflicted about the decision, but I'm not ready to go in depth until further into the game.

As for my impressions regarding the gameplay, 'Sparks of Hope' completely overhauls the combat and exploration structure of 'Kingdom Battle'. The most notable positive change is that Mario isn't required to be on the team anymore. In 'Kingdom Battle' I'd often be working around having Mario in my team and it limited my strategies, so having the requisite removed opens so much more freedom for experimentation. The game makes a departure from tile based movement in favour for being able to move freely around an area. This does mean I'm less likely to accidently misinput and completely fuck up battles so that's welcome. Movement ends once you attack though so can't cheese the smasher type enemies as easily anymore.

Certain aspects have been streamlined and integrated with the new Sparks mechanic. Every character now only has one distinct weapon and a single 'signature' technique. Of course each is entirely unique and have different functions, but Super Effects are no longer tied to weapons rather are temporary buffs from Sparks, which allows you to pass the effects around to whoever you want giving much more flexibility. Likewise, several techniques from the previous game have been turned into sparks and be used by any character.

Also, visually the game is downgraded from 'Kingdom Battle' in my opinion.