This was my second Zelda game and I was
shocked at how different it was from Wind Waker. I was forced to collect resources and
use them wisely. The world was also much bigger. Not only was the world bigger, but it was a lot more fun to explore. I had gone from having to sail everywhere to be able to
explore a variety of different terrains. The world is also fun to explore as there are a variety of different ways to explore. You can run, swim, climb, ride horses and other
animals, glide, and shield surf. The map also doesn’t become tedious as you can teleport to shrines, and towers that you have already been to. Throughout the map, there are a
variety of things to find that prevent the exploring from getting boring. There are shrines,
Koroks, side quests, resources, chests, memories, and villages. Finding these things are completely optional so they don’t feel like a chore. (If you try to find all the Koroks, that will feel like a chore). The shrines bring more puzzles and challenges so they don’t just seem like something to find. Another great aspect of the game is that the story is
nonlinear so you can pretty much explore whatever you want whenever you want. The gameplay also rewards those who are innovative and who plan ahead. If you just rush to
do the main quests then you will quickly be overwhelmed, however, if you practice different styles and collect the right resources then the game becomes a lot easier. Preparing for a battle doesn’t feel tedious as exploring the unknown parts of the map is one of the most fun parts. This becomes easier with the DLC because the DLC gives you
the ability to track your exact path. The backstory is also interesting as you learn about Zelda’s struggle to prepare for Calamity Ganon and become who she was born to be.
Compared to previous Zelda games (that I’ve played) there is shown to be a strong relationship between Zelda and Link before the game starts. (There is implied romance
between them, but as far as we know they remain professional). This game also does away with the wacky Zelda timeline.

This game is the most disappointing game I have ever played. The first game is my favorite game of all time so when I got this game I was very excited. Unfortunately, the game is worse than the original on almost everything that matters. There is a lot less content (as a kid I thought this was because I had gotten better at games since I first started, but it is not just that. The story is significantly shorter and there are significantly fewer side quests). The music is a downgrade and that is before taking into account the Mad Doc's annoying singing. All of the improvements come off as a minor flourish instead of fundamentally changing anything. This includes the addition of voice actors and a camera. (This is a nitpicky sidenote, but there is a lack of attention to detail. In the first game, all the NPCs had names, but in this game that is changed for some reason to non-names like "Male Goat"). Going back to what matters the story is not only shorter but less impactful. In the first game, Mickey and Oswald both had to learn to get over their differences and they both ended up growing from the experience. In this game, the only meaningful character development comes from saving the Mad Doctor. On the positive side, the ability to save or kill the main villain is better than the only choice being death like it is in the first game. It's an interesting choice because he has already betrayed Oswald's trust twice so giving him another chance seems illogical. Saving him is an extreme form of forgiveness that goes beyond logic. Unfortunately, this choice is simply a matter of paint or thinner. The first game fell into this trap, however, from what I can remember the second game does it more. It's more clever when the good action requires you to think outside the box like with the Captain Hook fight in the first game. There are no new characters in this game besides the Three Little Pigs, shopkeepers, and weird spirits that did not make any sense to me. I feel like forgotten side characters in popular movies would have made interesting new characters. They already did this with Hook (who is certainly not forgotten, but whatever). Maleficent's demonic henchmen or some Fantasia characters would be an example. Fantasia characters especially, as Yen Sid might have a special soft spot for them. I had very high expectations for this game and those expectations were not met. I did still have fun playing it, especially with friends and my cousin. The multiplayer may have been an added gimmick, however, I thought it worked well enough especially as your abilities complement each other. You don't have to deal with the Oswald AI (which isn't the worst thing in the world, however, it's a little buggy), you can mess with each other, get to discuss what path you should choose and it is just nice to play with someone you know. The only mechanic that is frustrating is flying in multiplayer. I also would have liked Oswald had more agency. If the person playing as Mickey wanted to they could override every morality decision that is discussed simply through paint or thinner. Having to wait to play as Oswald is also an inconvenience even if the initial Mickey part is a tutorial for Mickey. There were times when I wanted to introduce a new person to the game and it was awkward and embarrassing trying to convince them that the co-op was coming soon. It's especially odd because there is a "quest" that is only possible in this area (that you can't go back to). While it's just painting in stuff it's not something I want to do since I am rushing through the area so my friend can play. This feels like an obvious example of multiplayer-based gameplay being a second thought. I liked that the game lets you explore in a post-story world as I like to see the worlds that have just been saved, especially in a game with choices. The problem is that it exposes how little content the game has even if you try to finish up the side quests that you didn't fail. Overall it is mostly nostalgia (that mostly comes from playing with my cousin as opposed to the game itself) that allows the game to have as high a rating as it does