[Megathread] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

[Katchii]

Honestly the durability system in this game killed a LOT of my enthusiasm to play it. It's just so annoying and pointless IMO, whether or not finding new ones is easy the fact that you have to be constantly worried about your weapons and shields breaking in the middle of battle and constantly on the lookout for new ones is ridiculous. What makes it even worse is that the game hands you these really nice, badass weapons in a chest like they're something special and they break 5 minutes later just like everything else.

It's the only game that I actively avoid combat due to the constant worry/ nagging that my weapon or shield can break any second and that nagging feeling is just infuriating.

[Nelavar]

How much work it takes is a matter of opinion.

The amount of time it takes isn't short. You factor in world travel,fights and some shrines needing a decent amount of food to live so u get to them. It eats up a decent amount of time. Its not hard by any means but its not easy as well.

Once again its The Master Sword, It shouldn't be this weak. Also no it does not provide the most dps even as a 1H. There is weapon's that have 100 damage.

Its clear the Durability System and the Seed system is there just to prolong the game and nothing more. Remove both and u cut the game time in half easy.

Kinda Ironic after getting 900 seeds u are given a golden pile of shit.

Well I am fairly deep into the game and haven't seen anything stronger yet so I assumed it was gonna be the strongest thing out there. It is the Master Sword after all. Also I never claimed that the amount of time it takes to get it was short, all I'm saying is that there is a whole lot of game left after you do. Given that, rendering all other weapons after getting it pointless just feels wrong to me.

I also fail to see how weapon durability prolongs to overall game time. The game throws so many weapons at you that you pretty much always have a nearly equal replacement after you best weapon breaks, at least in my experience. Fuck seeds tho, I'll give ya that.

[Jtbrig7390]

Honestly the durability system in this game killed a LOT of my enthusiasm to play it. It's just so annoying and pointless IMO, whether or not finding new ones is easy the fact that you have to be constantly worried about your weapons and shields breaking in the middle of battle and constantly on the lookout for new ones is ridiculous. What makes it even worse is that the game hands you these really nice, badass weapons in a chest like they're something special and they break 5 minutes later just like everything else.

It's the only game that I actively avoid combat due to the constant worry/ nagging that my weapon or shield can break any second and that nagging feeling is just infuriating.

Like I have said a few times, I wouldn't mind the system if the end goal was to get The Master Sword and u no longer deal with it. I am fine with it doing less damage against Non-Gannon enemy's.

Most Iconic Weapon in the series and its a joke.

There is no balance to this system and it has killed a lot of my enjoyment.

[Jtbrig7390]

all I'm saying is that there is a whole lot of game left after you do. Given that, rendering all other weapons after getting it pointless just feels wrong to me..

When u decide to go after it that is true.

I have only done one divine beast and then decided to go for the sword, Others may do it sooner or later. It shouldn't matter when u decide to do it tho.

Getting it still takes a decent amount of time and challenge. Like you said It is the Master Sword after all, It shouldn't feel like just another weapon, It should feel like its THE WEAPON.

[Jtbrig7390]

I will admit, the master sword is a bit odd in it's design. It's not very strong - But I also don't feel like it should be the go-to weapon for every situation.

I think the way it was handled was decent, but they definitely could have done better.

This is Zelda....The Master Sword should be the go to weapon, The name imply's that. Hell make it so you need all the shrines to get it if ya want, But it shouldn't be as weak as it is (durability wise).

The Damage on Non-Gannon enemy's is fine Imo.

Isn't like its going to make the game Super Easy, If the difficulty of Waterblight Gannon is anything to go off of, All the bosses will be piss easy anyway.

This system has already made me decide to not do a HM run. Suck's to because I enjoy doing them (loved it in LBW).

[Jtbrig7390]

Then why do anything else once you have the Master Sword?

The point is there should be a build up to getting The Master Sword.

You grinded and fought monsters with everything you could grab to reach that point. It should be rewarding but it isn't, Its just another weapon.

It isn't The Master Sword, Its Sword #3453253.

but there's not really a good way to handle it given the system they went with. I believe we disagree on the system used, because I actually quite enjoy the system and you don't seem to like it as much as I do, and that's fine - But I don't agree that the Master Sword should be the go to weapon for all situations.

Ya there is a good way to handle the system, Keep it as it is but make the sword not shit. Make it so you work your way to this god of weapons and it feel rewarding. It isn't like you can get the dam thing 2 hours into the game. Getting to it takes a decent amount of time and work.

[Tech614]

Well I am fairly deep into the game and haven't seen anything stronger yet so I assumed it was gonna be the strongest thing out there. It is the Master Sword after all.

It's fairly strong inside hyrule castle and divine beasts(buffs to 60 damage and near indestructible) outside of them though there are A LOT of better weapons in the game. 60-70+ damage weapons are pretty common when you're farming end game enemies.

[Poppincaps]

I think the master sword not breaking would be balanced by the fact that it's not a spectacular weapon against non-blighted enemies. It's a 30 damage one hander so it does decent damage but shit like a Royal Broadsword outdps it, so it not breaking wouldn't invalidate other weapons.

I will say that the weapon durability I feel really conflicts with the philosophy of the game. Due to not having a XP system, there's really no reason to go out and fight enemies unless they are directly in your path or they perhaps have better weapons that you may want. This leads to me avoiding most of the encounters because I would only lose resources by tackling the enemies and wouldn't gain anything of value.

[Jtbrig7390]

I think the master sword not breaking would be balanced by the fact that it's not a spectacular weapon against non-blighted enemies. It's a 30 damage one hander so it does decent damage but shit like a Royal Broadsword outdps it, so it not breaking wouldn't invalidate other weapons.

I will say that the weapon durability I feel really conflicts with the philosophy of the game. Due to not having a XP system, there's really no reason to go out and fight enemies unless they are directly in your path or they perhaps have better weapons that you may want. This leads to me avoiding most of the encounters because I would only lose resources by tackling the enemies and wouldn't gain anything of value.

Right, You ignore a decent part of the game because of how the weapon system is setup.

Like I said this system doesn't give you The Master Sword it gives you Sword #342431 and that feels unrewarding as hell. It took me Two of the lizard's that can do the lighting AoE to break my sword.....

Like wtf.

I truely feel The Weapon Durability system and the Seed system is there to prolong the game. If u removed both you would cut the playtime in half at lease.

[Truhan]

Here's my opinion on the Master Sword. It shouldn't fucking break. Instead, it should have been a much longer, and more interesting quest to get it. 13 hearts is a throwback to Zelda 1, great, whatever. I think it would have been better if the sword literally broke during the battle 100 years prior and the Master Sword should have been a long sidequest to gather pieces of the sword from all around the world (like, one piece per zone) to reforge it (it looked like complete fucking shit when Zelda brought it to the Deku Tree anyways). After that, there could be a much longer sidequest to power it up, maybe involving getting special ores only found in Divine Beasts.

Alternatively, just make weapons kind of like Dark Souls, Link can hotswap between a one handed weapon and shield, two handed weapon, and bow. Weapons, instead of breaking, can be upgraded like armor. Master Sword gets its own slot, elf-boy's house is free and lets you store and swap extra weapons. I heard a lot of people defend the system by saying that durability forces you to use weapons you might not normally use, but that's not true. It just forces you to use whatever is available and you never really get particularly good at using any specific weapons because of it. I think it could've been more interesting to have to meaningfully choose between keeping a big, strong two-handed sword that can one-shot a Hinox or switching to a spear that has great range and attacks FAST. Instead of weapons just dropping, maybe you pick them up once, they get added to the compendium, and then you can forge them with some simple materials.

[Jtbrig7390]

Here's my opinion on the Master Sword. It shouldn't fucking break. Instead, it should have been a much longer, and more interesting quest to get it. 13 hearts is a throwback to Zelda 1, great, whatever. I think it would have been better if the sword literally broke during the battle 100 years prior and the Master Sword should have been a long sidequest to gather pieces of the sword from all around the world (like, one piece per zone) to reforge it (it looked like complete fucking shit when Zelda brought it to the Deku Tree anyways). After that, there could be a much longer sidequest to power it up, maybe involving getting special ores only found in Divine Beasts.

Alternatively, just make weapons kind of like Dark Souls, Link can hotswap between a one handed weapon and shield, two handed weapon, and bow. Weapons, instead of breaking, can be upgraded like armor. Master Sword gets its own slot, elf-boy's house is free and lets you store and swap extra weapons. I heard a lot of people defend the system by saying that durability forces you to use weapons you might not normally use, but that's not true. It just forces you to use whatever is available and you never really get particularly good at using any specific weapons because of it. I think it could've been more interesting to have to meaningfully choose between keeping a big, strong two-handed sword that can one-shot a Hinox or switching to a spear that has great range and attacks FAST. Instead of weapons just dropping, maybe you pick them up once, they get added to the compendium, and then you can forge them with some simple materials.

It would have been cool that once you got it you could upgrade it like LTTP. So it starts off at base damage 30 and later reach's 100+ requiring you to collect ores from each beast and other items.

There is so many way's this system can be handled and it annoy's the shit out of me when people sit there and say there was no better way to do it. This isn't the first RPG with durability and weapon swapping. There was many way's to go about it.

This way feels like it was made to keep people playing longer.

Like I said early'er its kinda ironic that once you get 900 seeds you are given a golden pile of shit.

[Tackhisis]

The characters in the game are very clearly Asian and the entire art style is degenerate, creatures, NPCs are distorted and ugly. I know it is probably a hallmark of series, but 2017 is a good year to break the mold.
Also, the world is just mountains forming zone borders and snow/grass/sand. There is nothing unusual or spectacular there.
Even Oblivion that was universally criticized for being bland had more sightseeing than this.

[Truhan]

Like I said early'er its kinda ironic that once you get 900 seeds you are given a golden pile of shit.

Spoilers: Korok Seeds ARE Korok shit. It's why they look like that.

[Jtbrig7390]

Spoilers: Korok Seeds ARE Korok shit. It's why they look like that.

Ya I know

[Tech614]

If the game didn't have Zelda in the title no one would give a fuck what the "master sword" did or didn't do.

I agree the durability system could have used some tuning, I like it but it could have been less fragile with less drops instead of more fragile with more drops. I don't really give a shit how the master sword was handled though and tbh it's a breath of fresh air to not just be magically all powerful once acquiring it like in most Zelda games.

[Rivin]

Isn't like its going to make the game Super Easy, If the difficulty of Waterblight Gannon is anything to go off of, All the bosses will be piss easy anyway.

Having done three of the Divine Beasts now... The Divine Beast bosses aren't particularly hard, they just have a lot of health. I found the overworld bosses and some of the high-tier enemies (Lynels especially) significantly more difficult, so it's not like the Divine Beast bosses are the top-tier enemies in the game that the rest should be measured by difficulty-wise.

[everydaygamer]

Having done three of the Divine Beasts now... The Divine Beast bosses aren't particularly hard, they just have a lot of health. I found the overworld bosses and some of the high-tier enemies (Lynels especially) significantly more difficult, so it's not like the Divine Beast bosses are the top-tier enemies in the game that the rest should be measured by difficulty-wise.

Yeah the only dungeon boss that is particularly difficult is the Gerudo one which can be kind of surprising depending on when you do it, luckily I had the Master Sword.

[Jester Joe]

Right, You ignore a decent part of the game because of how the weapon system is setup.

Like I said this system doesn't give you The Master Sword it gives you Sword #342431 and that feels unrewarding as hell. It took me Two of the lizard's that can do the lighting AoE to break my sword.....

Like wtf.

I truely feel The Weapon Durability system and the Seed system is there to prolong the game. If u removed both you would cut the playtime in half at lease.

It wouldn't even affect the playtime, unless you're a completionist in the case of seeds.

There has never been a point in the game where I had to go out of my way to get a weapon due to durability, and I'd be willing to bet there hasn't been for anyone else.

Maybe go out of your way because you wanted a different weapon, sure, but that's not an issue with durability. Same with seeds, you don't NEED the extra slots. And even then, you can get a good amount by stumbling across seeds.

[Jtbrig7390]

It wouldn't even affect the playtime, unless you're a completionist in the case of seeds.

There has never been a point in the game where I had to go out of my way to get a weapon due to durability, and I'd be willing to bet there hasn't been for anyone else.

Maybe go out of your way because you wanted a different weapon, sure, but that's not an issue with durability. Same with seeds, you don't NEED the extra slots. And even then, you can get a good amount by stumbling across seeds.

You forgot to add for YOUR PLAY EXPERIENCE. Not everyone is you and there is lots who it does eat the time up for.

Ya you can make due with the base amount of slots you get, for others they could run threw the weapon's quickly. You can't tell me these systems don't extend playtime when you know for a FACT they do.

These types of system's isn't new ether. Breaking weapon's and collecting more weapon's takes time even if its small amounts, those small amounts add up. Collecting seeds to get slots even if you just stumble across them takes up time. All that time builds up, Even more so when u hunt for seeds because u may feel u need more slots.

Like I said u can't say it wouldn't affect playtime because that's bullshit, Its a commonly used system in a lot of games. For you maybe, for the majority ya it does eat up time.

Let me be 100% clear, I like the game. There is just a couple bits of it I don't like that ruin the fun for me. This being the main issue I have with it.

[Katchii]

My problem with the durability system is that I don't feel like it adds anything to the game except an annoying mechanic that feels gimmicky because they wanted Link to be able to use the weapons the enemies dropped. The inventory size in this game is laughably small making the Korok seeds almost a necessity if you want to hang onto a weapon or two for specific situations, and finding talking tree branches so they can give you a turd so you can use that to increase your inventory is annoying.

Everything else about this game is great. But the durability system doesn't feel well done, it feels annoying and cumbersome. The Master Sword being able to "break" for 10 minutes is ridiculous I'd be OK with it dropping in damage as it recharged it's power for a while, but flat out not being usable as even a sharp stick even when it's intact....c'mon. The fact that any weapon or shield in this game besides the wood ones and the Master Sword flat out breaks and turns to dust is ridiculous and not believable...meaning it comes across as a SUPER gimmicky game mechanic rather than interesting. If they added the ability to craft/ repair the weapons/ shields you got after they dropped to zero in a realistic time frame and not breaking after ~10 swings like some weapons, but just being unusable until repaired I'd have no issue with that.