Double dipping isn't impressive - Breath of the Wild/ Tear of the Kingdome

As a devoted Legend of Zelda fan since my childhood, my gaming journey began with the N64. Initially, I got Pokemon Stadium, but my dad surprised me with Doom 3, leading to thrilling late-night sessions and weeks of nightmares. As time passed, I ventured into The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Major's Mask, the latter of which scared me at my tender age of 7-8. Over the years, I've played over 400 unique games, but the Zelda series, especially Major's Mask, Wind Waker, and The Minish Cap, hold a special place in my heart as my top three favorites. So it hurts to be so disappointed with this latest addition.

With the advent of a new generation of Nintendo games, open-world concepts have taken the spotlight. While Japan is known for slowly adopting trends, they excel in capturing critical aspects, even if they sometimes lack innovation. I can't help but worry that we might witness an influx of Zelda-like open-world games, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BoTW) and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (ToTK). These games boast vast worlds, great mechanics, and intriguing cultures, but they can also leave players with a slightly empty feeling, a common issue in open-world games.

In comparison, Western games like Oblivion, The Witcher (particularly The Witcher 3), and Ghost of Tsushima have successfully overcome this issue. Eastern games like Yakuza, Final Fantasy (to varying degrees), and Genshin Impact have also mastered the art of creating open worlds that feel large, lived-in, and interconnected. It's not about the size of the world, but the space needed for exploration and to showcase various aspects, such as the dangers faced while traveling. Cultures develop in this space, giving rise to unique artifacts that define each world. Consistency is key, but well-timed exceptions to certain rules add depth and weight to the world's dynamics. Things that other installments have solved, cough Twilight Princess, cough Majora's Mask, cough Ochorina of Time.

The OW Zelda games have touched upon other cultures through diverse shops and races, but they lack depth and variety. To expand on this, introducing subcultures, like Rito enjoying shield surfing despite having no need for it, or a Goron apprentice working in the Gerudo gem shop, could add richness to the towns and regions.

However, these are just surface improvements. Concerns arise with the most recent addition, ToTK, being merely a slight modification of BoTW. Nintendo has received little backlash for recycling assets, mechanics, characters, and armor. The only new innovation is the building system, which, while deep, is rather limited. Interactivity generally involves one layer of development, similar to elements found in BoTW. Abilities in ToTK trace back to different actions or powers, making it challenging to identify what is genuinely new. The underground and sky are new additions, but they mostly reuse existing assets. The statues in the underground are a notable exception, but beyond that, there seems to be a lack of innovation.

Perhaps my concerns are unique, but the game feels uninspired to me. Despite that, we end up with more of the same game, almost like this is what Masters Quest for BoTW should have been. Please note, this does not mean either are bad games, just that they haven't matured like some titled mentioned.