Breath of the Wild will set a new standard for open-world design

It's not the 80s, when they ruled the world. It's not the 90s, when they made the near flawless transition to 3D. And it's not the early 00s, when they made glorious, cutting edge AAA blockbuster games with impressive worlds (Windwaker, Metroid Prime)

It's 2017. I have huge hopes for this game and can't wait to play it but people hyping it up as the best open world game ever, when Nintendo haven't even competed in that style for over a decade, is very silly. The last two console Zeldas were scared retreats back into N64 design: small, sterile, linear, empty. This is the first time they're trying to open it up again in forever.

I think the game will be awesome, but I absolutely do not expect it to come close to the best open worlds.

@locopatho: It's more than you can do in the Elder Scrolls, lol.

What is total freedom according to you, if not the restrictions in moving your character around the world?

Then you clearly haven't actually followed anything about the game.

It is one of the largest open worlds of all time, with full interactivity and full permanence, and total seamlessness too. Literally no other open world game yet has done that.

Can anyone here tell me which game sets the top standard for open world games right now?

Horizon Zero Dawn says otherwise...

But you probably can't become an assassin, craft your own gear, and then build a pillow fort. What you're talking about is the ability to traverse some obstacles. Skyrim actually offers freedom. If you don't want to save the world, a giant monument of all the guard's armor you've killed fit neatly in a house works. The main quest might as well be a tutorial.

Edit: And can we clarify? Is this really an open world or is it a large world hub with areas sectioned off by items. For instance, wind waker was an open world to some extent, but it was more of a scenic route to gated areas. It's not a true open world like gta, skyrim, mgs5, gta clones... etc when very little is gated off... and in skyrim's case most of the gates can be picked.

I'm calling it. Zelda BotW will get an 8. Horizon Zero Dawn > Zelda threads will be a thing.

Zelda isn't an RPG.

And? The argument is freedom vs traversal options. A lot of open world games don't make good use of their worlds and it just turns into padding. I don't see the new zelda breaking any new ground just losing its identy. Open world games tend to have lots of padding.

The reason why games like GTA5/Skyrim/Fallout work is the amount of unique quests and content. Admittedly I haven't played witcher 3 yet but I hear it's on the same level. MGS5 to some extent had amazing sand box moments but the entire open maps weren't put to good use.

When I see stuff like 76 side quests, 120 mini dungeons, 900 korok puzzles, I think of ubisofts open world design where there is a big check list of shit to do of the same thing stamped all over the place. Although the 76 side quests sound more unique content but... we'll see.

And? The argument is freedom vs traversal options. A lot of open world games don't make good use of their worlds and it just turns into padding. I don't see the new zelda breaking any new ground just losing its identy. Open world games tend to have lots of padding.

The reason why games like GTA5/Skyrim/Fallout work is the amount of unique quests and content. Admittedly I haven't played witcher 3 yet but I hear it's on the same level. MGS5 to some extent had amazing sand box moments but the entire open maps weren't put to good use.

When I see stuff like 76 side quests, 120 mini dungeons, 900 korok puzzles, I think of ubisofts open world design where there is a big check list of shit to do of the same thing stamped all over the place. Although the 76 side quests sound more unique content but... we'll see.

Apparently BOTW is larger than Skyrim but smaller than Xenoblade Chronicles X.

Not sure where horizon fits on that scale.

no one really knows how big Horizon really is, but it doesn matter. I dont understand this arguement of "Big maps, means best game"

To be fair...much of the game has been kept secret. You have to play it yourself to find out. The best open games allow the player to feel like they're in a world that lives and breathes without them. NPC's going about their lives, side quests that don't seem to be just waiting for you. It's an illusion, and when properly implemented lends itself to creating some of the best open worlds in gaming. I thought skyrim excelled at this illusion.

Early previews say BOTW lets you go anywhere you want without restrictions. Enemy encounters can be handled in a bevy of ways. You traverse the world as you see fit, no hand holding, no "one right way" to play it. To me those are the ingredients to an excellent open world.

Well you said "In Zelda you can't become an assassin". That's because Zelda isn't an RPG.

GTA V/Skyrim and Fallout 4 all suck. The Witcher 3 actually has interesting quests and a compelling narrative. That's more due to its good writing than its admittedly mediocre gameplay.

Its not an RPG so the "no right way to play" doesn't really hold up here. And lets be real, its zelda, There is likely plenty of hand holding, its just not going to force you into a sequential set of dungeons. I'm not really sure if you get the concept of hand holding...

Again the argument is about traversal options. They are just traversal options, its nothing amazing and not really a level of freedom thats unprecedented when you consider a game like gta5 that lets you do almost anything but climb, or assassins creed that pretty much offers everything but a hand glider. We have tons of open world games that offer almost everything zelda has. Plenty of games offer total freedom, I don't see how a climbing mechanic makes it fundamentally more free than skyrim where it allows you to go anywhere as well.

Also saying GTAV/Skryim/Fallout 4 suck... zelda's gameplay has never been above what these games offer. Its simplistic mostly counter based combat, and easy.

Granted my POV is mostly coming from being burnt out on terrible open world games that are filled with filler. Even Skyrim has its fair share of filler. One of the things I've always looked forward to with zelda is a more directed and paced approach. And being burnt out on open world games I just don't see what zelda is brining to the table to make me feel any different. It has a crap ton of mini dungeons / puzzles and to me, it looks like padding, and filler content.

Its not an RPG so the "no right way to play" doesn't really hold up here. And lets be real, its zelda, There is likely plenty of hand holding, its just not going to force you into a sequential set of dungeons. I'm not really sure if you get the concept of hand holding...

Again the argument is about traversal options. They are just traversal options, its nothing amazing and not really a level of freedom thats unprecedented when you consider a game like gta5 that lets you do almost anything but climb, or assassins creed that pretty much offers everything but a hand glider. We have tons of open world games that offer almost everything zelda has. Plenty of games offer total freedom, I don't see how a climbing mechanic makes it fundamentally more free than skyrim where it allows you to go anywhere as well.

Also saying GTAV/Skryim/Fallout 4 suck... zelda's gameplay has never been above what these games offer. Its simplistic mostly counter based combat, and easy.

Granted my POV is mostly coming from being burnt out on terrible open world games that are filled with filler. Even Skyrim has its fair share of filler. One of the things I've always looked forward to with zelda is a more directed and paced approach. And being burnt out on open world games I just don't see what zelda is brining to the table to make me feel any different. It has a crap ton of mini dungeons / puzzles and to me, it looks like padding, and filler content.

You can't become an assassin in GTA either. Simply because it's not an RPG. You also can't become an assassin in Far Cry again because it's not an RPG. I have no idea why not being able to role play in a non role-playing game is an issue for you.

You really haven't looked at the videos if you think all Breath of the Wild offers are traversal options.

To me hand holding is when Fi keeps telling you what to do and what things do even when its obvious. To me hand holding is when the game keeps reminding you how much a yellow rupee is worth even 40 hours into the game.

So far early previews say that zelda drops you into the world and you can go anywhere you want. One player said they booked it to hyrule castle only a few minutes in.

I'm calling it. Zelda BotW will get an 8. Horizon Zero Dawn > Zelda threads will be a thing.

Maybe, but...

Having just completed it, we couldn’t help but think of Horizon Zero Dawn while playing Breath Of The Wild, and how simplistic it now seems compared to Zelda. You also have a bow in Breath Of The Wild, but you have to account for how arrows arc through the air, rather than it just acting like a low-tech sniper rifle. Boomerangs have to be caught manually on their return and the best way to defeat the skeletons that appear at night is to chop off their head and punt it into a river, like a goalkeeper trying to make a clearance.Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/24/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-hands-on-preview-eye-opener-6470487/#ixzz4ZcuWPnbX

Maybe, but...

Having just completed it, we couldn’t help but think of Horizon Zero Dawn while playing Breath Of The Wild, and how simplistic it now seems compared to Zelda. You also have a bow in Breath Of The Wild, but you have to account for how arrows arc through the air, rather than it just acting like a low-tech sniper rifle. Boomerangs have to be caught manually on their return and the best way to defeat the skeletons that appear at night is to chop off their head and punt it into a river, like a goalkeeper trying to make a clearance.Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/24/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-hands-on-preview-eye-opener-6470487/#ixzz4ZcuWPnbX

@no-scope-AK47: Not debunked this has yet, unlike your stupidness has.

I'm sorry I speak english not gibberish lolz

Get back to me when it sells 75 million copies and is still played daily by millions 3 years after launch like GTA V.

I remember the days when trolls were subtle.

There has never been a Zelda game as good as GTA V. Sorry that the truth hurts. Skyward Sword was basically shovelware and now you expect BotW to reinvent the wheel? lol

There has never been a Zelda game as good as GTA V. Sorry that the truth hurts. Skyward Sword was basically shovelware and now you expect BotW to reinvent the wheel? lol

@no-scope-AK47: I was impersonating your impersonation of fanboy Yoda, lol.

I am at a loss here. People are happy nintendo is releasing a wii u game on a new platform and killing the wii u smdh???

I know many of the main people pushing this are shills but this is disgusting.

Oh, please. You don't care about Wii U. Don't pretend like you ever did.

Deflect much what's next name calling sad just sad.

@Sgt_Crow: These previews are from Nintedo lovehards, of course they are gonna say good things about it. But if you just use your eyes and watch all the videos of the game, you can easily see a game that is no where near the level of actual open world games, the world isn't alive and breathing when you can only see 4 mobs within a mile of you and 5 trees , with flat terrain covering most of the distance, a lot of static elements, lack of detail in draw distance, etc. It is no where near setting the standard of open world, new standard for RPG? Yes most likely, a new standard for open world games? Not even 1% close

Beautiful marvelous technical open world master piece..... No but seriously San Andreas is more open world and alive then this game is, quit trolling now please, simple logic and using your eyes goes against everything you said. you don't need to be anybody to see this, you just need to be at least 8 years old to understand this simple fact

Just like trump.

SAD!

Me either. I recall on the bethsoft forums the tears that ensued when it was suggested Skyrim's map was smaller than Oblivion's. Gamers were losing their shit. As if it somehow meant Skyrim would be more boring than Oblivion which frankly is impossible to accomplish.

@Sgt_Crow: These previews are from Nintedo lovehards, of course they are gonna say good things about it. But if you just use your eyes and watch all the videos of the game, you can easily see a game that is no where near the level of actual open world games, the world isn't alive and breathing when you can only see 4 mobs within a mile of you and 5 trees , with flat terrain covering most of the distance, a lot of static elements, lack of detail in draw distance, etc. It is no where near setting the standard of open world, new standard for RPG? Yes most likely, a new standard for open world games? Not even 1% close

Beautiful marvelous technical open world master piece..... No but seriously San Andreas is more open world and alive then this game is, quit trolling now please, simple logic and using your eyes goes against everything you said. you don't need to be anybody to see this, you just need to be at least 8 years old to understand this simple fact