'Next To Zelda, Horizon Feels Bland And Simplistic'

From GameSpot's own Peter Brown:

(start at 39:40, relevant portion transcribed below):

'Ocarina of Time felt like a revolution- this feels like a revolution. Not just for Zelda, but even for open world games. Which is tough to say, because I was stoked about Horizon, I really liked it. But playing Zelda is really making me question- jeez. Horizon is a great game, it's a fantastic game. But next to this, it's like, shoot! If I was to make a list about what I like about both these games, the Zelda one would be as twice as long, I think.'

That's not all, either- GameCentral have chipped in, too:

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 of their head and punt it into a river, like a goalkeeper trying to make a clearance.

It looks like Nintendo may truly have innovated in the open world space- I remember when most people on this board were so sure and convinced that they wouldn't be able to.

P.S.: Nothing against Horizon, I am sure it is a great game, and I still have every intention of eventually picking it up and playing through it. But the comparison is unavoidable, and it is not one that Horizon appears to be winning.

We really gonna act like the dumbass who thought No Man's Sky story and gameplay was worth half a shit (among his other generally shit opinions) is worth listening to? I'll skip. I can see it happening (not really; Horizon's combat will absolutely be deeper than Zelda's), but with someone who isn't an absolute idiot at games like Brown.

Don't tell NathanDrakeSwag, he'll start throwing a fit

Yeah, it's kinda like "durr". Guerrilla Games vs some of Nintendos finest, I know who I'd be betting on.

Though great SW material nonetheless. We knew these comparisons would be a thing.

I like to imagine that Horizon Zero Dawn and Breath of the Wild would be good buddies if they were people. :)

Like, I can imagine them hanging out and sharing interests in one another.

Is this a weird post? Yes it is, but hey... :D

Can we stop with Zelda in general and Zelda vs Horizon threads please? It's getting f**king old.

I knew it how was it getting 9/10's?

???

Zelda hasn't had any reviews yet.

Sheep think Zelda has GOTY locked up then RDR 2 snatches it away at the last moment.

Remember when you were so convinced Horizon would be better than Zelda? Good times.

That's hilarious. I was looking at a Zelda trailer earlier and I was shocked at how shit the graphics were, even considering Nintendo's junk hardware. I'm sure the game will be great and long time fans will love it but if I was to describe the presentation 'bland and simplistic' would absolutely nail it.

I was never convinced it would be. I just like messin' with ya :p

I'm actually surprised it got so many 9's. Was really expecting a bunch of 8's instead.

Yes, graphics are, the most important, and ultimately determining factor for any video game.

I was hoping for 9s, but yeah, I expected 8s all around the board, too. So glad GG knocked it out of the park, I always felt they were unfairly restrained with Killzone.

As for RDR2- even if it does release this year, which I doubt it will, but for now, that is the official date so let's stick to that, I will guarantee you it will not win against Zelda. I would be willing to have a sig bet.

Faster please, so close to finishing now

"Ok this is getting old now" - Said by everyone calling Horizon the next Zelda killer...

... and now it's RDR2. Ohh boy, is Horizon even out yet? Giving up on it so fast

On this site? Maybe not. But I bet RDR 2 wins more GOTY awards around the industry as a whole. This site is run by hipsters though.

Where did I say that? It's 2017 you shouldn't have to look past incredibly dated graphics on a AAA release basically pretending it doesn't look shit in order to get the most out of the gameplay.

He took a cheap shot at Horizon which is getting universal praise for all it achieves while comparing it unfavourably to a game that looks like ass he could have waxed lyrical about the great gameplay in Zelda without slagging off Horizon it was massively unprofessional to say the very least.

I'll go with industry wide.

You need to get yourself a Hyrule-caliber flame shield now, good luck

@blueinheaven:

Are you referring to Gamespot's Peter Brown?

@charizard1605: incoming flop

Context- the discussion is about the mechanical depth in Zelda and how it evolves open world gameplay. I didn't want to transcribe the 20 minute discussion, so I just did the relevant quote.

Zelda looks fine on the Switch. Not great, but it's okay. The IQ could be better, but the artstyle compensates for a lot of graphical shortcomings. Ultimately, the graphics are neither a pro nor a con, and don't detract from its fundamental strength, which is its gameplay.

There is a reason Peter Brown is still at Gamespot with all the recent college graduates and former freelance writers. The dude is a scrub.

I remember how dull and repetitive Red Dead Redemption was.

I'll take that bet.

Cool, let's figure out the specifics later :P

Unless you have something in mind? A month of the loser wearing whatever sig the winner picks?

Alright sounds good.

Zelda has a reoccurring black face racist caricature, balding and ginger, fighting pretty young idealized white people, with the cliche heroin victimized and in need constant of saving by virtue of being female.

By contrast Horizon using a red headed, fairly normal looking female, with respectful armor design and equality within it's tribal patriarchy, accepting of people regardless of race. It's a far more progressive game while Zelda lingers in the past utilizing thinly veiled prejudice from a bygone era.

One is very much a thing of the past desperately trying to remain relevant, while the other shows us a glimpse of the future.

I was reacting to the thread title really.

You realise saying 'the artstyle compensates for a lot of graphical shortcomings' is exactly the excuse people make for some indie title that some dude makes in his bedroom for next to nothing right?

The reason Nintendo still release junk consoles is nobody demands any better from them they get a free pass because of games like Mario, Zelda etc which to me is kind of pathetic. I hope the new Zelda game is fantastic because so many people are looking forward to it but Nintendo are just plain chumps in my eyes and back on topic, even suggesting that Horizon is bland and simplistic compared to Zelda basically implies that all the reviews that say the gameplay in Horizon is really excellent are, quite frankly, lying.

I've said this from the beginning... Horizon looks pretty and I'm sure it's fun, but it's not the masterpiece fanboys are making it out to be. IMO anyway.

Zelda looks way more interesting.

@blueinheaven: It doesn't have to imply that. it just implies that as great as Horizon is, Zelda is even better.

Damn this is too funny.

These salty cows in full damage control mode.

Hype Horizon for months and months and it will be forgotten 48 hours after launch. When it gets overshadowed by the Goat Zelda Breath of the Wild.

But dem graphics though......

Will lol when GS scores it an 8.8 just to annoy people. Yes, they will change the review score system just for this one game! :p

Congrats on your one/two games a year fam.

Well maybe it is and that's fine but to basically rubbish a game that got rave reviews and hasn't even been released yet is incredibly cheap. There are other, better ways to get people excited about a new Zelda game IMO.

@Blabadon: well this one game is better than all other games from the sounds of it.

Horizon got a 9/10 on Gamespot, yet Gamespot states that Zelda is much better.

That's greatness and I'll probably be too busy playing it to even care about getting other games anyway.

Quality >Quantity

If BOTW didn't have the Zelda branding no-one would have even pissed on it. But what can I expect from the OP.

Nintendo releases their first home console game since 2014 and all of a sudden you sheep show up beating your chests lol.

I'll get Horizon but Zelda looks more fun. But I won't buy Switch to play one or two games.

That's dope. So what's after Zelda?

That's all narrative but what if you care more about gameplay and design? That's when the tables turn. Not everyone play games because of progressive ideals. Not to mention that if those traditional tropes still exist to this date it's because its works and many people like it.

On a side note, the new Zelda looks so outdated not even the art style can save it.

The waiting game.

2015: Splatoon, Super Mario Maker, Yoshi's Woolly World, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

2016: Pokken Tournament, Star Fox Zero, Paper Mario Color Splash, Tokyo Mirage Sessions

???

No wonder the WiiU failed.

Pretty much what I was thinking. I mean after Zelda, what's next? I think Nintendo is in the same boat as MS. They have Zelda and Mario...then what as MS has Forza, Halo and Gears. What's after that?

Zelda combat never challenging, always been too easy barring very old games.

Horizon demands massive skill.

How wonderfully off topic (again)

How wonderfully, you are offended again.

Yikes! That is even worse than no games.