Games Beaten 2017

[isiolia]

Yeah magnesis is not gravity gun level because it would completely break the game in a lot of ways and also ruin the purpose of stasis.

I'd say more that several of them would have the potential to entirely change how the game played if they truly were "use this on anything". They aren't, because that's not what Nintendo intended, same as basically removing your ability to climb on anything as soon as you enter a shrine.

[dsheinem]

removing your ability to climb on anything as soon as you enter a shrine.

I think the shrines - and specifically this feature of them - do a lot to break immersion in the game compared to many other open world titles. I think that the relatively long load times into/out of shrines and the loss of climbing ability when you are in them make them feel a bit tedious and like part of another game that has been grafted onto the main event. The main event (dat open world!) is excellent, but the shrines are really a weak point overall. I think it certainly would have been possible to give you challenging puzzles that didn't take away the most liberating mechanic in the game...

[Sarge]

The shrines give a hook for me to keep on exploring. Not necessarily even for the reward of a spirit orb, but for the chance to do more dungeoning. If the shrines weren't there, I suspect I would not like the game nearly as much.

The loss of climbing ability is both annoying, but understandable. I just think of the surfaces as so slick that Link can't climb 'em, much like when it rains.

[isiolia]

I think the puzzle oriented shrines tend to be pretty interesting and fun, though there's certainly plenty to critique about how well they're integrated into the game (or, rather, not). The generic-ness does lend itself to completing them in an arbitrary order (if at all) though.

I kind of wonder if it's one of a number of aspects of the game that'd come down to hardware limitations.

[BogusMeatFactory]

With the shrines, I viewed it like this. I approach this zelda as a game that tries to put context into everything. There aren't rupees in the grass because why would there be? It doesn't make sense. What does make sense is that bugs would be hiding in the grass.

The shrines are just the same. In previous zelda games, heart pieces would be littered about in caves and holes and in puzzles scattered throughout the overworld. Now. instead of heart pieces, they are spirit orbs and are put in a trial placed by ancient sheikah mystics to test the hero.

As for climbing disabled in the shrines, I just assumed it was because the walls are too smooth to climb.

Why are the main dungeons shorter? Because it doesn't make sense in their world to make it larger or more complicated. It isn't a dungeon, it is a big machine.

[Exhuminator]

Stasis and Cryonis and magnesis are three powers that allow you to approach puzzles and combat scenarios in fun and exciting ways.

Hmm. From the way you're describing these things, I believe I've seen some stuff like this is in Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (telekinesis), Half-Life 2 (gravity gun), Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (grabber gun), Singularity (Time Manipulation Device). Using Cryonis to generate platforming blocks out of water does sound unique though. I've not seen that in any other action adventure game that I can immediately recall.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Stasis and Cryonis and magnesis are three powers that allow you to approach puzzles and combat scenarios in fun and exciting ways.

Hmm. From the way you're describing these things, I believe I've seen some stuff like this is in Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (telekinesis), Half-Life 2 (gravity gun), Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (grabber gun), Singularity (Time Manipulation Device). Using Cryonis to generate platforming blocks out of water does sound unique though. I've not seen that in any other action adventure game that I can immediately recall.

Yeah I can see magnesis being a part of other games. I have not seen stasis done like this, even in the games listed. Stopping time is one thing, but how they implement the energy build up is unlike anything I have seen. And Cryonis is a power that can do a lot more than just make platforms.... which I don't want to spoil muahahahahahahahahaha.

[MrPopo]

Cryonis also works for all water surfaces. See a waterfall? You can create blocks coming out the side and slowly make your way up.

[dsheinem]

As for climbing disabled in the shrines, I just assumed it was because the walls are too smooth to climb.

If this were consistently the case, sure - they could have used more "rough" textures and more "smooth" textures to indicate this. The problem is that in both shrines and guardians there are walls/textures that are very similar in appearance to things you CAN climb out in the rest of the world...and that aren't smooth at all. It would probably have been a pretty simple design change to reduce the number of repeated or similar "rocky" or "rough" textures in the shrines and highlight through some lighting effects or some such the idea that they are super shiny/smooth...but perhaps that can be explained by Wii U hardware limitations.

[Sarge]

Much like many games, I don't know that anything here is necessarily unique. It can be found in other games for sure. However, it's also executed very well, and there's a sense of true exploration that is really hard to find in other games of this type. I hate to lean on the crutch of "feel", but that's exactly what's so different about the game. You can see elements from different games (and my understanding is that the design team played a lot of open-world games for ideas), but I don't think there's anything on the market right now that plays quite like this Zelda.

That being said, those abilities are super-cool. Stasis, Magnesis, and Cryonis are excellent tools that are used in conjunction in unique ways.