Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildExpert Rock Climber, Boulderer Drowns in Foot of WaterPathologists BaffledStory: 2/7 (How central was the story to the game? Was the story unique and riveting? Did it add to overall enjoyment?)
Spoiler
The story is probably the weakest point to the game due to its convoluted nature and out-of-order flashback style. The game has 3 stories: The superstory (the sheikah, guardians, and calamity ganon- the 10,000 year old section), the flashback story (the story contained overall in the flashbacks), and the main story (boy wakes up from 100 year nap and defeats embodiment of demise). The main story was pretty empty to leave room for gameplay, the superstory is riveting but also isn't done enough justice- I mean, we still don't know where the game fits in the main storyline, though I'm sticking to my guns that it's downfall timeline. The flashback story was actively bad and I wish I hadn't decided to collect all the memories.
Character Development:4/7 (How well were the main characters exposed? Did you feel connected to them by the end of the game? Did they have noticeable quirks that made them unique?)
Spoiler
I'll give this one some bonus points, because even though I didn't particularly LIKE the characters, they were well developed (Robbie, Purah, the Champions...) and despite the voice acting and generally cringey dialogue I still liked certain aspects of the characters. Mipha is waifu
Reward Factor: 6/7 (Did getting through a certain part of the game feel rewarding? Was the game difficult enough to enjoy a challenge?)
Spoiler
Getting off the Great Plateau was very rewarding to me. The beginning was challenging (very much so) but as you get more powerful defeating enemies becomes tedious rather than a puzzle. Having enemies respawn as a higher powered monster helped somewhat but silver enemies still aren't strong enough to be a difficulty, even in multiples. Lynels, on the other hand, have entirely too much HP and take way too long to defeat a single one. They have nice weapons though.
Art: 6/7 (Does the art style do a good job of getting the overall vibes of the game across? Is the art visually appealing? Does the art match the particular mood of the game at its current time?)
Spoiler
The art aesthetic is one of the high points of the game and it's strongly suggestive of a fusion of Wind Waker and Skyward Sword. Basically, I like. The overworld is well done, but it loses a point because Nintendo somehow still can't draw trees in more than two dimensions. (Confused at what I mean? Climb an evergreen tree and look around.)
Music: 3/7 (Does the music evoke certain emotions that are being portrayed in game? Does the music match up well with the art? Does the music have a tone unique to this particular area?)
Spoiler
The music is, for the most part, unmemorable, and for a game this large I expected a better soundtrack. Haters will list all the good songs. And I'll probably agree.
Gameplay: 5/7 (Are the controls easy to learn but capable of multiple processes? Is the interaction with the environment logical and natural? Are the different areas of the game well constructed and thought out?)
Spoiler
The gameplay is supposed to be the selling point of the game and for the most part, they did a very good job. Interaction with the environment is incredibly natural and well thought out. If you think you can do something, you probably can, and that's a good thing. Combat is the same way. For example, you can cut off Guardians' legs to stop them from moving around and kiting you. You can climb on the backs of Lynels and give them a good whipping from behind. On the flipside, there are a few areas that feel completely opposite. Why is Link such a weak swimmer? My 13 year old brother can tread water longer than he does. Weapons breaking (and having such a large multitude of weapons) makes that part of the game almost overwhelming: I want to use this really cool weapon, but it might break, so I'll save it for when I really need it. I want to pick up this really cool weapon, but I already have other weapons that I might need, so I'll debate for 5 minutes and probably end up leaving this weapon here. Blood moons respawning weapons helps this issue somewhat. There are more gameplay issues that can be fixed by buying the DLC (this DLC is stuff that we deserved for the main game tbh) so with the DLC it gains 1 gameplay point and loses 1 reward factor point for being too expensive.
Overall: 26/42
I was expecting it to get a higher score than this, because despite its flaws it still has reasons to come back and play it. As a bonus I'm giving you the revamped Zelda Power Rankings with BotW included:
Spoiler
1. Wind Waker
Needs no explanation.
2. A Link to the Past
The SNES is fortunate in that its games all tend to age incredibly well. ALttP is no exception.
3. Skyward Sword
Sure, this game is linear almost to a fault, but if it wasn't, it would surpass ALttP. It plays with the environment and map layouts in ways that make going back to old places exciting. Replaying it only increases my enjoyment of it.
4. Link's Awakening
No explanation needed ;_;
5. Majora's Mask
Again, probably doesn't need explanation.
6. Minish Cap
This game was in my top 5 until it got knocked off by LA. MC has some of the best dungeons in the series. The game was limited by its overcrowdedness. Rewards just weren't that valuable since they required little effort.
7. A Link Between Worlds
If you make a game this similar to ALttP, it can't be terrible.
8. Ocarina of Time
OoT is typical. Games better than it are awesome, and games worse than it are still good, but these games just don't hold up to the shining examples above.
9. Legend of Zelda
Really, go play this, it's a great game.
10. Breath of the Wild
I just reviewed it.
11. Oracle of Ages
The oracle games are so similar from a gameplay perspective that it's hard to put one over the other. That being said...
11 +1/2. Oracle of Seasons
Nayru is hotter.
12. Triforce Heroes
Despite being such an odd game, it still carries a distinct zelda charm that saves it from being lower on this list.
13. Twilight Princess
An otherwise boring game is raised up by an epic dragon fight and Wolf Link.
14. Spirit Tracks
Despite its childish appearance, this game is difficult. I still haven't beaten Malladus. Most of the game's difficulty stems from the lack of a targeting system.
15. Phantom Hourglass
See above but in 240p.
16. Adventure of Link
This game is fun if you're into sadism, but for most of us the game is just obnoxious and repetitive. The downward stab is fantastic though.
