Dungeons (And Shrines)
Although the concept of the Devine Beasts was clever, I never particularly enjoyed my time inside them. The novelty of manipulating their stance quickly wore off, and there wasn’t really anything beyond that in terms of puzzle design.
As a result, I found myself always rushing through trying to complete each as quickly as possible so I could get back to exploring the game’s vast open world. The outdoor exploration totally trumped that of the game’s dungeons, which is very unusual for a Zelda game.
For the sequel, I’d like to see what Nintendo can do with more traditional dungeons again. Perhaps, underground tombs, as alluded to in the sequel’s E3 trailer tease pictured above? I like the idea of discovering forgotten crypts underneath the ground, which reminds me of Horizon Zero Dawn’s Cauldrons.
But while we’re on the topic of dungeons –Nintendo, don’t get rid of the Shrines, whatever you do! Without a doubt, Breath of the Wild’s Shrines feature some of the most brilliant puzzles in any game and the bite-sized nature of their design was a masterstroke. They have to stay.
For me, the joy of discovering each of the game’s 120 Shrines scattered across the map never gets old, and I also appreciate how brief they are: long enough to provide variety and break up the experience, but never so long that one opts to ignore in fear of biting off more than one can chew.
