Ryan Aidla

I had become fairly seasoned in BOTW. 100% completion, MasterMode, Trials of the Sword, you name it. This game is a humbling experience. Huge difficulty on the new monsters, the mechanics have changed enough that I need to relearn timing and patterns, and I am struggling hard with the depths. The opening timeframe where I am still accumulating hearts and stamina has been a grind, and I have been whooped properly on many occasions. Seems like it's taking longer to get solid armor, better equipment, and rupees are scarce. It all adds to the challenge. It's great. Brings me back to LoZ of my youth, where trial and error eventually leads to success. And the creativity in this game is off the charts. My kids are building absolute monstrosities, and they are loving it. I'm not doing nearly as much building - focusing on traditional gameplay and I am forced to better manage my inventory, equipment, buffs, and my battle strategies. I really appreciate how BOTW has expanded above and below. Same map on the surface, and yet the landscapes aren't entirely familiar.