Francisco Garay

I have always been critical of Zeldas. Some are not even Zelda like. Some have you racing a moonpocalypse! Some get pretty weird or even pretty boring. (Ocrina of Time.) Well TOTK is nothing like that but it does have one giant con. It is extremely intimidating. Gorgeous graphics akin Skyward Sword and Wind Waker. Bring the world to life. There are bugs under rocks, weird vegetables and fungi growing everywhere. The way time and light move across the landscape is very realistic. You get lost playing in this story book like world. The music is the typical movie quality, Nintendo seal of Approval, orchestrated Zelda epic that makes it an instant classic you will think about when you are not playing and changes according the situation opening into a wind swept melody or climaxing into a crescendo as enemies approach or sometimes more intimately, like when you hunt dragon flies or catch fish it just quietly disappears. The sound design is phenomenal. Extremely high quality soundwork for every detail but one thing this game does that is outstanding is using musical cues that bookmark situations or even have theme songs for each character, monster or situation. All that is just the icing on the cake. When it comes together the Zelda cake is delicious! Jam packed with puzzles and moments you will not get anywhere else. Baldur's Gate 3 was known for letting players solve situations many different ways. TotK is the same because it has a layer of creation and destruction with Link's new powers. On top of the usual, Nintendo level world building, combat and puzzle action Link's new powers are absolutely gamebreaking. Link can control time and space as well as create and combine objects. As well as glide through the sky using a combination of everyday objects and ancient technology that literally falls from the sky in the form of battery operated functioning wheels that spin and turn, fans and rockets that thrust and aerodynamic wings that help you traverse the islands floating above you in the sky. My son and I spent the first 10 hours building horse carts, sail boats, motor boats, and just houses and even hot air balloons. Outside of our adventures some players have built working tanks, massive artillery devices to fight the world's giant monsters and to hunt innocent Korok (cute but annoying forest spirits) crucifying them like martyrs or attaching them to rockets. I am guilty of attaching one to the front of a minecart and pushing him off on a roller coaster adventure he was not expecting and yes, I laughed like a maniac as he disappeared into the distance. BON VOYAGE! Poor little guy, I hope he meets his friend. The powers have some limits but you can use them to solve problems like bridging a gap, lifting giant iron balls then dropping them on monster's heads or setting up complex traps with or without explosives. With that said. I am having fun but as an adult I have little time. Which is another cool thing about TotK. Each situation is it's own adventure. You can do one mini adventure or quest and be done or you can play till you feel like you've binge watched Game of Thrones, it is up to you how to Zelda.