It has been a long time since I have written on this blog, and that is largely down to one game - Breath of the Wild.
I completed this last November, after around 160 hours of playing. I would frequently turn the game on with every intention of heading for the next waypoint, but then get distracted by a side quest as I passed some stables. I'd notice something odd from the top of a mountain; I'd see an opportunity to fight a few enemies to collect some loot; I'd notice a shooting star in the sky and chase it.
The freedom that game gives you - even allowing you to jump straight to the end boss once you're out of the initial area - is a great strength but also a possible weakness. I didn't want the game to end, knowing there was so much left to see (I had found 112 of the 120 shrines by the end), and it was only with a significant mental push that I finally went to meet with Ganon.
And even that went wrong. I hadn't appreciated that journeying to Ganon would involve a long trek through the grounds of Hyrule Castle, and my route took me into a library where I found some recipes that someone in Riverside Stable had asked me for. So, of course, I had to return there before going back in to the castle.
The interior was a masterpiece of artistic design. What would a castle look like after being neglected for a hundred years, used as a home for monsters?
Dark, dingy and claustrophobic. Even getting outside didn't help, since the drifting ashes in the air and hiding guardians meant the atmosphere remained tense. I used my gale powers to drift ever higher, and entered the tower from a top window, leading to a nervous descent inside. I needn't have worried; Ganon had become complacent.
So, if I completed this back in November, why have I not written about it until now? Partially because I have been playing other things on my commute, but partially because I couldn't find the words to do this game justice. It has been hailed as one of the greatest games of all time, and I cannot argue with that. Many people have written far more eloquently than I would be able to, and yet no article has fully captured just how amazing it is.
It's daft to give up a blog like this because of a perception of language inadequacy, though. So instead I'll sum Breath of the Wild up in a single word, before moving on.
Breathless.
I completed this last November, after around 160 hours of playing. I would frequently turn the game on with every intention of heading for the next waypoint, but then get distracted by a side quest as I passed some stables. I'd notice something odd from the top of a mountain; I'd see an opportunity to fight a few enemies to collect some loot; I'd notice a shooting star in the sky and chase it.
The freedom that game gives you - even allowing you to jump straight to the end boss once you're out of the initial area - is a great strength but also a possible weakness. I didn't want the game to end, knowing there was so much left to see (I had found 112 of the 120 shrines by the end), and it was only with a significant mental push that I finally went to meet with Ganon.
And even that went wrong. I hadn't appreciated that journeying to Ganon would involve a long trek through the grounds of Hyrule Castle, and my route took me into a library where I found some recipes that someone in Riverside Stable had asked me for. So, of course, I had to return there before going back in to the castle.
The interior was a masterpiece of artistic design. What would a castle look like after being neglected for a hundred years, used as a home for monsters?
Dark, dingy and claustrophobic. Even getting outside didn't help, since the drifting ashes in the air and hiding guardians meant the atmosphere remained tense. I used my gale powers to drift ever higher, and entered the tower from a top window, leading to a nervous descent inside. I needn't have worried; Ganon had become complacent.
So, if I completed this back in November, why have I not written about it until now? Partially because I have been playing other things on my commute, but partially because I couldn't find the words to do this game justice. It has been hailed as one of the greatest games of all time, and I cannot argue with that. Many people have written far more eloquently than I would be able to, and yet no article has fully captured just how amazing it is.
It's daft to give up a blog like this because of a perception of language inadequacy, though. So instead I'll sum Breath of the Wild up in a single word, before moving on.
Breathless.
