IceWaltz

A game destined to be a cult classic. Never have I found myself so invested in a world and it's mysteries. It's opening premise is incredibly interesting, providing short term and long term challenges perfectly designed to keep this game interesting to the very end. While the gameplay is middling, with not much interesting happening in infected or hostile zone, I have the feeling that this was an active choice made, as the game serves as a backdrop for the deeper story. The opening act provides an incredible introduction to the game and it's mechanics, teaching the user that mystery is the heart of this game, and you are going to have to fight tooth and nail to uncover the secrets of the town. The game is able to stay consistently fresh with mysteries providing more questions than answers, all the while your priorities slowly shift in managing the town, it's not long before you stay for the town itself rather than the headline mystery. The characters portrayed in this game are unlike any other. Each with deep philosophical views which are constantly tested and challenged over many crisis's. A notable "character" I'd like to mention is the tragedian. This "character" serves more as a plot device, displaying your active progress with some characters while also advising the player on their next move. Their signature bell toll which accompanies their presence does nothing but create despair every time I hear it, especially when it is unexpected. While the game consists of 12 days, I have only reached day 8. So far I am adoring the game, even with it's punishing attitude to mistakes, particularly with certain resources. Highly recommended to anyone who appreciates a good mystery, along with deep lore. This incredibly unique game may also appeal to those looking for a novel experience unlike any other. I haven't played a game like it and I feel I never will again. I wouldn't however recommend this game to somebody expecting an action horror / thriller, this game is very much a slow burn which paces itself. I should note however I have not played any of the other games though I have been aware of the series for quite some time.

A masterpiece in gaming history. Majora's mask was able to become one of the most beloved Zelda franchise video games with only a year in development. While this is a hot take, I truly believe that Majoras mask is a better sequel to a big Zelda game than Tears of the kingdom is. While tears of the kingdom is able to shake up the gameplay in many interesting ways, it's apparent that only those who've played BoTW will truly understand and appreciate TotK. On the other hand Majoras mask was able to completely flip the world presented to us and come out on top as a game that can stand alone as a great. It achieves this with an incredibly provocative storyline backed with powerful music and diverse gameplay.

One of the greats. The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is an excellent sequel to Breath of the Wild, Improving upon almost everything in the game. The shrines are much more diverse. The map has been expanded on massively providing beautiful scenery up in the sky islands while providing a sense of mystery and exploration in the hostile world of the depths. While this game is a masterpiece in its own right, I feel it struggles with its place in the Legend of Zelda franchise. I say this because (due to a specific storyline) there is so much retconning in the game that it becomes almost jarring. Not only that but I felt that the Ganon fight was poorly set up with the teasing of a showdown only to make you run around solving dull puzzles before you can reach him again. One of ToTK's biggest flaws in my opinion is that, while sharing almost the same surface map with BoTW, ToTK had a lot less boots in the ground moments. There were no real challenges in terrain or combat, any issue could just be solved with a rocket or hoverbike and that personally removed any of the moment-to-moment fun for me. While I understand that many players enjoyed ToTK, I found many sections of the game far too tedious and dull. The dungeons were far too formulaic and drawn out. I found myself so frustrated with the mundanity of so many of these dungeons that I just cheesed the game with rockets and recall just so I could get it over with.