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[Brute]

Taking a break from the game for a while, the puzzles are starting to wear me down. Its a great game for sure, I just think maybe the puzzles are a bit too much in terms of quantity? I would much prefer if they had less puzzles but increased the complexity. Also wished the different equipment/weapons affect gameplay more than just stats, and more enemy variety would be awesome too.

I’ve had to stop playing because of the tedious puzzles. I want to explore and fight because the world is beautiful and the combat is so good.

But the game makes you stop every 5 minutes to work out a puzzle. I’m about 10 hours in now - does this formula stay consistent throughout? Or is it just the Aphrodite sections?

 

[Neolombax]

I’ve had to stop playing because of the tedious puzzles. I want to explore and fight because the world is beautiful and the combat is so good.

But the game makes you stop every 5 minutes to work out a puzzle. I’m about 10 hours in now - does this formula stay consistent throughout? Or is it just the Aphrodite sections?

No thats the main loop of the game unfortunately. You can skip the optional vaults though, the rewards are sometimes arent worth the effort I feel. I've completed the game at this point, but I've had to tell myself to skip some optional puzzle stuff to keep me from burning out. The combat gets really good with more abilites unlocked, plus the other gods give you perks that add to that.

 

[Humdinger]

Hey guys, I need a little help.

Edit: Never mind, I googled it, and I found the answer. I need to restore the essence of the four gods before I can proceed.

 

[Humdinger]

I’ve had to stop playing because of the tedious puzzles. I want to explore and fight because the world is beautiful and the combat is so good.

But the game makes you stop every 5 minutes to work out a puzzle. I’m about 10 hours in now - does this formula stay consistent throughout? Or is it just the Aphrodite sections?

It's consistent; it's the way the game is structured. I got impatient with them, too, so I can relate.

I have three observations. This is just my own experience, but maybe it will help.

1. Since I didn't want my enjoyment hampered by puzzles I didn't want to fuss with, I just skipped any that annoyed me or seemed too time-consuming. I skipped about half initially, then went back for a second sweep and did about half of the remainder -- but again, just the ones I felt like. So, I probably left about 1/4 to 1/3 undone. By freely skipping (or leaving until later) the puzzles I didn't want to mess with, I continued to enjoy the game.

2. Despite skipping a lot of the content, I wasn't under-levelled. In fact, I feel a bit over-powered (playing on normal).

3. As the game progressed, I began to enjoy the puzzles more. I got better at them, I got more familiar with the puzzle logic, and my skills were upgraded. I'd say by the time I got to about hour 30 or so, I was enjoying most of the puzzles. A lot of what seemed frustrating in the beginning became easier as I got more experience. At this point (50+ hours in), I don't mind the puzzles at all, and I enjoy most of them.

So my attitude changed over time. Initially, I was irritated and put off by all the puzzles. By about 30 hours in, though, I began to enjoy them and work most of them pretty quickly.

 

[Azaroth]

It's consistent; it's the way the game is structured. I got impatient with them, too, so I can relate.

I have three observations. This is just my own experience, but maybe it will help.

1. Since I didn't want my enjoyment hampered by puzzles I didn't want to fuss with, I just skipped any that annoyed me or seemed too time-consuming. I skipped about half initially, then went back for a second sweep and did about half of the remainder -- but again, just the ones I felt like. So, I probably left about 1/4 to 1/3 undone. By freely skipping (or leaving until later) the puzzles I didn't want to mess with, I continued to enjoy the game.

2. Despite skipping a lot of the content, I wasn't under-levelled. In fact, I feel a bit over-powered (playing on normal).

3. As the game progressed, I began to enjoy the puzzles more. I got better at them, I got more familiar with the puzzle logic, and my skills were upgraded. I'd say by the time I got to about hour 30 or so, I was enjoying most of the puzzles. A lot of what seemed frustrating in the beginning became easier as I got more experience. At this point (50+ hours in), I don't mind the puzzles at all, and I enjoy most of them.

So my attitude changed over time. Initially, I was irritated and put off by all the puzzles. By about 30 hours in, though, I began to enjoy them and work most of them pretty quickly.

I’ve only just started the game, and I’ve wondered whether the puzzles will eventually wear me out. Just wanted to say this was a really excellent post, and I’ll plan to take a similar approach.

 

[Brute]

I’ve only just started the game, and I’ve wondered whether the puzzles will eventually wear me out. Just wanted to say this was a really excellent post, and I’ll plan to take a similar approach.

I love your avatar! Those guys freaked me out so much for some reason.

 

[Azaroth]

I love your avatar! Those guys freaked me out so much for some reason.

Haha, thanks. Yeah, they were pretty freaky. When I had a son, I decided it would be a good avatar to represent father and son, from one of my favorite games. I've got a daughter now too, should probably find an update

 

[LaughingStock]

This game is good. Maybe a little too inspired on BOTW. I mean, that's not a bad thing. But sometimes it feels like a copy. Well, at least combat feels good and weapons don't break. Character design is uninspired. But my Fenyx is a pretty little lady. I would buy a bikini armor DLC.

 

[Mojoraisin]

Love the game. Truly stunning on PS5 and love the art style. If protagonist and story would be even better a 9 would be a 9.5. They have borrowed a lot from BOTW but in my opinion its a better game.
Truly a sleeper hit and bought in on a sale the other day.
Only 10 hours in so might change my opinion later but right now it’s some of the most fun I’ve had with a game for the last 5 years.

 

[Humdinger]

I’ve only just started the game, and I’ve wondered whether the puzzles will eventually wear me out. Just wanted to say this was a really excellent post, and I’ll plan to take a similar approach.

Cool, thanks. I'll add two other ideas that can make the puzzles/vaults easier. These pertain to the later game.

First, this is kind of obvious, I suppose, but you can check Youtube videos for help with walkthroughs of the big "retrieve the essence" vaults for each god. Although these weren't as difficult as Zelda's final shrines, I still found myself stumped or impatient at some point in these vaults. Rather than just spinning my wheels, I consulted a Youtube video to help. it minimized the trial-and-error frustration and prevented me from getting bogged down.

Second, there is an upgrade to your bird, Phosphor, that can make the puzzle-solving a bit easier sometimes. It requires plenty of Coins of Charon to unlock, so you won't get to it until later. It enables you to generate a stone clone of yourself that you can use to activate the lighter pressure plates (the ones with feathers). I've only recently unlocked it, but it's come in handy several times to help me move more easily through puzzles.

 

[Mikey Jr.]

I saw they added haptics to the ps5 version.

Is it good?

 

[Mojoraisin]

I saw they added haptics to the ps5 version.

Is it good?

Not really. Rather under-utilised. Only in certain situations it’s used. They don’t use it for vegetation etc that Astrobot does.

 

[Venuspower]

Not really. Rather under-utilised. Only in certain situations it’s used. They don’t use it for vegetation etc that Astrobot does.

According to Ubisoft the haptic feedback is bugged.
Which might explain why it feels underwhelming:

PS5

• Haptic feedback not working correctly on PS5 controllers.

This page has definitely closed. To find your favorite forums and threads, go to https://discussions.ubisoft.com.

This page has definitely closed. To find your favorite forums and threads, go to https://discussions.ubisoft.com.

forums.ubisoft.com

But I would not expect them to add something like haptic feedback for different types of materials.

__________________________________

I am playing the new DLC at the moment. So far I am enjoying the DLC. But
make sure to avoid the DLC if you do not like the vaults of tartaros.

 

[Banjo64]

LMAO, this game.

Just got to the title splash after the prologue and Zeus says ‘Wait. That was just the prologue?’ Prometheus responds ‘She’s about to jump. Be quiet and listen.’ in a really soft voice.

I’d read that the humour was hit and miss, but it’s hitting the right notes with me so far.

 

[CitizenZ]

LMAO, this game.

Just got to the title splash after the prologue and Zeus says ‘Wait. That was just the prologue?’ Prometheus responds ‘She’s about to jump. Be quiet and listen.’ in a really soft voice.

I’d read that the humour was hit and miss, but it’s hitting the right notes with me so far.

I would consider story for myself important for a game and this one is really good. I dont understand the dismissive nature of the story or writing, though some is cringe I agree. But, without spoilers, there is some really good banter once you have all the Gods back at the hall. Keep talking to them and promise you will laugh. Such a refreshing game, my favorite from last year easily.

 

[Ailynn]

Wow! Perfect timing on the expansion...I had just completed a 100% run on the main game material yesterday. I have around 97 hours logged and loved it pretty much all the way through.

I have such a large backlog of games to play, so I may have to revisit this one for the DLC later on.

 

[Ailynn]

Second, there is an upgrade to your bird, Phosphor, that can make the puzzle-solving a bit easier sometimes. It requires plenty of Coins of Charon to unlock, so you won't get to it until later. It enables you to generate a stone clone of yourself that you can use to activate the lighter pressure plates (the ones with feathers). I've only recently unlocked it, but it's come in handy several times to help me move more easily through puzzles.

There is another upgrade you can get for Phosphor that allows you to make an iron statue of yourself, which works on heavy pressure plate puzzles and can be thrown at enemies for pretty good damage.

(Click here for the full guide)

 

[D.Final]

There is another upgrade you can get for Phosphor that allows you to make an iron statue of yourself, which works on heavy pressure plate puzzles and can be thrown at enemies for pretty good damage.

(Click here for the full guide)

Cool spot

 

[Brute]

I’ve been playing for over 12 hours and have no bird called Phosphorus! When/where do I get awarded it?

 

[xviper]

Was going for the platinum but gave up and finished the game and shelved it instead

it's great, definitely Ubiosoft's best game since FC5, but as always ubisoft games are jam packed with content that is unnecessary. There is too much i can't force myself to 100%

The vaults are good but most of them can only be solved in one way, unlike BOTW's shrine where you can be creative. I loved the upgrade system, each upgrade has it's own resources and that was well organized and i hope more games copy that

Overall it's a good game, a solid 7\10 and i hope Ubisoft makes good quality games such as Immortals but make it much smaller in terms of content

Quality > Quantity, always, some games offer both quality and quantity such as BOTW and W3, but that rarely happens, wish Ubisoft would understand that

 

[Ailynn]

I’ve been playing for over 12 hours and have no bird called Phosphorus! When/where do I get awarded it?

Here ya go!

(Click here for the full guide)

 

[Azaroth]

I’ve been playing for over 12 hours and have no bird called Phosphorus! When/where do I get awarded it?

Check your map and see if you have a quest called Bolt from the Blue.

 

[IntentionalPun]

Started this game yesterday on PS5...

Seems really fun... graphics are nothing to write home about, and the menu interface is god awful... but fun shit.

 

[IntentionalPun]

*snip* There is too much i can't force myself to 100%

*snip*

Overall it's a good game, a solid 7\10 and i hope Ubisoft makes good quality games such as Immortals but make it much smaller in terms of content

Was the content you didn't like stuff you couldn't just skip?

So far I haven't found any activities that aren't really fun to do in Fenyx; more content > less content to me as long as it's fun.

I find Witcher 3 an odd example to use.. the map is littered with side content stuff, and some of it is pretty damn boring, particularly since the combat is rather dull. The combat in Fenyx is instantly better to me than W3.

 

[Humdinger]

I’ve been playing for over 12 hours and have no bird called Phosphorus! When/where do I get awarded it?

Make sure to get Phosphor. He's a great help in battle.

Btw, learn from my mistake, and do his whole questline through, if you can. I made the mistake of saving the final step, a vault called Daidelos' treasure room, until I was nearly done with the game. When I saw the vault had 3 stars, I figured it was a toughie, so I hopped out and left it for later. At the time, I was skipping all 3-star vaults (I later learned that some 3-stars were not so hard).

When I finally got around to finishing the vault -- just today, 70+ hours in -- I discovered it was actually pretty easy (with some help for one bit). The reward was a nice upgrade for Phosphor. I wish I had finished the quest earlier in the game. I used Phosphor in almost every battle, and sometimes he was indispensable. It would've been nice to have the upgrade earlier.

 

[D.Final]

Maybe they're going to make a Goty edition?

 

[Brute]

Here ya go!

(Click here for the full guide)

Check your map and see if you have a quest called Bolt from the Blue.

Make sure to get Phosphor. He's a great help in battle.

Btw, learn from my mistake, and do his whole questline through, if you can. I made the mistake of saving the final step, a vault called Daidelos' treasure room, until I was nearly done with the game. When I saw the vault had 3 stars, I figured it was a toughie, so I hopped out and left it for later. At the time, I was skipping all 3-star vaults (I later learned that some 3-stars were not so hard).

When I finally got around to finishing the vault -- just today, 70+ hours in -- I discovered it was actually pretty easy (with some help for one bit). The reward was a nice upgrade for Phosphor. I wish I had finished the quest earlier in the game. I used Phosphor in almost every battle, and sometimes he was indispensable. It would've been nice to have the upgrade earlier.

Thanks for help everyone. I've now got Phosphor flying around by my side.

I'm enjoying this game a lot more now I've got better abilities and I'm using YouTube (cheating I know) to tackle the tedious vaults. I know that many will like them but I wish it was something that was optional and not also forced on us in the main quests.

The rest of the game is so good. This game needs more love from the media really, they kinda panned it.

 

[Humdinger]

Before I go down the final path and complete the game, I'm taking a third pass through each territory and completing any chests or puzzles I had skipped on the first two runs. I've been surprised to discover how easy many of them seem now. I had skipped them on the first couple runs, because they seemed too tough or time-consuming, but on a third pass, I'm finding 90% of them very easy and intuitive. I guess I've just learned to think like the puzzle designers, at this point.

By the way, there is one additional upgrade that can help with some of the vaults. It's an upgrade to Athena's Dash, which allows you to dash through lasers unharmed. I didn't use Athena's Dash much in the game, and I only upgraded it because I didn't have anything better to spend my coins on. It did come in handy once, though, and it would've come in handy in some previous vaults as well. I just didn't notice it until a few days ago.

I wish there was a way to unlock everything on the map without using the R3 search/vibrate function. I find that sort of tedious, having to move my cursor slowly over the whole region. I know I've probably missed a couple of locations.

 

[Brute]

How long is this game if you were to just focus on main quests?

 

[ManaByte]

How long is this game if you were to just focus on main quests?

20 hours or so.

 

[Brute]

20 hours or so.

Thanks.

 

[xviper]

Was the content you didn't like stuff you couldn't just skip?

So far I haven't found any activities that aren't really fun to do in Fenyx; more content > less content to me as long as it's fun.

I find Witcher 3 an odd example to use.. the map is littered with side content stuff, and some of it is pretty damn boring, particularly since the combat is rather dull. The combat in Fenyx is instantly better to me than W3.

You could skip most of the game just like BOTW

The vaults are pretty good, varied and not repetitive

But there is too much to collect, even a treasure box requires solving a puzzle to open it

 

[nowhat]

This game wasn't really on my radar. The art style seemed interesting if too cartoony, but while it's fine to be influenced by other games, this is very evidently influenced by BotW. And... (ready your pitchforks) I personally... (light up your torches)... I really didn't care for it (just burn me at the stake already, guess I had it coming). Gave up after some 15 hours, because while there is undoubtedly a lot to do, the game had failed to answer "but why?" to me at that point. And some of the mechanics I just absolutely hated (the weapon fragility is definitely a major factor, but certainly not the only one). But, this seemed like a sleeper hit of sorts. People who've played it seem to really enjoy it. And it was on sale on PSN, meh, I'll give it a go.

And I'm so glad I did, I'm having a blast with it. The art style did take some time getting used to, but I'm loving the lighter/comical tone. Sure, not every joke lands well (some are downright terrible even, although as a fervent proponent of dad jokes I have no issue with this), but some lighthearted fun is a nice change of pace from the umpteenth grittily realistic and serious production. Playing on a Pro, runs at stable enough 30fps (looking forward to trying this on a PS5 though with 60) and the HDR implementation is just gorgeous and fits the game perfectly. Combat is entertaining, not the deepest system out there for sure (and at least on normal the window for perfect parry/dodge is way too forgiving), but it doesn't need to be. You can always play Dark Souls using only your feet and DK Bongos if that's your thing, I'm fine with more casual combat as well. Some of the bosses have been a bit too spongey for me thus far, but also I've been tackling them way earlier than I probably should have. Enjoyable encounters, just bit too long sometimes.

So is it a BotW clone? To me, yes and no. The influences are super obvious, no point denying them. But it also gets rid of many elements that I didn't really enjoy at all. Does that make this game more streamlined, dare I say "casual" even? Yes, and I have no objection to that. Take something like gear upgrades - instead of upgrading each weapon/armor piece you own individually, you upgrade them all. I think that's brilliant, no need to figure out beforehand what properties you're going to value or need, just switch if you feel like it. Especially since you can change the appearance to whatever else you own, so no need to select between specs and looks (although TBH, my female Fenyx somehow ends up using just the "Hubris of the One-Eyed Giant" armor look all the time...). And in the story/narrative department there's really no contest. I mean, this game would win just on the merit of having a story in the first place, but I'm interested to see where it goes, which is not given with games (or other media even). Does it accurately represent the Greek deities and mythology? I don't know (probably not at all), also don't care, there's a time and place for historical accuracy and it is not here. Also Poseidon and Zeus can be quite hilarious as narrators.

Still, to me the most surprising thing is that this was made by Ubisoft. Sure, there are some Ubisoft open-world tropes and of course there's all the MTX you can eat (which is essential in a single-player game...), with the store being accessible from every menu tab, because of course it is. Ubi's gotta Ubi, I guess. Despite that, this game doesn't feel cynical at all. It's as if the developers set out to create not the largest open world out there, but one that's of manageable size, has interesting and varied locations and is a joy to explore. As far as I'm concerned, they succeeded with flying colours.

One thing that's been bugging me with the game so far though. It's great being able to filter the map in various ways, and all of the checkboxes seem to work - all but the ones for photos. No matter what I select, I still get new photos (from random players) every now and then, wasting space on my map and more often than not obscuring the location I'm trying to select. Call me old-fashioned, grumpy, misanthropist or generally not fun at parties (and all of those would be true), but how do I turn that shit off, like completely. Do not want.

 

[Kenpachii]

This game wasn't really on my radar. The art style seemed interesting if too cartoony, but while it's fine to be influenced by other games, this is very evidently influenced by BotW. And... (ready your pitchforks) I personally... (light up your torches)... I really didn't care for it (just burn me at the stake already, guess I had it coming). Gave up after some 15 hours, because while there is undoubtedly a lot to do, the game had failed to answer "but why?" to me at that point. And some of the mechanics I just absolutely hated (the weapon fragility is definitely a major factor, but certainly not the only one). But, this seemed like a sleeper hit of sorts. People who've played it seem to really enjoy it. And it was on sale on PSN, meh, I'll give it a go.

And I'm so glad I did, I'm having a blast with it. The art style did take some time getting used to, but I'm loving the lighter/comical tone. Sure, not every joke lands well (some are downright terrible even, although as a fervent proponent of dad jokes I have no issue with this), but some lighthearted fun is a nice change of pace from the umpteenth grittily realistic and serious production. Playing on a Pro, runs at stable enough 30fps (looking forward to trying this on a PS5 though with 60) and the HDR implementation is just gorgeous and fits the game perfectly. Combat is entertaining, not the deepest system out there for sure (and at least on normal the window for perfect parry/dodge is way too forgiving), but it doesn't need to be. You can always play Dark Souls using only your feet and DK Bongos if that's your thing, I'm fine with more casual combat as well. Some of the bosses have been a bit too spongey for me thus far, but also I've been tackling them way earlier than I probably should have. Enjoyable encounters, just bit too long sometimes.

So is it a BotW clone? To me, yes and no. The influences are super obvious, no point denying them. But it also gets rid of many elements that I didn't really enjoy at all. Does that make this game more streamlined, dare I say "casual" even? Yes, and I have no objection to that. Take something like gear upgrades - instead of upgrading each weapon/armor piece you own individually, you upgrade them all. I think that's brilliant, no need to figure out beforehand what properties you're going to value or need, just switch if you feel like it. Especially since you can change the appearance to whatever else you own, so no need to select between specs and looks (although TBH, my female Fenyx somehow ends up using just the "Hubris of the One-Eyed Giant" armor look all the time...). And in the story/narrative department there's really no contest. I mean, this game would win just on the merit of having a story in the first place, but I'm interested to see where it goes, which is not given with games (or other media even). Does it accurately represent the Greek deities and mythology? I don't know (probably not at all), also don't care, there's a time and place for historical accuracy and it is not here. Also Poseidon and Zeus can be quite hilarious as narrators.

Still, to me the most surprising thing is that this was made by Ubisoft. Sure, there are some Ubisoft open-world tropes and of course there's all the MTX you can eat (which is essential in a single-player game...), with the store being accessible from every menu tab, because of course it is. Ubi's gotta Ubi, I guess. Despite that, this game doesn't feel cynical at all. It's as if the developers set out to create not the largest open world out there, but one that's of manageable size, has interesting and varied locations and is a joy to explore. As far as I'm concerned, they succeeded with flying colours.

One thing that's been bugging me with the game so far though. It's great being able to filter the map in various ways, and all of the checkboxes seem to work - all but the ones for photos. No matter what I select, I still get new photos (from random players) every now and then, wasting space on my map and more often than not obscuring the location I'm trying to select. Call me old-fashioned, grumpy, misanthropist or generally not fun at parties (and all of those would be true), but how do I turn that shit off, like completely. Do not want.

On PC u can disable everything on the map whatever u want.

Just go to the map itself, press L ( or select legends right below ) and u will see this.

Also if you cant see a teleporter because a photo or another icon is on top of it u can hover over that spot with your mouse and then press space which will rotate the icons.

 

[nowhat]

On PC u can disable everything on the map whatever u want.

Just go to the map itself, press L ( or select legends right below ) and u will see this.

Also if you cant see a teleporter because a photo or another icon is on top of it u can hover over that spot with your mouse and then press space which will rotate the icons.

Playing on a Pro, but same settings exist there. Just that apparently those related to photos don't do anything, they're shown always regardless (at least the community ones, haven't taken any shots yet and none of my friends are playing this). And similarly I can place the cursor over a target and use L3 to rotate icons. Still annoying having to do that because of a video game equivalent of a forced Instagram feed.

 

[Kenpachii]

Playing on a Pro, but same settings exist there. Just that apparently those related to photos don't do anything, they're shown always regardless (at least the community ones, haven't taken any shots yet and none of my friends are playing this). And similarly I can place the cursor over a target and use L3 to rotate icons. Still annoying having to do that because of a video game equivalent of a forced Instagram feed.

Yea main complain i had with it, i wish they had a more like assassin creed map system where its easy to see what goes on as u can zoom in further.

 

[Brute]

I swing between loving this AND hating it. It's such a bi-polar video game (for me) in that I enjoy the art style, the humour, the world - but the flow is ruined by the boring AF vaults and similar puzzles. They're just so damn repetitive. I will finish the game because like I say I'm enjoying the story and the boss fights, I also love the platforming element. But holy shit these vaults are lame. I didn't mind BOTW's puzzles but this game relies on the mechanic far too much to slow you down essentially.

 

[Venuspower]

Playing on a Pro, but same settings exist there. Just that apparently those related to photos don't do anything, they're shown always regardless (at least the community ones, haven't taken any shots yet and none of my friends are playing this).

Yep, it is a bug that was introduced in the last update.
Should be fixed in the next update. All those photos on the map are
really annoying.

 

[Humdinger]

This game wasn't really on my radar. The art style seemed interesting if too cartoony, but while it's fine to be influenced by other games, this is very evidently influenced by BotW. And... (ready your pitchforks) I personally... (light up your torches)... I really didn't care for it (just burn me at the stake already, guess I had it coming). Gave up after some 15 hours, because while there is undoubtedly a lot to do, the game had failed to answer "but why?" to me at that point. And some of the mechanics I just absolutely hated (the weapon fragility is definitely a major factor, but certainly not the only one). But, this seemed like a sleeper hit of sorts. People who've played it seem to really enjoy it. And it was on sale on PSN, meh, I'll give it a go.[....]

I'm glad you're enjoying it. I finished Zelda BotW a few months before picking Immortals up, so BotW is still pretty fresh in my mind. Yesterday, I sketched out a list of things Immortals does better than BotW:

• Combat - by far
• Resolution - by far
• Traversal - much speedier
• Voice - no contest, since BotW has almost none
• Story - marginally better
• Load screens give you something to do
• Companion/Phosphorus
• Simplicity/Editing - BotW was sort of stuffed to the gills with things to tinker with; Immortals is pared down to the essentials; it also streamlines a number of processes
• Weapon durability - that got pretty old in BotW.
• Puzzles - I enjoyed the puzzles more in Immortals than in BotW, though ymmv. I used Youtube vids to cheat my way through a lot of Zelda's shrines, just because I found them aggravatingly time-consuming. Otoh, I worked most of the puzzles in Immortals, because I enjoyed them -- although I should add, my enjoyment only came after about 30 hours of play, and I found them annoying at first. I do think they are over-used in Immortals, but overall, I found them more enjoyable.
• Easy access to your horse

Otoh, I think there are things BotW did better:

• Originality - pretty obvious
• Depth of mechanics -- the possibilities for combination of ingredients and mechanics in BotW seemed endless
• Sense of immersion in another world (The modern references and vernacular in Immortals block any suspension of disbelief or imaginative immersion in the world; you are always aware you are playing a videogame).
• Size of the world
• Sense of exploration, mystery, and discovery - I don't know why exactly, but while playing BotW, I had a much more palpable sense of exploration and discovery than I did in Immortals.

Overall, I'm enjoying Immortals a bit more than BotW. They are both really well-done, enjoyable games, but I'm just having more fun with Immortals.

 

[Azaroth]

Yep, it is a bug that was introduced in the last update.
Should be fixed in the next update. All those photos on the map are
really annoying.

Yeah this bug is really annoying. I don’t care about people’s photos, and they clutter up the map. Since the filter is broken, I’ve been going around the map and manually removing them, but of course they eventually just get replaced with other photos and it becomes wack-a-mole.

 

[nowhat]

I'm glad you're enjoying it.

In all honesty, my opinion of BotW is probably lower than it should be, for reasons that have nothing to do with the game itself. I'm far from a Nintendo hater - hell, I'm one of the like twelve people who bought a WiiU - so as Switch and BotW was coming out, I was as intrigued as anyone. But I've never bought a console just for one game, and this was no exception, I decided to wait out possible teething issues with release hardware and get a Switch sometime later that year.

But many people did buy a Switch and BotW to go along with it at launch, and oh boy did they love it. It's one thing for a game to receive universal critical acclaim, but I can't recall such an overwhelming flood of superlatives and gushing taking over pretty much every forum at least tangentially related to gaming. But while watching that collective orgasm from the sidelines was slightly annoying, mostly because it tended to drown out all other discourse, it was ultimately harmless. The world can be such an apathetic place, that people can come together and be so enthusiastic about something (that, again, is harmless to others - a small but vital distinction) is kinda nice to see every now and then, even for a cynic like me. It always blows over pretty quickly, let people have their brief fun.

And so it did, for the vast majority of Nintendo fans. But some of them were having none of it. And I must emphasize before someone starts, most Nintendo fans are rational people at least within socially acceptable standards. Probably all around nice people once you get to know them. But there are some (as with any fandom) who are just about balancing on the edge of sanity, and BotW made them finally completely fall of that edge. Was this inevitable, could it have been any other (Nintendo, of course) game? That I can't say.

What I can say is that what followed was just so bizarre. There was at first some morbid curiosity in watching it all unfold, in a Tiger King kind of way, but the novelty wore off very quickly. In a Tiger King kind of way as well, I suppose. People went from having just found a religion that makes themselves happy, to missionaries, to the fucking inquisition within a matter of weeks. I'm not talking about review bombing on Metacritic, DDoS attacks and such, that happens all the time (and is always as pathetic). But suddenly it was like any discussion about anything game related must include BotW in some way or another, it does everything better than any other game in existence, people are idiots for ever considering any other game could have any redeeming qualities let alone playing anything else. It sometimes could crop up in so unrelated discussions that it was downright surreal. "I'm going to try making Indian food myself tonight!" "Sounds nice, but have you thought about trying BotW instead?"

Yes, I'm being slightly hyperbolic (but also only very slightly). Yes, there are lunatics within every fanbase, with public (and often quite hilarious and/or sad) meltdowns. And yes, I'm talking about small (and vocal) minority of Nintendo fans. A very small (and very vocal) minority. Just that the intensity and especially duration of that mass psychosis is what surprised me. I would have expected things to mostly die off by summer. But maybe it's the heat that is driving people insane - by August at least? September? Still, finally things were starting to settle down. And I thought to myself, maybe I'll pick up a Switch finally. Other stuff to play there as well now.

...and out comes Super Mario Odyssey. And what was at that point little more than fading embers bursted back into a flame brighter than ever before. Because the true believers were right all along - Super Mario Odyssey gets great reviews and lots of positive buzz from fans, hence BotW is the greatest game ever. Or some other convoluted logic, I'm not pretending that I'd understand. Somehow Odyssey just got the Zeldards back out in the open, I'd argue with even more manic energy than before, just as I finally got around to buying a Switch and BotW along with it.

Should any of that have had any effect on how I view the game? Of course not, it has nothing to do with the game. Did it though? If I'm being honest, it did at least somewhat. When I started to play the game, I admit a part of me was thinking "you want me to play BotW? You really want me to, huh? I'm insane for even considering other games, after I've tried BotW I'll think even the idea of doing something so stupid is laughable, right? Well fuck it, I surrender, you won, I'll play it. But it better be a bloody perfect game, and also preferably do my dry cleaning and give the occasional handjob". Naturally, it's not a perfect game, no game is (also I've yet to receive laundry services or sexual favours from a video game, at least physically, but I digress). Still, it wasn't like I went in waiting just to hate the game. I was a bit skeptical sure, but I tried giving it a chance, for some 15 hours as said, it just never clicked with me at the time. Now that the dust is settled maybe I should give it a fresh start, see if I like it any better. Although...

Depth of mechanics -- the possibilities for combination of ingredients and mechanics in BotW seemed endless

I absolutely agree and appreciate what Nintendo did there, the creativety on display is just incredible. At the same time, that kind of gameplay (bordering on survival games, a genre I've never had even a passing interest in) has never been my thing, and having Link in there doesn't really change that at all. It may be that BotW just isn't for me, such is life. Anyway, apologies for the offtopic rant.

 

[Humdinger]

In all honesty, my opinion of BotW is probably lower than it should be, for reasons that have nothing to do with the game itself. I'm far from a Nintendo hater - hell, I'm one of the like twelve people who bought a WiiU - so as Switch and BotW was coming out, I was as intrigued as anyone. But I've never bought a console just for one game, and this was no exception, I decided to wait out possible teething issues with release hardware and get a Switch sometime later that year.

But many people did buy a Switch and BotW to go along with it at launch, and oh boy did they love it. It's one thing for a game to receive universal critical acclaim, but I can't recall such an overwhelming flood of superlatives and gushing taking over pretty much every forum at least tangentially related to gaming. But while watching that collective orgasm from the sidelines was slightly annoying, mostly because it tended to drown out all other discourse, it was ultimately harmless. The world can be such an apathetic place, that people can come together and be so enthusiastic about something (that, again, is harmless to others - a small but vital distinction) is kinda nice to see every now and then, even for a cynic like me. It always blows over pretty quickly, let people have their brief fun.

And so it did, for the vast majority of Nintendo fans. But some of them were having none of it. And I must emphasize before someone starts, most Nintendo fans are rational people at least within socially acceptable standards. Probably all around nice people once you get to know them. But there are some (as with any fandom) who are just about balancing on the edge of sanity, and BotW made them finally completely fall of that edge. Was this inevitable, could it have been any other (Nintendo, of course) game? That I can't say.

What I can say is that what followed was just so bizarre. There was at first some morbid curiosity in watching it all unfold, in a Tiger King kind of way, but the novelty wore off very quickly. In a Tiger King kind of way as well, I suppose. People went from having just found a religion that makes themselves happy, to missionaries, to the fucking inquisition within a matter of weeks. I'm not talking about review bombing on Metacritic, DDoS attacks and such, that happens all the time (and is always as pathetic). But suddenly it was like any discussion about anything game related must include BotW in some way or another, it does everything better than any other game in existence, people are idiots for ever considering any other game could have any redeeming qualities let alone playing anything else. It sometimes could crop up in so unrelated discussions that it was downright surreal. "I'm going to try making Indian food myself tonight!" "Sounds nice, but have you thought about trying BotW instead?"

Yes, I'm being slightly hyperbolic (but also only very slightly). Yes, there are lunatics within every fanbase, with public (and often quite hilarious and/or sad) meltdowns. And yes, I'm talking about small (and vocal) minority of Nintendo fans. A very small (and very vocal) minority. Just that the intensity and especially duration of that mass psychosis is what surprised me. I would have expected things to mostly die off by summer. But maybe it's the heat that is driving people insane - by August at least? September? Still, finally things were starting to settle down. And I thought to myself, maybe I'll pick up a Switch finally. Other stuff to play there as well now.

...and out comes Super Mario Odyssey. And what was at that point little more than fading embers bursted back into a flame brighter than ever before. Because the true believers were right all along - Super Mario Odyssey gets great reviews and lots of positive buzz from fans, hence BotW is the greatest game ever. Or some other convoluted logic, I'm not pretending that I'd understand. Somehow Odyssey just got the Zeldards back out in the open, I'd argue with even more manic energy than before, just as I finally got around to buying a Switch and BotW along with it.

Should any of that have had any effect on how I view the game? Of course not, it has nothing to do with the game. Did it though? If I'm being honest, it did at least somewhat. When I started to play the game, I admit a part of me was thinking "you want me to play BotW? You really want me to, huh? I'm insane for even considering other games, after I've tried BotW I'll think even the idea of doing something so stupid is laughable, right? Well fuck it, I surrender, you won, I'll play it. But it better be a bloody perfect game, and also preferably do my dry cleaning and give the occasional handjob". Naturally, it's not a perfect game, no game is (also I've yet to receive laundry services or sexual favours from a video game, at least physically, but I digress). Still, it wasn't like I went in waiting just to hate the game. I was a bit skeptical sure, but I tried giving it a chance, for some 15 hours as said, it just never clicked with me at the time. Now that the dust is settled maybe I should give it a fresh start, see if I like it any better. Although...


I absolutely agree and appreciate what Nintendo did there, the creativety on display is just incredible. At the same time, that kind of gameplay (bordering on survival games, a genre I've never had even a passing interest in) has never been my thing, and having Link in there doesn't really change that at all. It may be that BotW just isn't for me, such is life. Anyway, apologies for the offtopic rant.

Interesting take, thanks. I wasn't a Nintendo fan when BotW came out, so I didn't have a ringside seat to the circus you're describing. I do remember playing the game in my avatar at the time, and loving it, and having to deal with the constant comparisons to BotW (they came out around the same time). As I remember it, it was hard to have a positive discussion about Horizon without several people saying it couldn't hold a candle to BotW. It was annoying.

I eventually bought a Switch about six months ago and played BotW. I thought it was good. I enjoyed it. But I know what you're saying about people's hype for the game affecting your experience of it. As I was playing, I kept flashing back on all the Nintendo fans who'd ragged on Horizon for being the lesser game. What that did was focus my mind on all the ways BotW was not as good as Horizon. I'm sure it affected my enjoyment of the game.

I also had very high expectations, because of how exalted the game is. That always affects enjoyment, too, because no game can live up to the adulation and worship that the more zealous Nintendo fans generate. If it were just any old game, I wouldn't have noticed the flaws and shortcomings, but since it was god's gift to gaming, the flaws and shortcomings stuck out to me.

That's the downside of unbridled adulation, which the ardent fans don't consider. It makes the game less enjoyable for the people who listen to all your praise and worship. They expect the game to to be an absolute masterpiece. Even if it is excellent, it doesn't surprise or really impress them, because it's only doing what they expected it to do. Inflated expectations can be a killer of enjoyment.

I try to be moderate in my praise, even of games I love, because I don't want the people listening to have their enjoyment ruined by me over-hyping something.

Anyhow, I'm finishing up Immortals. The story near the end wasn't all that good. It got too convoluted and schmaltzy. I've just entered Typhon's vault, so we'll see how it wraps up.

 

[nowhat]

Interesting take, thanks. I wasn't a Nintendo fan when BotW came out, so I didn't have a ringside seat to the circus you're describing. I do remember playing the game in my avatar at the time, and loving it, and having to deal with the constant comparisons to BotW (they came out around the same time). As I remember it, it was hard to have a positive discussion about Horizon without several people saying it couldn't hold a candle to BotW. It was annoying.

As someone who really enjoyed HZD, one of my favourite games last gen in fact, I remember that well. You couldn't for example say the environments look great, because Aloy clips through most of the smaller vegetation. This is true, but the vegetation does react to the weather - which is actually based on a weather simulation that consists of the current environment, elevation and the dynamic cloud simulation. Not that you suddenly get rain out of seemingly nowhere, that makes every climbable surface turn into grease immediately. And it's not like this was an oversight, I watched a GDC talk from a Guerrilla engineer about the vegetation (here, well worth the watch if you're interested in the tech) where he really laments the fact that they had to really tone down the reactivity of the environment in order to meet their rendering budget on the target hardware. It's not like the engine is incapable of it (see Death Stranding), but something had to go for HZD. Personally, I think they made the right call.

Now it is true that when it comes to interactivity with the environment, they are completely different games. I'll be first to admit that when it comes to open world design, HZD is very traditional, archaic even. This is most evident in the auxiliary content which is very much cookie-cutter and something Guerrilla hopefully addresses in the sequel (along with the human AI). But would I want it to be a BotW-like sandbox, nope, it wouldn't be for me (see above). Not every game needs to be a sandbox.

That was a lot of words to essentially say that the environments did and do objectively look great in HZD, and to argue otherwise was and is disingenuous at best.

 

[Humdinger]

As someone who really enjoyed HZD, one of my favourite games last gen in fact, I remember that well. You couldn't for example say the environments look great, because Aloy clips through most of the smaller vegetation. This is true, but the vegetation does react to the weather - which is actually based on a weather simulation that consists of the current environment, elevation and the dynamic cloud simulation. Not that you suddenly get rain out of seemingly nowhere, that makes every climbable surface turn into grease immediately. And it's not like this was an oversight, I watched a GDC talk from a Guerrilla engineer about the vegetation (here, well worth the watch if you're interested in the tech) where he really laments the fact that they had to really tone down the reactivity of the environment in order to meet their rendering budget on the target hardware. It's not like the engine is incapable of it (see Death Stranding), but something had to go for HZD. Personally, I think they made the right call.

Now it is true that when it comes to interactivity with the environment, they are completely different games. I'll be first to admit that when it comes to open world design, HZD is very traditional, archaic even. This is most evident in the auxiliary content which is very much cookie-cutter and something Guerrilla hopefully addresses in the sequel (along with the human AI). But would I want it to be a BotW-like sandbox, nope, it wouldn't be for me (see above). Not every game needs to be a sandbox.

That was a lot of words to essentially say that the environments did and do objectively look great in HZD, and to argue otherwise was and is disingenuous at best.

Good points about the weather and environment in HZD vs. BotW. I enjoyed the auxiliary content, personally, and appreciated how it was well-edited (i.e., didn't fall into the trap of more = better).

I guess my overall point, though, is that hearing the constant adulation about BotW, and how it was superior to Horizon -- that only made the deficits in BotW more glaring, when I eventually got around to playing it. I would add that, in addition to visuals and environments being substantially better in Horizon, combat, characterization, and story in Horizon were all are leaps and bounds better than in Zelda.

No disrespect to BotW intended. It's a good game with a lot of positives. I enjoyed it. I'm just remarking how people's hype for a game -- especially when it is over-the-top -- can backfire.

 

[nowhat]

I enjoyed the auxiliary content, personally, and appreciated how it was well-edited (i.e., didn't fall into the trap of more = better).

Just to clarify, I mean things like bandit camps (which are a chore because of the human AI, OTOH if you enjoy frying ants with a magnifying glass you will have fun), the hunting challenges (they teach some great methods for particular enemies if you haven't figured them out already, but didn't otherwise really warm up to them) and the collectibles (there's just not enough reward for getting them - with the exception of Vantages, those were fantastic, though I'd consider them to be more of a side quest than series of collectibles).

Nothing wrong with any of those (well, apart from the human AI), but with the exception of Vantages, all are just quite generic and uninspired. Acceptable for a first entry in a new IP (and new genre for the studio too), but I hope Guerrilla gets more creative in the sequel. But yes, at least there wasn't too much of it, the size of the game remained reasonable.

 

[Brute]

I've finished the main quest and watched the ending. I won't be going back to this. I've read a few people say that this is better than BOTW and I'm going to have to disagree completely. BOTW has frustrating gameplay mechanics, sure. But it's on a different level entirely to Immortals.

Those. fucking. vaults. That last one destroyed any love I had left for the game. They're just long and tedious for the sake of it. There's a relatively big, beautiful world to explore and fight beasts in but Ubisoft haven't utilised it at all. There's nothing to do - no NPCs to engage with, the same enemies over and over again. Oh - here's another chest locked behind the same tedious puzzle.

I'm not a BOTW fanboy - I'm actually not that fussed about Nintendo gaming anymore and I haven't been for about 15 years now. But it's simply a better game - BOTW has an immersive world with interesting stuff to do and characters to meet. Immortals runs out of ideas pretty quickly and just bombards you with the same boring puzzles over and over and over again.

The thought of having to sit down and 100% this game actually terrifies me.

Oh and I played with the same sword and axe for the entire game. I didn't need to find or unlock a new weapon. I just spammed everything with Phosphorus. Again, this isn't a bad game. It has so much about it I like - but they didn't build on the good stuff and just focused on the spamming us with the same type of lame vault puzzles every 10 minutes of gameplay.

And that penultimate quest where you have to climb the mountain was just the worst.

 

[Humdinger]

I've finished the main quest and watched the ending. I won't be going back to this. I've read a few people say that this is better than BOTW and I'm going to have to disagree completely. BOTW has frustrating gameplay mechanics, sure. But it's on a different level entirely to Immortals.

Those. fucking. vaults. That last one destroyed any love I had left for the game. They're just long and tedious for the sake of it. There's a relatively big, beautiful world to explore and fight beasts in but Ubisoft haven't utilised it at all. There's nothing to do - no NPCs to engage with, the same enemies over and over again. Oh - here's another chest locked behind the same tedious puzzle.

I'm not a BOTW fanboy - I'm actually not that fussed about Nintendo gaming anymore and I haven't been for about 15 years now. But it's simply a better game - BOTW has an immersive world with interesting stuff to do and characters to meet. Immortals runs out of ideas pretty quickly and just bombards you with the same boring puzzles over and over and over again.

The thought of having to sit down and 100% this game actually terrifies me.

Oh and I played with the same sword and axe for the entire game. I didn't need to find or unlock a new weapon. I just spammed everything with Phosphorus. Again, this isn't a bad game. It has so much about it I like - but they didn't build on the good stuff and just focused on the spamming us with the same type of lame vault puzzles every 10 minutes of gameplay.

And that penultimate quest where you have to climb the mountain was just the worst.

I just finished the game -- or rather, just finished watching the ending on Youtube -- so I know what you mean about the final vault. I got impatient with it, and I quit. There was one section where you have to jump a series of lasers while riding on a floating box, then get off a series of arrow shots quickly. After dying a dozen times in a row, I just decided I was done. I knew I had more of the same coming up, and I didn't want to fuss with it. I just watched the ending on Youtube.

The way they handled the story near the end was disappointing. It came off forced and sappy. I wished they had stuck to the sarcastic, snarky tone they'd established, rather than try to do a 180 in the 11th hour.

I wonder if this (the last vault, the ending) was part of why it got modest review scores. The last couple hours were more a chore than fun, and it failed to stick the landing. It left a bit of a bad taste.

I'd give Immortals maybe an 8.5 overall. Although objectively, Zelda is a more ambitious, polished, and creative game, I still enjoyed the moment-to-moment gameplay more in Immortals than I did in Zelda (apart from the vaults, though I disliked the shrines in Zelda as well). I agree that I replaying the game seems unlikely. I wouldn't replay Zelda, either, though. I generally only replay games where the story or characters are compelling enough for me to want to revisit (along with combat, etc.). Neither of these games have that quality.

I thought about maybe continuing by loading up the pre-ending save file and cleaning up King's Peak, the only area where I have remaining puzzles/chests I want to do. However, navigation is limited on King's Peak, because you need to constantly find heat sources. I preferred the more free exploration style of the mainland. So I'll probably skip it. I put 85 hours into it, and that's probably enough.

I'll keep an eye out for DLC. So far, it leans heavily on the vault stuff, which I'm not interested in. If they issue DLC that has a substantial questline that doesn't involve vaults, I might pick it up.

 

[Brute]

I just finished the game -- or rather, just finished watching the ending on Youtube -- so I know what you mean about the final vault. I got impatient with it, and I quit. There was one section where you have to jump a series of lasers while riding on a floating box, then get off a series of arrow shots quickly. After dying a dozen times in a row, I just decided I was done. I knew I had more of the same coming up, and I didn't want to fuss with it. I just watched the ending on Youtube.

The way they handled the story near the end was disappointing. It came off forced and sappy. I wished they had stuck to the sarcastic, snarky tone they'd established, rather than try to do a 180 in the 11th hour.

I wonder if this (the last vault, the ending) was part of why it got modest review scores. The last couple hours were more a chore than fun, and it failed to stick the landing. It left a bit of a bad taste.

I'd give Immortals maybe an 8.5 overall. Although objectively, Zelda is a more ambitious, polished, and creative game, I still enjoyed the moment-to-moment gameplay more in Immortals than I did in Zelda (apart from the vaults, though I disliked the shrines in Zelda as well). I agree that I replaying the game seems unlikely. I wouldn't replay Zelda, either, though. I generally only replay games where the story or characters are compelling enough for me to want to revisit (along with combat, etc.). Neither of these games have that quality.

I thought about maybe continuing by loading up the pre-ending save file and cleaning up King's Peak, the only area where I have remaining puzzles/chests I want to do. However, navigation is limited on King's Peak, because you need to constantly find heat sources. I preferred the more free exploration style of the mainland. So I'll probably skip it. I put 85 hours into it, and that's probably enough.

I'll keep an eye out for DLC. So far, it leans heavily on the vault stuff, which I'm not interested in. If they issue DLC that has a substantial questline that doesn't involve vaults, I might pick it up.

I agree with the ending, I was disappointed.

It's a good game but completely forgettable for me - it just made me want to play BOTW. I'd give it a 7/10.

 

[Humdinger]

I agree with the ending, I was disappointed.

It's a good game but completely forgettable for me - it just made me want to play BOTW. I'd give it a 7/10.

I could maybe go down to 8 on my rating. 8.5 might be a bit generous. I seem to give every game I play a 7 to 9, so I don't have a lot of range, lol.

One other criticism about that final vault. It wasn't just that I dislike vaults, or that this one had annoying/frustrating bits. It's that putting a vault there, at that point, just completely killed the tension of the final act of the game. I mean, you've just had a long trek up the mountain (which I enjoyed). You've seen some major character reveals. You've battled big baddies. The world is hanging in the balance. You're about to face off against the final boss. Dun dun dun! But wait, first, move these crates around. lol. It just kills any dramatic build-up.

 

[Brute]

I could maybe go down to 8 on my rating. 8.5 might be a bit generous. I seem to give every game I play a 7 to 9, so I don't have a lot of range, lol.

One other criticism about that final vault. It wasn't just that I dislike vaults, or that this one had annoying/frustrating bits. It's that putting a vault there, at that point, just completely killed the tension of the final act of the game. I mean, you've just had a long trek up the mountain (which I enjoyed). You've seen some major character reveals. You've battled big baddies. The world is hanging in the balance. You're about to face off against the final boss. Dun dun dun! But wait, first, move these crates around. lol. It just kills any dramatic build-up.

This is exactly how I felt!

Spoiler: End Stuff

I was pleased it was just a fight with Typhon where you're under the impression you've killed him in which was a pretty easy fight but THEN have the moving crates BS and also have to fight him again in a battle which goes on for too long

...and like you say it really destroyed the immersion of the ending.

I'd argue the first part of the game is the best. I thought to myself "here we go, we've got a BOTW lite without the weapons breaking every 5 minutes, this seems cool". By the end of my 30 ish hours with it I was drained. It felt like a Ubisoft game at the end - everything was a grind and repetitive, for me anyway.

Yeah I always score every game between 7 and 9 too