No pressure...
It's OK not to like a popular game or TV show. It's OK if you're not into coffee or tea.
But it's pretty nice when you end up liking something you didn't at first. Like when I gave Breath of the Wild (BotW) a second chance.
It was meh at first
I enjoyed older games in the Legend of Zelda series but couldn't get into BotW back in 2017. After only a few hours I gave it up—to my husband's chagrin because he's enjoyed just about every Zelda game.
BotW is called one of the greatest games of all time. (Along with 100+ other games, says Wikipedia.)
But I wasn't used to the game's level of freedom. I felt lost, both metaphorically and geographically. It took ages to travel. The land was vast—and lonely, except for the occasional enemy.
The last straw was struggling with Joy Con drift. While that was my controller's fault, not the game's, I was discouraged by lousy aiming and falling off cliffs.
So my first experience was a mix of annoyance and boredom.
Second time's the charm
Thanks to this year's hype surrounding its sequel, I picked up BotW again. Figured I hadn't given it a fair shake.
But I went into it feeling skeptical. "I probably stillwon't like it. It's just not what I'm looking for," I kept telling myself. These days, I want to play games that are either turn-based strategy, story-heavy, or driven by plot-altering choices. BotW is none of those.
My husband encouraged me to keep going. He gave advice during the first few battles, and I began to find those Bokoblins not so scary after all. After suggesting a few things to do (e.g. climb the peak of a certain tall building), he left me to my own devices. "There's a lot to do in this game," he said. "Experiment!"
As I played on, all my previous complaints were gradually resolved. (As for weapons breaking, I began finding more than I could carry.) I discovered tons of cool little things. Also, I wasn't using a faulty Joy Con this time.
I like it now (but you don't have to)
Now I enjoy both exploring and fighting. Enemies in the first region have become laughably easy. I was glad for the slight increase in challenge after venturing beyond the Great Plateau.
The first several hours of exploring made me feel like a child again. It's been a while since I felt that with a game!
But now that I've discovered other regions outside the Great Plateau, it's hit me how huge the game is. I'm a bit overwhelmed.
The solution, I think, is to generally focus on the main quest. Along the way, I can of course wander off to investigate shiny things. But I should definitely not try to be completionist and explore every nook.
If I have a question (e.g. "Does every region have a stable?"), I look up the answer online. It saves time and sometimes I accidentally stumble upon information that gets me freshly excited about the game (e.g. "I can have an XXX?! I can't wait!").
I would tell you more about the cool stuff I've discovered in Breath of the Wild. But I'll spare you the spoilers in case you're a gamer and are thinking of trying BotW. In which case, I do recommend the game.
But as good as it is, I wouldn't call it a must-play. It's okay not to play one of the greatest games of all time. It's okay not to like it. Just do what you enjoy!