(spoilers!) I'm just doing to do the whole post as a single spoiler mask, so be warned if you haven't finished and don't want to be spoiled (also: I definitely recommend doing your darnedest to experience this game ending with no forewarning, spoilers or inklings; I did my best to avoid as much as I could, though did have a minor spoiler, and am very glad I'd read next to nothing on this beforehand).
>!Holy wow. I think that was one of the best final battles and endings I've yet experienced in a Zelda game.
Finally did this last night (Sunday), and so glad I decided to do it before full on completion. At first I was getting a bit ticked off with the gloom maze slog (but I really should have seen that coming I guess). But damn it was worth it.
I had so much fun blitzing the monster army (very glad I'd finally started experimenting with gem archery - I've been so miserly with them until I cleared the armour upgrades). And then the early Gannondorf (oh boy am I glad I'd been practicing my flurry rushes - also pleased to discover I'm actually good at spear dodging, though never managed to dodge his speed blading with the lighter sword). Though I was so distracted by his footwork and blade work (he stole our moves!).
The phase 2 form actually challenged me a bit with all the mayhem, and the dragon form totally stumped me for a while (not least because gliding without Tulin suuuuuuucks - I was so distracted by that). Would have liked to see Zelda have a bit more agency though (I'd always loved that about this game series - she's pretty strong usually). Basically being a glorified airlift was a little sad for her - even just her sending light balls in the background to distract him would have been something.
But still, was really good.
But I loved the animation and styling in particular, and the interactive cut scenes (this game had me right from the start when we got to interact in the opening sequence). It was surprisingly moving, and really well done. And a big shout out to the score team, the music was pretty darn on point and a fantastic augment to the whole thing.
I'm also so glad Link never spoke. That was an excellent call.
I'd been holding off on finishing the game for a bunch of reasons, though mainly out of worry my ADHD brain would lose interest and never finish all the other stuff (I also find it jarring to go through a big bad battle and ending only to have everything go back to the moment right before the battle effectively). But this was so well done. I'm really glad I did it finally. Had just finished the bubblefrogs and wells (hilariously by accident with the last two, which was delightful) and then got the urge to see where it was all heading (plus also get the final compendium snaps as well as the completion statistic on the map). I needed a change of pace.
But yeah, very much enjoyed the ending to the game. Didn't feel anticlimactic at all (which happens far too often, for me anyway). It was nice to be challenged, even if the general format and patterns were age old time tested, they made them challenging enough to spot and actuate (at least for me). Once I got into a rhythm, the whole thing was pretty cathartic and just a pleasure to play through.Wonderful way to end the weekend