So, here's something that's bothered me since BotW and didn't change at all in TotK but also I have no idea where literally anyone else will stand on this issue:

To me, one of the key elements of Zelda has always been music. Not "the music," like the soundtrack (tho the soundtrack is usually great, let's be honest), but music, the concept, the thing. All the way back to the very first game, music has been a mechanic. Digdogger dislikes certain kinds of sounds. Play the flute to warp. It's KEY to what makes Zelda a series. Twilight Princess has you fuckin harmonizing your wolf awoos for gods sake. Even Skyward Sword, arguably the first overt canon reboot which had its eyes on a lot of other things than previous games, let Fi sing.

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom have nothing. There's no music mechanic whatsoever. There's hardly any music, either, but I honestly fucking love the minimalist piano work and especially in TotK the new motifs and sounds for different areas and events are really really good and cool. But all we have is you can whistle for your horse and if your horse is within 15 feet it'll come to you. At least in Twilight Princess Epona would come from WHEREVER she was when you whistled. Sure, it makes more sense that your horse needs to be close, but it's less magical. Music has always been powerful and magical in Zelda, it carried you through time, controlled the elements, made the sun rise, carried forgotten truths from the gods themselves.

Now there's nothing.

These are the kinds of things I mean when I say these are great open world games, but kinda awful Zelda games.

@coriander i think after they gave toon link a pan flute in spirit tracks they realized they were never going to top that and sort of gave up