@Noqanky:
there's a lot in here where I'm uncomfortable responding in that to me it seems like assumptions of what BotW is GOING to be, as opposed to what it might actually wind up being.
I think I'll go ahead and shelf this particular discussion until we can all experience BotW and have more concrete examples of what that game really is about.
On Wind Waker though, that game is VERY much about sea exploration, notably so considering the particularly weak dungeons. I also heavily disagree with enemy encounters on the sea being once in a blue moon, since I can think of multiple times where the golden path is drawn with giant squid and enemy boats with cannons being strategically placed in between. Not to mention, like you say, segments in the game where further exploration is essentially required.
Also, all that enemy variance exists in Wind Waker, where you have enemy weapons you can grab, enemies with breakable armor, breakable environments and other environmental hazards, small and large enemies attacking at the same time, parries being essential to combat, etc.
But again, to really make a comparison I want to see just how filled with enemies is the overworld in BotW, and what sort of golden path that game has.
I understand that I'm assuming when it comes how much of a focus the overworld is going to be, but honestly, what expectation is Nintendo supposed to leave me with given how they've shown off this game so far? There's a reason why we're questioning whether or not there's freaking overworld music lol.
I didn't give Wind Waker fair acknowledgement in terms of the sea exploration. But it's still very much about getting to and exploring the islands than sailing on the sea overworld being the main focus and fleshed out experience. Just look at the mechanics of the ship and how you can only set sail, salvage, launch bombs, launch arrows, or lay out bait, and compare that with how you have to gather ingredients to make your own food, being able to pick up and keep any weapons you get from defeated foes, find and alter your attire, being able to literally freeze large bodies of water, ride wild mustangs being all over the place, go rock climbing, chopping trees, etc. Not even any of the previous Hyrule Fields were full of resources and versatility like that. Sea travel's always fun to get back into after beating a dungeon, but you're bound to get seasick after a few hours of just literally being at sea and briefly stopping at islands for fetch quests. It's getting to and exploring the islands themselves that really provide enriching experiences and keep sea travel from seeming too stagnant.
In Breath of the Wild, there seems to always be something varied and new to try doing and exploring in the overworld, especially when it comes to revisiting areas. It seems to be making an overworld like the Great Sea or Hyrule Field THE place you want to spend your time in getting gratification, not just looking forward to getting to the checkpoints in the forms of dungeons, towns, and islands, which almost ironically seem like side stuff this time around. The overworld experience is emphasized more than ever in this game, which suits how free-ranged it keeps being marketed to be compared to how linear Zelda games often are on a practical level despite the wide over worlds they can have.
But are the situations all that varied though? Enemy variability is in every game, but I was moreso trying to get at the factor of spacious geography playing much or of a role now than ever in this game. You can grab weapons in Wind Waker, but you can't carry them outside of a room. Conflict tends to happen on a flat plane than having to deal with slopes and platforms where high and low grounds give advantages, as well as places to take cover. A lot of the battles are really contained in the likes of Wind Waker, which is why musical undertones like in that game suit how intimate and suspenseful up-close battles are. Enemies are obviously more intimidating when you have to stare them down in a closed or narrow space all of the time. But in Breath of the Wild, you're literally going to be running all over the place to get to other enemies, hide, replace your weapons, plan, climb platforms, etc. Frantic music definitely suits that.
If the Blood Moon's a thing, then I trust there's going to be a lot of littered enemies. But that's just an assumption, I could be very wrong. All I really have to go off of is how western RPG-esque this game looks. And I'm not sure whether or not I can look forward to a golden path in this game since most of it pretty much seems like a golden path already lol. I didn't mind it at all in Wind Waker because it gave me incentive to explore and provided a nice balance with following the linear story. But all of the free-ranged constant exploration can ironically cause fatigue and turn me off.