I like games where I know what to do, but I have many ways to do it.
So for instance, say you were in this situation:
You are in a hallway and there are doors, A or B. Which would you take?
Now, say you chose door A, you go inside the room and you find 2 MORE doors, A1 and A2.
Would you proceed in either A1 or A2, OR would you prefer to go back to door B?
I tend to backtrack, so I'll glance inside door B before I make my decision.
So in otherwords, the feeling of being lost is something I dislike. Like I said before, knowing what to do, and given the choice on how to do it is satisfying for me. Being lost just makes me feel frustrated and turns me off from games.
So my next point is Zelda. My worst memories are from Link's Awakening. It took me several years for someone to point out to me HOW to get the key to the first dungeon. (I did not know about gamefaqs back then)
Of course Zelda is really a hybrid game that blends in exploring, fighting and puzzle solving... but I'll include it here just for kicks.
You are given vague clues and the puzzles, riddles can be maddening. Looking at gamefaqs does the job, but I feel cheated. Eventually, it gets to the point where it is like work; someone tells you to do something and you do it.
So while I do like the theme of Link, with the wonderful characters, beautiful graphics, deep music, the gameplay leaves me frustrated and angry.
Now on the other hand, the recent Metroid games have been a wonderful experience. Metroid Prime was all about exploration and discovering things. However, it gave you hints, which was a smart move by Nintendo. It has the same aspects as Zelda, as in good graphics, music and overall atmosphere, but the worlds, despite being massive was much more easier to navigate.
In Metroid Fusion, you had objectives and along the way, you found new things. Though it was short, I felt satisfied at the end. The only trouble I had was with some bosses, not the game itself, which was a relief.
So, I just made this because I find there are many Zelda fans, but I'm wondering if anyone feels frustrated by the complexity of the puzzles, or happens to enjoy them... Just say something.
Ya sure the puzzels are complex but everyone in a while you will egt that easy move thsi block here and then push this one out of the way puzzle... Some can be amddenly frusterating but that seems to make me WANT to figure it out because when I do i ether kick myself for not figureing it out sooner or I am very proud that I figured it out.
It varies, what I do...
I guess usually, if I went into door A, and found 2 other doors, i would quickly check door B, and see which one i felt like going into...
All I have to say...
All the Resident Evil games go by this prophecy. You find one key to open a door, and once you open it, you need to get gems to get through an area. Sure there are the occasional notes that tell you were to get these items, but DAMN, you have to do an assload of backtracking.