Ordeal of the Sword

The Master Trials DLC adds "more" content to Breath of the Wild, but not good content.

Its titular feature is the Trial of the Sword sidequest: a three-part series of combat-oriented challenges. Like the main game's Eventide Island, these challenges strip you of all items and equipment -- so, on top of needing to scavenge for weapons and food, enemy attacks deal a shit-ton of damage.

And, each of the three parts is a sequence of rooms where - if you die in the middle - you'll need to restart the whole sequence. Ugh.

The reward for finishing this quest is a powered-up Master Sword, ... when it wasn't already powered-up. Meaning, while it normally deals 30 damage and is increased to 60 against Guardians, this reward will have it deal 60 damage all the time. Which would be pretty cool except it can still break, so even with its "true" power, the Master Sword is no substitute for a stockpile of other good swords.

Given that, the real reward for this sidequest is the challenge of it, I guess. With no narrative motivation, and given the high penalty for death, I lost interest in that challenge pretty quickly.

Other than the Trial of the Sword, this DLC doesn't do anything particularly praiseworthy. There's a new teleportation rune, for setting your own fast-travel location, which is neat?

There are a few new chests scattered around the world, with throwback gear like a Majora's Mask helmet or Tingle's outfit. Following the riddles to these chests was kinda fun, but the equipment is weak and un-upgradeable; their only function seems to be cluttering up the inventory menu.

And there's a hard mode now. Sure, okay.

The Trials of the Sword quest, and the hard mode, might be meaningful for a player who really specifically enjoyed Breath of the Wild's combat, and got bored of farming Lynels. But that seems like a pretty small niche to me. Otherwise, I don't think anything in this DLC installment is worthwhile.

Better than: I don't have a good comparison, as I tend not to review story-less DLC.
Not as good as: real downloadable content.
At least The Master Trials isn't sold separately: it just comes as a "bonus" alongside The Champions' Ballad.

Progress: did the first part of Trial of the Sword, and collected the shiny armors.