Just thought about it. I haven't finished the main quest/plot, so I cannot be sure and I won't spoil any detail here. I cannot judge how far I'm into the main plot but I did a ton of side quests and explored a lot, actually avoiding progress on the main line.
You are correct, a couple of times (4?) I encountered a situation where I needed a shout. Three categories:
1) Do the shout that everyone knows (no spoiler here: You get one 'for free' at the start of the game), to prove that you can. I consider this pointless. It's more like "Link, can you swing your sword". A press of a button, not 'changing the game' or 'necessary to advance' in a real sense. It's not that I bomb my way into a previously hidden cave, I have to shout someone in the face because the story requires it..
2) "I taught you this shout that you might never use again (for me, at least. I tend to use just the first/basic one and even that's rare), show me that you understand its use" (twice?). Again, this is not used to overcome anything, it's just part of the narrative, to show your character's understanding, part of the 'being taught' play. Doesn't qualify.
3) "This impassable area can only be accessed with a specific shout that you get right at the entrance and that is useless everywhere else" (again, from my experience so far). This is - a key. Not a tool. A key that you only get after a couple of quests and that requires you to press Z (or whatever button on the console of your choice) a couple times to pass the 'door' area. Once, so far for me. Maybe I need to return in the future and use it again. Still a key in my book.
You are correct, a couple of times (4?) I encountered a situation where I needed a shout. Three categories:
1) Do the shout that everyone knows (no spoiler here: You get one 'for free' at the start of the game), to prove that you can. I consider this pointless. It's more like "Link, can you swing your sword". A press of a button, not 'changing the game' or 'necessary to advance' in a real sense. It's not that I bomb my way into a previously hidden cave, I have to shout someone in the face because the story requires it..
2) "I taught you this shout that you might never use again (for me, at least. I tend to use just the first/basic one and even that's rare), show me that you understand its use" (twice?). Again, this is not used to overcome anything, it's just part of the narrative, to show your character's understanding, part of the 'being taught' play. Doesn't qualify.
3) "This impassable area can only be accessed with a specific shout that you get right at the entrance and that is useless everywhere else" (again, from my experience so far). This is - a key. Not a tool. A key that you only get after a couple of quests and that requires you to press Z (or whatever button on the console of your choice) a couple times to pass the 'door' area. Once, so far for me. Maybe I need to return in the future and use it again. Still a key in my book.