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I love pretty much everything about the Gerudo in Breath of the Wild

Neiteio

Member
I love Zelda in this game, the character design is top notch. I didn't think the VO for her was bad at all either but then
I'll admit that I'm not a native english speaker, so that might be why.
Only line delivery I don't like by Zelda is the whole "Link! You are our only HOPE!" She really hams it up there. But other than that, her VA is pretty much uniformly excellent. And even the line I critiqued is kind of appealing in a hokey "take me back to the '80s" sort of way.
 
^ I thought the Wii U experience was perfectly fine and that's going off the pre patch days.

Nintendo's on a role with top-notch owl designs lately, between Kaneli in BotW, Skowl in Tropical Freeze, and the Decidueye line in Pokemon Sun/Moon.

Also, I think I'm going to slowly transform this thread into an elaborate excuse to share more screenshots.

(I should probably focus on finishing stories for deadline, tho.)
Truly I am pleased with these recent events.

We did have a screenshot thread, it's probably buried in the depths of gaming side somewhere.
 

Iksenpets

Banned
Still bugs me that link doesn't get to keep using the snap and they just tag it on to charge attacks.

Yeah, definitely. I also wish there was a giant sign saying "hey go do the desert first so you can spend the rest of the game doing a cool lightning move" somewhere. I did Vah Naboris last and had way too little game left to play with that move.
 

PillarEN

Member
Yeah, definitely. I also wish there was a giant sign saying "hey go do the desert first so you can spend the rest of the game doing a cool lightning move" somewhere. I did Vah Naboris last and had way too little game left to play with that move.

I find it to be useful for quickly disposing of any Lynels. Depending on if you are into upgrading armor, that makes things easier. Well at least in my case there were many upgrades I worked on after taking down the 4 divine beasts.
 
Zelda is fun to screen-cap. Great range of expression. Also, forget the haters, I loved her voice acting. Here are some shots I took:


I would've really liked to play as Zelda, but her melancholy character arc worked well.

My only complaint with her voice acting really goes to the crying scene. In the game it looks pretty powerful, the voice acting just didn't meet the actions on the screen. She just slightly sobs.
 

Neiteio

Member
Check out these two screens I took. I call them: "CYBERPUNK."

botw-cyberpunk01bes58.jpg

botw-cyberpunk02wwsd2.jpg


Looked even cooler in motion!
 

Neiteio

Member
Some more shots I took.

You can practically hear the Benny Hill theme in the first shot. The second shot is straight-up Castlevania:


botw-enemies01vpuhi.jpg

botw-enemies02equwk.jpg



I love the female Zora designs. So sleek! Also, the shader adds a hand-drawn quality that really makes them pop:


botw-fishy03fouqh.jpg

botw-fishy0257uu6.jpg



Another favorite design: Chio, the Korok Elder!


botw-korokchio01y9ss5.jpg
 
I went to the Gerudo region first (well, I went southeast first, then to the Gerudo) and honestly, it set the bar way too high. .


Same. Went there before even finding Kakariko village, it created a monster that every major city would be like this..And they weren't. A disappointment for sure.
Still love the game though.
 

Htown

STOP SHITTING ON MY MOTHER'S HEADSTONE
Yeah, the whole Gerudo area was fantastic and well thought out. Shockingly so, in fact.
 

Mega

Banned
The Gerudo and Zora parts of the game are so good. They make the Goron and Rito portions feel underbaked. The Rito section is especially weak and has the shortest, least personal interaction with the resident assist character. Weird how uneven it is.

Anyone else notice that, same as Link, Revali and Mipha are very short for their race?
 

Htown

STOP SHITTING ON MY MOTHER'S HEADSTONE
The Gerudo and Zora parts of the game are so good. They make the Goron and Rito portions feel underbaked. The Rito section is especially weak and has the shortest, least personal interaction with the resident assist character. Weird how uneven it is.

I thought the Goron area was okay, but I was super disappointed with Rito village. There just wasn't much there.

Gerudo>>Zora>>Goron>>>>>>>Rito
 

PillarEN

Member
The Gerudo and Zora parts of the game are so good. They make the Goron and Rito portions feel underbaked. The Rito section is especially weak and has the shortest, least personal interaction with the resident assist character. Weird how uneven it is.

Anyone else notice that, same as Link, Revali and Mipha are very short for their race?

In my heart the true assist character of Rito is
Kass
Especially after you clear all
his shrines and comes back home to Rito

Lol. He looks so goofy here. Like he's chocking on a cow.
 
Neiteio's back! Sav'aaq!

I wasn't expecting to like the Gerudo area all that much (I have a strange bias against desert environments in games), but it was executed so well. The quest to enter the town was surprising and interesting, and the town itself is very layered and detailed. Kara Kara Bazaar is also a chill hangout spot. Maybe not my absolute favorite area, but way better than I was expecting.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
Tiny bit spoilery pics - perhaps you could put a quick warning in the opening post?

I liked the area generally, and it has some nice touches (I spent a lot of time wondering about the northern ice house but it paid off in the end)

However it did frustrate a little because so many of the small details pay off, so when they don't it jars. For example
- the 'no poultry' comment. Ok I have some poultry..no? How about cooked..no? I'll make it into a dish..no? Throw it on the floor? Big bit? Small bit? Aargh!?
- the
cookery school
. The text even changes colour making you think 'ah!' And then nothing.

Both I spent a good amount of time on before giving up
 

Neiteio

Member
The Rito more than justify their existence in four different ways:

1) Kass is possibly the best NPC. Also now a Boss Doggie avatar, last I checked.

2) Revali is so deliciously smug, and gives me an excuse to yell out "FALCO!"

3) The Rito kids are so cute that I should sue Nintendo for nearly killing me with toxic levels of sweetness.

4) Their village elder is an owl with a braided beard in a rocking chair.
 
Best region

Best champion

Best dungeon

Best pre-dungeon mission

Best girl Riju (though Sidon is still the best partner)

Best abs

Best music

Gerudo wins.
 

PillarEN

Member
Tiny bit spoilery pics -
However it did frustrate a little because so many of the small details pay off, so when they don't it jars. For example
- the 'no poultry' comment. Ok I have some poultry..no? How about cooked..no? I'll make it into a dish..no? Throw it on the floor? Big bit? Small bit? Aargh!?

This is the same story for that one couple and then a duo of women out and about in hyrule. "We're out here getting attacked by bokoblins because we are looking for X" Oh ok great. Let me give you some. No? Let me drop it. No? OK suit yourselves but don't expect me to rescue you for the fifth time.
 
Great thread. I loved the diversity of races and colors in BoTW. Just out exploring areas and seeing other travelers and NPCs that are brown or dark skinned was really surprising and awesome. Not that it needed it but BoTW really put a bullet in that idea that having diverse races and skin tones somehow kills the 'believeability' of medieval fantasy games thats been going around lately.
 

Mega

Banned
I thought the Goron area was okay, but I was super disappointed with Rito village. There just wasn't much there.

Gerudo>>Zora>>Goron>>>>>>>Rito

Problem with the Goron city is that it's a pretty unremarkable and tiny village. In OOT, it was an ambitious and atmospheric city of tunnels. It's like they regressed... and only them. How is Kakariko so much bigger and cooler when it's near the Calamity that supposedly wrecked Hyrule? Heck, I think Hateno is better too and that's supposed to be a rural town out in the sticks.

In my heart the true assist character of Rito is
Kass
Especially after you clear all
his shrines and comes back home to Rito

I generally liked the helpers, most of all Sidon and Riju. I can't remember the white bird's name which says it all. But I think the bigger issue is that I didn't care much for the champions which goes back to BOTW's story elements being on the weak side and underdeveloped. The supporting characters should have been the new champions.

Great thread. I loved the diversity of races and colors in BoTW. Just out exploring areas and seeing other travelers and NPCs that are brown or dark skinned was really surprising and awesome. Not that it needed it but BoTW really put a bullet in that idea that having diverse races and skin tones somehow kills the 'believeability' of medieval fantasy games thats been going around lately.

I agree. You just do it without bringing awkward attention to it, keep the game moving along and it just works.
 

Neiteio

Member
Goron City actually has a bit more going on than I realized at first. The mountains have a neat Mount Rushmore of sorts. Even though there's one cutscene (the lead-in to the Daruk flashback) that draws your attention to them, I didn't realize their full extent until I climbed up there and started poking around.

For example, one sculpture's arm is a support for the iron bridge! The scale is amazing. You can't even see it all at once when you're in the city itself!

 
God, I've missed your threads.

Glad you enjoyed BotW and glad to have you back on GAF. :)

The Gerudo are indeed awesome. Their entire region was my favorite part of the game.
 
Could be, it's anyone's guess. The only sea Zoras we see in 3D Zeldas are the MM ones I think.

Every Zora that is blue etc is a Sea Zora. River Zoras are the green ones that attack

Goron City actually has a bit more going on than I realized at first. The mountains have a neat Mount Rushmore of sorts. Even though there's one cutscene (the lead-in to the Daruk flashback) that draws your attention to them, I didn't realize their full extent until I climbed up there and started poking around.

For example, one sculpture's arm is a support for the iron bridge! The scale is amazing. You can't even see it all at once when you're in the city itself!

I love how one of the sculptures is Darunia and (little) Link
 
Another reason I don't like them is because they won't let men into the town. Other than the gorons I guess.

Come on now.

If it were the other way around, you guys would be losing your shit.

Although I don't really get it. They are humans and can reproduce with humans? Like the most human like race of hyrule? They definitely don't look like the same species. So what's the deal?
 

Neiteio

Member
Although I don't really get it. They are humans and can reproduce with humans? Like the most human like race of hyrule? They definitely don't look like the same species. So what's the deal?
It would appear that Gerudo women still need men to reproduce, so they seek out husbands. Apparently this can include Gorons and Zoras — one wandering Gerudo you meet on the roads in Hyrule says she doesn't care if her true love has gills, etc. (I suppose she could just be looking for true love rather than to start a family. Not that those two concepts can't be one and the same, of course.)

It might simply be the case that any humanoid race in Hyrule can have kids together. Whatever the case, OoT established that there's only one male Gerudo born every 100 years (if that), so the Gerudo would face extinction if not for procreating with other races.

The Zelda games, being fantasy, don't really have to bind themselves to the same biological realities we face. What I appreciate is the humanizing element they have by focusing on the intelligent soul shared by all of these species/races. It doesn't matter what they look like, because they all think and feel the same. It's a lesson the whole world would benefit by learning now.

To circle back to your other concern, about how we'd react if the shoe were on the other foot and it was a male-only town and women weren't allowed:

It's hard to say how that would appear without the proper context. But Gerudo Town is refreshing, in part, because women still struggle for equality alongside men in the workplace, in our own hobby — all sorts of contexts. So it's encouraging to see the power dynamic shifted in this way.

Also, there's a potential story justification in how the Gerudo marry and reproduce in other lands — meaning they might be assimilated into other cultures and lose their own culture. Having a town that raises Gerudo (which are all female) while they're young, and without male interference ensures that the culture is taught and preserved, and then passed on when a Gerudo woman has her child and presumably takes them back to Gerudo Town to repeat the cycle.

I think it also feels OK because the Gerudo women don't have any problem with men. They're merely honoring a tradition. It's nothing personal, and I'm sure they'd help out if, say, a man passed out from heat exhaustion at their gate. Riju and the other Gerudo all seem like good-hearted people. :)
 

PillarEN

Member
It would appear that Gerudo women still need men to reproduce, so they seek out husbands. Apparently this can include Gorons and Zoras — one wandering Gerudo you meet on the roads in Hyrule says she doesn't care if her true love has gills, etc. (I suppose she could just be looking for true love rather than to start a family. Not that those two concepts can't be one and the same, of course.)

It might simply be the case that any humanoid race in Hyrule can have kids together. Whatever the case, OoT established that there's only one male Gerudo born every 100 years (if that), so the Gerudo would face extinction if not for procreating with other races.

The Zelda games, being fantasy, don't really have to bind themselves to the same biological realities we face. What I appreciate is the humanizing element they have by focusing on the intelligent soul shared by all of these species/races. It doesn't matter what they look like, because they all think and feel the same. It's a lesson the whole world would benefit by learning now.

To circle back to your other concern, about how we'd react if the shoe were on the other foot and it was a male-only town and women weren't allowed:

It's hard to say how that would appear without the proper context. But Gerudo Town is refreshing, in part, because women still struggle for equality alongside men in the workplace, in our own hobby — all sorts of contexts. So it's encouraging to see the power dynamic shifted in this way.

Also, there's a potential story justification in how the Gerudo marry and reproduce in other lands — meaning they might be assimilated into other cultures and lose their own culture. Having a town that raises Gerudo (which are all female) while they're young, and without male interference ensures that the culture is taught and preserved, and then passed on when a Gerudo woman has her child and presumably takes them back to Gerudo Town to repeat the cycle.

I think it also feels OK because the Gerudo women don't have any problem with men. They're merely honoring a tradition. It's nothing personal, and I'm sure they'd help out if, say, a man passed out from heat exhaustion at their gate. Riju and the other Gerudo all seem like good-hearted people. :)

Oh sure. They'd help. Only outside though. Give him a special alcoholic beverage and then tell him to beat it back to the bazaar.
 

Ogodei

Member
One of my favorite little interactions is when you tell a guard that you are a Gerudo and the guard gets mad because you don't have the right hair color, you are short and most importantly "She barely see your abs" lol

My favorite interaction was the one with the elder Gerudo sitting next to the Hylia statue that instantly recognize that you are a Voe (men), muses about the younger generation no longer caring for things like the old gods and also tells you her own backstory in which
she tells you how she was quite the looker when she was young but lost her chance to marry because she had the notion that her true love was in an specific place that she couldn't find but instead of getting all sad about it she tells you that she has long stopped being sad herself because she managed to chase her dreams.

It was really cute and made me think about.

The funny part of her story is that it's a place that actually exists in the game.
It's a little heart-shaped pond north of Lurelin Village, and you find a Hylian man along with a Gerudo up there, and he asks you to give Blue Nightshade to her as his way of confessing.
 

Neiteio

Member
Oh sure. They'd help. Only outside though. Give him a special alcoholic beverage and then tell him to beat it back to the bazaar.
Ha, well the bazaar is only like a two-minute walk away, and has an oasis, nice hotel, etc, and a road leading back to Hyrule. Not so bad!
 

ghibli99

Member
I really loved all the regions and their inhabitants (Gorons always make me smile!), but yeah, Gerudo in this game was a total standout. Loved the area, people, quests. The fact that it takes a long time to reach each of the towns makes them that much more memorable and special.
 

Neiteio

Member
I really loved all the regions and their inhabitants (Gorons always make me smile!), but yeah, Gerudo in this game was a total standout. Loved the area, people, quests. The fact that it takes a long time to reach each of the towns makes them that much more memorable and special.
Remember when we used to worry this game wouldn't have towns and NPCs? Hohoho, good times!
 
Zelda is fun to screen-cap. Great range of expression. Also, forget the haters, I loved her voice acting. Here are some shots I took:


I would've really liked to play as Zelda, but her melancholy character arc worked well.

Her voice acting was terrible. Its like Nintendo just went with a random british woman off the streets to voice Zelda. Surely the UK has better voice acting talent than her....
 
Her voice acting was terrible. Its like Nintendo just went with a random british woman off the streets to voice Zelda. Surely the UK has better voice acting talent than her....
I wouldn't say It's terrible. It's just inconsistent.

Some areas she's good, others are awkward. Think better direction would've helped.
 
Urbosa is perfection.

https://abload.de/img/c6ar1w7u0aa9iraduqtd.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]https://abload.de/img/1488255233190tkpf2.jpg[IMG][/QUOTE]

When you beat the respective dungeon I [B][I]loved [/I][/B]her line(s) that went something like [SPOILER]"It is said that Ganon once took the form of a Gerudo. I like that. It makes this feel personal." It was a really subtle but very effective form of characterization for her. From that line it instantly became clear she was the stern-faced professional of all four Champions, also kind of hinted at that being the way that Gerudo warriors are (feel nothing, make nothing personal). Her personal decision to MAKE it personal because Ganon was once Gerudo is both a nice callback to OoT as well as a nice wrinkle for her character. It is also understandable, imagine you being a Gerudo and learning that the last man born in your tribe (which is a big fucking deal considering there's only one every 100 years) turns out to be the most evil asshole the continent has ever seen.[/SPOILER]

The writing in BOTW can be surprisingly brilliant, I just wish it weren't so sparse :(
 
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