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[Mega]

Remember when we used to worry this game wouldn't have towns and NPCs? Hohoho, good times!

I still want this game. After the first trailer I suspected BOTW was literally Zelda 1.

Nintendo could use the same engine and in a few years create a smaller, more tightly focused NES remake that's all about dungeons, scattered NPCs and a Metroid Prime-like lonely, dangerous post-OOT Hyrule in Decline. It would be BOTW's Majora's Mask!

This idea could also work with a prettier HD version of the ALBW engine.

 

[Bronetta]

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.

Shes been terrible so far. I cringe everytime I hear her voice and neither can I take her messages with a sense of urgency when she cant even sell me on it.

Every line is the same high pitched out of breath mumbling. No nuance and no range.


Just one small blemish in an otherwise immaculate experience.

 

[Neiteio]

It's a pretty cool testament to BotW's epic scale that it can feel so vast and uninhabited at times, just breathtaking wilderness for miles... but at the same time, the game as a whole probably packs more named NPCs than any Zelda game in history. I love it!

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.

Hey man, nice to see you too! I see you're no longer rocking the Little Mac avatar. Maybe when Smash Switch rolls around?

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Hey man, nice to see you too! I see you're no longer rocking the Little Mac avatar. Maybe when Smash Switch rolls around?

Yeah, Mac is due to return soon. I've missed that avatar.

I'm hoping for a secret Little Mac appearance in ARMS!

 

[Neiteio]

Yeah, Mac is due to return soon. I've missed that avatar.

I'm hoping for a secret Little Mac appearance in ARMS!

Don't mention ARMS in here, or I might dissolve into a bubbling puddle of HYPE. This is not the time or the place!

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Don't mention ARMS in here, or I might dissolve into a bubbling puddle of HYPE. This is not the time or the place!

haha yeah I'm excited too! Back to Zelda!

 

[Mega]

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.)

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.

There's no sign of interspecies reproduction anywhere in the game, eg. cross-breed races.

It's also implied in various interactions that the women-only rule in Gerudo is stupid, inconsistent, inconvenient and hypocritical. The Gorons think it makes no sense. There's a store selling men's clothing in secret (indicating demand and other men roaming in secret). Some women seem bothered that they have to travel afar to find a male lover. They're awkward as hell and take courses to learn how to interact normally with the estranged sex (messed up in my opinion). A number of the residents don't care you're a man wandering around town, even going all the way to the top of the leadership... but they insist you remain concealed because of the supposed public outrage it would cause.

So why the rule? Dumb tradition and avoidance of perceived controversy. In two cases of Gerudo women meeting foreign Hylian lovers, the women seem to settle almost unhappily with less than ideal lovers... as if they're fed up from searching abroad for so long. Imagine if they had more prospects closer to home. And if they're worried about intrusiveness, they seem entirely unbothered by a nosy gossip reporter all in their personal business around town.

I think it's made abundantly clear that they would be better off not having this rule and instead welcoming men into their region and city.

 

[Dalek]

Great Game or Greatest Game?

 

[Deleted member 1235]

i played 20 hours of zelda on vacation and im waiting on delivery of my switch. its beyond crazy how good the game is. the scope is mind boggling

 

[Sword Of Doom]

Your sceeenshots reminded me that I have barely touched the surface of that area and I'm 100hrs in at this point.

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.

I think all of the voice acting I've heard is pretty much terrible

 

[Elfteiroh]

Gerudo is the best region for me too. Second beast I did, and that's because I kept seeing Gerudo women wallking everywhere and I was always reminded how much I liked tall women. I ended up just saying: "Ok, that's enough, I'm going there"... Two weeks later, I found the desert, after having explored that surprise jungle...

... But really, I loved interacting with them. A town full of women was... full of nostalgia for my school days, when I was the only guy of my Art studies. And later the only guy in my Literature studies...

Also, that Gerudo male armor is awesome, and I find sad that the female version is so bad, because it looks very good on Link.

 

[Wagram]

It was easily my favorite region in the game. It actually had somewhat of a story buildup, and traversing the region was fun. Shame I did it first, because every other region was a step back.

 

[Mr-Joker]

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

Spoiler

I'll admit that I'm not a native english speaker, so that might be why.

Unlike Zelda voice actress, I am a native British speaker and I assure you that she is terrible and ruins the serous moment of the game.

Nintendo didn't hire her because she was talented, they hired her because she was cheap and as a result the cut scenes are a pain to watch.

Remember when we used to worry this game wouldn't have towns and NPCs? Hohoho, good times!

Too bad dungeon sucks though.

 

[Neiteio]

There's no sign of interspecies reproduction anywhere in the game, eg. cross-breed races.

It's also implied in various interactions that the women-only rule in Gerudo is stupid, inconsistent, inconvenient and hypocritical. The Gorons think it makes no sense. There's a store selling men's clothing in secret (indicating demand and other men roaming in secret). Some women seem bothered that they have to travel afar to find a male lover. They're awkward as hell and take courses to learn how to interact normally with the estranged sex (messed up in my opinion). A number of the residents don't care you're a man wandering around town, even going all the way to the top of the leadership... but they insist you remain concealed because of the supposed public outrage it would cause.

So why the rule? Dumb tradition and avoidance of perceived controversy. In two cases of Gerudo women meeting foreign Hylian lovers, the women seem to settle almost unhappily with less than ideal lovers... as if they're fed up from searching abroad for so long. Imagine if they had more prospects closer to home. And if they're worried about intrusiveness, they seem entirely unbothered by a nosy gossip reporter all in their personal business around town.

I think it's made abundantly clear that they would be better off not having this rule and instead welcoming men into their region and city.

To be clear, I wasn't arguing for its merits. I was speculating as to the original rationale for the rule as a tradition. I noted in the OP that several Gerudo see right through Link's disguise and think nothing of it.

About cross-breeding, though, it's hard to say. We really only see one cross-species couple other than Hylian and Gerudo, and that would be Mipha and Link, which could've potentially ended in marriage since she was already preparing Zora Armor as a courtship gesture. This wouldn't be the first time the series flirted with fish-on-man romance, either, since OoT also had Ruto proposing to Link.

There's also no rule within the fantasy world of Zelda that any cross-breeds would have to have physical traits reflecting both the father and the mother. In fact, we see in the Gerudo that Gerudo daughters reflect their mother's appearance, full stop... although now that I think of it, non-Gerudo dads might explain why some Gerudo women have darker or lighter skin, pink hair, etc.

I guess at the end of the day we just don't know. More info needed!

 

[Cindi Mayweather]

Holy crap, a video game character I can finally cosplay in Urbosa.

 

[forrest]

Love the Gerudo, but the desert was my least favorite region.

 

[Morlas]

Btw I think there can only be one male Gerudo alive at one time, and since Ganon is still alive there can't be another male Gerudo.

 

[Crayolan]

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?

Maybe there is no concept of a "human" in Hyrule. Nothing explicitly stated Hylians can't reproduce with Zoras or Ritos.

I mean, Link was about to fuck a fish before he died.

 

[Acinixys]

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?

Sex with anything?

I call this the MASS EFFECT EFFECT

 

[jrush64]

Agree about the Gerudo, that was the last area I went to in the game. One of the best things about this game is that it oozes so much charm on every front.

 

[HeatBoost]

In hindsight, the western side of the map is much better in general, what with both the Gerudo and the Rito (whose village I love so bad, and would like to live there)

I mean, what does the eastern side of the map have? Tarrey Town? The Zoras who all hate you until you fix their damn problem? pshbltblbtlt. West side best side.

 

[Omega Kirby]

Best arc in the game. Absouletly great area.

In hindsight, the western side of the map is much better in general, what with both the Gerudo and the Rito (whose village I love so bad, and would like to live there)

Akkala mate, arguably the most beautiful region and tarrey town would be the best place to live. And the hot springs from the eldin region and minerals galore to make loads of rupees, eastern side is just as good

Unlike Zelda voice actress, I am a native British speaker and I assure you that she is terrible and ruins the serous moment of the game.





Too bad dungeon suck

Native british speaker too and I disagree. VA was decent, as were the divine beasts

 

[Neff]

They've definitely got the best Divine Beast, and the best series of events to get to it.

Also I'd probably date one of them.

 

[Neiteio]

After the Gerudo region, one of my favorite places is Faron and East Necluda — more precisely, where the steamy rainforests and sunny beaches begin to blend together. Lake Floria is LUSH:

Some beach shots showcasing different ground textures and lighting conditions, as well as the pirate watchtowers lifted straight out of Wind Waker:

Enemy encounters along the coast leading to Lurelin Village.

 

[Mega]

In hindsight, the western side of the map is much better in general, what with both the Gerudo and the Rito (whose village I love so bad, and would like to live there)

I mean, what does the eastern side of the map have? Tarrey Town? The Zoras who all hate you until you fix their damn problem? pshbltblbtlt. West side best side.

Only elderly Zora dislike Link.

East side has Kakariko, Hateno, Goron City, Zora City (the game's Rivendell!), Tarrey Town, Lurelin Village, Eventide Island, the Guardian battlefield. The West has a lot of snow, but not the best mountains (Death, Lanaryu, Hylia... edit: how could I forget Dueling Peaks!).

 

[NoHeDidn't]

Im just getting to Gerudo but so far I love the Gorons for some reason I wish they had way more dialog and story.

Oh my god and the Goron music on Death Mountain that 'three stooges sounding" one I freaking love.

 

[spekkeh]

Only elderly Zora dislike Link.

East side has Kakariko, Hateno, Goron City, Zora City (the game's Rivendell!), Tarrey Town, Lurelin Village, Eventide Island, the Guardian battlefield. The West has a lot of snow, but not the best mountains (Death, Lanaryu, Hylia).

Preach.

 

[Neiteio]

Speaking of Gorons, and by extension mountains (Eldin, Hebra):

And some Moblins — I love how easily you can fool (most of) the enemies when you use Kilton's masks:

And the Hinox — so cool seeing these guys make their 3D debut:


Hinox, featuring steed spoiler: https://abload.de/img/botw-lordhinox01pxytt.jpg

 

[Neiteio]

Btw I think there can only be one male Gerudo alive at one time, and since Ganon is still alive there can't be another male Gerudo.

This is actually a really neat concept, but was it ever established in the game that there can only ever be one male Gerudo in existence at a time? I thought OoT just said that one can only be born every 100 years. I could be fuzzy on the details, though.

 

[How About No]

After the Gerudo region, one of my favorite places is Faron and East Necluda — more precisely, where the steamy rainforests and sunny beaches begin to blend together. Lake Floria is LUSH:

...I need to buy a cheap Wii U just to play this game

 

[Kaban]

.

Uhhh, one of those pics is pretty spoilerific (referring to the steed). Just discovered that last night and would have hated to have that spoiled for me.

 

[Realeza]

Exploring the whole Gerudo area was one of my favorite experiences in the game. So many amazing exploration/puzzle loops.

 

[Geg]

In hindsight, the western side of the map is much better in general, what with both the Gerudo and the Rito (whose village I love so bad, and would like to live there)

I mean, what does the eastern side of the map have? Tarrey Town? The Zoras who all hate you until you fix their damn problem? pshbltblbtlt. West side best side.

I love the Akkala region.

 

[KahooTs]

I did not like the Yiga stuff much but thought the rest of the Gerudo map quarter was perfection.

It would have been a better overall game if it all had the degree of quest integration the Gerudo area had.

 

[Neiteio]

Uhhh, one of those pics is pretty spoilerific (referring to the steed). Just discovered that last night and would have hated to have that spoiled for me.

Ah, I see what you mean. I changed it to a link with a note that it's a Hinox pic containing a steed spoiler. Hopefully that's a good compromise. Thanks!

 

[Gattsu25]

Neiteio, you take amazing pictures. I haven't gotten that far but you've already sold me.

I started to play the Wii U version but put it down because I'll eventually get a Switch and will start over on that.

Now I just need to Switch stock situation to level out.

 

[Kaban]

Ah, I see what you mean. I changed it to a link with a note that it's a Hinox pic containing a steed spoiler. Hopefully that's a good compromise. Thanks!

Thanks, appreciate it!

 

[Cynosure]

recently found out that during the blood moon, the reflection isnt red

 

[The Boat]

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



I love how one of the sculptures is Darunia and (little) Link

Which is why I said 3D Zeldas.

 

[Neiteio]

Koroks!

 

[watershed]

Everything about the Gerudo and Gerudo desert is great in BOTW, but I wish there was more hustle and bustle in the market after you beat the divine beast. The main center looks too sparse.

 

[twothunder]

Some nice screenshots.
but... Yeah. I do really like the Gerudo and their town in Botw..
You already listed a lot of my reasons for that.

Everyone loves Riju, right? Just checking.

of course. Makeela Riju being my favorite Botw character

Oh, and I mentioned Riju. I just adore this character. Once you complete Divine Beast Vah Naboris, she tasks you with helping her people. In exchange, you'll earn the privilege to borrow the Thunder Helm. And once you have the Thunder Helm, she begins a Majora’s Mask-like routine, moving around her palace with different stops (and dialogue!) at different times of the day. Many NPCs do this, to some degree, but it seems especially detailed with Riju. She’ll go to her diary, pray at her mother’s shrine, sleep in her bed dreaming about her mother, and visit the pavilion in Patricia’s pen. Her diary also updates in time, with some vulnerable reflection as she doubts her ability to lead.

She’s just a lovable character with a fabulous design. Here’s hoping we’ll see her more in the future, be it the story content in DLC Pack #2, or even a spinoff appearance in a potential Hyrule Warriors 2. Imagine her racing across the battlefield with her sand seal!

Just seeing her do her rounds and playing with her plushies was cute to see.
The gerudo chief only showing her more childish and insecure side away from others and in her diary.
Speaking of that. it was nice to see that they gave her a diary to show more of her thoughts , past and personality.
the sadness of losing her mom and feeling that she will never live up to her mom and urbosa and slowly overcoming it.

quite a few players will probably miss that though is they immediately leave

 

[Neiteio]

Cottla is so precious. (Yes, I know the bittersweet context.)

But is anything more precious... than this:

I just... I just can't

IT'S TOO CUTE

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

I'm ready to meet a Gerudo at Love Pond tho

 

[Dryk]

The addition of more skin tones and hair-styles really enforces their whole "travel to find a husband shtick" which I really like. You get a real sense that the shared culture and gender is what binds the Gerudo together more than race.

 

[RagManX]

Just hit this part of the game today. Less than 2 hours in the desert so far, but you've got me looking forward to exploring it now. Thanks!

 

[sanstesy]

Good game!

 

[Weltall Zero]

Beautiful thread Neiteio, just beautiful. I played on the Wii U which makes it pretty annoying to take screenshots so I appreciate all the beautiful pics. You commented on two things I love about BotW, and that is having children of all races, and the Gerudo in general and Riju particularly. It was the first of the four main zones / divine beasts I did, so my impression was even stronger for that. Just a 11/10 all around, the beautiful town, the insanely varied NPC models, everything. Besides Riju and Urbosa, I also loved Buliara, Riju's bodyguard.

Also your collection of pics made me realize something I hadn't before: all of BotW's Gerudo have green eyes. This is interesting as Gerudo in OOT had golden eyes, including Nabooru and Ganondorf, but also because all seem to have the exact same shade of green, even when there is so much variety in everything else, so one wonders if there's something significant about that.

Speaking of variety, your pics also show that many (but not all) of the Gerudo have lips in a shade of green (and in this case there is quite a lot of variety). Perhaps the non-green ones use lipstick (wouldn't be surprising that they adopted it from other cultures). In particular, it seems that Riju and Urbosa seem to have the exact same shade of lip color, a dark turquoise green/blue, and nobody else that I can see in your pics seems to have that color. As far as I can remember it's never hinted that Riju and Urbosa are relatives, right?

 

[Bagu]

But is anything more precious... than this:

The Gerudo are great, as is everyone else, but the best thing here is how they were able to give Link some personality with such simple dialog options.

Those yes and no options already give Wild!Link more character than Twilight!Link or any of the 2D ones.

 

[Dmax3901]

Fantastic OP, great shots and well-written too!

I loved the Gerudo Desert best too, I went there after the Zora region and took the winding road through the canyons. Coming across the stable, then out into the open vastness of the desert, the Bazaar and finally Gerudo Town itself. Magnificent. It definitely felt the most realised of all the towns. And the quests felt better too.

There were Gerudo Pirates in MM's Great Bay.

Interesting point about TP, though. Where were they??

I remember getting to Gerudo Plateau and being absolutely devastated there were no Gerudo's in the game.