such a freaking beautiful game.
and damn..after seeing this I realise how bad I'm at fighting.
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Lynels display some of the best AI I've personally seen in games
- Thread starter foxuzamaki
- Start date
such a freaking beautiful game.
and damn..after seeing this I realise how bad I'm at fighting.
I don't know about having the best AI, but they are an excellent update to an enemy most people forgot about. I agree that the game has a lack of enemy variety, but the encounters it does provide are very unique and memorable. The Lizalfos are easily my favorite in the game. They were always liked among Zelda fans, but their reinvention in BotW makes them really stand out. They have so many different abilities, there's actual notable difference between the different climate versions, and they drop unique weapons like the boomerangs.
The Shadow Knight
Member
Earthpainting
Member
These things are terrifying. My first encounter with one was seeing a little centaur-shaped blip in the distance, just minding its own business. I pulled out my bow to try and make it come towards me and the bomb trap in front of me. It immediately pulled out its own bow and shot me from across the field. While I was getting up, I saw it darting towards me at break-neck speed. My bomb was still primed, but I guess I already figured at this point that the explosion would not stun it out of its charge. I ran away and hid on top of a rock out of its sight. As many folks have attested though, it can arc its shots to make it rain down from the skies.
I have tried to avoid them since (with mixed results), but I guess I'll have to learn how to deal with them sooner or later.
I have tried to avoid them since (with mixed results), but I guess I'll have to learn how to deal with them sooner or later.
The smart Lizalfos in this game are pretty good. They can catch flying boomerangs you throw against them, they jump out as soon as you dash towards them or even take a slash, and they do quick hops sideways to make them hard to aim. They are even good at aiming boomerangs at you from a distance.
Actually, it's not even mandatory. If you have at least 20 shock arrows in stock before all of this, you can just go straight ahead to Sidon.
DeuceGamer
Member
I also killed that one. Took tons of meals and luckily I had found a 50 attack sword and saved it prior to that. Afterwards I realized I didn't even need to kill it lol.
foxuzamaki
Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
Yeah Lynels are probably the best enemy in the game.
Lynel reminds me a lot of a Punch Out fight but I really appreciate his change in tactics the further away you are. There is no good way to sneak up on one that I've found since they are usually in wide open areas and aren't stupid if they happen to see or hear you. They won't just shrug it off and go about their business like other enemies, they just rain down arrows until you come out of hiding.
Even after figuring how their patterns are, they are very tough enemies that you can't take lightly. It makes me wonder if Hard mode will stick multiple Lynel together.
Lynel reminds me a lot of a Punch Out fight but I really appreciate his change in tactics the further away you are. There is no good way to sneak up on one that I've found since they are usually in wide open areas and aren't stupid if they happen to see or hear you. They won't just shrug it off and go about their business like other enemies, they just rain down arrows until you come out of hiding.
Even after figuring how their patterns are, they are very tough enemies that you can't take lightly. It makes me wonder if Hard mode will stick multiple Lynel together.
Milly Osworth
Member
Those things are terrifying.
They're prolly the best enemy in the game to fight but really easy to beat. Staying close and baiting their three hit combo is pretty easy and very visibly telegraphed, and once they do it's just backflips until you get a flurry rush to hammer in some damage.
Rinse and repeat that until they're dead, and that's about all you need to do. Found that out on my third attempt of fighting the one near Zora's domain and haven't been killed by one since.
Rinse and repeat that until they're dead, and that's about all you need to do. Found that out on my third attempt of fighting the one near Zora's domain and haven't been killed by one since.
Same here. I suck balls in contrast to that dude. Though watching him shows me what to work on.
That's just the sword-wielding lynel. The other lynels have different attack patterns.
My first and only encounter was after capturing a memory. I didn't have my weopon drawn and watched from a distance. I saw him chase a deer and other wild life as I observed. I wasn't sure if he was friend or foe initially, so I came out of the brush making my self visible, that's when he stared me down. As I slowly moved closer he made it clear I was his focus of attention. Then I got to close I guess. He than shot a lightening arrow in the sky which was a quick wtf moment until the arrow landed and all I saw was the words game over on my screen...
As someone above mentioned, while the game could use more variety in enimies, many of the encounters I've had with both weak and strong mobs have been quite memorable. I think it helps a lot and it's those encounters that add to the games magic.
As someone above mentioned, while the game could use more variety in enimies, many of the encounters I've had with both weak and strong mobs have been quite memorable. I think it helps a lot and it's those encounters that add to the games magic.
It's pretty great how they made Lynels similar to how it was running into them in LoZ/LttP where you wander into some mountain range and find these really powerful enemies that tell you that you aren't supposed to be here yet, but if you still want to stay, be prepared to get your ass kicked.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
I met my first one very early in the game. I was just done with the first stuff in Kakariko, and was heading for Hateno. To get there I just headed off in its general direction, which lead me through Lanayru Promenade to the snowy place west of Mount Lanayru. Rode up, saw him, thought "let's do this!", got my ass handed to me with no delay.
From then on I avoided them whenever I saw them, until I went to collect the shock arrows in preparation for the Zora's Domain Divine Beast. I knew I was going to face another one up there, and this one I decided to take on. I sort of thought I needed to, although I later realized that a sneaky strategy would have worked as well (and was perhaps intended?).
It took me maybe five tries, but in the end I stood victorious. Felt pretty great. These guys are VICIOUS! My winning strategy was a lot of Flurry Rushes (they are pretty easy to get when the Lynel does his regular sword swipe) combined with some good bow work.
Then, literally one minute after beating him, I of course got a Blood Moon, lol. Bam, there he was again. I was not gonna do him again right away (I had gone through quite a lot of resources the first time), so after this I went into stealth mode to collect the remaining arrows I needed.
From then on I avoided them whenever I saw them, until I went to collect the shock arrows in preparation for the Zora's Domain Divine Beast. I knew I was going to face another one up there, and this one I decided to take on. I sort of thought I needed to, although I later realized that a sneaky strategy would have worked as well (and was perhaps intended?).
It took me maybe five tries, but in the end I stood victorious. Felt pretty great. These guys are VICIOUS! My winning strategy was a lot of Flurry Rushes (they are pretty easy to get when the Lynel does his regular sword swipe) combined with some good bow work.
Then, literally one minute after beating him, I of course got a Blood Moon, lol. Bam, there he was again. I was not gonna do him again right away (I had gone through quite a lot of resources the first time), so after this I went into stealth mode to collect the remaining arrows I needed.
You need to upgrade your Sheika Slate.
That´s just the ones using sword. Lynels with spears or clubs use totally different attacks with different timings, though they have some common attacks like the fireballs, the no-weapon charge and the explosion. The club and spear ones have a pound attack that I think can´t be dodged, because even if you successfully enter Flurry Attack mode the expansive wave of the attack will hit you just half a second later, so you need to mix dodges and parries.
A good way to sneak on them is by flying from above, you can land on their back and mount them. However you must fly from their backs, because if they see you flying at them they´ll take out their bow and snipe you in the air, or prepare a fire explosion for the right moment when you land next to them.
Link just entered the fetal position and cried.
Lord Ghirahim
Member
My first Lynel was actually the one all the way up in Hyrule Castle, and I had a total of four heart containers. I spent several hours in that room, broke every single weapon in my inventory, but I got the kill eventually. I hope this summer's hard mode feels as rewarding as that first Lynel fight.
Fredrik
Member
That's like on the same level as the guy playing Ikaruga 2 player by himself! Extremely impressive!
I've only met one Lynel so far, beat him after many tries, 3x defense, max health increase potions and meals. I think Zelda 2 might actually be dethroned now as the hardest Zelda game...
Beren the Empty-Handed
Member
I ran into my first one on the mountain north of Hateno/east of kakariko. I've played the original and a link to the past enough times to know what I was looking at, and to know to be afraid.
I was right.
There's also that corridor full of them, by death mountain in the badlands. Didn't know what I was wandering into at that point... got a lot of great weapons though!
I was right.
There's also that corridor full of them, by death mountain in the badlands. Didn't know what I was wandering into at that point... got a lot of great weapons though!
GwyndolinCinder
Member
Wut.
Lynels AI is so bad, in melee range they are just so baitable, so you can just control the fight by staying close.
Lynels AI is so bad, in melee range they are just so baitable, so you can just control the fight by staying close.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Close range is the only way I've been able to beat them. Long range they're deadly.
Ran away from one once and it teleported in front of me lol
Ran away from one once and it teleported in front of me lol
Sir_Crocodile
Member
The many, many, shock arrows in every tree nearby.
Exactly
I think the old man even said to just collect 20 shock arrows.
Yeah they're predictable and baitable just like every other enemy in the game.
DistortionOfReality
Member
Got murdered a couple of times by the first one I ran into near the base of Lanyaru, the second time I came across one was while exploring the waterfalls in Faron and decided to throw down. Died 3 or 4 times but then realised a super simple way of beating them (I didn't have the flurry rush timing down at that point): headshot, mount, hit, repeat. Every time you headshot them they fall over and you can mount them. A little disappointed as it sort of trivialises them - but the pre fight stare-down is still cool as hell
mrmickfran
Member
Lizalfos will shoot each others horns with shock arrows in order to spread their lightning.
Completely shook me the first time I saw it.
Completely shook me the first time I saw it.
Because nobody says you: "Defeat it and something good will happen". Even one Zora only asks for a picture, nothing more.
Fredrik
Member
haha that happened to me too, so random, so cool.
UncleSporky
Member
The spear ones never attack at close range and almost feel like a totally different fight.
And good luck dodging the circular swing of the 2H club-wielding ones. I thought I had lynels down to a science but I can't dodge that one attack ever, unless I'm crazy lucky.
I have Stasis+. I'm telling you it did not work.
You can. I did. With 4 hearts.
The game's dialog does warn you about them, though...
Besides, aren't Lynel's regarded as the hardest regular enemies that appear in the Zelda games that they appear in?
theres literally a cutscene that shows the things in the trees and in the grass when you first get up there, and you were never told to kill the lynel.
you're justifying Fi here.
Sir_Crocodile
Member
Weird, worked fine for me. Unless there's a lynel type who can't be frozen that I've not come across.
Don't really remember them much in Z1, but they were the hardest in ALBW. I don't think there were any "hard" enemies in zelda 3, but they were among the toughest enemies in the game (and last if you did the dungeons in the order suggested on the map, as they were only on dark would death mountain iirc).
"Master there is a 100% chance you will die if you draw your weapon"
Jawmuncher
Member
Wasn't a fan of them. They were either entirely oblivious to my stealth or noticed me instantly. I'll give them props for allowing them to attack with swords and arrows so they can hit you wherever.
YianGaruga
Banned
They're fun to fight but it's really not great "AI". They have pretty simple behaviour and attack patterns mostly based on your distance
VyechnayaSlava
Member
I met a Lynel during a thunderstorm. Snuck up on it with metal weapons equipped, waited for the right moment and mounted it in time to be struck by lightning (with Mipha's Grace at the ready). I felt like it was barely affected by it, but man was it a satisfying moment
CortexVortex
Banned
Yeah, the fights with Lynels are lots of fun.
Spoiler:
But while I think their AI is good, it's not that outstanding as they have not that complex attack patterns.
Spoiler:
Especially the one in Hyrule Castle is so epic (for once, it's a fight that deservs to be called "epic" due to the surroundings, the music and the thunder).
But while I think their AI is good, it's not that outstanding as they have not that complex attack patterns.