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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild |OT2| It's 98 All Over Again

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After putting in 50 hours between Binding of Isaac and Shovel Knight I started up Zelda again and.... whoops 5 hours went by without me realizing it!

So I have 4 Shrines left, one of which is the one with the orb in
Kakariko Village
and I think I know how to do that, but I haven't tried it yet. I also have a few shrine quests left but I think I've actually already done the shrines they are tied to- like the shrine with the picture on the cliff of a lightning bolt- I'm pretty sure that's tied to a quest but I never actually picked up the quest before doing the shrine.

So basically my question is, should I look up the shrines I'm missing or just continue to wander the world with basically no idea of where the last 3 shrines I'm missing are?

Also the damn
dragons
are so hard to farm anything but scales from, since I have so much trouble getting in front of them or close to their heads.
 

Anteo

Member
Does anyone know the name of the cool white Armor that looks like something from Assassins Creed? Where can I get it?

Isnt that the chest and leg pieces from the knight armor and the head piece from the hylian armor?

Or maybe just the full hylian armor
 

Shaanyboi

Banned
It's really weird how much smaller the world feels as you fill in the map... I mean the world is still obviously huge, but I guess it just feels so less daunting.

I've only done one Divine Beast and setting towards my second, but I've filled in probably 65% of the map just because I can't keep myself from just wandering around and exploring.
 

KorrZ

Member
Also the damn
dragons
are so hard to farm anything but scales from, since I have so much trouble getting in front of them or close to their heads.

Easiest way to do that is to actually paraglide towards them and then use your bow in mid air, since it slows down time you can get whatever you need effortlessly.

Just burn one spawn to watch their path and it should be easy to find a spot to jump down at them from.
 

Golnei

Member
It's such a satisfying sense of progression! It reminds me of how the time cycle in Majora's Mask is initially daunting, then over time you're able to deal with it more effectively to the point it becomes trivial in the late game.

I didn't feel like it was executed as well as it could have been - with the Lynels, you do feel a sense of progression between them being impassable obstacles, to challenging but manageable threats, then fun distractions. Whereas the Guardians sort of taper off after the strong first impression - the player isn't pushed to interact with them at that middle stage, you just kind of avoid them until you happen to fight one and easily overcome it.

I wonder if including some in Tests of Strength or Divine Beast dungeons could have helped smooth out that curve.
 

Boney

Banned
Robbie and the Akkala Lab can burn in hell. Robbie, his wife, and his wannabe wife all made a cool first impression with me. Then Robbie dropped a quest. Struggled to do the quest but I managed to barely complete it.

Then Robbie has the balls to charge 2,000 Rupees for EACH piece of a cool looking costume?! Go to hell! Like really?! Wow!

I know I keep moaning about how expensive stuff costs but I just gotta vent about that. I sprinted outta that damm lab so fast.
You really don't have 15 pieces of Amber to sell?
 

Biocoincoin

Neo Member
Myself and two other friends all went
Zora, Gerudo, Rito, Goron
and I'm wondering if this is a weird coincidence or if the game is designed in such a way that it nudges but doesn't force you to do them in that order.

Zora
first seems to be the natural way since it is the closest from
Kakariko village
and the path to it actually starts very close to the village since you meet
the Zora Prince
at the bottom of the mountain and there are multiple
Zoras
telling you to go see him (there's even one on the tower). I was disappointed that the game did not follow the same structure to get you to every other main-tribe village since the ascension to the village was so great with all the
Lezalfos
and the stormy weather.

I then did
Rito, Goron and Gerudo
, but my guess is that after the first one you start to master the game and start exploring more freely (helped by the
healing power
), thus preventing from doing
Goron
right after. Personally, I also felt I needed to go slower after the first dungeon since the game was so great and I was worried to finish it too quickly ;)
 

jrush64

Banned
You can dye armors pieces in different colors in this game.

Thats definitely the head piece of the hylian clothes but dyed in white

You can see the armor 3:35. I totally forgot you could dye armor. It looks like something from Assassins Creed.
 
Easiest way to do that is to actually paraglide towards them and then use your bow in mid air, since it slows down time you can get whatever you need effortlessly.

Just burn one spawn to watch their path and it should be easy to find a spot to jump down at them from.

I've tried that a bunch but they move faster than me so it's very hard to time my jumps in order to get in front of them or right above their heads. I get scales all the time, I know how to shoot them off, it's the damn horns and fangs I have trouble getting reliably.
 

giapel

Member
So check it, I've not done much stort. Talked to Impact and the Zora King. That's about it. However I've been running strong finding shrines and other cool things. That said I've been able to locate 11 memories just from looking at the land markers I'm the picture. Except the 12th one. All it does are trees. So I have one simple question. Is this memory in the Hyrule Forest/lost woods? Just a yes or no is all I'm looking for. Don't want the exact location. Thanks.

This is funny, I haven't done any of the memories (tried to find one and failed then gave up) BUT I just happened to stumble upon the one you describe. How weird...
 

jrush64

Banned
You can dye armors pieces in different colors in this game.

Thats definitely the head piece of the hylian clothes but dyed in white

Edit. They are using the rito armor chest and legs plus the hylian hood dyed in white

Yeah I see it now. I've seen the armor in lots of videos dyed white so I thought It was a brand new one.
 

Anteo

Member
You can see the armor 3:35. I totally forgot you could dye armor. It looks like something from Assassins Creed.

Check my edit. Thats the rito armor. But ive seen comparisons to ass creed armor using the knight armor because of the symbol on the chest piece
 

JoeNut

Member
3rd divine beast done, the
camel in the desert
it was absolutely rock hard, the puzzle took me forever to work out what to do, then
the boss fight was way tougher than the previous 2 i'd done, i used tons of food and elixirs

Really fun though, i am very much enjoying the divine beast element of the game, working out the puzzles is way more fun than i'd have expected if i'd known this game was full of puzzles in the first place.
 
do i sell Sapphires, diamond and ruby or they have a use ?? their description hints that they are for selling

They're needed for crafting and upgrades but you will probably wind up getting a lot of them. I sold a lot of each throughout my game and still had some for upgrades.
 

KorrZ

Member
I didn't feel like it was executed as well as it could have been - with the Lynels, you do feel a sense of progression between them being impassable obstacles, to challenging but manageable threats, then fun distractions. Whereas the Guardians sort of taper off after the strong first impression - the player isn't pushed to interact with them at that middle stage, you just kind of avoid them until you happen to fight one and easily overcome it.

I wonder if including some in Tests of Strength or Divine Beast dungeons could have helped smooth out that curve.

I think that a fair criticism. My first real Guardian fight was super memorable because I was in the labyrinth and walked around the corner right into ones face, but it wasn't a super challenging fight since I was already pretty strong at that point. I still find them fun to fight though, parrying their beam never stops being satisfying.


I've tried that a bunch but they move faster than me so it's very hard to time my jumps in order to get in front of them or right above their heads. I get scales all the time, I know how to shoot them off, it's the damn horns and fangs I have trouble getting reliably.

It's just a matter of finding the right spot and jumping early since it takes you awhile to get near. You just need to learn their path to time it right. I was farming last night
Nadyra and found a spot on the Lanayru Promenade where I was able to easily get the 2 horns I needed instantly
 

Aldric

Member
Alright, so after 120 shrines cleared, all sidequests completed, all memories found and about 180 hours spent playing the game it's time for me to articulate my final thoughts about Breath of the Wild. I'm going to post light spoilers so feel free to skip my ramblings if you're not done yet with the game.

A lot has been said already about BotW. The callback to the original Zelda game on the NES and the almost complete freedom given to the player to tackle the objectives. The great physics engine and all the fun ways you can use it to interact with your environment. The significantly higher difficulty compared to previous 3D entries of the franchise. The muliple influences from modern Western games. All valid comments obviously, but I'd like to take a different approach and talk about what, to me, defines BotW more than anything else and that's the fact it feels like the full realization of every previous 3D Zelda games failed ambitions, post N64 era.

Like The Wind Waker, it promises limitless adventure in a post apocalyptic world reclaimed by nature. Like Twilight Princess, it prominently features a majestic, derelict kingdom of Hyrule, a larger vision of the foundations established in Ocarina of Time. And like Skyward Sword, it sets out to blur the lines between overworld and dungeons and redefine an overly familiar structure.

In a game so focused on exploration nailing traversal mechanics is an absolute necessity and BotW unquestionably succeeds. Unlike in TWW with its tedious sailing and cumbersome wind controlling system, traversal in BotW is a pure joy. I can't stress enough how fun the simple act of moving around is in this game. See an elevated structure in the wonderfully vertical overworld, climb it, admire the scenery, spot a point of interest in the distance, paraglide down to it. Rinse and repeat. You're going to do that for dozens of hours and it never gets old.

There's something innately satisfying about Link's ability to climb everything everywhere only using his stubby muscles and then travel across great distances carried by the wind. It's wonderfully organic and perfectly integrated to the overall theme of living in harmony with the wilderness. BotW's movement options don't simply make previous Zelda games feel antiquated and stiff, they also make the « climb here » glowing rails so prevalent in big budget Western games feel laughably lazy and restrictive in comparison. I reckon the climbing mechanics will be the game's biggest influence on the industry in the next few years.

Traversal isn't the only way BotW surpasses TWW's attempts. The world design is simply on another level. Where the Great Sea only offered a quickly boring landscape only sparcely interrupted by bite sized, largely uninteresting landmasses, BotW gives us the most spectacular, varied, and simply awe inspiring version of Hyrule yet. Art direction in this game is an absolute triumph. I'll go as far as saying that if this game ran at a higher resolution it'd be a candidate for best looking game of all time, simplistic geometry notwithstanding. There's so many beauty in this world, whether natural or architectural, simply admiring it is a reward in itself, yet it never sacrifices interactivity for spectacle.

Much like what Twilight Princess tried to do a decade earlier, this new Hyrule feels like a far grander version of the world Ocarina of Time created. There was potential in TP's overworld but it was ultimately held back by the artificial feeling of the world design, with its corridors linking large plains together, its desert separated from the rest of the map, its lifeless towns and overall lack of activity. In comparison BotW's overworld is wonderfully alive and credible. NPCs travel between communities, camp in the middle of nowhere and react to monsters or the elements. Wildlife is everywhere and acts remarkably realistic. The towns and villages feel like places where people actually live, while details apparently as trivial as unique types of bed being exclusive to certain races show the amount of care that was put into crafting this world. Ultimately though TP only tried to emulate OoT and had nothing to propose other than « more of the same, only bigger ». It lacked a core concept that would have justified its scale and unified its disjointed mechanics.

That's where BotW truly shines and at the same time accomplishes what Skyward Sword tried to do. More than any other Zelda since maybe Majora's Mask, BotW truly redefines one of the main elements of the franchise, puzzle solving. Much like how MM took puzzle solving out of the dungeons to focus on NPCs, their behavior and habits, BotW takes advantage of its fantastic overworld and its emphasis on exploration to create the most natural and best integrated puzzles in the franchise yet. That's where the lines truly blur and also where the genius of Nintendo's game design manifest itself: puzzles become organic parts of the overworld but also sidequests and micro narratives.

You'll stumble across your bard bird buddy that'll sing an ancient song that's actually an environmental riddle for you to solve. You'll find the journal of an unfortunate sap who investigated a mystery he couldn't crack, maybe decades before your discovery. You'll talk to NPCs that'll tell you about these weird, awful places you should stay far away from so of course you'll go check them out and find out they're pieces of dungeons scattered across the overworld. You'll have to use the topography, the weather, the time of the day or even wild animals to solve BotW's puzzles. In an old Iwata Asks someone said that solving Zelda puzzles made you feel like a genius ; puzzles in BotW aren't nearly complex enough to do such a thing, but they do something even better : they make you feel like an adventurer, a discoverer, a pioneer. It's puzzle solving perfectly tailored, mechanically and thematically, to a non linear « open air » adventure.

That's not to say there's no more traditional puzzles in the game in the form of shrines or the divine beasts, and they also work remarkably well. Shrines act as actual beakons to visually orient yourself in the gigantic word, convenient fast travel tools near other points of interest, and tightly designed logical challenges that can be solved in a multitude of ways. Again it's hard not to admire how cohesive the whole thing feels. As for the divine beasts, they might not be appropriate successors to the best dungeons in the series, mainly due to how similar they are in terms of aesthetics and atmosphere, but I thought at least two of them had very clever mechanics and were a lot of fun to complete.

Does all this mean the game is perfect ? No, obviously not. The biggest flaw by far is rain and to a lesser extent snowdrops as they actively work against the previously mentioned genius traveral system by making climbing a pain and greatly limiting visibility. It's far too frequent and lasts too long and eventually becomes obnoxious. One could also mention enemy variety, underwhelming bosses, some areas lacking in interesting content and the game losing steam after uncovering the entire map and becoming familiar with its systems, but taken as a whole, in comparison with all the areas where the game succeeds this all feels more like petty annoyances than the game breaking flaws some people make them out to be. If anything, it's an exciting prospect as it gives the EPD guys things to work on for their next title. Also if you think weapon durability is a flaw you're wrong, I'm glad we could clear this up.

There'd be so much more to say. I could talk about how the combat is interesting for the first time in ages with actual defensive timing and signposting to learn and so many options to tackle any given encounter. I could mention some of the utterly brilliant action set pieces, reminiscent of the best work from genre specialists like Platinum, the genuinely funny writing with even Link showing a semblance of personality in his dialogue options, making him come off as a bit of an arsehole at times, or how simply awesome shield parrying lasers is, or the fact fucking Raoh's horse from Fist of the North Star is in the game and you can tame it and ride it. I could cite the dozens of wondrous, unsettling, exhilarating or simply entertaining moments you'll no doubt experience while exploring the world of Hyrule but this is already an overbearing wall of text so I'll cut things short.

Breath of the Wild isn't Aonuma and his team copying popular trends in the industry and churning out an uninspired me too product. It's the culmination of decades of ideas, fully realized in a coherent, modernized whole. It's Nintendo disproving the claim they're tone deaf and behind the curve while at the same time preserving and updating the identity of one of their most prestigious franchises. The result is their best game since Metroid Prime, the most important Zelda game since Ocarina of Time, and a fantastic achievement that shows that even three decades after its first entry, The Legend of Zelda retains this ability to fascinate people like very few other franchises can.

Here's to 30 more years of Zelda. I can't wait to see where the legend takes us next.
 
It looks sick as hell if you forget about the doofussy-looking helm and just wear a Diamond Circlet instead for the full effect ;)
Is that armor even worth owning if you have the Master Sword? I don't know if I want to be spending my hard-earned rupees on those when l have other things to spend them on.
 

Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
Is that armor even worth owning if you have the Master Sword? I don't know if I want to be spending my hard-earned rupees on those when l have other things to spend them on.
op suit get it
It looks sick as hell if you forget about the doofussy-looking helm and just wear a Diamond Circlet instead for the full effect ;)
i tested this this info is false you loose a buff
 

sora87

Member
The thieves hideout bit is just pissing me off so much, no matter what I do I get seen and then you get one shotted and it's just ruining the whole thing for me. In a game that's meant to be based on freedom forcing you into stealth (unless you're severely OP) is just bad. This might actually stop me from finishing the game, sigh.
 

giapel

Member
The game is a masterpiece, no doubt. But I have a feeling it will not end up being the classic that OOT was. There's something special, almost ritualistic about replaying OOT almost every year. You know the game inside out, the perfect order to do things, all the puzzles all the locations. Yet it feels oddly satisfying as it recaptures that first play.
I might be wrong, but BOTW has this MMO feel where the first play through is amazing, helped by the massiveness of the world but that feeling of discovery and awe is impossible to recapture again.
 

HawthorneKitty

Sgt. 2nd Class in the Creep Battalion, Waifu Wars
The thieves hideout bit is just pissing me off so much, no matter what I do I get seen and then you get one shotted and it's just ruining the whole thing for me. In a game that's meant to be based on freedom forcing you into stealth (unless you're severely OP) is just bad. This might actually stop me from finishing the game, sigh.
Ate you killing them?
 

Futureman

Member
Any tips on the shrine
A Modest Test of Strength
?

I just keep getting killed mowed down with a single swipe by the enemy.

Right now I only have 4 hearts... should I wait and come back when I'm stronger? Right before the shrine you pick up some 24 level swords but those don't seem to do any damage. That's my best weapon currently. I also haven't been using any cooking except to get into the snowy regions so I should maybe look into that.
 

jariw

Member
The thieves hideout bit is just pissing me off so much, no matter what I do I get seen and then you get one shotted and it's just ruining the whole thing for me. In a game that's meant to be based on freedom forcing you into stealth (unless you're severely OP) is just bad. This might actually stop me from finishing the game, sigh.

Why? The part is entirely optional...

Or you could just lure the Yiga away and walk passed them normally?
 

Lilo_D

Member
The game is a masterpiece, no doubt. But I have a feeling it will not end up being the classic that OOT was. There's something special, almost ritualistic about replaying OOT almost every year. You know the game inside out, the perfect order to do things, all the puzzles all the locations. Yet it feels oddly satisfying as it recaptures that first play.
I might be wrong, but BOTW has this MMO feel where the first play through is amazing, helped by the massiveness of the world but that feeling of discovery and awe is impossible to recapture again.

MMO???
 

m051293

Member
I'm only about half way through, but I've seen little talk of this: Are folks not impressed by how layered the writing is for so many non-Champion NPCs and Zelda?

I don't want to point to anything specific due to spoilers, but my premise is they've hidden a significant amount of characterization behind exploration and discovering this is on you, as it doesn't necessarily appear as a result of checklist quest completion. It's not even like Skyrim where you just find books/diaries expanding the lore and detailing NPC perspectives, it feels a little deeper than that and it kind of requires you to piece things together.


There's also a thematic consistency to it - so many characters have their own mini failure/redemption arc that parallels Zelda and Link's.

I'm rather impressed by it, but I've seen little mention of this kind of stuff - and I look at some of the hour counts that have been posted and find myself wondering if folks are just flying by this stuff in a rush to conquer as many shrines as possible.
 
The thieves hideout bit is just pissing me off so much, no matter what I do I get seen and then you get one shotted and it's just ruining the whole thing for me. In a game that's meant to be based on freedom forcing you into stealth (unless you're severely OP) is just bad. This might actually stop me from finishing the game, sigh.

You can apparently
stasis
them. Also they're really not that hard to beat without getting hit if they spot you... Take out the little fast guys first and then the big guy.

But I found it quite easy to sneak through just using bananas. Which is what you're essentially told to do at the beginning.
 

Firebrand

Member
Seriously, fuck that archery course. So difficult as the last slop begins, and bows break in less than 2 tries so it's difficult to maintain consistency (though I guess reloading is the key here). Got to 20 hits, think I'll give up on hitting all targets.
 

tkscz

Member
I have two more
Zelda Memories
to go, however, the more I collect the more I start wondering,
Is all of this Zelda's fault? Or at least does she take part of the blame? I haven't gotten the last two memories but it's obvious that Zelda couldn't use the power of Hylia like previous Zeldas have, and help Link seal Ganon the old fashion way, plus she felt inadequate compared to Link, who was able to pull the Master Sword and wield it like previous Links have. So, instead of trying to find out why she couldn't, she simply believed she would never do it, and wanted to use the divine beast and guardians instead. I understand her line of thinking, no one thought Ganon could take over the beast, but she should she take part of the blame of what happened? Or maybe I should get the last two memories and get to the end and get the full story before I theorize.
 

sora87

Member
Why? The part is entirely optional...

Or you could just lure the Yiga away and walk passed them normally?

You need
the helm they've stolen for one of the divine beasts
don't you?

Tried the banana thing but then i got stuck in some room with none left and one of the big guys blocked me in and it was just a nightmare, i seriously cannot do stealth, most hated game mechanic
 

kromeo

Member
I'm now convinced the gyro in my switch is broken, in the second motion shrine I've been in, the only way rotate the floor enough to get the key chest is to literally spin the system around twice...

With the pro controller it seems to work fine
 
You need
the helm they've stolen for one of the divine beasts
don't you?

Tried the banana thing but then i got stuck in some room with none left and one of the big guys blocked me in and it was just a nightmare, i seriously cannot do stealth, most hated game mechanic

Are you sure you're actually stuck in this room? There might be something in that room if it's the room I'm thinking of...
 

HawthorneKitty

Sgt. 2nd Class in the Creep Battalion, Waifu Wars
You need
the helm they've stolen for one of the divine beasts
don't you?

Tried the banana thing but then i got stuck in some room with none left and one of the big guys blocked me in and it was just a nightmare, i seriously cannot do stealth, most hated game mechanic
After the first 2, there is a split path where one leads you up a ladder with a ton of bananas. Were you sure there were no bananas on the wall to shoot down anyways?
Edit: oh nvm lol read the guy above.
 

Frodo

Member
Robbie and the Akkala Lab can burn in hell. Robbie, his wife, and his wannabe wife all made a cool first impression with me. Then Robbie dropped a quest. Struggled to do the quest but I managed to barely complete it.

Then Robbie has the balls to charge 2,000 Rupees for EACH piece of a cool looking costume?! Go to hell! Like really?! Wow!

I know I keep moaning about how expensive stuff costs but I just gotta vent about that. I sprinted outta that damm lab so fast.

Preach.
 

DonShula

Member
On my commute home yesterday I saw lightning on the horizon and my first thought was to immediately unequip my shield.

Also I cleared the major test of strength! I dealt the killing blow as the eye beam was getting ready to shoot at point blank range, so it was a bit intense. I got some weapons I'd never seen before, so I think I may have jumped my difficulty level a bit for this one. Lots of patience and strafing involved.
 

llehuty

Member
The thieves hideout bit is just pissing me off so much, no matter what I do I get seen and then you get one shotted and it's just ruining the whole thing for me. In a game that's meant to be based on freedom forcing you into stealth (unless you're severely OP) is just bad. This might actually stop me from finishing the game, sigh.

You need
the helm they've stolen for one of the divine beasts
don't you?

Tried the banana thing but then i got stuck in some room with none left and one of the big guys blocked me in and it was just a nightmare, i seriously cannot do stealth, most hated game mechanic
Are you having problems in the first room already? In any case, you need to be carrying the bananas yourself, there are plenty strategically placed to use.

This area is no difficult at all, try to wear also a light armor to minimize the noise you make. And use the tools you have to your advantage.
 

Burny

Member
I'm only about half way through, but I've seen little talk of this: Are folks not impressed by how layered the writing is for so many non-Champion NPCs and Zelda?

I am. If you happen to be in a girls only class, see a map extract on the wall and follow its lead, there's a nice mini story it tells.
 

tkscz

Member
Robbie and the Akkala Lab can burn in hell. Robbie, his wife, and his wannabe wife all made a cool first impression with me. Then Robbie dropped a quest. Struggled to do the quest but I managed to barely complete it.

Then Robbie has the balls to charge 2,000 Rupees for EACH piece of a cool looking costume?! Go to hell! Like really?! Wow!

I know I keep moaning about how expensive stuff costs but I just gotta vent about that. I sprinted outta that damm lab so fast.

Huh? That quest was easy. I just
lit ever lamp I came across with the blue flame. That way if my torch went out for any reason, I can take a few step backwards and light the torch. The only annoying part was when I got to the lab, a damned foot soldier Ninja spawned.
 

beta_fuse

Member
You need
the helm they've stolen for one of the divine beasts
don't you?

Tried the banana thing but then i got stuck in some room with none left and one of the big guys blocked me in and it was just a nightmare, i seriously cannot do stealth, most hated game mechanic

Yeah dude take a closer look at that room.
 

DonShula

Member
Huh? That quest was easy. I just
lit ever lamp I came across with the blue flame. That way if my torch went out for any reason, I can take a few step backwards and light the torch. The only annoying part was when I got to the lab, a damned foot soldier Ninja spawned.

That quest isn't easy if it starts raining three times during it, so you work ahead only to have a damn blood mood undo everything. Definition of tedium and not fun.
 

m051293

Member
I am. If you happen to be in a girls only class, see a map extract on the wall and follow its lead, there's a nice mini story it tells.

Will do. I'm assuming this in
Gerudo Town
? Haven't even touched that area yet aside from the one shrine at the entrance.
 
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