Legend of Zelda Breath of the wild discussion thread

[Reploid Productions]

Well, this game is the reason some smartass changed the title of the Gaming thread to "Reppy In Peace", due to the joke being that the game has claimed me and I've barely been on Nationstates since launch, soooo....

LOVING the game so far. Aside from being downright beautiful, the controls handle wonderfully once you get accustomed to them. The game eases you into how things work in a manner that flows easily and doesn't especially feel like a tutorial- it gives you a smaller sandbox to play in while you learn the basics through gameplay, and once you've gotten all the tools you need to survive, then it opens up the bigger sandbox for you to begin exploring.

Honestly, it feels like the most "Zelda" title possibly since the original on the NES 30 years ago. You have an objective- beat the Big Bad, save the princess, something something get these things... but unlike the games since about OoT, it is NOT a linear progression and you are free to explore the game world and find your plot coupons in whatever order and at whatever pace your patience and skill level dictate. The puzzles in the shrines are an absolute delight, ranging from the relatively straightforward and obvious to some real good brain teasers forcing you to really make use of all your tools. The game world feels extremely believable- the wilderness is littered with ruins and dangers, and thus you only rarely run across other travelers; the towns are believably populated and you're more likely to meet people on the road the closer you get to a population center. The geography itself is incredibly believable, with flora and fauna that change as you cross climate zones, as does the weather conditions. So many little touches that make it an involved experience that really sucks you in.

Also, special mention to the horse AI. Unlike every previous game in the series where you have a horse (or hell, pretty much any game I've played where you get to ride a horse, period), when you're riding, you aren't just controlling the horse exactly as you would control Link. You can steer it, obviously, but the horse will navigate around trees and obstacles without your input, and if you're following a road or trail, it will follow that road or trail without you having to explicitly tell it to. Which is good, because that way you can be alert and surveying the surroundings for enemies or things of interest rather than putting most of your attention into controlling where you're going.

Or, the tl;dr version: OMFG THIS GAME IS EVERYTHING I IMAGINED AND MORE <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

[Reploid Productions]

Well, this game is the reason some smartass changed the title of the Gaming thread to "Reppy In Peace", due to the joke being that the game has claimed me and I've barely been on Nationstates since launch, soooo....

LOVING the game so far. Aside from being downright beautiful, the controls handle wonderfully once you get accustomed to them. The game eases you into how things work in a manner that flows easily and doesn't especially feel like a tutorial- it gives you a smaller sandbox to play in while you learn the basics through gameplay, and once you've gotten all the tools you need to survive, then it opens up the bigger sandbox for you to begin exploring.

Honestly, it feels like the most "Zelda" title possibly since the original on the NES 30 years ago. You have an objective- beat the Big Bad, save the princess, something something get these things... but unlike the games since about OoT, it is NOT a linear progression and you are free to explore the game world and find your plot coupons in whatever order and at whatever pace your patience and skill level dictate. The puzzles in the shrines are an absolute delight, ranging from the relatively straightforward and obvious to some real good brain teasers forcing you to really make use of all your tools. The game world feels extremely believable- the wilderness is littered with ruins and dangers, and thus you only rarely run across other travelers; the towns are believably populated and you're more likely to meet people on the road the closer you get to a population center. The geography itself is incredibly believable, with flora and fauna that change as you cross climate zones, as does the weather conditions. So many little touches that make it an involved experience that really sucks you in.

Also, special mention to the horse AI. Unlike every previous game in the series where you have a horse (or hell, pretty much any game I've played where you get to ride a horse, period), when you're riding, you aren't just controlling the horse exactly as you would control Link. You can steer it, obviously, but the horse will navigate around trees and obstacles without your input, and if you're following a road or trail, it will follow that road or trail without you having to explicitly tell it to. Which is good, because that way you can be alert and surveying the surroundings for enemies or things of interest rather than putting most of your attention into controlling where you're going.

Or, the tl;dr version: OMFG THIS GAME IS EVERYTHING I IMAGINED AND MORE <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Is it worth getting a Switch for?
I don't have a WiiU either.
Only PS4, PS2, and a mediocre but decent laptop.

I am about the least unbiased person to be asking that question, but if you don't have a Wii U already, you might as well spring for the Switch, IMO. On the other hand, if you are on a tight budget, you might be better off getting the Wii U on the cheap and getting it for that instead. I couldn't offer any insight as to the differences in performance between the Switch and the Wii U versions, though I assume that the Switch probably loads faster, being newer hardware. I think it was well worth getting the Switch for, but I am an unashamed die-hard Zelda fanatic and your mileage may vary. I would recommend looking through the game libraries/upcoming titles for both systems to decide where you'll get the most bang for your buck- not much point in getting a Wii U if there aren't many titles for it you're interested in, and vice versa.

[Abserdia]

I have to say it's a perfect 10 so far. I love it.
But I don't really wanna get into why I love it that much, because I may give too much away. If you can, play it without a guide and without spoilers.
That's what I've been doing, and it's been a joy.

Also, I enjoy the difficulty quite a bit. It's challenging but not overly punishing, just how most games should be.

[Reploid Productions]

I have to say it's a perfect 10 so far. I love it.
But I don't really wanna get into why I love it that much, because I may give too much away. If you can, play it without a guide and without spoilers.
That's what I've been doing, and it's been a joy.

Also, I enjoy the difficulty quite a bit. It's challenging but not overly punishing, just how most games should be.

^-- Also, this. It's challenging, maybe even punishing, but it is not unfair. If you get yourself one-shotted, it's not a case of the computer cheated, it's a case of you overestimated yourself and messed up. You wanna go charging off into the wild unknown with a meager 3 hearts and crap-tier gear? That's your prerogative, but don't be surprised if you find yourself biting off more than you bargained for!

Abs, you got a favorite weapon type yet? I'm growing surprisingly fond of spear-type weapons, though beating enemies over the head with an undead critter's arm is nearly as amusing as setting things on fire.

<@Firefury> Loving the game so far, BTW. Especially since I discovered you can set enemies on fire.
<@Fris> it's fuckin' MADE for you
<@Firefury> Even better, there's a variety of ways to achieve burnination, ranging from fire arrows and explosive barrels to more mundane "stick the end of a wooden club in a campfire and bash something with it" or the even more mundane "hit it with a lit torch"
<Tsaraine> Yup, that's our Fury.

... Then I discovered a Fire Rod.

[New haven america]

Wouldn't it just be better to have a general Zelda thread...?

[Abserdia]

I have to say it's a perfect 10 so far. I love it.
But I don't really wanna get into why I love it that much, because I may give too much away. If you can, play it without a guide and without spoilers.
That's what I've been doing, and it's been a joy.

Also, I enjoy the difficulty quite a bit. It's challenging but not overly punishing, just how most games should be.

^-- Also, this. It's challenging, maybe even punishing, but it is not unfair. If you get yourself one-shotted, it's not a case of the computer cheated, it's a case of you overestimated yourself and messed up. You wanna go charging off into the wild unknown with a meager 3 hearts and crap-tier gear? That's your prerogative, but don't be surprised if you find yourself biting off more than you bargained for!

Abs, you got a favorite weapon type yet? I'm growing surprisingly fond of spear-type weapons, though beating enemies over the head with an undead critter's arm is nearly as amusing as setting things on fire.

<@Firefury> Loving the game so far, BTW. Especially since I discovered you can set enemies on fire.
<@Fris> it's fuckin' MADE for you
<@Firefury> Even better, there's a variety of ways to achieve burnination, ranging from fire arrows and explosive barrels to more mundane "stick the end of a wooden club in a campfire and bash something with it" or the even more mundane "hit it with a lit torch"
<Tsaraine> Yup, that's our Fury.

... Then I discovered a Fire Rod.

I've been using spears and bows a lot. Who needs a shield when you can just poke your enemies off a cliff?

When I don't have a spear, I usually use a normal sword.
But it really depends on the enemy and what they're using.
I just wish that my favorite spear wasn't so... expensive to use.

[Reploid Productions]

I was doing a lot of long-range bow and arrow antics before I got better weapons and better armor. Now that I've got a few more hearts, decent/upgraded armor, and a stockpile of cooked meals, I'm a lot more confident about going melee on most routine monster encounters. Finally took out that Stone Talus on the plateau, and a junior one on the southern of the Dueling Peaks. (Haven't been up there to try my luck at the senior one on the north peak yet.)

Still tend to soften up groups with bombs though. I almost never use weapons on Chuchus, for instance, easier to save the wear on my weapons to just blow those pests to smithereens! XD

Also, goddamnit the Yiga clan assassins creep me out. I am so paranoid about talking to random strangers on the road now!

[Abserdia]

I was doing a lot of long-range bow and arrow antics before I got better weapons and better armor. Now that I've got a few more hearts, decent/upgraded armor, and a stockpile of cooked meals, I'm a lot more confident about going melee on most routine monster encounters. Finally took out that Stone Talus on the plateau, and a junior one on the southern of the Dueling Peaks. (Haven't been up there to try my luck at the senior one on the north peak yet.)

Still tend to soften up groups with bombs though. I almost never use weapons on Chuchus, for instance, easier to save the wear on my weapons to just blow those pests to smithereens! XD

Also, goddamnit the Yiga clan assassins creep me out. I am so paranoid about talking to random strangers on the road now!

Have you done any actual dungeons yet?

[Skylus]

...There's assassins in the game?
That's cool.

Also, the Master Sword theme is 30 seconds long and the cutscene is over four minutes.
Wonder why that is.

[Skylus]

So what's the rating for BotW?

And does anyone talk other than Zelda?

[Reploid Productions]

Have you done any actual dungeons yet?

Not yet. ^^; I've been... urm. Easily distracted. Exploring and stuff. The addition of a camera and what amounts to Hylian Wikipedia has provided my inner shutterbug even more distraction on top of it. MUST PHOTOGRAPH ALL OF TEH THINGS! \o|

And does anyone talk other than Zelda?

Yup, there's at least two other characters I've come across thus far with speaking lines, and I suspect there's several more major characters I've yet to meet that do as well.

[Abserdia]

So what's the rating for BotW?

And does anyone talk other than Zelda?

Yes. Plenty of people talk other than Zelda.

[Abserdia]

Also, Reppy. I suggest doing at least one dungeon somewhat soon, because the rewards you get for them are amazing and absolute lifesavers, especially the Zora dungeon.

But, ultimately, it's your choice. I was compelled to explore a lot in the areas I didn't get to but went to the dungeon instead.

I finished my second dungeon earlier and now I'm going to take a big break from the main quest, although some players may go straight to the third. This game really does seem like something where absolutely everyone has a different experience with it by the end.

[Nation of Quebec]

Been playing this game for two days now (not pleased that Amazon couldn't deliver on release day) after work and I have to say that the amount of time the developers put into it really shows. I'm about five hours in and I haven't even found the first dungeon yet.

A few random thoughts:

Is it just me, or is the Cryonis ability fairly useless? I don't think I've used it once except for the shrine I got it in.
Shoutouts to anyone else who found the above shrine without using the warm clothes.
Raiding Bokogoblin camps is fun, especially when you try using different methods to attack them.
You run out of inventory space fairly quickly for weapons - that's probably my biggest complaint so far, but it's one I can easily live with.
So I totally went the wrong way when trying to find Kakariko Village. I ended up in the Central Hyrule province instead, and was able to climb the tower. This was of course after being killed by the patrolling Guardians several times along the way.
I accidentally found The Shrine of Power on my way back, and I'm sure they intended you to get to this one later. I have more powerful weapons now.
I've yet to successfully tame a horse. They kick me before I have the chance to get near it.

Been having a lot of fun with this game so far.

[Skylus]

What's the rating?

Also Did the "Dawn" theme make it in?

[Abserdia]

Been playing this game for two days now (not pleased that Amazon couldn't deliver on release day) after work and I have to say that the amount of time the developers put into it really shows. I'm about five hours in and I haven't even found the first dungeon yet.

A few random thoughts:

Is it just me, or is the Cryonis ability fairly useless? I don't think I've used it once except for the shrine I got it in.
Shoutouts to anyone else who found the above shrine without using the warm clothes.
Raiding Bokogoblin camps is fun, especially when you try using different methods to attack them.
You run out of inventory space fairly quickly for weapons - that's probably my biggest complaint so far, but it's one I can easily live with.
So I totally went the wrong way when trying to find Kakariko Village. I ended up in the Central Hyrule province instead, and was able to climb the tower. This was of course after being killed by the patrolling Guardians several times along the way.
I accidentally found The Shrine of Power on my way back, and I'm sure they intended you to get to this one later. I have more powerful weapons now.
I've yet to successfully tame a horse. They kick me before I have the chance to get near it.

Been having a lot of fun with this game so far.

Cryonis is used less than the other runes, but you will definitely need it for some things.

[Reploid Productions]

Been playing this game for two days now (not pleased that Amazon couldn't deliver on release day) after work and I have to say that the amount of time the developers put into it really shows. I'm about five hours in and I haven't even found the first dungeon yet.

A few random thoughts:

Is it just me, or is the Cryonis ability fairly useless? I don't think I've used it once except for the shrine I got it in.
Shoutouts to anyone else who found the above shrine without using the warm clothes.
Raiding Bokogoblin camps is fun, especially when you try using different methods to attack them.
You run out of inventory space fairly quickly for weapons - that's probably my biggest complaint so far, but it's one I can easily live with.
So I totally went the wrong way when trying to find Kakariko Village. I ended up in the Central Hyrule province instead, and was able to climb the tower. This was of course after being killed by the patrolling Guardians several times along the way.
I accidentally found The Shrine of Power on my way back, and I'm sure they intended you to get to this one later. I have more powerful weapons now.
I've yet to successfully tame a horse. They kick me before I have the chance to get near it.

Been having a lot of fun with this game so far.

Cryonis is used less than the other runes, but you will definitely need it for some things.

Cryonis gets a pretty good workout in some of the other shrines I've found so far, and is very useful for crossing bodies of water if there isn't a raft nearby and it's too far to swim. Also useful for getting to wooden treasure boxes floating in deep water!

Still haven't done any of the actual dungeons yet, still focusing on exploration/shrines/MUST TAKE PICTURES OF ALL OF TEH THINGS! You can eventually increase your inventory space, but yeah, managing your inventory for weapons/bows/shields can be a bit annoying. Runs counter to my instictive "HOARD ALL OF TEH THINGS!" mentality from other games. I have recovered three of the memory sequences though, which are starting to paint a rather interesting picture of what happened 100 years ago. Got two sequences that seem to be months, maybe even years before Ganon fucked things up, and a much later one that was maybe a few hours or a day or so before things went to hell.

Also found you can ride around on things other than horses! I was riding a reindeer around in the highlands last night. (Actually key to a nearby puzzle, too.) And a friend of a friend sent along a screenshot from her game of Link riding around on a bear. I may have to try my luck with the water buffalo near Hateno for shits and giggles.

So, anybody else seen that huge honking dragon that flies around there at night? He's big enough he causes gusting wind with his passage. Doesn't seem to be hostile (well, in that it doesn't directly or actively attack you,) but there's loads of lightning balls around it. My dragon-assisted hang-gliding attempts last night met with less-than-impressive results due to insufficient stamina and not being immune to electricity >_>

[Skylus]

Are the memory sequences like Assassin's Creed? No?

[Reploid Productions]

Are the memory sequences like Assassin's Creed? No?

Having not played AC, not sure exactly what you mean. You start the game 100 years after the apocalypse basically, and Link doesn't remember a damn thing about what happened. You eventually get a collection of pictures that were taken before said disaster, and if you can find the locations shown in those images, it jogs Link's memory some.

[Skylus]

Interesting...I wonder if you'll "relive" your death at some point...

[New haven america]

Interesting...I wonder if you'll "relive" your death at some point...

Link didn't die though, he just went catatonic for 100 years.

[Reploid Productions]

Interesting...I wonder if you'll "relive" your death at some point...

Link didn't die though, he just went catatonic for 100 years.

It sounds like he was pretty badly injured though, thus necessitating the 100 year magic nap.

[Abserdia]

Cryonis is used less than the other runes, but you will definitely need it for some things.

Cryonis gets a pretty good workout in some of the other shrines I've found so far, and is very useful for crossing bodies of water if there isn't a raft nearby and it's too far to swim. Also useful for getting to wooden treasure boxes floating in deep water!

Still haven't done any of the actual dungeons yet, still focusing on exploration/shrines/MUST TAKE PICTURES OF ALL OF TEH THINGS! You can eventually increase your inventory space, but yeah, managing your inventory for weapons/bows/shields can be a bit annoying. Runs counter to my instictive "HOARD ALL OF TEH THINGS!" mentality from other games. I have recovered three of the memory sequences though, which are starting to paint a rather interesting picture of what happened 100 years ago. Got two sequences that seem to be months, maybe even years before Ganon fucked things up, and a much later one that was maybe a few hours or a day or so before things went to hell.

Also found you can ride around on things other than horses! I was riding a reindeer around in the highlands last night. (Actually key to a nearby puzzle, too.) And a friend of a friend sent along a screenshot from her game of Link riding around on a bear. I may have to try my luck with the water buffalo near Hateno for shits and giggles.

So, anybody else seen that huge honking dragon that flies around there at night? He's big enough he causes gusting wind with his passage. Doesn't seem to be hostile (well, in that it doesn't directly or actively attack you,) but there's loads of lightning balls around it. My dragon-assisted hang-gliding attempts last night met with less-than-impressive results due to insufficient stamina and not being immune to electricity >_>

Yeah, I've seen that dragon. I've actually seen two, but I forgot where the other one was.
I think I found it a bit west of the Great Plateau, circling a small mountain.

[Reploid Productions]

Cryonis gets a pretty good workout in some of the other shrines I've found so far, and is very useful for crossing bodies of water if there isn't a raft nearby and it's too far to swim. Also useful for getting to wooden treasure boxes floating in deep water!

Still haven't done any of the actual dungeons yet, still focusing on exploration/shrines/MUST TAKE PICTURES OF ALL OF TEH THINGS! You can eventually increase your inventory space, but yeah, managing your inventory for weapons/bows/shields can be a bit annoying. Runs counter to my instictive "HOARD ALL OF TEH THINGS!" mentality from other games. I have recovered three of the memory sequences though, which are starting to paint a rather interesting picture of what happened 100 years ago. Got two sequences that seem to be months, maybe even years before Ganon fucked things up, and a much later one that was maybe a few hours or a day or so before things went to hell.

Also found you can ride around on things other than horses! I was riding a reindeer around in the highlands last night. (Actually key to a nearby puzzle, too.) And a friend of a friend sent along a screenshot from her game of Link riding around on a bear. I may have to try my luck with the water buffalo near Hateno for shits and giggles.

So, anybody else seen that huge honking dragon that flies around there at night? He's big enough he causes gusting wind with his passage. Doesn't seem to be hostile (well, in that it doesn't directly or actively attack you,) but there's loads of lightning balls around it. My dragon-assisted hang-gliding attempts last night met with less-than-impressive results due to insufficient stamina and not being immune to electricity >_>

Yeah, I've seen that dragon. I've actually seen two, but I forgot where the other one was.
I think I found it a bit west of the Great Plateau, circling a small mountain.

Poor Mipha. And geez, Sidon is the most lovable ham ever. I felt like a complete ass once I got up to Zora's Domain and started getting bitched out by the older Zoras about whatever the hell went haywire 100 years previous though.

Really love the designs for the Zoras in this one. They just look so damn cool. And now that it's not pissing rain over the region and I can go properly exploring and climbing around, time to go exploring some more! XD

[Abserdia]

Yeah, I've seen that dragon. I've actually seen two, but I forgot where the other one was.
I think I found it a bit west of the Great Plateau, circling a small mountain.

Poor Mipha. And geez, Sidon is the most lovable ham ever. I felt like a complete ass once I got up to Zora's Domain and started getting bitched out by the older Zoras about whatever the hell went haywire 100 years previous though.

Really love the designs for the Zoras in this one. They just look so damn cool. And now that it's not pissing rain over the region and I can go properly exploring and climbing around, time to go exploring some more! XD

Sidon is pretty awesome. He's one of my favorite characters so far.

Screw Zelda though. Mipha is best girl. She's the new LoZ waifu.