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March 15, 2017 12:21 PM Subscribe
Nintendo has released three behind-the-scenes videos about the phenomenal Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild. Part One - The Beginning. Part Two - Open-Air Concept. Part Three - Story and Characters. Each video runs about 10 minutes long.
Bonus video: Breaking Conventions with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild from Nintendo's GDC talk. [1hr28m]
Bonus video: Breaking Conventions with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild from Nintendo's GDC talk. [1hr28m]
If you haven't read Tevis Thompson's Saving Zelda (and the excellent Second Quest, I encourage it.
posted by mhoye at 12:34 PM on March 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 12:34 PM on March 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
Was about to hit post on my own thread about this as you made yours, it seems.
The full video from the GDC is completely worth watching in its entirety if you care about game design. To my mind, this game essentially "fixes" the formula that companies like Bethesda have been treading water with since the early 2000s. Bethesda games are, mostly, fun, but BOTW is an interpretation of the formula that feels like perfection versus another flawed copy.
Having put some substantial time into it (sorry dissertation), I believe that the core difference is player movement. This is covered in the "Open-Air Concept" video most completely, with one of the key take-aways being that an early design choice was to not view walls as obstacles, but rather as a climbable feature of the world geography. That completely flips a core building block of game-worlds on its head. When you're having your team design challenges, it means that they can't simply use walls to direct player attention. Instead, designers are forced to think about all challenges from many (potentially infinite) valid approaches given the toolset of the player. Having the dungeons (shrines and divine beasts) take away some of that toolkit is useful for when you want the player to be more directed to certain experiences, but otherwise players are given an expansive vocabulary of object interactions (the devs call this a 'chemistry engine' which is wonderful), and then set out into the world to approach challenges how they deem fit.
Substantially what this means, is that it never feels (as is often the case midway through a Skyrim save file) that you're in a big, meaningless amusement park that funnels you from set-piece to set-piece, but rather that you're in a world with its own internal logic. That's the difference between feeling like a tourist and an explorer. I only hope that the American and European devs who have made open worlds their staple genre take a look at BOTW and actually learn something. As a side note, BOTW is essentially bug free from everything I've seen. Even stuff I would take as a given (like clipping problems for ambient animal models and foliage) is nearly non-existent in this game to the point where I really noticed it if I see it. It's truly amazing.
I love the fact that they basically tested some of the new ideas in 2D with what looks like a modified version of the original NES Legend of Zelda.
In the video they reveal that this was in fact a 3D simulation of a 2D engine, which is a pretty clever way to achieve what they wanted. And opens up slim hope for a "Zelda Maker" style game.
posted by codacorolla at 12:39 PM on March 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
The full video from the GDC is completely worth watching in its entirety if you care about game design. To my mind, this game essentially "fixes" the formula that companies like Bethesda have been treading water with since the early 2000s. Bethesda games are, mostly, fun, but BOTW is an interpretation of the formula that feels like perfection versus another flawed copy.
Having put some substantial time into it (sorry dissertation), I believe that the core difference is player movement. This is covered in the "Open-Air Concept" video most completely, with one of the key take-aways being that an early design choice was to not view walls as obstacles, but rather as a climbable feature of the world geography. That completely flips a core building block of game-worlds on its head. When you're having your team design challenges, it means that they can't simply use walls to direct player attention. Instead, designers are forced to think about all challenges from many (potentially infinite) valid approaches given the toolset of the player. Having the dungeons (shrines and divine beasts) take away some of that toolkit is useful for when you want the player to be more directed to certain experiences, but otherwise players are given an expansive vocabulary of object interactions (the devs call this a 'chemistry engine' which is wonderful), and then set out into the world to approach challenges how they deem fit.
Substantially what this means, is that it never feels (as is often the case midway through a Skyrim save file) that you're in a big, meaningless amusement park that funnels you from set-piece to set-piece, but rather that you're in a world with its own internal logic. That's the difference between feeling like a tourist and an explorer. I only hope that the American and European devs who have made open worlds their staple genre take a look at BOTW and actually learn something. As a side note, BOTW is essentially bug free from everything I've seen. Even stuff I would take as a given (like clipping problems for ambient animal models and foliage) is nearly non-existent in this game to the point where I really noticed it if I see it. It's truly amazing.
I love the fact that they basically tested some of the new ideas in 2D with what looks like a modified version of the original NES Legend of Zelda.
In the video they reveal that this was in fact a 3D simulation of a 2D engine, which is a pretty clever way to achieve what they wanted. And opens up slim hope for a "Zelda Maker" style game.
posted by codacorolla at 12:39 PM on March 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
My favorite moment from Breath of the Wild so far is the time that I was on the side of a cliff and shoved a boulder over the edge just for kicks. It rolled down out of sight, I turned and started walking along the path toward the next adventure... and then I heard an unseen bokoblin scream down below.
posted by Servo5678 at 12:42 PM on March 15, 2017 [8 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 12:42 PM on March 15, 2017 [8 favorites]
Climbing the central tower with one and a half stamina rings, jumping out of the way of the three Guardians taking turns trying to death ray me, was super satisfying, and I only used a single fairy when i didn't jump sideways quickly enough. I can't get over how fun it is to just walk from point A to point B in this game.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 12:49 PM on March 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Elementary Penguin at 12:49 PM on March 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
Another major take-away from the video was the way that the project leads used the idea of "clever lies". A good example is the art director, talking about various shortcuts he took to instead of trying to realistically portray some actions. For example, when you chop a tree into firewood, Link doesn't stand there for 5 seconds hacking away and then stacking the cords together. Instead it's a poof of smoke and the piles appear (neatly tied with string). This is against our conceptions of reality, but it's useful to do that instead of forcing the player to watch an animation they don't care about in the name of realism that doesn't matter. Instead, the active, meaningful animations are given a LOT of detail. Weapon move-sets tie together seamlessly. Your climbing animation is very carefully rendered, and responds sensibly to various wall geometries. Cooking is animated to highlight the colors and appearance of the ingredients, and Link has unique movements for each type of food he eats (including being wary of any dubious food that the player forces him to eat).
Often open-world games are made with a slavish attention to simulation, but infrequently with regards to the stuff that matters. To me, this has always felt unnecessary and counter-productive and oddly selective. When your characters are bland caricatures who do the same 4 actions in a canned loop, and exist entirely as either set-dressing or quest node points, I do not give a shit if they eat, have day-night cycles, make conversation on the street, or any of the other hundred irritating things that get in the way of the game without adding anything to the experience. In fact, simulating these bizarre aspects (I would guess low hanging fruit) of NPC life makes the game less fun, when I have to take myself out of pursuing a quest in order to wait 3 hours so that their shop opens so that I can sell off my junk in preparation for the next dungeon. And then, when I'm in combat, you give me three poorly rendered swings that don't blend together whatsoever. It makes you wonder why some devs focus so doggedly on stuff that doesn't matter (stuff that you notice incidentally if at all), and then completely ignore the stuff that I'm doing for 80% of their combat centered game (swinging a sword).
My impression from the presentation was that 'clever lies' are a way of glossing the stuff that doesn't matter (this isn't REAL magnetism, that's not how link would REALLY carry three piles of wood and a mushroom) and focusing on the stuff that does.
posted by codacorolla at 12:52 PM on March 15, 2017 [5 favorites]
Often open-world games are made with a slavish attention to simulation, but infrequently with regards to the stuff that matters. To me, this has always felt unnecessary and counter-productive and oddly selective. When your characters are bland caricatures who do the same 4 actions in a canned loop, and exist entirely as either set-dressing or quest node points, I do not give a shit if they eat, have day-night cycles, make conversation on the street, or any of the other hundred irritating things that get in the way of the game without adding anything to the experience. In fact, simulating these bizarre aspects (I would guess low hanging fruit) of NPC life makes the game less fun, when I have to take myself out of pursuing a quest in order to wait 3 hours so that their shop opens so that I can sell off my junk in preparation for the next dungeon. And then, when I'm in combat, you give me three poorly rendered swings that don't blend together whatsoever. It makes you wonder why some devs focus so doggedly on stuff that doesn't matter (stuff that you notice incidentally if at all), and then completely ignore the stuff that I'm doing for 80% of their combat centered game (swinging a sword).
My impression from the presentation was that 'clever lies' are a way of glossing the stuff that doesn't matter (this isn't REAL magnetism, that's not how link would REALLY carry three piles of wood and a mushroom) and focusing on the stuff that does.
posted by codacorolla at 12:52 PM on March 15, 2017 [5 favorites]
I would love to see the faux-2D prototype get a bit of polish and become a full release on its own. I think there's enough interest now to justify it as a smaller project in its own right.
I have a bunch of thoughts on the architectural influences, level of technology and "freshness" in design (especially interesting because Zelda has never really been about the generic Medieval British fantasy aesthetic that is often most easily recognizable to audiences; there was always a subtly Persian element to the older games' visual styles, and some interesting ecology going on) but I need to go finish an annoying quest in RL.
posted by byanyothername at 12:52 PM on March 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
I have a bunch of thoughts on the architectural influences, level of technology and "freshness" in design (especially interesting because Zelda has never really been about the generic Medieval British fantasy aesthetic that is often most easily recognizable to audiences; there was always a subtly Persian element to the older games' visual styles, and some interesting ecology going on) but I need to go finish an annoying quest in RL.
posted by byanyothername at 12:52 PM on March 15, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best game ever, so much to discover.
Was raiding a bokoblin camp yesterday, bombing from an upper ledge, and I knocked one into the fire, which quickly burned his punk ass up. First laugh out loud moment in a video game ever for me.
posted by porn in the woods at 12:56 PM on March 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
Was raiding a bokoblin camp yesterday, bombing from an upper ledge, and I knocked one into the fire, which quickly burned his punk ass up. First laugh out loud moment in a video game ever for me.
posted by porn in the woods at 12:56 PM on March 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
I have a bunch of thoughts on the architectural influences, level of technology and "freshness" in design (especially interesting because Zelda has never really been about the generic Medieval British fantasy aesthetic that is often most easily recognizable to audiences; there was always a subtly Persian element to the older games' visual styles, and some interesting ecology going on) but I need to go finish an annoying quest in RL.
One thing that has delighted me the most about the game is that, at its heart, it's a tale of the post-apocalypse. A lot of JRPGs take this tack, with an ancient civilization having left its legacy (loot, mostly) for adventurers to find, but BOTW embraces the apocalypse as a central element of its story. One of the first places I went after the introduction was a burned out town, crawling with monsters, and with remnants of a great battle: rusted swords and shields that were better than anything I'd found to that point. It captured a lot of the same pleasure as picking over a nuked factory in Fallout 4. It's a really bold, and in retrospect smart, choice for what is ostensibly a fantasy game.
posted by codacorolla at 1:00 PM on March 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
One thing that has delighted me the most about the game is that, at its heart, it's a tale of the post-apocalypse. A lot of JRPGs take this tack, with an ancient civilization having left its legacy (loot, mostly) for adventurers to find, but BOTW embraces the apocalypse as a central element of its story. One of the first places I went after the introduction was a burned out town, crawling with monsters, and with remnants of a great battle: rusted swords and shields that were better than anything I'd found to that point. It captured a lot of the same pleasure as picking over a nuked factory in Fallout 4. It's a really bold, and in retrospect smart, choice for what is ostensibly a fantasy game.
posted by codacorolla at 1:00 PM on March 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
I glanced at my time played. Close to 40 hours since release. I am feeling a bit of the Zelda fatigue, but only in that I want to take a short break from it and can't wait to return. I've got some Legion to catch up on, and Torment to get back to. I reckon I've only done a fraction of the game, one 'dungeon' done, four or so towers left to scale at the top left of the map. For me, the core loop is to warp into a town, mill about and see what happens, or new developments are afoot, then go off and explore the paths I haven't taken. It's all very rewarding and delightful. Probably the most delightful a game has been for me since Minecraft, or before that, Okami. It's also strangely adult in its sensibilities, while striking that Pixar level of self-awareness and charm. I'm excited to see what the season pass for Zelda brings over the year, as Nintendo tends to go all out in the DLC for the price-point. Most are expecting a Majora's Mask style chapter, in addition to the Hard Mode. The onion layers of discovery and delight are what Breath of the Wild has in ample reserve. It's a Nintendo sandbox that Mario Odyssey also seems to be hinting at. I'm curious to see what Nintendo property is next to get the Mario/Zelda treatment in this fashion.
posted by chainlinkspiral at 1:06 PM on March 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by chainlinkspiral at 1:06 PM on March 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's also ground they sort of tackled with Wind Waker: the whole Link-Zelda-Ganon cycle is cyclical, but what happens if Link and Zelda fail? But it's much more overt here. I love the ruins everywhere of what were obviously massive battles that the good guys lost. It's like an entire game that's the end section of Final Fantasy VI
posted by Elementary Penguin at 1:08 PM on March 15, 2017
posted by Elementary Penguin at 1:08 PM on March 15, 2017
I'm curious to see what Nintendo property is next to get the Mario/Zelda treatment in this fashion.
You know, we're way overdue for a new Metroid game
posted by Elementary Penguin at 1:09 PM on March 15, 2017 [5 favorites]
You know, we're way overdue for a new Metroid game
posted by Elementary Penguin at 1:09 PM on March 15, 2017 [5 favorites]
I'm going to whip up a plate of dubious food, sit down and watch all these videos tonight. Thanks for posting.
posted by porn in the woods at 2:50 PM on March 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by porn in the woods at 2:50 PM on March 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
Guys, I'm really loving this game so far, so much. I want to learn everything there is to learn about its development.
One thing I've found really interesting is just how Japanese it is in so many subtle ways, despite being a nominally European High Fantasy sort of setting. Stuff like the locations of shrines (there's always one nearby every town, and they seem to tend to be on top of mountains or in caves) feels a lot like where shinto shrines can be found. Kakariko Village is OH MY GOODNESS so incredibly rural mountainous Japan. Of course, the art style they settled on for the ancient technologies is heavily based on Jomon-era Japan, and the withered sages in the shrines all sit in different positions that seem heavily influenced by Buddhist art.
And that's to say nothing of all of the incredible art design work that went into stuff like the sorts of emblems and iconography of the religion surrounding the Goddess Hylia and all that. They really did create a world that feels "alive" in the same way that Splatoon and Animal Crossing did (and given that you can apparently buy a house in Hateno Village, I'm starting to worry about the risk of this open-world cooking simulator adding "decorating a house" alongside "fighting monsters" to its list of side quests).
And the soundtrack is just, aaaaahhhhhhhhh so good
The only criticism I could imagine having would be that the translation is a little too literal (when you translate Japanese text for a living, there are certain dead giveaways that are just phrases that Japan REALLY LOVES) but then I found the dye shop and ALL HAS BEEN FORGIVEN
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:00 PM on March 15, 2017 [7 favorites]
One thing I've found really interesting is just how Japanese it is in so many subtle ways, despite being a nominally European High Fantasy sort of setting. Stuff like the locations of shrines (there's always one nearby every town, and they seem to tend to be on top of mountains or in caves) feels a lot like where shinto shrines can be found. Kakariko Village is OH MY GOODNESS so incredibly rural mountainous Japan. Of course, the art style they settled on for the ancient technologies is heavily based on Jomon-era Japan, and the withered sages in the shrines all sit in different positions that seem heavily influenced by Buddhist art.
And that's to say nothing of all of the incredible art design work that went into stuff like the sorts of emblems and iconography of the religion surrounding the Goddess Hylia and all that. They really did create a world that feels "alive" in the same way that Splatoon and Animal Crossing did (and given that you can apparently buy a house in Hateno Village, I'm starting to worry about the risk of this open-world cooking simulator adding "decorating a house" alongside "fighting monsters" to its list of side quests).
And the soundtrack is just, aaaaahhhhhhhhh so good
The only criticism I could imagine having would be that the translation is a little too literal (when you translate Japanese text for a living, there are certain dead giveaways that are just phrases that Japan REALLY LOVES) but then I found the dye shop and ALL HAS BEEN FORGIVEN
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:00 PM on March 15, 2017 [7 favorites]
Kakariko Village is OH MY GOODNESS so incredibly rural mountainous Japan.
First time I visited, I wanted to start circling trees with a celestial brush.
posted by pwnguin at 7:05 PM on March 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
First time I visited, I wanted to start circling trees with a celestial brush.
posted by pwnguin at 7:05 PM on March 15, 2017 [1 favorite]
You know, we're way overdue for a new Metroid game
Shhh! Sakamoto will hear you!
posted by byanyothername at 7:29 PM on March 15, 2017
Shhh! Sakamoto will hear you!
posted by byanyothername at 7:29 PM on March 15, 2017
Oh my goodness, the piano on the first video! Is that procedurally generated? Is it from the game? I need the sheet music in my life.
posted by _Synesthesia_ at 7:35 PM on March 15, 2017
posted by _Synesthesia_ at 7:35 PM on March 15, 2017
I am sitting here with no access to a Switch for the time being. I have been watching some streams of it on and off and OH GOD I WANT IT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE GIVE PLS.
Anyway, the amount of interactability looks absolutely amazing. See this video for a humorous demonstration of the many, many things that you can do in this game.
Bonus BotW doggo (whom the player mislabels as a "pupper").
posted by dhens at 11:22 PM on March 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
Anyway, the amount of interactability looks absolutely amazing. See this video for a humorous demonstration of the many, many things that you can do in this game.
Bonus BotW doggo (whom the player mislabels as a "pupper").
posted by dhens at 11:22 PM on March 15, 2017 [4 favorites]
My 9yo got BOTW the day it came out, and I've been enjoying the crap out of just sitting and watching him play.
I especially like that you can interact with so many things, you can climb a random tree, pick an apple and feed it to your horse.
And the climbing animation, and the jumping from a horse and shooting an arrow. And the landscape design!
I just wish there where a local or online multiplayer version so we could go adventuring together. Probably good that there isn't, don't really feel like buying another Wii U or a Switch.
posted by signal at 6:57 AM on March 16, 2017
I especially like that you can interact with so many things, you can climb a random tree, pick an apple and feed it to your horse.
And the climbing animation, and the jumping from a horse and shooting an arrow. And the landscape design!
I just wish there where a local or online multiplayer version so we could go adventuring together. Probably good that there isn't, don't really feel like buying another Wii U or a Switch.
posted by signal at 6:57 AM on March 16, 2017
I read that Tevis Thompson article when it was posted here on the blue, but re-reading it again after playing BOTW is...yeah. They took everything he said to heart. BOTW is the answer to everything Thompson criticized about modern Zelda. It really does allow you to explore in a way most modern games don't, with minimal hand-holding. I would argue that it really doesn't need the voice-overs, either. If I could turn them off, the puzzles would be harder but ultimately more rewarding.
posted by domo at 8:32 AM on March 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by domo at 8:32 AM on March 16, 2017 [1 favorite]
Bonus BotW doggo (whom the player mislabels as a "pupper").
That dog seems to chase its tail whether Link spins or not, but that is so good and I will absolutely chase tails with the doggo.
So far my biggest complaint about BOTW is that the dogs often clearly want belly scritchies and there is no mechanism to provide them.
It's interesting that there's not much game disincentive to running around exploring all through the in-game night, every night. The dark isn't really dark enough to need extra lighting, and Link doesn't get tired other than by running out of stamina. Sleep's optional. If only that were true in real life, so I could play more. Instead, I've got to show up at a particular time every day to do this stupid paperwork fetch quest...
posted by asperity at 9:12 AM on March 16, 2017 [2 favorites]
That dog seems to chase its tail whether Link spins or not, but that is so good and I will absolutely chase tails with the doggo.
So far my biggest complaint about BOTW is that the dogs often clearly want belly scritchies and there is no mechanism to provide them.
It's interesting that there's not much game disincentive to running around exploring all through the in-game night, every night. The dark isn't really dark enough to need extra lighting, and Link doesn't get tired other than by running out of stamina. Sleep's optional. If only that were true in real life, so I could play more. Instead, I've got to show up at a particular time every day to do this stupid paperwork fetch quest...
posted by asperity at 9:12 AM on March 16, 2017 [2 favorites]
That dog seems to chase its tail whether Link spins or not, but that is so good and I will absolutely chase tails with the doggo.
Hmm, it looks like something must be happening, because the sparkle of dust over the dog's face at the end of the video is the same as when Link bonds with a horse. Maybe it's because Link is following the dog's lead?
More research is needed. Please provide me with a Switch and a cartridge ASAP.
Sleep's optional.
Minor spoilers: From what I understand, if Link sleeps, it resets the cool-down timers on the special abilities that he gets from the Divine Beasts. Also, if he sleeps in a deluxe bed at an inn, he gets temporary extra heart containers.
posted by dhens at 11:55 AM on March 16, 2017
Hmm, it looks like something must be happening, because the sparkle of dust over the dog's face at the end of the video is the same as when Link bonds with a horse. Maybe it's because Link is following the dog's lead?
More research is needed. Please provide me with a Switch and a cartridge ASAP.
Sleep's optional.
Minor spoilers: From what I understand, if Link sleeps, it resets the cool-down timers on the special abilities that he gets from the Divine Beasts. Also, if he sleeps in a deluxe bed at an inn, he gets temporary extra heart containers.
posted by dhens at 11:55 AM on March 16, 2017
You can form bonds with dogs by spinning, crouching next to them, and offering them food that a dog might like. I'm unsure of what those bonds do, however.
posted by codacorolla at 12:12 PM on March 16, 2017
posted by codacorolla at 12:12 PM on March 16, 2017
There's a load screen tip that suggests dogs might lead you to something interesting if you befriend them, but so far all I've managed is to get a dog to follow me around a bit.
posted by asperity at 12:41 PM on March 16, 2017
posted by asperity at 12:41 PM on March 16, 2017
Yeah, I saw that. Maybe it's the shrines that tend to be near stables? Maybe the real quest starts once you reach 100% synch level with hyrule's dog population?
posted by codacorolla at 12:46 PM on March 16, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by codacorolla at 12:46 PM on March 16, 2017 [2 favorites]
Watching those videos makes me realize that I've been playing at such a basic level. I've mostly been brute forcing my way through things using food buffs and plenty of arrows. It's probably why I'm having so much trouble getting through the Yiga clan hideout...
posted by clorox at 12:48 PM on March 16, 2017
posted by clorox at 12:48 PM on March 16, 2017
Check out this interactive web map of Breath of the Wild.
posted by porn in the woods at 2:06 PM on March 16, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by porn in the woods at 2:06 PM on March 16, 2017 [2 favorites]
I've mostly been brute forcing my way through things using food buffs and plenty of arrows.
I might have spent more than a single day of game time slowly whittling away one monster camp with bombs. It was deeply ridiculous and definitely inefficient, but it did work.
posted by asperity at 2:34 PM on March 16, 2017
I might have spent more than a single day of game time slowly whittling away one monster camp with bombs. It was deeply ridiculous and definitely inefficient, but it did work.
posted by asperity at 2:34 PM on March 16, 2017
I finally beat the game a few days ago. You can't continue after the end but the game does create an autosave right before the final fight and now all my saves have a happy star next to them. Yay!
The main quest was kind of a let down. I found it to be a bit repetitive (go to town - talk to leader - do quest - defeat beast). I kept waiting for some kind of twist but it never came. I was also disappointed that the shrines and beasts all had the same mechanical theme.
Easily the most fun I've had with the game was over the first weekend. I went from tower to tower uncovering the entire map. I would veer off course if I saw a shrine or a stable but I wanted to get the map revealed before I really sank my teeth into it. It took hours upon hours.
My advice for the early game is to sink at least three upgrades into stamina before hearts. Maybe more if you're not dying too often. You do want a bunch of hearts but there is a way to respec so don't worry about "losing" those upgrades.
I'm surprised at how much stuff actually appears on the map. Do yourself a favor: if you're bored or want to do something different, go to the map and zoom all the way in. If you see a weird small lake, rock formation, tree, etc, mark it with a waypoint and fight your way there. You're practically guaranteed to find at least a seed.
posted by Diskeater at 6:26 PM on March 16, 2017 [4 favorites]
The main quest was kind of a let down. I found it to be a bit repetitive (go to town - talk to leader - do quest - defeat beast). I kept waiting for some kind of twist but it never came. I was also disappointed that the shrines and beasts all had the same mechanical theme.
Easily the most fun I've had with the game was over the first weekend. I went from tower to tower uncovering the entire map. I would veer off course if I saw a shrine or a stable but I wanted to get the map revealed before I really sank my teeth into it. It took hours upon hours.
My advice for the early game is to sink at least three upgrades into stamina before hearts. Maybe more if you're not dying too often. You do want a bunch of hearts but there is a way to respec so don't worry about "losing" those upgrades.
I'm surprised at how much stuff actually appears on the map. Do yourself a favor: if you're bored or want to do something different, go to the map and zoom all the way in. If you see a weird small lake, rock formation, tree, etc, mark it with a waypoint and fight your way there. You're practically guaranteed to find at least a seed.
posted by Diskeater at 6:26 PM on March 16, 2017 [4 favorites]
It's probably why I'm having so much trouble getting through the Yiga clan hideout...
Spoilers:
The Stealth outfit available in Kakariko Village should be mandatory here.
posted by sixfootaxolotl at 7:12 PM on March 16, 2017
Spoilers:
The Stealth outfit available in Kakariko Village should be mandatory here.
posted by sixfootaxolotl at 7:12 PM on March 16, 2017
There's a load screen tip that suggests dogs might lead you to something interesting if you befriend them, but so far all I've managed is to get a dog to follow me around a bit.
This mechanic is likely designed to foment playground / web forum discussions of the game, so let's have it: I have to feed dogs three times before they'll lead me to buried treasure. One open question to me is whether the treasure was always there or if the game spawns it only after the dog is happy.
posted by pwnguin at 11:44 AM on March 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
This mechanic is likely designed to foment playground / web forum discussions of the game, so let's have it: I have to feed dogs three times before they'll lead me to buried treasure. One open question to me is whether the treasure was always there or if the game spawns it only after the dog is happy.
posted by pwnguin at 11:44 AM on March 19, 2017 [4 favorites]
Oh, interesting. I've been doing a bit of treasure chest hunting with the Sheikah Sensor, which is fun. It's possible that turning the sensor on before the dog leads you would allow you to test whether the dog creates the treasure. (I like thinking of the dog as being the agent here.)
posted by asperity at 7:45 AM on March 20, 2017
posted by asperity at 7:45 AM on March 20, 2017
Beedle is the man, love this guy. What a great vendor, setting me up with tons of arrows. His little flag is cute as a button.
posted by porn in the woods at 2:17 PM on March 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by porn in the woods at 2:17 PM on March 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I finished the main quest last night and am finally allowing myself to look stuff up on the internet. I'm not sure how much I'm going to spoil ("find this photo" got pretty tedious) and how much I'll still try to discover. The main quest was good but the most fun was definitely picking a direction and just wandering off. Some of the shrine quests in the far corners of the map are really great.
posted by Gary at 2:11 PM on March 21, 2017
posted by Gary at 2:11 PM on March 21, 2017
IGN: 100 little things in Zelda that will blow your mind
posted by porn in the woods at 3:27 PM on March 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by porn in the woods at 3:27 PM on March 21, 2017 [1 favorite]
Some of the shrine quests in the far corners of the map are really great.EVENTIDE ISLAND UGH
I wish I'd discovered before my twentieth try or so that you don't actually have to kill the Hinox to get the orb off its necklace.
posted by DoctorFedora at 7:49 PM on March 22, 2017 [1 favorite]
I took off about 75% of that Hinox's health with a metal box and a generous physics system.
My botched attempt on that island was totally forgetting I had Cryonis (and not for the first time). Launched an Orb outside of the play area trying to golf it into place.
posted by Gary at 10:39 AM on March 23, 2017
My botched attempt on that island was totally forgetting I had Cryonis (and not for the first time). Launched an Orb outside of the play area trying to golf it into place.
posted by Gary at 10:39 AM on March 23, 2017
I cheesed Eventide Island a bit by throwing some high level weapons on the beach before the quest started. I was surprised / not surprised that the game let me do it.
posted by Diskeater at 7:10 AM on March 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Diskeater at 7:10 AM on March 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
I was on a trip and found myself wondering what's on top of a mountain. Best compliment I can give this brilliant game.
posted by ersatz at 8:13 AM on March 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by ersatz at 8:13 AM on March 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
Dyeing outfits is extremely entertaining. I'm so happy it's cheap, and I need to figure out what the cheapest materials for each color are. (Apples and acorns for red and brown for sure, but some of the others are trickier.)
I do wish we had more options for stamps, or the ability to add notes to the map.
posted by asperity at 8:21 AM on March 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
I do wish we had more options for stamps, or the ability to add notes to the map.
posted by asperity at 8:21 AM on March 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
Wow. I had definitely not thought of that method for improving my glide distance.
posted by asperity at 9:06 PM on March 28, 2017
posted by asperity at 9:06 PM on March 28, 2017
The Making of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Bonus Session
posted by Gary at 12:18 AM on March 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Gary at 12:18 AM on March 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
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posted by straight at 12:32 PM on March 15, 2017 [3 favorites]