Zelda: Breath of the wild thoughts, Qs, hints and experiences (1 Viewer)

[Sam Posten]

Continuing from the Switch thread
https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/nintendo-nx-is-now-switch-official-thread.348710/

Made it into Vah Ruta. Took playing it on the big screen with a pro controller. Also helped that I learned I didnt have to turn off ice each time in between blowing up the cubes/mines. Still, this game expects a LOT of either experimentation from new players or experience from previous ones.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Yeah, the reviews glowed about how this game is hard and respects that the player isn't an idiot, doesn't need hours of tutorials, and can figure things out for themselves. The previous games held your hand way too much.

I'm honestly just immensely blown away by how BIG the game is. It's absolutely massive and completely full of stuff to do that is worth doing.

 

[Sam Posten]

Need help with Vah Ruta terminal 3. This stupid fing game is ridiculous in what it expects you to understand. I have tried this for 31.5hours and finally had to look up what to do online and even THAT doesn't explain it.

Spoiler

Apparently you have to stop time for the whole fucking elephant by hitting minus. Except when _I_ hit minus it still shows me in world map, not elephant map. How the fuck do I get it to swap between world and dungeon / elephant map???

Edit, figured it out:

Spoiler

NM, it lets you open 2 of the terminals without a map, but you need the "Dungeon Map" to do #3. So dumb

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I don't even know what Vah Ruta means. I haven't gotten a ton of time in the game, but most of the time I have gotten was spent running around doing whatever seemed interesting. I'm not far along in the story at all.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Apparently you have to stop time for the whole fucking elephant by hitting minus.

For years, I've known that you would eventually say that.

 

[LeoA]

Here's a deeper multi-platform analysis of Zelda.



Nothing too surprising and I figured they'd find that the Switch runs at an overall higher average, but I don't see anything that I won't be able to live with. I still find Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask very playable and they're locked at 20 fps, so I'm sure I'll be fine.

And I haven't cracked it open yet, but my Wii U copy arrived yesterday, several days earlier than the Friday estimate Amazon was saying. Looking forward to seeing for myself after so many years waiting.

Now I just need to squeeze all these Zelda's in. I never got around to finishing Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess HD sits here sealed since last Black Friday, and I've only had Skyward Sword for a year and was figuring I'd play it after the two HD remasters.

I just might cheat and skip ahead.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Frankly, Breath of the Wild is such a huge departure from the series that it won't seem like it's in the same line as any of the previous games. The last two (A Link Between Worlds and Skyward Sword) were departures in a couple ways, but otherwise most of the games follow the same story and gameplay structures. So if you play one of the older ones and get bored eventually since they're so similar, BotW will change that up.

 

[Sam Posten]

I need to find an Amiibo lending library

 

[Steve Y]

Breath of the Wild has (by far) the most diverse (and frustratingly useful) incorporation of amiibos of any game that has ever supported them. I know of at least 16 amiibos that can be used with the game, all to different effect. Meaning that multiple versions of the same character (Link, Zelda, etc.) drop different items in the world. That also means you'd have to spend a lot to take advantage of them all, as some of the amiibos can only be found at a markup, and some of the items are exclusive to these figures.

Avoiding spoilers, my favorite rewards have come from the original Zelda amiibo and the Wolf Link amiibo. FWIW, I'm playing the Wii U version of the game.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Many of the rewards that come from the amiibo are things that can be found in the game but the amiibo is a shortcut. For example, a handful of amiibo give you different outfits or components of outfits that you can buy in-game with some effort. The Smash Link amiibo bonus is Epona (this is not really a spoiler since...I mean...how would it be?) but if you lose Epona (you die, she dies, you leave her and she leaves) before bringing her to a stable then she's gone forever and the amiibo won't bring her back. That kind of sucks, but she's also not even the best horse in the game, so it's more like a temporary boost than a shortcut to an end-game bonus or something.

I think this integration of amiibo is great because nothing is OMG ESSENTIAL but is still a cool bonus if you have the amiibo.

Also, I believe there are amiibo-spoofing NFC apps out there that will simulate an amiibo's NFC data so you can still get the unlocks if you wanted. Just need an NFC-capable smartphone.

 

[Sam Posten]

Translation guide:

Spoiler

Amiibo guide:
http://www.rpgsite.net/feature/5361...-guide-how-to-use-amiibo-and-what-they-all-do

 

[Sam Posten]

Also, I believe there are amiibo-spoofing NFC apps out there that will simulate an amiibo's NFC data so you can still get the unlocks if you wanted. Just need an NFC-capable smartphone.

Requires jaibroken device
Is from sketchy devs
Cost $50+

So, not an option

 

[Sam Posten]

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Really? I would have figured there was a way to side-load a free NFC spoofing app onto an Android device. Had no idea it was so shady.

But again, nothing from the amiibos is super amazing.

 

[Edwin-S]

Breaking what conventions? Nothing I have watched about this game looks revolutionary. It's not like degradable weapons is anything new in gaming. The "cooking" aspect appears to be unique, but, to me, it looks like just one more added layer of boring grinding that I could do without. Everybody hyping that this is the best game ever made has got me shaking my head. It looks like any other open world exploration game...well....except for the outdated graphics that look like they were imported from a PS3 game.

Still, I'll pick it up. Gotta see what all the hype is about. I expect to be suitably disappointed. Are we sure this is a Zelda game? I mean isn't lawn mowing an integral part of the Zelda experience.

 

[Edwin-S]

Are we sure this is a Zelda game? What? No lawn mowing? Isn't lawn mowing an integral part of the Zelda experience? I guess that is what he means by breaking conventions.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

"This game looks stupid, but I'll buy it anyway."

Odd perspective but okay.

If you think the cooking or breakable weapons is why people consider it revolutionary and groundbreaking, then you aren't reading the reviews. The sense of freedom, the quality of the open world, the fact that everything the game throws at you (cooking, climbing, character growth, shrines, breakable weapons, etc.) actually means something and has value in the game and the story is amazing. There's almost nothing in the game that simply exists because it's a game, everything is justified and valued. You don't have a skill tree that you can fill out by slashing dudes for hours and hours, you have to actually earn your growth and there are reasons for it. The game sets you free with an unprecedented (for Zelda but probably for most games, too) amount of literal freedom. There is nothing that the game locks off from you once you're set loose very early one (like, less than a couple hours in, before most of the systems and abilities you have are even explained). The flow is so natural, but like "real" natural and not "videogame" natural.

On top of that, the fact that this is a Zelda game and that even the worst (non-CDi) Zelda game is better than most games makes this the best thing to come out in years.

 

[SamT]

I heard very good reviews about this but buying a console only for one game does not justify it. They should release it on PC too. Then I will buy it.

 

[LeoA]

Why? Nintendo's a hardware maker and the exclusivity and desirability of Zelda will drive people there where Nintendo can make more money off them like accessory sales, licensing fees off 3rd party titles, online subscriptions, etc.

Not to mention that the AAA scene on the PC isn't dominated by one publisher, so Nintendo would face stiff competition each time someone wants a new game. Yet on a Nintendo system, it's far from unlikely that the next big thing will be another 1st party release. They sort of have a captive audience in a way once they get the system into your home, although there's obviously still competition with other devices and token 3rd party competition.

And with 1st party releases on Nintendo's own hardware, Nintendo doesn't have to share any money after the retailer takes its cut with each 1st party release sold. And if it's a direct digital sale, they don't even have that slice of the pie to worry about, which is another benefit to them controlling their own destiny by being the platform holder.

Like I've argued with Morgan before in the past when I said releasing this exclusively on the Wii U a year or more ago, "whenever it was ready", would've been a waste. This is a strategic asset for Nintendo, it doesn't exist just to sell a copy of itself to a customer. It exists to drive people to acquire Nintendo's new hardware and draw them into the Nintendo fold. It was meant from day 1 to be a system seller and the moment they stopped caring about getting more Wii U's into people's homes, it had to come here.

On PC, Nintendo's only economic benefit gleaned from Zelda would be the game sale itself. Those buying the Switch on day 1 though, their Zelda purchase is just the beginning of what could be a 5+ year financial relationship with Nintendo on this platform.

 

[Edwin-S]

"This game looks stupid, but I'll buy it anyway."

Odd perspective but okay.

If you think the cooking or breakable weapons is why people consider it revolutionary and groundbreaking, then you aren't reading the reviews. The sense of freedom, the quality of the open world, the fact that everything the game throws at you (cooking, climbing, character growth, shrines, breakable weapons, etc.) actually means something and has value in the game and the story is amazing. There's almost nothing in the game that simply exists because it's a game, everything is justified and valued. You don't have a skill tree that you can fill out by slashing dudes for hours and hours, you have to actually earn your growth and there are reasons for it. The game sets you free with an unprecedented (for Zelda but probably for most games, too) amount of literal freedom. There is nothing that the game locks off from you once you're set loose very early one (like, less than a couple hours in, before most of the systems and abilities you have are even explained). The flow is so natural, but like "real" natural and not "videogame" natural.

On top of that, the fact that this is a Zelda game and that even the worst (non-CDi) Zelda game is better than most games makes this the best thing to come out in years.

Well, just for the record, I never said or insinuated that the game looked stupid. I just made a wisecrack that it might *not* be able to be called a Zelda game,because it doesn't have "lawn mowing" in it, unlike almost every other Zelda game. Also, I said the game doesn't look all that revolutionary to me, since it looks like any other open world style game; however, I'll see for myself if it is some step above games like Horizon Zero Dawn and Grand Theft Auto V once I buy and look at if for myself.