The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

johnny_ultimate

And done. Well, credits rolled!

What a game. A genuine leap in open world design, just like its predecessor was. But great to see a developer take a rock solid foundation and just make it better in almost every way. The confidence on display here is staggering - every element feels polished and refined. Zelda story’s may be nonsense, but I actually enjoyed watching it unfold this time around. And everything has been reconsidered to more appropriately fit the new approach to exploration on display throughout.

Without going into spoilers, it felt like there was a lot of Studio Ghibli’s sense of spectacle and awe in the finale here, albeit rather more bombastic. Still, the scale of it definitely again is illustrative of a development team so much more confident working on their grand canvas than ever before.

Got around 95 shrines in the end so still a lot to see, and much of the depths to explore, plus any of the extra hard overworld bosses. But happy to at least take a break now, spend time with some other games, and pop in in a little bit to dig up hopefully a few more secrets.

Retr0gamer

Fully explored the depths last night. Well I've one left but that looks to be in Hyrule castle. Realised I've some of the sky areas to explore as well, totally forgot about the islands surrounded by thunder. Took on some super bosses now which at this stage aren't too bad. Fully upgraded armour makes a big difference. Even managed the 5 lynel fight in the depths.

Still loads to do. I discovered some pretty interesting places in the depths that look like end game stuff. I think I'll go back to the gerudo and polish off that area and the sidequests before tackling the end game.

The Nal

Spent ages looking for treasure I got a map for, like 2 hours. Found it. Another Tunic of the Wild!? Now I have 2 wtf.

Also I lost my Hylian shield but came back the next day and it has magically reappeared.

jj880

Liking the look of the fierce diety armour. Increases attack also. Think I'll upgrade this one all the way. Was gona do the glide armour but the materials for the final upgrade are a bit ridiculous.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120781491#Comment_120781491

I just started that quest yesterday: I do like it when TOTK give you hints and leave the rest to you; imagine the same quest in an Ubisoft sandbox, it'd just be yet another "follow the map-marker" quest.

Admittedly I've got to where I thought one clue's destination would be and I'm already stumped. Got those Gloom, grabby-hand SoBs hassling me so I've half a mind to bail.

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120781633#Comment_120781633

Definitely I hate that find an icon format. Really gets old quick with no variety.

Dont want to spoil but if its where Im thinking you dont have to fight the gloom hands where you need to go.

Retr0gamer

The gloom hands aren;t too bad if you have a good bow or can chicken out with the high ground and some bombs. It's what happens next that can be annoying, hope you are good with dodging.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120781798#Comment_120781798

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120782021#Comment_120782021

The

Spoiler Warning

Akkala Citadel ruins?

Yeah, I've yet to fight a Gloom Hands 'cos they just wreck me; I've a good few HEalth upgrades, even some upgraded armour so amn't completely newbie. But I've tended to avoid fighting where I can - and if I can't will use cheese as much as possible.

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120782076#Comment_120782076

Yes on the location.

I like to run away, if theres no higher ground pull out a rocket shield before they get directly under me. Fire a few bomb arrows into the middle of the 5 hands.

CastorTroy

Didn't try it myself when playing but I saw dazzle fruit suggested for them as well to stun them.

Retr0gamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120782076#Comment_120782076

Lets just say most gloom hands have a nasty surprise. But yeah, bomb arrows work a treat although in the end game the bows I'm getting do so much damage that they go down pretty fast.

jj880

Always handy to have your sensor set to chest when.... looking for a chest 😜

EagererBeaver

Decent lynel bow and bombs into the centre of the gloom hands takes care of them pretty quickly.

pixelburp

Look at all ye, cool cucumbers with your dozens more hours and it all worked out how to trash those Gloom Hands. Some of us still gotta remember you can attach shít to your bow in the first instance 😂

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120782956#Comment_120782956

😅..

RainInSummer

I tried using Muddlebuds on the hands in the hope they'd start a thumb wrestling match or slap each other silly. Nothing.

The Nal

I've just ran away.

Retr0gamer

Have they changed the lynel AI? I found them pretty handy by the end of botw and could easily get flurry attacks against them. No such luck in totk. I think maybe the flurry window has been shortened due to it being so easy to hit in botw. Finding them landing a lot of attacks when I fight then.

Have to say the new enemies and bosses have been great. The first time I fought a gleelok was a rush.

Mr.Saturn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120783355#Comment_120783355

They got that new headbutt move that can be a bollocks to read as its start-up looks like it could almost be either a swipe or a trash.

jj880

I must be losing it. Went to cook up some hearty truffle recovery food. Cooked up a few mushroom skewers then noticed a hearty truffle recipe for hearty mushroom skewer with total ingredients of: 1 hearty truffle. Wtf? Cooking this recipe gives me full recovery and an extra heart. I cooked up every hearty truffle I had to get these skewers. Is this a bug?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120784995#Comment_120784995

No cooking just a single hearty truffle in BOTW did the same.

120+ hours in now. Did the four regional phenomenon temples, have all light roots, have all the shrines, have every side adventure I think and nearly every side quest.

Don’t have many Koroks compared to my first play of BOTW but I have enough inventory slots.

Lots of armour and most upgraded to 3 stars. Still missing a few sets, both new and returning.

Spoiler Warning

Now doing the Mineru quest to build the construct. I had found this place ages ago and tried to figure out why the terminals were denying me and now realise I wasn’t supposed to be here.

Theres a nice attention to detail regarding the Blood Moon cutscene that happens later in the game. Easy to miss because by then you’re mashing the skip button.

The game is a masterpiece and I’m not even finished. People were worried TOTK would be glorified DLC to BOTW, but it’s the reverse. BOTW is a glorified demo to TOTK. I’m glad I replayed and 100% BOTW earlier this year. It’s going to be very difficult to go back to it after TOTK.

Oh and my tip for Gloom Hands is

Spoiler Warning

Give them the ole razzle dazzle with Dazzle Fruit

Retr0gamer

Got every Shrine and Light root last night bar one light root and 2 shrines that seem to be tied to the where the story goes next.

Going to try and concentrate on side quests next but I've holidays coming up so I don't think I'll have this finished by then. 140 hours in... sheesh

SuperBowserWorld

God, everyone finishing up and I'm only getting into it.

jj880

Trying to finish fierce diety armour upgrade. Ive never fought more than 1 lynel in a row before. Getting some nice bows but Im going through heavy weapons and shields fairly quickly. I eventually beat 1 white and 2 blue lynels but not 1 dropped any guts. I need 6 guts. Are drops random or do only certain lynels drop guts?

Just checked play time. 215 hours 😳😂

Edit: 5 lynels fought. No guts. Feck this sh!te.

SuperBowserWorld

Just doing a few shrines. They are all really different and some are so brilliant. There was another buoyancy related ones, a rail related one, and a Jenga one, and that's just the recent ones. It's that child like sense of wonder and achievement that you get regularly in this game that's amazing. BOTW had that too.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120788529#Comment_120788529

Base level Lynels won’t drop guts. Definitely higher level ones - not sure the minimum level.

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120790273#Comment_120790273

Thanks. Went to the lynel coloseum. The last 1 was a tough customer but got 2 guts on the first run through so will come back a few times for more.

jj880

Had a go at the fire gleeok at night after upgrading armour fully. Great fight especially at the end. I did cheat a bit with some gibdo bones and savage lynel bow. Is it really cheating though? Anyway nearly completely finished up now. Fought Ganondorf also. Excellent ending to the main story. Gona be hard to find my next game after this. A masterpiece from start to finish.

RainInSummer

If it's in the game without exploits it isn't cheating. But yeah, bullet time + 5x32 bow + Gibdo bones is a bit over powered.