The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

[TheChargingRhino]

So, what's the rating?

Also, I'm kinda worried about the frame rate and VA.

Should I get it?

For the Wii U, not Switch. 

[Penfold]

  On 3/8/2017 at 1:09 PM, TheChargingRhino said:

So, what's the rating?

Also, I'm kinda worried about the frame rate and VA.

Should I get it?

For the Wii U, not Switch. 

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If I were you, I'd get it.  The framerate problem should never have happened, but it's also not that bad.  Also, you shouldn't skip out on what I think will end up being a great gaming experience because of "just okay" voice acting.  Plus, I think the only extra value you'd get from the Switch version is some extra flexibility in where you can play.

I can't speak as to the Wii U version, but the framerate issues on the Switch have been pretty limited in the few hours I've put in.  I've experienced it only when playing on the TV and while on some grassy field, sort of like there are too many objects for the system to process.  It might be good to hear from Wii U version owners about how the framerate is in that version.

Also, I haven't experienced a ton of voice acting yet:

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I'm just on the way to Kakariko after hearing about the last 100 years.

What I've heard, though, isn't bad.  Nothing to miss out on the game for.

Hope you enjoy it!

 

[MindWanderer]

I hear the framerate issue is less severe on Wii U.  I noticed it on Switch but it wasn't enough to bother me even then.

Odd about the quest log.  It should show the map marker as soon as you get the quest.  If you have multiple quests, it will only show one, but you should have had only one at that point.  I got the marker before I figured out how to use the quest log.

Funny that you had problems accidentally climbing trees.  I accidentally climb walls a lot, but I have a hard time climbing trees for some reason.  Every apple tree I encounter is left with one apple on it because I just can't get to it.  (Although if you're lazy, you can whack the tree with a club or sledgehammer and the apples will fall off.)

I still haven't found any bomb arrows yet--my next stop is actually going back to the Great Plateau to pick up stuff I missed--but I have a funny story about my first blue bokoblin, too: it was one of the ones hanging out in a giant skull head with the exploding barrels that invites you to shoot down the lamps through the eyes and watch everything blow up.  Except, while I had two bows by then, I had no arrows.  So I climbed up around the side of the skull and down into the eye socket, and threw a tree branch at it.  This worked beautifully except that it also set Link on fire.  I'll say this for BotW Link: he's very stoic about pain.  He just sort of stood there and burned, losing half of his hearts, and I didn't hear so much as a grunt of complaint from him.  Also when I jumped down to finish the heavily injured blue bokoblin off, it seems I'd gifted him with a flaming tree branch to use against me, but fortunately I got him anyway.

[TheChargingRhino]

So, my theory on where the game takes place.

 

After Ocarina, just before the time line splits in three.

However that's possible, I do not know. 

Other theories?

Well, it DOES take place after Ocarina, but when, is the question. 

[Mirby]

Well judging by the events of the game and a specific line, my theory is Child Timeline. It can't really be after Ocarina before the split because Ocarina's events lead directly INTO the split, namely Link being removed from the timeline (Adult) and returned to his youth (Child) or just dying from Ganon in the final battle (Downfall).

Either way, it's obvious that this game is several millenia after any game that's on the timeline so yeah.

[TheChargingRhino]

What I'm wondering is why EVERY SINGLE TRIBE that has ever existed in the Zelda universe is in the game.

Explain that, Nintendo. 

 

Also, the Gerudo are back. Did some form of Gerudo Valley return?

Speaking of music, did "Dawn" come back as well?

[Nabeel Ansari]

  On 3/8/2017 at 10:05 PM, TheChargingRhino said:

So, my theory on where the game takes place.

 

After Ocarina, just before the time line splits in three.

However that's possible, I do not know. 

Other theories?

Well, it DOES take place after Ocarina, but when, is the question. 

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You've provided 0 reasons why you think it takes place right after Ocarina. That's not a theory, it's just a random thought.

Never mind the fact that you can't be after Ocarina but before the time split; the time split happens in Ocarina of Time. It's the branch of the ways the game's story can end. The timeline splits when Link pulls out the master sword.

 

Timeline #1 He lives his life normally as a kid after killing Ganondorf, returning consciously to the time where he pulled the master sword out. This is what actually happens in the game.

Timeline #2 A continuation of the events of the future where Ganondorf already screwed stuff up for 7 years and Link suddenly appeared as an adult and killed him. This world doesn't go away when Link returns as a child; that's not how timelines work.

Timeline #3 Timeline #2, but Ganondorf kills Link instead, and new events happen in that world.

 

The point at which events split is when Link first pulls out the master sword... but that's during Ocarina of Time, not after. After Ocarina of Time, the timeline has already split -- twice, if you count the "Ganondorf kills Link" one. But I don't, because that doesn't actually happen in the game, it's just a way for Nintendo to retcon a bunch of stuff as seeming to fit together when they wrote Hyrule Historia..

[MindWanderer]

Please try to avoid spoilers.  You don't learn about the other tribes' existence until possibly several hours into the game.  It's really early, but some people might still be upset.  I'm spoilerblocking everything we haven't learned from the demos already.

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Signs point to BotW being after Wind Waker at least.  Both the Koroks and the Rito come into existence as a result of the Great Flood.  There's also the "convergence" theory, that all timelines end up in the same place somehow.  Koroks and Rito could have come into existence in the other two timelines for some completely different reasons than the flood.

What I'm more curious about is when the "original" events in the BotW storyline happen, what's 10,000 years in the past.  It's the first time we've really gotten a number of years associated with the timeline other than in direct sequels.  At first I thought it was the ancient past in relation to the whole Zelda storyline, before even Skyward Sword (the other time we know Sheikah tech was commonplace), but now I think maybe even that took place after Wind Waker and this is all way, way in the future.  It would make sense that many millennia take place between games; enough time for tectonic movement would explain how the geography of Hyrule is totally different from era to era.

 

 

[zircon]

The voice acting is not good, it's like a not-great anime dub. But DEFINITELY not worth skipping the game. The frame rate also dips sometimes but this too is really not a big deal relative to the quality of the actual game. 

[TheChargingRhino]

Okay, for the memory stuff, is the event in first or third person

second, will you eventually "relive" your death? 

[Mirby]

The events are in third person.

I'm guessing it's Child timeline.

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During the flashback when Zelda is christening Link as her knight, she mentions that no matter whether a hero is "skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in twilight," obviously referencing Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time, and Twilight Princess. Couple that with how the plaza in the ruins of Hyrule Castle Town is identical to the one in Twilight Princess (aside from, you know, being ruined), and there's that. Not that it really matters. Again, the previous battle with Calamity Ganon was over 10,000 years ago, and even then there was hyper advanced tech by the Sheikah which we haven't seen from them ever. My theory is that Ganondorf's reincarnation as seen in Four Swords Adventures broke free of his seal within the Four Sword and got all... ghastly and stuff I dunno. Either way it's so long after any end point in the timeline it's a bit irrelevant.

I will say that it cannot be anywhere in the Adult timeline though (that's Wind Waker) due to the presence of the Temple of Time and Ganon in general, not to mention the statues and constant allusions to the Goddess Hylia. Even though we're seeing the Rito and the Koroks, all knowledge of anything Hyrule aside from, well, Hyrule as a name, was lost during the Great Flood. There would be no way Tetra and Link would know of Hylia or the Temple of Time to rebuild it as such, and even if by chance they figured that they'd build a statue of some goddess who just so happens to be named Hylia, the odds of that happening AND that the statue would be IDENTICAL to the one seen in Skyward Sword are astronomically small. Also Zoras are here too and they didn't exist anymore after the Great Flood, having evolved into Rito.

 

[TheChargingRhino]

...So Link finally became a Knight huh? About time. 

[zykO]

BotW is most likely in the Third Timeline where the world falls to ruin after Link's defeat... mostly due to two strong pieces of evidence:

1) the location of the master sword.

2) Ganon having ravaged the land many times

That said... I'm willing to bet that BotW is actually the re-convergence of all three timelines far into the future and that the next Zelda title will reveal the reforging of a single timeline happening some time before the events of BotW. They could be taking a Star Trek approach to temporal incursion in consolidating their canon to salvage what they can from having had to retcon so much of the early content into fitting into the fanbase's ardent obsession with timelines. Just a thought.

[DarkeSword]

Breath of the Wild isn't in any timeline. It's very clearly leaning into the original idea behind the series: that the story of Link, Zelda, and Ganon is a legend that's told over and over again, where the details change slightly every time. The game has its own internal continuity; 10,000 years ago some stuff happened with Link, Zelda, and Ganon. Then 100 years ago some other stuff happened. But that's all internal to this game. The multiple timelines thing from Hyrule Historia is a clumsy and convoluted retrofitting of fandom's obsession with "canonicity" to a series that never really had any intention of adhering to strict timelines. It's The Legend of Zelda, not The Complete and Accurate Historical Account of Zelda.

Furthermore, Zelda is a video game first and uses storytelling to frame the game experience. There's no grand narrative planned for the series. Nintendo makes a game that fits into the series thematically and makes some references to other games to please the fans and then moves on to the next one.

[MindWanderer]

Normally, that's certainly true--they make the game and then shoehorn it into the timeline because they feel they have to for some reason.  But in interviews about BotW they've said that this time they've put thought into it, it's definitely part of the timeline somewhere after Ocarina.

That being said, they probably came up with that fairly late in the process and there may be logical inconsistencies.  But I doubt very much that there's some master plan here.

In other news, anyone having any trouble using amiibo?  I don't have any BotW ones, but I used another to make a pile of random gear.  Now I can't do it again, several real-world and in-game days later.  I use the Amiibo rune and get the targeting circle, but my only option is B-Cancel.

[zykO]

  On 3/10/2017 at 9:56 PM, DarkeSword said:

It's The Legend of Zelda, not The Complete and Accurate Historical Account of Zelda.

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there's nothing wrong with that. if anything that's what it ought to have been all along. but Nintendo did give in to the pressures of the rabid fanbase for a timeline and there is a canonized one so it's a hard sell to simply write off the new game as a standalone unless it is specifically said to be. they've canonized the timeline and so there is one

i'm 100% with you though; i thought they nailed it with Wind Waker when they suggested that, every so often, a hero would have to rise and save the world by playing his role as one third of the eternal triforce with the other two major players, Ganon and Zelda, in a timeless battle between good and evil. they should have just kept it that way, fanboys be damned. oh well.

[jnWake]

With a game this good I'm sure there are better topics of conversation than the Zelda timeline.

I reached Zora's Domain today. Journey was rough but really good.

[Mirby]

I beat this tonight. Potentially massive spoilers below, read at your own peril.

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Really great game. I find very few faults in it. Let's get those out of the way first.

-Link does like climbing things at inappropriate times, causing more than a few cheap hits on the part of enemies.
-The camera when you get caught in a corner can cause the same thing as above as I couldn't see where I was or the enemies either.
-The music can be a tad quiet at times, leaving you exploring in silence.
-Finding the memories can be a pain since you need to be very observant at times and a few are in incredibly obscure locations.

Now for the positives.

-The battle system is simple to get a hold of and can allow for some great battles. If you jump out of the way of an attack with good-enough timing you can unleash a flurry attack with your melee weapon and this can be vital to taking out more powerful enemies. Which certainly is rewarding when you conquer them and collect their goodies.
-Finding the shrines is very rewarding and gives cause to check every nook and cranny for platforms or cracked walls. It's also vital to remember all your Runes and what they can do, and finding how versatile they can be. Such as dropping bombs while paragliding.
-Cooking. It's so much fun to figure out what you can combine and the results of a good combo.
-Arrangements of previous tracks well-placed for various regions. For instance, the Rito Village's theme is a subdued version of Dragon Roost Isle. You can also hear the Zora's Domain theme in Zora's Domain (of course). The music is also quite good when it does play, enjoyed every song.
-The story. While it was sparse (and all the story scenes we saw in the trailer are from memories you can collect) it was still fantastic.
-The open-ended nature. It's not only a game where you can go where ever you want if you see it in whatever order, the dungeons are built in that way too. Whereas previous Zelda games you had to kinda go through each dungeon in a specific order, in this one you can kinda go through the dungeon in whatever order you want. Which was quite nice.
-The camera and Hyrule Compendium are nice features too. Being able to lock on to specific enemies or items or critters is incredibly useful (after you upgrade your sensor once), and seeing the bios on all the enemies is fantastic too.

The final battle was suitably grand too, and the boss battles were well-designed too. There's so much to do and after you clear the game you can jump right back in for unfinished business. The game will also tell you your overall clear percentage too after doing so. Waiting for the DLC packs now. This game was well worth the wait, and I'm glad I savored it as I did (while still clearing it in just over a week). I'm only 28.94% done according to the game lol.

[TheChargingRhino]

HOW DID YOU BEAT IT IN LESS THAN A WEEK?!

 

You can FINALLY keep playing AFTER THE FINAL BOSS?!

HJASDKHJSADHKSJADHLASJHDLJAK

 

YYYEEESSSSSSSSSS...

You can continue the story in a way, right?

Afterwards?

[TheChargingRhino]

Also, does anyone care to make a list of re-used soundtracks from other games for this one?

 

[Mirby]

No there's no post-game story. It deposits you right before facing the final boss. Minish Cap did a similar thing. Also at this point the game has been out for 9 days. That's more than a week.

[MindWanderer]

Speedrunners have gotten it down to under the 1 hour mark already.  I kind of feel sorry for them, though--for them to be grinding speedruns in the first week to master it down to that level means they're not really spending time playing the game as intended.  Well, to each their own.

[djpretzel]

So yeah, I'm actually playing this game.... slowly but surely

My own thoughts:

• To me, this does ABSOLUTELY feel like "Skyrim Lite" - but I think that's a perfectly fine thing, and almost ALL of the streamlining they've done makes complete sense.
• I like Skyrim's approach to BGM better; over-world music, most of the time, including loading screen... this feels a little quiet.
• I'm playing on the Switch, handheld only, and I love the form factor & experience; one of the most immersive handheld gaming experiences I've had.
• The voice acting ain't great, and it's miscast as has been noted, but I'm reluctant to call it "bad" - I think it's just not up to snuff with the rest of the game. I haven't encountered any "Suffer Like G Did" moments.... yet.
• Generally speaking, I'm getting the same positive vibes that I did when I FIRST played the original Metroid Prime - they've taken a classic and reinvented/modernized it in a way that clicks. That's not easy, as we know

[Bleck]

@timeline talk; people aren't bringing up

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how Hyrule Castle's music has the Ballad of the Wind Fish in it

 

[The Damned]

What? Seriously? I fucking love Link's Awakening.

OK, I've decided that this means a Switch remake of Link's Awakening using the BotW engine is not only happening, but will also be out before the end of the month!

CONFIRMED!