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Post by OttselHero on Aug 1, 2023 6:53:49 GMT -5
I've also shifted my primary goal in TOTK to freeing all of the Great Fairies; I figured it would do some good to upgrade my equipment early on, especially since I still occasionally get one-shotted despite having increased my max hearts to 10. I haven't reached the lab in Akkala yet, though, so when I'll actually get there remains up in the air, especially since it's not located near any of the Great Fairies. As much as I told myself to [mostly] focus on the story in hopes of finishing it before 2024, it appears I am constantly distracted by all the world has to offer yet again. At the very least, I'm not exploring every nook and cranny since I more or less already did that in BOTW.
I was hoping to replay the FFVII remake and check out the Crisis Core remaster before Rebirth comes out, but TOTK appears to be on pace to thwart those intentions. At the very least, I won't be able to play Up Your Arsenal and Tomb Raider II like I had originally planned, but it's no big deal.
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Post by Tross on Aug 6, 2023 21:09:58 GMT -5
I haven't updated in a while, but suffice to say, I'm two Divine Beasts down (I did the one in Goron City next), have visited eight memory locations so far, and have been to a ton of shrines and towers. I've also come across another fairy to enhance clothing, so I had a fun time trying to find fairly common things that only seem to be elusive when I want them.
The weapon durability system is still kind of annoying, but I have gotten used to it. I really don't much care for the weather system though. I suppose it's all about increasing realism to enhance immersion, and this is likely a hot take, but I do not like having to try and climb in the rain, or having to wait for rain to pass, and let's not get started on having to unequip everything metal in a thunderstorm. I don't mind heat anymore, since I now have a whole clothing set for that, but I still don't have anything for the cold, and I found that not only is it cold at many high-elevation locations, but there's a whole other cold mountain region in the northwest. Of course I'm grabbing hot peppers whenever I see them, as Nintendo clearly loves cold regions. At least I managed to snag some rubber armor from a shrine in Thundra Plateau, so I have access to some electricity resistance now if I need it.
For another hot take, I don't know if I like BotW's take on Princess Zelda as much as past entries. I just feel as though she's kind of a downer most of the time, at least from what I've gathered from the flashbacks I've seen. Sheik certainly remains as my favourite Zelda as of now. I've been fond of the character archetype of a princess with the weight of the world on her shoulders in the past, and they can be gloomy characters, so I'm not sure why Zelda's negativity stands out to me.
Of course, I don't mean to sound as though I'm not loving the game. BotW is still very much a 9/10 game for me. The above, along with the trappings of the open world genre, are just things that prevent it from being a perfect 10 for me, but there's a lot to love here too. I definitely feel as though I'm getting enough of the Zelda experience that the shift in genre isn't too much of an issue for me. Like with most open world games, traversing the world gets progressively easier as I come across more warp points through towers and shrines. When I'm in towns or at stables, or engaging in story beats, it all still hits the kind of notes I'd expect from a Zelda game. Shrines and Divine Beasts do more or less give me the kind of dungeon experience I enjoy about the series. All in all, I hope the open world Zelda game isn't a complete replacement for the traditional Zelda experience, but I'm perfectly ok with it co-existing with it...which is good since I have a whole other open world Zelda game to get through after this one.
BotW is a fine game, and one I won't be putting down anytime soon...other than for the trip I'm taking for this week, starting tomorrow. I think any comparison I make is a direct result of BotW being a Legend of Zelda game, which is one of the most consistent series I've ever come across in terms of quality, at least based on what I've played. It's like going to one of the best restaurants, where even the salad is flipping amazing. So, any ramblings I might have really are a case of comparing the dish I'm currently enjoying to ones I've had previously, but at the end of the day, all of it is worthy of praise.
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Post by OttselHero on Aug 19, 2023 18:50:30 GMT -5
Sorry it's been a minute since I've last been here. I've been going through some stuff. I should switch careers, but to what, I don't know. Nothing appeals to me that much.
I have awoken 3 of 4 Great Fairies so far, and my clothing has been enhanced considerably. I still intend to wake up the 4th Great Fairy before I proceed with the story, but first I intend to explore more of the section of Hyrule Castle that is still rooted to the ground (you may recall from the trailer that Hyrule Castle is floating above the ground in TOTK).
I have similar reservations about both BOTW and TOTK. It's undeniable how vast the world is, and what they've done to characterize it is laudable. Though I can't help but feel like the true experience lies with the first playthrough. The whole point of BOTW is to gradually uncover this vast world, and once you've done that, it's not the same. That said, there is an underground layer in TOTK simply called "The Depths." I have done little to explore it, but I have an inkling that area is meant to be the "something new" BOTW players would be craving.
I agree, this version of Zelda is a bit moody. Though it is fun to mock her dialogue every time the BlOoD mOon RiSeS oNcE aGaIn. Or in TOTK's case, "WhEn ThE gLoW oF tHe BlOoD-sTaInEd MoOn ShInEs UpOn ThE lAnD..."
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Post by Tross on Aug 20, 2023 0:33:49 GMT -5
It's all good. I've been there and done that with switching careers. Technically, I stuck to the same field, but just found a different job that suits me much better (and pays better too).
As of now, I've taken care of three of the four Divine Beasts, and have activated every tower. Additionally, I now have cold-resistant clothing, so I do not have to fret when I go to any cold location, which is good since this game seems to love the cold, as there are not only two cold regions, but anything of sufficient altitude is also cold.
The blood moon is clearly the game's way of resetting itself periodically, and I've heard it's due to memory limitations that it can't simply just allow all slain baddies to stay dead, but yeah, Zelda's voice is really dramatic when it happens. The first time it happened, I thought I stumbled into a region I wasn't supposed to, as it occurred as I reached the top of a cliff. I've once had it occur just after I killed a Black Moblin, only to have another respawn right next to me.
Well, starting Monday, I'll have to put the game away for about a week as I'm going away to church kid's camp, which means no technology. Ok, phones are technically allowed in a limited capacity at certain times of the day, though where I'm going there will be such poor cell reception that it doesn't really matter and I may as well just put my phone away too. A technology detox isn't why I'm going, but it is something I ended up doing last year anyways, and I'll be repeating that tradition again this time around. At least I get to be a cabin councilor this year, which means I not only get a bigger bed, but I don't have to be an LTP like last year; an acronym I don't remember the meaning of, but it's essentially an intern who has to do all of the dirty work.
Anyways, I'll be away from Breath of the Wild until next Sunday, and I'm going to be busy tomorrow attending a kid's birthday party and finishing up my miscellaneous packing, so if I fit any last game time in, it will have to be later in the day.
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Post by Tross on Sept 4, 2023 1:48:57 GMT -5
I finally got back to the game. I've visited the Gerudo Desert and gotten some women's clothes, though have yet to use them to enter Gerudo Town, which I'm assuming is the ticket to taking on the last Divine Beast. I have, however, finally collected all of the memories of Zelda, including the 13th one that I had to track down. I got no reward for doing all of that, so I'm assuming the point of it all was to see the various story sequences. Additionally, I did have to briefly visit Hyrule Castle for one memory, so hopefully that's not an issue for completing other things, as I did trigger a small cutscene upon entering that section. I took off as soon as I triggered the memory I needed, and read through Zelda's diary though.
After seeing Zelda's interaction with her dad, the king, I can kind of see why she's such a downer. The Silent Princess memory shows her at a much happier time, so there's also that. Come to think of it, I believe Silent Princess is the flower I got from Zelda's study, so that's a nice touch. Regardless, I guess I now know why Link was put in the Shrine of Resurrection. I still think I should have gotten some kind of reward from Impa afterwards, but oh well. I have now returned to Gerudo Town, so I guess I'll take care of the last of the Divine Beasts next.
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Post by OttselHero on Sept 4, 2023 19:05:53 GMT -5
I finally got back to the game. I've visited the Gerudo Desert and gotten some women's clothes, though have yet to use them to enter Gerudo Town, which I'm assuming is the ticket to taking on the last Divine Beast. I have, however, finally collected all of the memories of Zelda, including the 13th one that I had to track down. I got no reward for doing all of that, so I'm assuming the point of it all was to see the various story sequences. Additionally, I did have to briefly visit Hyrule Castle for one memory, so hopefully that's not an issue for completing other things, as I did trigger a small cutscene upon entering that section. I took off as soon as I triggered the memory I needed, and read through Zelda's diary though. After seeing Zelda's interaction with her dad, the king, I can kind of see why she's such a downer. The Silent Princess memory shows her at a much happier time, so there's also that. Come to think of it, I believe Silent Princess is the flower I got from Zelda's study, so that's a nice touch. Regardless, I guess I now know why Link was put in the Shrine of Resurrection. I still think I should have gotten some kind of reward from Impa afterwards, but oh well. I have now returned to Gerudo Town, so I guess I'll take care of the last of the Divine Beasts next. Viewing all of Link's memories adds an epilogue when you finish the story. It's a good thing you did it because the normal ending would have been unsatisfactory, in my opinion. TOTK also has its own set of new memories, but I won't say more than that as doing so would spoil the game in some capacity. I intend to collect them all before I finish the game as I assume it will unlock an additional cutscene like in BOTW. I'm still working on freeing the 4th Great Fairy, as I keep getting swept into other distractions (as one does when playing these games). I'm back on task, so we'll see if I can find the NPC I'm supposed to track down in order to free her (it takes more effort to wake them as opposed to handing over a bunch of rupees). I did briefly initiate the main quest in Rito Village as I was passing through, so I will return there once my Great Fairy quest is over (and after my umpteenth attempt to find an item in a cavern I was stuck in).
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Post by Tross on Sept 7, 2023 1:02:09 GMT -5
I finally got back to the game. I've visited the Gerudo Desert and gotten some women's clothes, though have yet to use them to enter Gerudo Town, which I'm assuming is the ticket to taking on the last Divine Beast. I have, however, finally collected all of the memories of Zelda, including the 13th one that I had to track down. I got no reward for doing all of that, so I'm assuming the point of it all was to see the various story sequences. Additionally, I did have to briefly visit Hyrule Castle for one memory, so hopefully that's not an issue for completing other things, as I did trigger a small cutscene upon entering that section. I took off as soon as I triggered the memory I needed, and read through Zelda's diary though. After seeing Zelda's interaction with her dad, the king, I can kind of see why she's such a downer. The Silent Princess memory shows her at a much happier time, so there's also that. Come to think of it, I believe Silent Princess is the flower I got from Zelda's study, so that's a nice touch. Regardless, I guess I now know why Link was put in the Shrine of Resurrection. I still think I should have gotten some kind of reward from Impa afterwards, but oh well. I have now returned to Gerudo Town, so I guess I'll take care of the last of the Divine Beasts next. Viewing all of Link's memories adds an epilogue when you finish the story. It's a good thing you did it because the normal ending would have been unsatisfactory, in my opinion. TOTK also has its own set of new memories, but I won't say more than that as doing so would spoil the game in some capacity. I intend to collect them all before I finish the game as I assume it will unlock an additional cutscene like in BOTW. I'm still working on freeing the 4th Great Fairy, as I keep getting swept into other distractions (as one does when playing these games). I'm back on task, so we'll see if I can find the NPC I'm supposed to track down in order to free her (it takes more effort to wake them as opposed to handing over a bunch of rupees). I did briefly initiate the main quest in Rito Village as I was passing through, so I will return there once my Great Fairy quest is over (and after my umpteenth attempt to find an item in a cavern I was stuck in). Funny enough, Kakariko Village was the last memory that I was missing, and I was going around to all the locations to see what I missed. I guess when I was in Kakariko, I wasn't thinking about that quest. In any case, I've now taken care of the last Divine Beast, and have even gone after the Master Sword in the Lost Woods. I'm now stuck on the Master Sword Trials. I seem to do a little better each time. I managed to get to Floor 12 this last time, but the Hinox killed me in a single hit by throwing a tree at me. I guess I'll have to keep trying to see if I can do better next time, but it really blows that there's no saving, and no second chances with this endeavor. A death simply means going back to the beginning. I have to wonder if this quest is completely necessary, or if I can just skip it. There's also the other one where I can return with the sword to the Shrine of Resurrection. I'll have to give some thought as to what I want to do next, though I'm kind of determined with the Master Sword Trials.
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Post by Tross on Sept 8, 2023 19:04:08 GMT -5
I have now completed the beginning trials. I'll have to give some thought as to whether I want to do more. I certainly can if I just channel my unwavering determination that has allowed me to complete various Isaac challenges after many, many attempts, but it's a matter of deciding whether I want to, especially since I heard the next two sets consist of 16 floors.
For the time being, I have instead chosen to go for the other major DLC sidequest, and I returned to the Shrine of Resurrection in response to Zelda's prompting. This particular set of trials is definitely still challenging, and in fact, may be more so on the surface, as the one-hit obliterator involves not taking any damage, but as saving can be done frequently enough, it's not a big issue. What makes the Master Sword Trials challenging is it's a long sequence with no saving, and no extra chances. In any case, I actually had fun with the first part of The Champion's Ballad, and successfully took out all four bases, and conquered all four shrines. Two shrines are noteworthy, as one introduced me to my first two Guardian Scout IIIs (not sure why it took getting DLC to finally meet one), and another showed that the game doesn't do darkness very well (I got really early Gamecube vibes from those shadow effects).
Regardless, I've saved and will take on the next part of The Champion's Ballad line of challenges next, which will have me traveling across the map to four locations.
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Post by OttselHero on Sept 12, 2023 18:25:38 GMT -5
Kudos on clearing those 4 shrines in the Champions Ballad! I still have not overcome the one with all the spikes. That one was overkill, imo. I've been meaning to go back to it now that I'm waist deep in TOTK. My last attempt was even less successful because I had just come off of Going Commando; Ratchet and Link both feel very different to control, so I was "out of practice," so to speak.
Speaking of which, a lot of people are upset TOTK isn't getting DLC. Considering how inadequate the Champions Ballad DLC made a lot of people feel, I don't really see it as a bad thing.
I'm veeeery close to waking up the 4th Great Fairy; I've completed the prerequisite task to do it, and it's just a matter of heading back to where the Great Fairy is located. Of course, with the game being what it is, I am very liable to clear shrines and other quests I may encounter along the way. The soldier's helm also continues to stick in the back of my mind, as I've developed a theory on how to acquire it. But once all of that is out of the way, I think I'll be back on the main quest. D'oh, but I also want to visit the Korok Forest and see what's new there!
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Post by Tross on Sept 14, 2023 2:43:07 GMT -5
Oh, thanks. They were challenging for sure, but I figured that's because I'm a dunce when it comes to shrine stuff (I even frequently watch vids on how to clear parts of shrines because apparently I lack outside of the box thinking). If I recall the one you mentioned, it was clear where to go/what to do in that shrine, but it did involve going through a gauntlet in one go. I should know as I screwed up on the paragliding past spiky balls part and had to go back to the start and redo all of it. Good times...I think.
I've now completed 2/3 of the main challenges in the Gerudo region. Fighting the Molduking (basically the Molduga to end all Moldugas, in an area that has a bunch of pillars but no convenient low rock) definitely challenged me more than the one where I had to get the orb from the Yagu Clan by sneaking through a section of their hideout again, this time from the back. At least I was able to get a picture of the big guys this time. Before I did either, I came across this huge labyrinth where I got lost upon exploring and trying to make my way back to the main path, and accidentally stumbled upon the shrine I was looking for. Speaking of, the two challenges I've completed so far have also ended with shrines that have to be completed, though these ones haven't been as difficult so far as the previous four. Still, the shrines do have to be completed, as usual, for me to actually be able to complete that particular challenge.
In any case, I have one more challenge in the Gerudo region to do, which upon completion will apparently unlock a final challenge. Upon completing said final challenge, I will presumably have to rinse and repeat in the other three regions. I only went to the Gerudo region first as it's the closest to where I started after the last phase of this chain of sidequests.
I will definitely agree that a huge part of my drive to complete these challenges is so I get my money's worth out of the admittedly expensive DLC, so if not too many people were successful with it, I can see why Nintendo might not want to repeat that with TotK. I don't know if I will bother continuing with the Master Sword Trials, but at least the Champion's Ballad line of challenges is varied and interesting. I've been kind of spacing them out by doing a challenge a day. There are presumably three main challenges in each of four regions by their respective Divine Beasts, plus a final challenge, so that's probably a total of 16 challenges to complete in this section. It's uncertain to me at this point whether the leg I'm on now is the last of the DLC challenges or if there's more after this, but it's definitely keeping me busy.
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Post by OttselHero on Sept 18, 2023 18:04:16 GMT -5
I'm a liiiittle bit closer to waking up the fourth Great Fairy. I've tied up some odds and ends and I just want to see what's in the Korok Forest before I continue, and I promise that'll be the end to all distractions apart from shrines I stumble upon along the way.
Last week's State of Play was quite good! Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth got a release date (Feb. 29), and Tomb Raider: Remastered was announced. Hopefully the latter is a physical release. It's neat that you can switch between the original graphics and updated visuals, though I'm not sure which I would prefer. I'm rather nostalgic for 5th-gen graphics and textures.
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Post by Tross on Sept 20, 2023 22:04:39 GMT -5
I'm a liiiittle bit closer to waking up the fourth Great Fairy. I've tied up some odds and ends and I just want to see what's in the Korok Forest before I continue, and I promise that'll be the end to all distractions apart from shrines I stumble upon along the way. Last week's State of Play was quite good! Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth got a release date (Feb. 29), and Tomb Raider: Remastered was announced. Hopefully the latter is a physical release. It's neat that you can switch between the original graphics and updated visuals, though I'm not sure which I would prefer. I'm rather nostalgic for 5th-gen graphics and textures. Yeah, that Tomb Raider announcement intrigues me, ngl. I haven't really been keeping up with the Tomb Raider series, but I have fond memories of the classics. I finally completed the third major trial in the Gerudo region, and tbh, it was the easiest of the bunch. "Chasing rings across the land" really just meant, commandeer a sand seal and race through rings that appear in order, before they disappear. I did it in a single try. The shrine was pretty fun and creative too. The last trial that I was anticipating turned out to be a rematch with Thunderblight Ganon triggered by returning to Vah Naboris, supposedly via my memory, though I only had access to items, equipment and armour that were provided. The clothing in particular was apparently designed for males, in spite of having the distinct look of Gerudo clothing. I wonder if such clothing is only exclusive to that particular trial? In any case, as a reward for defeating my most hated divine beast boss, I got a couple flashback scenes with Zelda and Urbosa, followed by being granted an upgrade to Urbosa's Fury in the form of a much faster recharge time. To put it into perspective, I used up Daruk's Protection during the boss fight, and didn't end up needing to recharge Urbosa's Fury until after the trial, and it still recharged faster. There is now a + next to the symbol for that power too, to symbolize that it has been upgraded. So...I think I can predict how these trials are going to go. I'll have to pursue the rest soon.
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Post by Tross on Sept 27, 2023 17:13:36 GMT -5
I got through the Vah Ruta set, and yeah, it is pretty similar. I had to glide out into the ocean to find a lone ring illuminated by the light of the sunrise, which triggered a shrine to raise from the water. The big battle was with three Guardian Skywatchers and a Guardian Turret, along with a number of Lizfalos and a Moblin or two. I learned the hard way to not waste Rivali's Gale, as climbing up to higher ground becomes impossible in that area once it rains, and on my first attempt, after waiting out the rain, I was killed by the blood moon respawning one of the Guardian Skywatchers and a Lizfalos that I previously killed right on top of me (thanks blood moon). Anyways, on my second attempt, I discovered just how powerful Urbosa's Fury can be, as it does a lot of damage to guardians, likely because mechanical things don't like jolts of electricity. Finally, I did the speed trial, which was again the easiest of the bunch, as it involved swimming, floating and running through rings, often up waterfalls.
Waterblight Ganon got me a couple times, as I only had ten arrows to work with and a fairly average bow in this controlled trial. Urbosa's Fury was again useful in his second phase, as I could stun him while dealing a ton of damage, hope he doesn't fall directly on me while I'm under him, then proceed to jab him with one of my provided spears. Well, that does it for the trials for the female champions. I decided to go with Mipha next as I could always use a faster recharge of Mipha's Grace. I think I'll go visit the Gorons next, as Daruk's Protection is also a very useful skill to increase the recharge speed of, and then finish off with Rivali's Gale. It's fitting to finish off with the Rito, as Kass has been a constant companion throughout these DLC trials, with the songs his master wrote, along with his own. As usual, I got another Zelda flashback scene, this time with her and Mipha, along with Sidon when he was a child.
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Post by OttselHero on Sept 30, 2023 19:16:06 GMT -5
Daruk's Protection is also a very useful skill to increase the recharge speed of. And as we both know, it's always ready to roll. So I got sucked back into side quest mode in TOTK after barely moving the Rito Village quest forward. At least this side quest is heavily tied to the main story, specifically the memories. I found out from a map inside the game itself that I was only missing 1 memory, so I wanted to view that and see what would happen. Without going into spoilers, a major revelation comes to light and it rewards the player in a pretty significant way. TOTK also has its own side quest that's clearly meant to be its own Tarrey Town. But unlike Tarrey Town, it wasn't nearly as time consuming, so I went ahead and completed it. Now hopefully I may resume the main quest with minimal distractions.
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Post by Tross on Oct 12, 2023 2:22:43 GMT -5
Sorry, no updates as of yet. I've been preoccupied with work, and today there was a leak from above my basement suite, so the drywall had to be removed around this one window-sill, especially around the ceiling area where the water trickled in from. Thank goodness I'm just renting. However, gaming on my TV is going to be a real pain. I could take my Switch with me to my bedroom, but I prefer to play a game like BotW docked. I guess I'll see what happens. If I end up having to stay clear of my TV for too long, I might just suck it up and play out the rest of BotW in handheld mode. Thankfully I do have my Evercade EXP, and I can continue playing 40 Winks, which I put aside for quite some time.
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