The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I hope the NX is amazing so I can justify buying one. I hate that his franchise is locked into a platform of a company that has been complacent about its fanbase for 15+ years. Its basically the only good thing Nintendo has had going for it for 20 years outside of Metriod Prime 1 and 2.

[Myk JL 1,731]

I use to miss LoZ like you, but then I got Skyrim for a console.

Those gameplay mechanics look neat.... But I don't trust Nintendo anymore. Plus I'm more obsessed with Character Creation & Customization. They would have to add in at least Linkle & skin tone options for characters before they could truly grab my interest again.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

I miss playing Legend of Zelda, Mario and Mario kart. Twilight Princess was the best. This new one looks good, but the cell shading has been done before and looks a bit dated to me now. Wind Waker was fun, but nothing compared to TP. I'm starting to think they're sticking with the cell shading because they can't make a game look as good as God of War on their under powered systems. So instead of making a newer Zelda with TP style updated graphics that look would look flawed on a nintendo system when compared to modern PC games, they go for the more artistic approach and cartoon it up.

[Myk JL 1,731]

26 minutes ago, Sledgstone said:

I'm starting to think they're sticking with the cell shading because they can't make a game look as good as God of War on their under powered systems. So instead of making a newer Zelda with TP style updated graphics that look would look flawed on a nintendo system when compared to modern PC games, they go for the more artistic approach and cartoon it up.

I wanted Realistic Graphics more than I wanted HD Graphics. Basically because if I watch Live Action in 480P it still looks real. But playing any game for me in HD still looks fake. So I just really don't comprehend why HD Gaming is a thing.

On the other hand if I can't have Realistic Graphics I might as well be okay with this Cell Shading.

Now I barely miss No More Heroes on the Wii....

[Strider Hiryu 2,704]

The game look awesome but I'm not a fan of cel shading and I wish companies would do away with it (plus I'm not shelling out money for a console just to buy one game). I still think (agreeing with Shibby from Inside Gaming (another youtube channel I watch)) that Nintendo just needs to cut their losses, quit making consoles that barely sell, and license out their franchises (take a hint for Sega Nintendo, they did it and the company started making money again). They can keep their handheld line since it still sells but at this point making consoles is only loosing them money (and fans). This game would look amazing on the PS4/XBone as would Mario and Metroid.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

 

I want to play this....

 

 

 

[Sledgstone 8,672]

The weapons collecting and menu system looks heavily inspired by Dark Cloud. Looks really fun. I see its coming out for the wii u and switch tho. I wonder if the wii u will hold this game back or if the switch version will be noticeably better like how BF4 was on the PS4 compared to the PS3 version.

I wish Link would stop being this mute character in every game. Whenever I see a new Zelda game I keep hoping for a voice actor, but instead I'll always imagine him talking to Zelda like this:

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I knew it was coming out for the switch the moment it was delayed. I just hope the $250 price point is true. 

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

 

[Sledgstone 8,672]

The game looks great and enjoyable. The cell shading is starting to grow on me a bit more. As long as I don't have to flail my arm around to swing a sword I'm sure I'll love it.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I'm 100% sure the option is there, and it's completely optional.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

Now that I'm not at work. The cel shading in this game isn't as cartoony as Windwaker. I use to be a big hater of Cel shade, but overtime I've become indifferent to it as long as it's used in the right capacity. Windwaker was an outstanding game, and its a shame that was overshadowed by its graphical choice. BoTW uses more of a Borderland's style which is one I'm pretty fond of. With how underpowered Switch will be, and its need to operate for almost 3 hours minium in portable mode, I'd expect more than less Cel shade games in Nintendo's future. Its less demanding... while by all accounts it uses the same polygons, it uses less colors. The trick is to make something beautiful out of it. I remember a racing game by the name of Auto Modellista that was cel shaded and it was a pretty great game... plus it made the car customization pretty fun as well.

I posted about an MMO called Soul Worker solely because of its cel shade graphics and how amazingly close they look to anime. I think the technology has come a long way since Windwaker and that TMNT gamecube game.

I'm more surprised that there isn't a big fuss about character's using real language to talk.... but then I looked up skyward sword and apparently it was used there first... and from what I saw, the voice acting is very bad. It seems better for this game.

Here is a demo playthrough

 

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

 

@_@

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

 

Zelda has fashion!?!?!?! nice.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

Thats awesome! Its also great that the dyes use in game items to make them. I would have expected Nintendo to release these dyes as DLC at this point.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

They are releasing DLC with more story apparently, but a hard mode will come with it too which has people pissed off that the higher difficulty is locked behind a paywall. I think its silly too, but I've never been into hard modes in any game ever unless I was forced to do it for an item/weapon.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

At least there is some story DLC. I wouldn't care about hard mode myself, but theres alot of people out there that love playing a new game on the hardest mode right off the bat for the challenge. Thats not for me tho.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

There isn't any spoilers in this video of any part of the story. After watching this, I don't even think my 7 day hardcore session is going to be able to finish this up. I might put a massive dent in progressive, but I feel like I'll get just as distracted as these guys say they got doing exploring and other side adventures.

Thats crazy you can just go to the castle and fight Gannon at the start of the game. I'm sure there will be speed runs of beating it with just a tree branch and starting clothing.

I'm glad there will be waypointing in this game, the map seems so big. I don't know how I feel about heart upgrades being tied to shrine completions. I'll kinda miss hunting heart pieces down, but again with the world being on such a huge scale, I guess it would be a nightmare to find them all, much less make a guide and try to explain where to find them.

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

 

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I played for a good 6-7 hours today and I'm thoroughly impressed with what I have experienced. With all the RPG/MMO type elements added to a series that had been based on the same tradition for over 20 years, I didn't know how I would like the changes. It turns out they kept a lot of your traditional Zelda, and retooled it into something that isn't so dated.

First off I'd like to say I love infinite bombs. Bombs are now a special power. To prevent this from being OP, there is a good 5-6 second CD between bombs. They can be used to take out weak foes, but they are more utility than anything else. They can blow up rocks to reveal secrets or farm precious stones that vendors will pay good rupees for. Rupees are easy to farm, but when you think you're rich.. you're not. I quickly got to 900 rupees when I came across my first vendor. I was able to buy up necessities like arrows and ingredient for cooking. But when I came across my first armor/clothing vendor I became poor upgrading my stuff. There was a full stealth outfit where each part costed 600-800 rupies each.

That brings me to gear. This game is going to be demanding on your load outs. Clothing can have situational stats, while sacrificing something else like defense. The stealth stuff had armor ratings of 1 while the cheaper gear I upgraded to had 4 each. I have a coat that deals with cold weather, a bandana that helps me climb faster, and I bought a hood that says it protects from the sun, because I assume I'll be going somewhere hot eventually. Weapons break.. melee, bows, and shields... all of them. There is no repair. To start out, you only get 5-6 slots to carry melee weapons, another tab with 5-6 for bow, and shields only gets 4 slots to make matters worse. The inventory management is pretty bad in this game. I constantly found myself opening chests only to be told that my inventory was full.. instead of letting me discard something to make room. I had to close the chest, go to inventory, drop stuff, and then reopen the chest. These weapons don't stack, so you want to be dropping the weakest ones or one that are badly damaged. This new system brings tactical play to Zelda. You don't want to go around killing everything in site, and you don't want to wear down your powerful weapons on the weakest goblins. Goblins are color coded and you learn which ones are one shotters and which ones can one shot you if you're not careful. Trash weapons have a use, and its to kill lowly goblins, bats, jelly monsters, and potential food. The game will warn you when you're weapon is about to break by prompting that its badly damaged and giving it a red flash in your inventory. At this point it only has one more hit in it before it breaks. Generally weapons can kill 5-6 goblins before breaking. Some break ASAP and some last longer. The weapon description will tell you if it has a lower or higher than average durability. And to mix it up you can find high damage weapons that are fragile, making them worth picking up at times. On the plus side, even though your bows break, you can pick up all your arrows from missed shots.. either your missed shots, or the missed shots directed at you.

Combat itself is your standard Zelda optional target focus, parry, dodge. It's just that some enemies can kill you in one blow.

Cooking is an interesting addition to the game. By mixing different meats, herbs, bugs, fruits, and enemy bones/organs, you can create tons of buffs and HP restorations. There are no heart drops or auto regen in this game. You must keep your bag supplied with food. Shrines will restore your health when completed, and I think sleeping at an Inn will as well, but in the mist of hostile territory, You'll want to be able to replenish. Even without a guide the game gives good hints to what modifiers certain ingredients do, you can toss stuff together and it will usual make something decent.

Lastly, Shrines are neat. They are mini puzzles that take 4-10 minutes to complete. The game introduces you too them while giving you your special abilities at the start, and as you venture out from the starting area, the shrines make you rely on the multiple things you learned from the previous. I haven't seen a dungeon yet, and I doubt I'm ready. This game has so much to see, I can barely get going on my horse before I have to stop and investigate. I was going to do something more detailed, but I'm about to pass out.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

6-7 hours and not even 1 dungeon yet. I'm now very impressed with the potential length of the game. I can see why done weapons break, like shields or wooden sticks/swords but I don't get why a decent bow or sword would break. Maybe your using some crappy bows made by goblins and they used fragile wood? I bet you'll come across unbreakables at some point. Maybe they're dungeon rewards. 

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

Bows have longer usage, but they all break, I guess due to tension stress. The only weapon I expect not to break is the master sword late in the game. 

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I did my first dungeon tonight and damn it was amazing. Just getting in was a spectacle... like Uncharted 4 level show piece spectacle. I'd say the entrance was more thrilling than the actual dungeon it self. Either way, the dungeon boss proves how important keeping your food up is. I was lazy about grabbing all the apples I can get, but when it comes down too it, you can just eat 15 apples and get all your health back. The dungeon was kind enough to give me some good ice and fire arrows in out of the way chests which certainly helped. It's also good I saved a high damage axe from a shrine fight as well. Bosses have a ton of HP, and the best way as always is DPS as fast as possible. I'm noticing a reoccurring theme of each boss changing up their tactics at 50% and 25% HP. 25% usually has involved a damn homing beam that you either have to chance it and reflect it back with your shield, or try to break LoS. If you get hit, you're either dead or have a quarter of a heart left.

I've mastered cooking. I tried to look up guides but none of them are really useful. They still list some of the first recipes you learn as the best, when they aren't. Don't mix food with different stat buffs, and worry less about what it is, rather pay attention what category of food its in. Don't have beef? Use bird. Don't have fish? Use crab. The flexibility is great once you learn what can go together and what can't. From there you know what will be more potent, and what stat you want it to give. I've made some food that will give me more temporary hearts. They show up as yellow, and once they go away from damage, they can't be healed back. Its a really nice buff.

I'd say my biggest surprise of the day was a side quest that turned into a giant boss fight. Normally side quests involve little tasks like finding 10 of X supply, or go kill the camp of monsters a few miles form the NPC. This one had me climb up a mountain, endure harsh conditions, only to find a giant boss. What is great about these is that you don't have to do them. Before I could enter my first dungeon, I had to get some shock arrows. The NPC told me there was a giant beast that shot them constantly and I could get them from there. Once I encountered him, he wrecked my ass twice. I then realized I could pick up a bunch of arrows stuck in trees and the ground around his area, while being completely stealth. I'll probably come back later when I have better gear and kill him out of spite, but the freedom this game offers is great. At that point it was either break a few good weapons to beat this guy, or save them for a better time. While I chose the easy road, it was the smart road as my weapons served me well for a bigger boss fight.

[Sledgstone 8,672]

This game sounds amazing to me. I love the fact that you can skip some parts like that yet still make progress. 

http://www.vg247.com/2017/03/04/zelda-breath-of-the-wild-guide-how-to-use-amiibo/

Looks like the amiibos give way more rewards than just a npc ally. Want the Hylian shield early in the game? Scan a specific amiibo. Want a crazy strong sword? Scan an amiibo. Want endless supplies? Scan all amiibos. X_x 

[DeathscytheX 9,732]

I'm tempted to get the Smash Bros link for Epona. Not gonna lie.

After looking it up that Hylian Shield doesn't break. So there are unbreakable weapons in this game. I'm guessing mostly from dungeons. I got a spear from my dungeon where an NPC told me to take good care of it... and I was like WTF, I can't use it or it will break? But apparently it wont break. I wish it would have said that in the description.