Zelda - The Bear and Badger

mannaboy

I guess as the game has been made by humans, every creature is anthropomorphized, I’ll let it go. ;-)

mk64

I’m trying to unearth all of the light roots. Not as easy as you might imagine. Even now I’m using the bright seed things.

The size of the underworld is huge alone

mk64

think i've pretty much unlocked the entire depths now. Only the bit by the castle is hidden and I assume i unlock that in the end run?

The depths overall are interesting but do get repetitive. It does feel like it's not connected to the ground level enough/properly and just chucking mines at me doesn't cut it. The bosses are fun though.

I want to put together the 5th sage robot thing and mop up the final side quests then i'm almost there.

stonechalice

5th sage??????

tin_robot

stonechalice wrote:

5th sage??????

There is a 5th sage. Getting them is quite a fun little trek, but you can't do it without finding the other 4 first.

Though they're mainly useful if you haven't already completely explored the Depths...

voices

I did. The very start isn't completely gated off so you can do it early.

Tempy

Yeah, there's nothing stopping you stumbling onto it by accident, like I did after my second Temple.

mk64

Still finding a few overworld shrines left, not many but a couple. Helps going around into spots i've not been before and seeing if the radar picks it up.

Also working hard on my compendium.

Finished all of the monster quest things with the guys in the basement of the lookout and now they're basically highlighting all of the monsters left entirely. So i've got something like 72 hinox to kill or something! 32 frinox or whatever those sucky things are called. Will i do the grind? hmmm

Moot_Geeza

I'm really struggling with this

Drifted away partly due to differing playstyles between me and Tilly but I've gone back in solo and I just can't make it click. Did the fire dungeon locks + boss this morning and found it all a bit fiddly & annoying. The Goron buddy mechanics are a bit Wii-ish. I'm not convinced this is great at doing the things that drew me to Zelda games in the first place (the lock hunt was a bit shrugworthy, as was the similar find 'em up wind temple 'dungeon').

Ditching it in favour of other games is an option ofc, but I was really looking forward to this one. It does so much incredibly well but the controls and combat are poor.

Dark Soldier

Might start Twiight Princess again later on the xbox. Its such a banger.

Or Skyward Sword on the Switch which I've still never played.

LivDiv

TW:HD is quality.

Skyward Sword is weeb gash.

Dark Soldier

I am apparently a weeb now so will try Skyward

LivDiv

Wife pillow covered in kebab grease.

regmcfly

Dark Soldier wrote:

I am apparently a weeb now so will try Skyward

Yes

RamSteelwood

I think for me latest zelda is taking it too far towards fiddly grindy rpg/crafting games.
I know that's all the rage and Nintendo are doing it their way which is generally a bit more enjoyable...but there's still just a bit too much faff and fiddling for my liking. Breath of the wild obvs started it and this pushes it further.

Personally I'd love a game with the same scope and scale but less of the collecting and crafting and fiddling and weapon nonsense. Take it back to old school where you start with some weapons and unlock new ones from completing missions/dungeons....and not having to collect every single thing you see and it having a use attached to every single weapon etc

LivDiv

I will likely never bother with TotK for those reasons, just don't like that kind of stuff.

I'd really like it if they took a break from that and came out with a mid-sized Zelda with the original 3D type formula. A Wind Waker 2 maybe or a totally new art style that doesn't require 5+ years of Dev time. Give themselves time to cook whatever comes after TotK as the flagship Zelda. I suspect instead it will be a glossy remake of an old 2D Zelda though. Minish Cap or something.

Moot_Geeza

I'm all for the continuation of traditional 3D Zelda games too. Mario existed happily with three styles kinda on the go for a while - 2D, then the two types of 3D platformer (64/Odyssey style and the course-based 3D Land/World).

I'll push on with TotK because I like to leave my comfort zone now and then and a good chunk of what's on offer is a delight. It's got no chance of beating its predecessor for me though, there's just too much going on, the buildy bits annnoy me and the combat feels even more outdated (because it's essentially the same as it was in 2017, and I didn't enjoy it then). I'll stick to sulking that it's set on the same map too.

Firing yourself out the top of the towers is legit though.

Moot_Geeza

My Switch is doing a thing where weird green dots keep appearing on screen while playing this anyway, so maybe I won't get to finish it.

Dark Soldier

I think BotW was fresh as it came at a time when open world was getting very stale. Ubisoft climb-a-thons, identikit open world for the sake of it. Shook it all up, love, care, precision. Totk for me will always fall short as it doesn't have that impact and it tries to pack too much into what it is.

I still say BotW is the best game Nintendo have made. But my favourite Zelda is probably Twilight Princess. The old formula is glorious to this day.

Moot_Geeza

I've made it to the water temple. That'll do. I quite like the segments leading up to the temples - the wind bounce one was good too.

Minnesänger

Aye, the lead ups to the temples themselves are usually decent. The temples themselves though are guff.

Moot_Geeza

Water temple done. Boss was quite fun. Found it annoying that it seemed to require loads or arrows or water stuff to chuck at it, both of which I was running low on, but then I realised

Spoiler:

Best 'dungeon' so far but not quite up to the standard I'd expect from a 3D Zelda.

Spoiler:

Moot_Geeza

The visuals really are ridiculous for a Switch. Hugely impressive that they've managed to get it running so smoothly too, especially considering how many crappy looking indies I play on it that can't combine looking like a Master System/Mega Drive/PS1 game with steady performance.

mk64

There are some breath taking views and sights in Totk. I'll find a way to traverse something and then look at the view and go fuck, did they realise they were making this when they put it all together? The draw distances are pretty good too.

The game has so many nice places to visit too.

mk64

190 hours i think now. It's such a great game. So much still to do.

My colleague bought me the compendium book thing as i helped him with a deal and it's so gorgeous. Massively indepth, shows every cave etc.

What a game

Kernowgaz

Gamermike

That is so fucking cool.

Moot_Geeza

The big push starts now. In the Gerudu area investigating my 4th phenomena. Gonna get this done.

mk64

I'm going to finish the last few side quests then go for the final ganon in the christmas hols

Moot_Geeza

I don't really like this one. I learned to love BotW (and eventually really, really did) but this feels like a re-tread with the addition of a few things that make it worse for my tastes. Thought I'd finished it after banging my head against the brick wall of a boss I wasn't prepared for for an hour but no, there's more. Looked into upgrading armour but you have to jump through hoops so fuck that, I'll continue to rely on potions and stat boosts.

Spectacular in so many ways but this isn't my Zelda.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories