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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild |OT2| It's 98 All Over Again

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Well over 100 hours in and I only just found Bolson. He was behind the house. Fuck I feel dumb.

Made it to 110 shrines (up from like, 102 or 103) just from wandering around with the Sheikah Sensor and checking out landmarks on the map with no shrines nearby, but once again I have no idea where to look. Just gonna consult a guide for the last 10.

Edit: Literally 1 rupee short for the house lol
 
This turned out to be one of the best quests! At first I was like "oh lame not another zzzz quest..." but goddamn it felt like a mini Duck Tales episode. Kickass shrine reward too: a shrine that isn't a combat trial or a free gimme! I love actual puzzle shrines so much. I get depressed every time I step into a combat trial shrine.

literally the best quest in the game imo



and the best shrine!
 
Seriously it starts out okay but then you realize absolutely everything you do is pointless and you wont be seeing anything good, so hopefully you enjoy running around with the pointless things to do because that is apparently in itself the meaning of the game.

I highlighted the important things. The BotW is about creating your adventure, on the way the Ganon.
 
Decided to take on Ganon after 120 Shrines and 121 Korok Seeds.
That was the easiest boss of the game, by far.
Beast Ganon was also really bad, it just stood there firing lasers that didn't do anything besides rumble.
The lead up to the fight was great though. Despite making the fight easier, I loved the spectacle of all the Divine Beasts and Champions. It was worth it.

Now for the 779 other Korok Seeds.
 
I'm definitely not the only one who makes this disgusted face every time I get into a Shrine and it says "A MAJOR TEST OF STRENGTH" right? I just bail out of those automatically. Sometimes it feels like I run into 2-3 in a row. I must have like 5-6 of them unfinished littered all over the map now. I really wish there were less combat shrines. Does anyone actually like them and get excited when it's a combat shrine? I'm curious if it's actually designed fro some players and not others.
 
It's cool you can just stumble upon him, but it's also neat that
you can find his notes detailing where he's located on the map.

This would be such an easy thing to patch in too, since all that data is already on the Switch cart.

I just find it funny that the last Kass-quest I got was the one with that thing lol. All that effort and you'll give me that info only on the very last shrine I'll unlock. C'mon Kass.

I'm definitely not the only one who makes this disgusted face every time I get into a Shrine and it says "A MAJOR TEST OF STRENGTH" right? I just bail out of those automatically. Sometimes it feels like I run into 2-3 in a row. I must have like 5-6 of them unfinished littered all over the map now. I really wish there were less combat shrines. Does anyone actually like them and get excited when it's a combat shrine? I'm curious if it's actually designed fro some players and not others.

One on at least every category should have been fine. Or at least add a little variety to guardian moves if they make it as much.

I don't mind the weapon and shield drops though.
 
I'm definitely not the only one who makes this disgusted face every time I get into a Shrine and it says "A MAJOR TEST OF STRENGTH" right? I just bail out of those automatically. Sometimes it feels like I run into 2-3 in a row. I must have like 5-6 of them unfinished littered all over the map now. I really wish there were less combat shrines. Does anyone actually like them and get excited when it's a combat shrine? I'm curious if it's actually designed fro some players and not others.

It's cool the first time, maybe the second time when it poses a unique challenge. After that, it's just like "...again?"
 
I'm definitely not the only one who makes this disgusted face every time I get into a Shrine and it says "A MAJOR TEST OF STRENGTH" right? I just bail out of those automatically. Sometimes it feels like I run into 2-3 in a row. I must have like 5-6 of them unfinished littered all over the map now. I really wish there were less combat shrines. Does anyone actually like them and get excited when it's a combat shrine? I'm curious if it's actually designed fro some players and not others.

They are great for farming weapons. I use to love them simply to fill my inventory full of Guardian weapons, then I got good enough to own Lynels and farm them instead.
 
I'm definitely not the only one who makes this disgusted face every time I get into a Shrine and it says "A MAJOR TEST OF STRENGTH" right? I just bail out of those automatically. Sometimes it feels like I run into 2-3 in a row. I must have like 5-6 of them unfinished littered all over the map now. I really wish there were less combat shrines. Does anyone actually like them and get excited when it's a combat shrine? I'm curious if it's actually designed fro some players and not others.

The combat shrines would have been great if they had real variety. There are minor variations, e.g. water on the floor so you can create pillars that the enemy runs into, but that's about it.
 
I'm definitely not the only one who makes this disgusted face every time I get into a Shrine and it says "A MAJOR TEST OF STRENGTH" right? I just bail out of those automatically. Sometimes it feels like I run into 2-3 in a row. I must have like 5-6 of them unfinished littered all over the map now. I really wish there were less combat shrines. Does anyone actually like them and get excited when it's a combat shrine? I'm curious if it's actually designed fro some players and not others.

Yeah, these could have been designed so much better. They must have run up against the clock or something, because combat shrines could have been really great.
 
I enjoy the combat shrines, the second one I found was a Major and I got ruined over and over again, so it's a pleasure to beat the everliving shite out of them now. Plus the weapons they drop are great for smashing up their big brothers.
 
I'm definitely not the only one who makes this disgusted face every time I get into a Shrine and it says "A MAJOR TEST OF STRENGTH" right? I just bail out of those automatically. Sometimes it feels like I run into 2-3 in a row. I must have like 5-6 of them unfinished littered all over the map now. I really wish there were less combat shrines. Does anyone actually like them and get excited when it's a combat shrine? I'm curious if it's actually designed fro some players and not others.

Nah, after 50 hours, seeing combat shrine = free guardian weapon
 
I'm definitely not the only one who makes this disgusted face every time I get into a Shrine and it says "A MAJOR TEST OF STRENGTH" right? I just bail out of those automatically. Sometimes it feels like I run into 2-3 in a row. I must have like 5-6 of them unfinished littered all over the map now. I really wish there were less combat shrines. Does anyone actually like them and get excited when it's a combat shrine? I'm curious if it's actually designed fro some players and not others.

it's crazy how many there are and how they're all identical


how hard is it to make 5 different major tests of strength? just throw some different enemies in there.
 
I kind of like the combat shrines as a measure of how much progress you've made. Like I got my ass kicked the first time I went into a modest test of combat shrine, now I go into a major one and come out two minutes later with several high-level guardian weapons.

I do wish they switched up the designs more though.
 
I highlighted the important things. The BotW is about creating your adventure, on the way the Ganon.

I think the game will fall apart for people who don't like discovery or exploration, or the goal-oriented or min-maxing players. Like, you actually have to gauge for yourself whether you're ready to fight Ganon or not.

I'm definitely not the only one who makes this disgusted face every time I get into a Shrine and it says "A MAJOR TEST OF STRENGTH" right? I just bail out of those automatically. Sometimes it feels like I run into 2-3 in a row. I must have like 5-6 of them unfinished littered all over the map now. I really wish there were less combat shrines. Does anyone actually like them and get excited when it's a combat shrine? I'm curious if it's actually designed fro some players and not others.

I finished about 70 shrines, but I actually don't think there's a whole lot of them. Maybe it's because you met them in short time?

Sometimes I'm glad I found them because I was tired after like 3 hours of playing and just want the shrine as straightforward as possible lol.
 
I smash major tests of strength in under a minute without getting hurt. They are really boring. All they are good for is some decent weapons and parts for guardian armor that you don't and will never need.
 
I get excited for Manor Test of Strength.
Great for getting weapons.

I think there is some ever so slight variation, in that a few of them have shields.
Or maybe that was Modest.
 
The combat shrines would have been great if they had real variety. There are minor variations, e.g. water on the floor so you can create pillars that the enemy runs into, but that's about it.
Agreed. Some kind of more creative gauntlet could have been really cool.

PS: I like your avatar :)
 
I get excited for Manor Test of Strength.
Great for getting weapons.

I think there is some ever so slight variation, in that a few of them have shields.
Or maybe that was Modest.

I think it's random. The difference being modest gives + and major gives ++ variations.

They also reset after a blood moon.
 
Yeah I can see how they would be great for farming weapons. I think the problem is that I tend to run into them when I don't have a great collection of weapons, and I usually run into two in a row sometimes and that just feels annoying. It's not so bad if I go back to the shrines after stocking up on easy to get stronger weapons. It's bad when I'm adventuring and think I'm going to chance upon a new puzzle shrine only for it to be a combat shrine. Lol.
 
Imagine if there was an "Extreme test of strength" like 3 of the major test guardians at the same time.

Maybe that will be in the DLC.

Maybe a not-corrupted spider-like Guardian with very good mobility and varying attack pattern would be good for a test of strength.
 
I'm definitely not the only one who makes this disgusted face every time I get into a Shrine and it says "A MAJOR TEST OF STRENGTH" right? I just bail out of those automatically. Sometimes it feels like I run into 2-3 in a row. I must have like 5-6 of them unfinished littered all over the map now. I really wish there were less combat shrines. Does anyone actually like them and get excited when it's a combat shrine? I'm curious if it's actually designed fro some players and not others.

Nah, same. Everytime I find a shrine I hope it's not another major test of strength. Not that I don't enjoy the fight itself, but I'm still a bit shocked at my first encounter with such a shrine with less hearts and armour. I tried about two dozen times, got the enemy down to one fourth of their health in about the first try, died, repeated and mostly got one-hit in consecutive tries. The only openly accessible shrine I found, that I just marked on the map and left. Which led me to Eventing island immediately afterwards,so it was worth it.

The thing is, although I've done two more major tests of strength since, I'm not particularily competent at combat. These shrines in the best of cases wear down my weapon arsenal. Killed the guardian in the last with my last weapon just as it got into the direct laser attack phase. I'm usually short on arrows as well and don't seem to be able to reflect the lasers of the guardians. These fights just make me anxious that my equipment and food supplies won't hold up, even though I've never actually run out completely.

I could well see them being welcomed. e if I get to the level where the guardian is easy. The issues is anxiousness at being unprepared.
 
Imagine if there was an "Extreme test of strength" like 3 of the major test guardians at the same time.

Maybe that will be in the DLC.

There are places where there are a bunch of broken guardians in the room... but all you need to do is reflect back their beams.
It's no challenge at all
 
Nah, same. Everytime I find a shrine I hope it's not another major test of strength. Not that I don't enjoy the fight itself, but I'm still a bit shocked at my first encounter with such a shrine with less hearts and armour. I tried about two dozen times, got the enemy down to one fourth of their health in about the first try, died, repeated and mostly got one-hit in consecutive tries. The only openly accessible shrine I found, that I just marked on the map and left. Which led me to Eventing island immediately afterwards,so it was worth it.

The thing is, although I've done two more major tests of strength since, I'm not particularily competent at combat. These shrines in the best of cases wear down my weapon arsenal. Killed the guardian in the last with my last weapon just as it got into the direct laser attack phase. I'm usually short on arrows as well and don't seem to be able to reflect the lasers of the guardians. These fights just make me anxious that my equipment and food supplies won't hold up, even though I've never actually run out completely.

I could well see them being welcomed. e if I get to the level where the guardian is easy. The issues is anxiousness at being unprepared.
If you're mid/late game you should be able to stock up on arrows pretty easily.
 
it's crazy how many there are and how they're all identical

how hard is it to make 5 different major tests of strength? just throw some different enemies in there.

Enemy and attack variety was my biggest issue with them. Sure, I used them to get weapons, but they still got stale quick. Some more enemies in there with differing attack cycles (that don't simply branch off the same set) would have gone a ways. I sometimes wonder if large enemy camp reconstructions would have been plausible.

Maybe it's a thing where most people won't run into as many of them as I did, meaning they won't feel that same annoyance and simply find two of them. With how different the puzzle shrines turned out though, I won't purchase that ticket. The Combat shrines suck.
 
I like the tests of strength, because I love the cute little buggers and their goofy-ass theme song. I've done about 60 shrines and they're just rare enough that I don't get tired of them. The fact that they drop strong and cool weapons helps too.

I still enjoy the guardian scouts as legit minibosses with phases of attack patterns that require different strategies. And they did at least did mix up the major tests of strength by
removing the pillars and flooding the room, which led to some fun with Cryonis
, but I agree they would have benefited from changing up the number or strength of the enemies.

Speaking of weapons in shrines, I'm noticing I'm getting almost all my elemental weapons from shrine chests. Hopefully there's another way to get them after I explore all the shrines.
 
Is there a way to force a Blood Moon? I think Kass wants one.

Kill a load of stuff. I have Taluses, Lynels and a bunch of other enemies with good loot marked on my map to farm for materials/weapons after a blood moon resets them all, if I kill all of them and a handful of camps I'll get a blood moon really soon after.

I've tried checking the guy at that one each near duelling peaks, sleeping until the next day at the campfire and speaking to him again in an effort to force a blood moon with no luck at all.
 
Kill a load of stuff. I have Taluses, Lynels and a bunch of other enemies with good loot marked on my map to farm for materials/weapons after a blood moon resets them all, if I kill all of them and a handful of camps I'll get a blood moon really soon after.

I've tried checking the guy at that one each near duelling peaks, sleeping until the next day at the campfire and speaking to him again in an effort to force a blood moon with no luck at all.

I'm worried that if I'm away from the spot, when the moon rises, I won't be able to get back to it in time? Maybe I'll just give it a try.
 
Well, beat the game.

The entire ending sequence starting from Hyrule Castle is bloody terrible. I've never loved a game so much to being relatively indifferent to it by the time the credits rolled. Honestly, it just dropped out of top my five to number 6. The game is just too much of a tease and honestly never reaches that crescendo where everything really comes together. The game despite all the little details and fun NPCs is just sort of hollow.

I think I'm going to take a break before going for 100% map completion. Screw upgrading the armor though.
 
it's crazy how many there are and how they're all identical


how hard is it to make 5 different major tests of strength? just throw some different enemies in there.

They have some variations: the guardians themselves use different weapons, so the timing for parries and flurry attacks are different as well and you have to learn the patterns of each weapon to pull them off. Also, some don´t feature pillars so you have to find a way to stop the guardian´s dash attack (
using cryonis or magnesys depending on the shrine
).
More variation would´ve been good, like a test featuring 2 guardians or more different ground layouts, or additional enemies like small flying guardians, but it´s not the same copy pasted challenge every time.
 
Is there a way to force a Blood Moon? I think Kass wants one.

There's actually a Lynel, a Talus and a Stalnox nearby. If you can beat them, I'm pretty sure that's enough to trigger a blood moon the following nights. Camp out within the vicinity and wait every night until blood moon occurs.
 
I'm worried that if I'm away from the spot, when the moon rises, I won't be able to get back to it in time? Maybe I'll just give it a try.
if it´s for the Shrine quest I think it is you don´t need to be close to the spot. I had a Blood Moon happen,
instantly warped to the closest Shrine, glided my way to the spot and even though the moon was white in the sky it registered and triggered the quest.
 
I'm worried that if I'm away from the spot, when the moon rises, I won't be able to get back to it in time? Maybe I'll just give it a try.

There's a shrine nearby, where Kass is located. Once the blood moon occurs you can fast travel to that shrine and paraglide down. I can't remember the name of the shrine but it's below where Kass is on the map and to the right.
 
Well, beat the game.

The entire ending sequence starting from Hyrule Castle is bloody terrible. I've never loved a game so much to being relatively indifferent to it by the time the credits rolled. Honestly, it just dropped out of top my five to number 6. The game is just too much of a tease and honestly never reaches that crescendo where everything really comes together. The game despite all the little details and fun NPCs is just sort of hollow.

I think I'm going to take a break before going for 100% map completion. Screw upgrading the armor though.

waaaaaat

Hyrule Castle is amazing!
 
I am really enjoying the hunt for the memories, although the story beats are brief and don't make a lot of sense yet, I am getting a kick out of the detective work, I just found one memory by looking at some of the landscape in the background and was able to deduce where in the map it was because of the trees, I marked some spots on the map, found it after an hour but ran into a few Shrines and Korok seeds that I had missed the first time (the spot was near the great plateau!)
 
I think I got half the memories so far. My opinion is that Zelda is an entitled bitch who is self-concious, narcissistic, and generally has poor social graces. It's a pretty interesting take on the character. I don't really blame her, but her interactions are pretty insufferable. It's all about her. Her interests. Her inability to do something. Her failings. Her potential. Her mission. On one hand, I love seeing a Zelda who has so much agency, and actually thinks for herself. On the other hand, the way the scenes are directed doesn't really paint her in positive light.
 
Yeah I can see how they would be great for farming weapons. I think the problem is that I tend to run into them when I don't have a great collection of weapons, and I usually run into two in a row sometimes and that just feels annoying. It's not so bad if I go back to the shrines after stocking up on easy to get stronger weapons. It's bad when I'm adventuring and think I'm going to chance upon a new puzzle shrine only for it to be a combat shrine. Lol.

i don't mind them anymore. I got plenty of high end weapons, my 3 armor pieces are 20 armor each...
They're just a hassle, and most of the time the reward's just another pole weapon that i don't have any use for but i still need to pick up so, so the shrine won't lack the "chest" symbol on the minimap. :/

I think I got half the memories so far. My opinion is that Zelda is an entitled bitch who is self-concious, narcissistic, and generally has poor social graces. It's a pretty interesting take on the character. I don't really blame her, but her interactions are pretty insufferable. It's all about her. Her interests. Her inability to do something. Her failings. Her potential. Her mission. On one hand, I love seeing a Zelda who has so much agency, and actually thinks for herself. On the other hand, the way the scenes are directed doesn't really paint her in positive light.

i'd blame some of this on the voice acting. The german voice acting is way different in tone. She's far less "uptight" in the german dub and you really feel the pressure that's resting on her shoulders alone and her fear of being unable to protect her people.
 
I think I got half the memories so far. My opinion is that Zelda is an entitled bitch who is self-concious, narcissistic, and generally has poor social graces. It's a pretty interesting take on the character. I don't really blame her, but her interactions are pretty insufferable. It's all about her. Her interests. Her inability to do something. Her failings. Her potential. Her mission. On one hand, I love seeing a Zelda who has so much agency, and actually thinks for herself. On the other hand, the way the scenes are directed doesn't really paint her in positive light.

Humanizing Zelda
I loved her diary, ties everything together
 
i'd blame some of this on the voice acting. The german voice acting is way different in tone. She's far less "uptight" in the german dub and you really feel the pressure that's resting on her shoulders alone and her fear of being unable to protect her people.

It's not a voice acting issue, it's how scenes are written, and how she plays off other characters. The problem isn't her being uptight, it's how she expresses herself. She doesn't do this out of selfishness, but what she does and says exposes her mentality very clearly. It is a mentality that is ingrained because of her upbringing, so I don't blame her, but that doesn't mean it is pleasant to see her behave the way she does.
 
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