The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

johnny_ultimate · 28-06-2023 6:41pm

And done. Well, credits rolled!

What a game. A genuine leap in open world design, just like its predecessor was. But great to see a developer take a rock solid foundation and just make it better in almost every way. The confidence on display here is staggering - every element feels polished and refined. Zelda story’s may be nonsense, but I actually enjoyed watching it unfold this time around. And everything has been reconsidered to more appropriately fit the new approach to exploration on display throughout.

Without going into spoilers, it felt like there was a lot of Studio Ghibli’s sense of spectacle and awe in the finale here, albeit rather more bombastic. Still, the scale of it definitely again is illustrative of a development team so much more confident working on their grand canvas than ever before.

Got around 95 shrines in the end so still a lot to see, and much of the depths to explore, plus any of the extra hard overworld bosses. But happy to at least take a break now, spend time with some other games, and pop in in a little bit to dig up hopefully a few more secrets.

Retr0gamer · 29-06-2023 11:07am

Fully explored the depths last night. Well I've one left but that looks to be in Hyrule castle. Realised I've some of the sky areas to explore as well, totally forgot about the islands surrounded by thunder. Took on some super bosses now which at this stage aren't too bad. Fully upgraded armour makes a big difference. Even managed the 5 lynel fight in the depths.

Still loads to do. I discovered some pretty interesting places in the depths that look like end game stuff. I think I'll go back to the gerudo and polish off that area and the sidequests before tackling the end game.

The Nal · 29-06-2023 11:19am

Spent ages looking for treasure I got a map for, like 2 hours. Found it. Another Tunic of the Wild!? Now I have 2 wtf.

Also I lost my Hylian shield but came back the next day and it has magically reappeared.

jj880 · 29-06-2023 11:47am

Liking the look of the fierce diety armour. Increases attack also. Think I'll upgrade this one all the way. Was gona do the glide armour but the materials for the final upgrade are a bit ridiculous.

pixelburp · 29-06-2023 12:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120781491#Comment_120781491

I just started that quest yesterday: I do like it when TOTK give you hints and leave the rest to you; imagine the same quest in an Ubisoft sandbox, it'd just be yet another "follow the map-marker" quest.

Admittedly I've got to where I thought one clue's destination would be and I'm already stumped. Got those Gloom, grabby-hand SoBs hassling me so I've half a mind to bail.

jj880 · 29-06-2023 12:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120781633#Comment_120781633

Definitely I hate that find an icon format. Really gets old quick with no variety.

Dont want to spoil but if its where Im thinking you dont have to fight the gloom hands where you need to go.

Retr0gamer · 29-06-2023 1:39pm

The gloom hands aren;t too bad if you have a good bow or can chicken out with the high ground and some bombs. It's what happens next that can be annoying, hope you are good with dodging.

pixelburp · 29-06-2023 1:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120781798#Comment_120781798

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120782021#Comment_120782021

The

Akkala Citadel ruins?

Yeah, I've yet to fight a Gloom Hands 'cos they just wreck me; I've a good few HEalth upgrades, even some upgraded armour so amn't completely newbie. But I've tended to avoid fighting where I can - and if I can't will use cheese as much as possible.

jj880 · 29-06-2023 2:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120782076#Comment_120782076

Yes on the location.

I like to run away, if theres no higher ground pull out a rocket shield before they get directly under me. Fire a few bomb arrows into the middle of the 5 hands.

CastorTroy · 29-06-2023 2:19pm

Didn't try it myself when playing but I saw dazzle fruit suggested for them as well to stun them.

Retr0gamer · 29-06-2023 3:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120782076#Comment_120782076

Lets just say most gloom hands have a nasty surprise. But yeah, bomb arrows work a treat although in the end game the bows I'm getting do so much damage that they go down pretty fast.

jj880 · 29-06-2023 3:42pm

Always handy to have your sensor set to chest when.... looking for a chest 😜

EagererBeaver · 29-06-2023 3:46pm

Decent lynel bow and bombs into the centre of the gloom hands takes care of them pretty quickly.

pixelburp · 29-06-2023 3:49pm

Look at all ye, cool cucumbers with your dozens more hours and it all worked out how to trash those Gloom Hands. Some of us still gotta remember you can attach shít to your bow in the first instance 😂

jj880 · 29-06-2023 4:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120782956#Comment_120782956

😅..

RainInSummer · 29-06-2023 4:24pm

I tried using Muddlebuds on the hands in the hope they'd start a thumb wrestling match or slap each other silly. Nothing.

The Nal · 29-06-2023 4:28pm

I've just ran away.

Retr0gamer · 29-06-2023 4:56pm

Have they changed the lynel AI? I found them pretty handy by the end of botw and could easily get flurry attacks against them. No such luck in totk. I think maybe the flurry window has been shortened due to it being so easy to hit in botw. Finding them landing a lot of attacks when I fight then.

Have to say the new enemies and bosses have been great. The first time I fought a gleelok was a rush.

Mr.Saturn · 29-06-2023 6:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120783355#Comment_120783355

They got that new headbutt move that can be a bollocks to read as its start-up looks like it could almost be either a swipe or a trash.

jj880 · 29-06-2023 10:40pm

I must be losing it. Went to cook up some hearty truffle recovery food. Cooked up a few mushroom skewers then noticed a hearty truffle recipe for hearty mushroom skewer with total ingredients of: 1 hearty truffle. Wtf? Cooking this recipe gives me full recovery and an extra heart. I cooked up every hearty truffle I had to get these skewers. Is this a bug?

30-06-2023 3:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120784995#Comment_120784995

No cooking just a single hearty truffle in BOTW did the same.

30-06-2023 3:20am

120+ hours in now. Did the four regional phenomenon temples, have all light roots, have all the shrines, have every side adventure I think and nearly every side quest.

Don’t have many Koroks compared to my first play of BOTW but I have enough inventory slots.

Lots of armour and most upgraded to 3 stars. Still missing a few sets, both new and returning.

Now doing the Mineru quest to build the construct. I had found this place ages ago and tried to figure out why the terminals were denying me and now realise I wasn’t supposed to be here.

Theres a nice attention to detail regarding the Blood Moon cutscene that happens later in the game. Easy to miss because by then you’re mashing the skip button.

The game is a masterpiece and I’m not even finished. People were worried TOTK would be glorified DLC to BOTW, but it’s the reverse. BOTW is a glorified demo to TOTK. I’m glad I replayed and 100% BOTW earlier this year. It’s going to be very difficult to go back to it after TOTK.

Oh and my tip for Gloom Hands is

Give them the ole razzle dazzle with Dazzle Fruit

Retr0gamer · 30-06-2023 9:50am

Got every Shrine and Light root last night bar one light root and 2 shrines that seem to be tied to the where the story goes next.

Going to try and concentrate on side quests next but I've holidays coming up so I don't think I'll have this finished by then. 140 hours in... sheesh

SuperBowserWorld · 30-06-2023 11:34am

God, everyone finishing up and I'm only getting into it.

jj880 · 30-06-2023 5:36pm

Trying to finish fierce diety armour upgrade. Ive never fought more than 1 lynel in a row before. Getting some nice bows but Im going through heavy weapons and shields fairly quickly. I eventually beat 1 white and 2 blue lynels but not 1 dropped any guts. I need 6 guts. Are drops random or do only certain lynels drop guts?

Just checked play time. 215 hours 😳😂

Edit: 5 lynels fought. No guts. Feck this sh!te.

SuperBowserWorld · 30-06-2023 11:05pm

Just doing a few shrines. They are all really different and some are so brilliant. There was another buoyancy related ones, a rail related one, and a Jenga one, and that's just the recent ones. It's that child like sense of wonder and achievement that you get regularly in this game that's amazing. BOTW had that too.

01-07-2023 2:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120788529#Comment_120788529

Base level Lynels won’t drop guts. Definitely higher level ones - not sure the minimum level.

jj880 · 01-07-2023 8:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120790273#Comment_120790273

Thanks. Went to the lynel coloseum. The last 1 was a tough customer but got 2 guts on the first run through so will come back a few times for more.

jj880 · 02-07-2023 9:38am

Had a go at the fire gleeok at night after upgrading armour fully. Great fight especially at the end. I did cheat a bit with some gibdo bones and savage lynel bow. Is it really cheating though? Anyway nearly completely finished up now. Fought Ganondorf also. Excellent ending to the main story. Gona be hard to find my next game after this. A masterpiece from start to finish.

RainInSummer · 02-07-2023 10:07am

If it's in the game without exploits it isn't cheating. But yeah, bullet time + 5x32 bow + Gibdo bones is a bit over powered.

The Nal · 02-07-2023 11:20am

Found the fire temple cart craic to be a tedius snoozefest.

TOTKs Water Temple.

jj880 · 02-07-2023 12:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794271#Comment_120794271

Only used bullet time at the end as I had to. Was shooting it with gibdo bones when the heads were lying on the ground at the start but yeah was over pretty quickly. Not sure why some complain about the combat in this game. This fight was a spectacle on the bridge at night time. Will look for a king gleeok this evening. Got a 144 damage weapon made up for the lynels also. Thats my highest. Would be interested to know if you can get any higher. Maybe with a attack modifier...

jj880 · 02-07-2023 1:49pm

Found a spot with 2 groups (or flocks?) of keese that come out at 9pm. A bomb arrow into each 1 give an easy 28 keese eyeballs. Very handy for homing arrows. Edit: you dont have to get them coming out of the cave. They will come out and fly in a circle for a while outside. Easy to spot and hit.

Heres the spot:

Just outside the shrine on sahasra slope. Outside the cave openings on either side of just beneath the shrine

Mr.Saturn · 02-07-2023 4:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794474#Comment_120794474

I completely and utterly broke the Fire Temple through a mixture of Ascend, making weird **** and, when all else failed, just climbing. Kinda feel less bad about dodging the core design of it now you've said that.

RainInSummer · 02-07-2023 9:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794673#Comment_120794673

Yeah you can go really high, those weapons involve being on your last heart or last couple of swings of durability though.

On the back of a Lynel the hits don't count against durability. So if you find a pristine royal claymore, smack it off the ground until it's damaged, then fuse something high damage to it. Using a 3+ attack potion or wearing the attack bonus armour can see damage really sky rocket. I think there's a couple of other tricks but that's the gist of it.

pixelburp · 02-07-2023 10:02pm

Man I really just can't get into the Depths at all. Dark, dreary and very samey; just no fun constantly thwanging light seeds everywhere (I have two pieces of appropriate armour as well), and the Gloom is just an unholy pain in the àss.

RainInSummer · 03-07-2023 7:56am

I think it's great down there. All the best stuff. And when a frox or other huge boss comes looming out of the dark it's a real blast.

Are you not using the light roots to light up the area?

pixelburp · 03-07-2023 8:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120797920#Comment_120797920

I am of course, I just don't find the area especially satisfying or engaging. It's just so enclosed compared with the rolling vistas of above ground & in the sky.

jj880 · 03-07-2023 8:57am

I think its great throwing a brightbloom into the darkness. Could hit a wall right in front of you or disappear completely into a valley. I must be easily entertained 🤣.

pixelburp · 03-07-2023 9:35am

YMMV as is often the case; I get a bit irritated trying to keep my arrows stocked up on the surface, where they're used as weapons; having to use them as guides in the darkness was cute at first, but got a bit tedious after a fashion TBH. I'll seek out the last bit of the Armour and see how I go - maybe the full set negates the need to pathfind with Arrows/Seeds?

There also seems to be much less stuff and points of interest down there; while the only people are those 'effin Yiga ássholes; I grew tired of the whole "I'm a normal person ... OH-NO-I'M-NOT!!" set piece on the surface, that everyone down there is Yiga is like, whatever.

Retr0gamer · 03-07-2023 9:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120794215#Comment_120794215

I find the heads hard to hit without a lynel bow sometimes, especially the king gleeloks.

Had a tough time with a frost one, more a pain in the ass than anything as getting frozen is a pain and getting ganked by their last desperation attack happens too frequently. They also seem to aim their beams inn a much tougher pattern to avoid.

I've been trying to finish off the side quests, though one night would do it (I had 94 out of 139 complete and a few side missions that all seemed to be related to Penn). Two nights later and I feel I'm getting to the end of them all other than the busy work ones like that wells which can feck off.

jj880 · 03-07-2023 10:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798180#Comment_120798180

You got a star fragment? Fuse it to your shield. It helps with the darkness.

For sure there is less stuff. I like looking at the map every time i light a new root and pin stuff that looks interesting. There are some good surprises.

CastorTroy · 03-07-2023 10:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798180#Comment_120798180

I rarely used arrows so as not to waste them. Usually just threw the seeds.

The parts I found annoying were running into walls that could climb only to reach the ceiling instead of land. Then found out

Those walls match with rivers, etc. on the surface so would use the surface map to find how to get around it.

jj880 · 03-07-2023 10:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798194#Comment_120798194

Interesting. Im well stocked up on the keese eyeballs from those 2 flocks before and after blood moons. Must try them on gleeok heads. They work great for lynels.

Yeah Im finding some of the sidequests a bit grindy also but haven't got bored yet.

pixelburp · 03-07-2023 10:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798296#Comment_120798296

I've kept the star fragments 'cos IIRC you can use that for armour... "somehow"?

Ah it's just the overall vibe of the place. Just not gelling with it; and I accept it's a purely personal, non-intellectual thing. I'll persist 'cos I'm sure there's stuff down there worth getting but gimme those open skies please haha.

jj880 · 03-07-2023 10:13am

Smash every crate/box you see. Usually keeps arrows well stocked.

The Nal · 03-07-2023 10:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798328#Comment_120798328

Yep, Beadles wallet has been suffering as a result.

xckjoo · 03-07-2023 10:44am

I was the same with the Depths until I spent a bit of time down there and got some of the map lit up and now I'm loving it. Another thing I found that helped was every time I come across a chasm I dive in and hit up a lightroot or two. At first I'd just go in and out ASAP but now I'm finding myself stay longer and longer.

jj880 · 03-07-2023 10:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798310#Comment_120798310

Havent seen them in the materials for armour upgrades yet myself. Yeah could be other ways. Like letting those annoying octo heads suck your weapons in.

Id go for some DLC with a new level below the Depths. The Deeper Depths 😅. DLC with more skies for you.

Retr0gamer · 03-07-2023 11:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120798462#Comment_120798462

I think the star fragments are only really used for the armour that lets you cosplay previous links.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

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