#(along with some of the others like twilight princess and a link between worlds)
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hi im ranting (positively! this game kills me but in a good way) about breath of the wild again
i know it's controversial but i love the way the story of the game is told. because you start the game in the middle, perhaps near the end, of the story. the game is entirely through link's perspective and he wakes up knowing and remembering nothing. in turn, the player starts off knowing nothing. the past is revealed as the story goes along, and the player learns about the past and about the land as link does. there are little tidbits about hyrule and about the calamity scattered across the land. an old woman in hateno village tells you of an age of desolation that she grew up in. the travellers you see on the road are younger people because they're described by older characters as more bold, whereas the older characters grew up being told to never leave the village, it's too dangerous outside (compare this even to tears of the kingdom, where travellers are more common because the land has been safer. even older characters have left their home to travel elsewhere (not including the lurelin villagers)). battlefields are still strewn with old rusty weapons and deactivated guardians that no one but monsters will go near. myths and legends about the princess and hero have been passed down, to the point where their legitmacy is questioned and everyone has a different opinion on them.
it's environmental storytelling. it's things like seeing drawings and a bow in zelda's study and seeing a child reading a storybook with a hero that wears a blue tunic similar to link's. it's the stories that the villagers share about old myths that turn out to be true. it's the ruins scattered across the land, long since overtaken by monster camps but still unmistakably being houses that people once lived in. it's the utter lack of civilization anywhere remotely near the castle and the feeling of dread in the ruins of the town that surrounds it. it's a kingdom entrenched in its past, with no ability to move away from it until the calamity is finally defeated.
#head into the wall. i love this game so much#legend of zelda#breath of the wild#and no i dont hate totk for getting rid of the sheikah tech and replacing it with zonai tech#the zonai tech is foreign and new to the people of hyrule and theyre EXCITED about it#how many zonai researchers are there in totk vs how many sheikah researchers in botw?#people are wary of the technology that destroyed their home a century ago#and they're terrified of the guardians that still roam the land#i still hold that link likely was behind the reason why the shrine of resurrection was completely dismantled#it's kinda like majora's mask in which half of the story is in the side quests and the characters#mm had a plot yeah but it kind of accompanied the rest of the setting#link had a goal but he also had so many people to talk to#botw is similar. link has a goal in mind but he's also one to help others#and if someone literally just lost their chickens or if their husband is sick and needs medicine. he's willing to help them out#the world is just as important as the plot itself and i think i like that more#than just a linear plot which is accompanied by the world#botw totk and mm reward you for exploring#(along with some of the others like twilight princess and a link between worlds)#but it's very different i think when half of the game is about exploring#or more than half even. you have your goal but you have to get there first#and there are so many ways you can get there and so much you can encounter along the way#biting screaming crying#the bow is in zelda's room but close enough
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Finally, after all this time, 1920’s AU Link’s Main outfit concepts are all done!!!
It’s been a challenge traveling for work and having time to work on art, but I am slowly getting better at it! (Sorry this took so long ;;)
AU Main Summary:
Since travel has been restored between the light realm and the twilight realm, a newfound unity flourished between the two societies. New friends, new towns/cities to explore, never-before-seen technologies and fashions at their disposal- all seemed well...until nefarious rumors of a returning great threat started to spread...
Brief Lore of Link’s Role In The AU:
With the new alluring land of Twilight open for entry and for any and all visitors, Link jumps at the chance to visit the amber-hued and shadow-filled world as Zelda’s accompanying guard for the latest council meeting. What and who lies in wait for Link to meet in this parallel reality? A world far more alien and advanced than his own? Rumors of an ethereal beauty shrouded in shadow?
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Link, a kindhearted, brave and daring country boy, is ready to make a name for himself as Hyrule’s greatest explorer! He’s known across the land as the “one-man army” for being extremely adaptable and prepared for any situation at any time with his wide arsenal of tools at his disposal. Some may also call him the “evergreen mountaineer” being as there is no mountain or peak he cannot scale- and by the fact he is always seen donning his famous dark green field coat, cap and his pickax of legend.
He always greets friends and acquaintances alike with a warm smile and a firm handshake with a hearty hello (or ‘howdy’) with a slight southern draw. (A trademark from those who hail from “across the field," the Ordon Region.)
With his natural talent for exploring and his insatiable hunger for discovery and adventure, he’s charted vast ancient ruins, several dungeons of lore, and has uncovered a fantastic array of numerous treasures on both land and sea. Because of this, he’s occasionally seen as a young, irresponsible and reckless lad, especially due to the extreme nature of most of his exploration missions and his tendency to throw safety to the wind.
He may seem like a “lone wolf” most of the time, but he always manages to bring along his dear friend Princess Zelda (and sometimes Midna) for any excursion he may be heading on…but in secret, of course. If the King of Hyrule were to ever find out about the “dangerous” adventures he’s been dragging Zelda onto, surely it would not go well….
Besides adventuring, Link spends his time helping his adoptive family back in Ordon with their expansive pumpkin farm and raising goats that are for producing the finest of goat cheese known region-wide.
Any other spare time he has is at the right-hand side of Zelda, helping her with daily royal errands, solving mysteries, or just going out on the town to a local pub or to a delightful picnic in Hyrule Field.
When he is at the pub, he can be seen boisterously playing an array of instruments, ranging from drums, stringed instruments, and most notably, his Ocarina (a very cherished gift from Zelda).
While Link may be a bit of a country boy, he is no less capable of assisting Zelda in her pursuits of solving the various mysteries popping up around Castle Town, often providing a unique perspective from being the most skilled survivalist around. Once Midna arrives on the scene, she often enables Link’s craziest ideas- bringing out his secret (or not-so-secret) mischievous side. However, Link absolutely loathes Zant, Midna's towering Valet, due to his arrogant nature and his occasional mocking of Link’s short stature.
#legend of zelda#twilight princess#zelda au#the legend of zelda#illustration#twilight princess link#1920’s x zelda#the chateau of the red moon zelda au#link legend of zelda#link loz#the legend of zelda twilight princess#the chateau of the red moon
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100 years later I finally drew all of my AU Links
Say hello to my lads! They're going to be in a comic I've been scripting and planning for about a year now I think? I'm calling it Link and the Links, latl for short!
More info under the cut :]
(please don't tag as LU/Linked Universe!!)
The Plot
The Links find themselves in a mysterious forest that seems somewhat familiar to all of them yet none of them know where they are. Now they have to work together to find their way home. On the way they'll discover a thing or two about each other and grow closer!
The Cast
I could talk about these guys for hours, but to keep it digestible I'll make it short
A bit of info before I get into it - all of them are taken from different points in time after the end of their adventure(s)!
Birdie (Skyward Sword)
18
Roughly 6 hours after defeating Demise
The start of it all. Unbeknownst to himself and the others, the space they find themselves in was created out of his desire to meet the heroes after him. He feels terribly guilty about the curse and very much blames himself for the possible suffering of future heroes. His main goal is to check up on everyone and help where he can!
Grasshopper (Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask)
10
4 days after leaving Termina
Somewhat disoriented after his journey still, he tags along simply because he thinks Birdie is an idiot who would get lost without him. He doesn't talk a whole lot but he likes listening to other people's stories
Seagull (Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass)
13
6 months after leaving the domain for the ocean King
He's a real genuine pirate, yarr!! Or so he'd like you to believe. He talks a great deal about his strength and bravery, but really is just afraid and terribly homesick most of the time. He wants to fit in with Tetra's and her crew's toughness so much he might go a little overboard on the act in a way that may or may not end up biting him in the butt.
Choo (Spirit Tracks)
14
6 months after peace returned to new Hyrule
He wouldn't call himself a hero, in fact he'd say it's a miracle he made it out alive. Self-esteem and confidence really aren't his strong suits, he often finds himself dragged along and unable to say no. He is very friendly however, and if you just give him a little space he might even open up to you.
Wolfie (Twilight Princess)
21
4 years after defeating Ganondorf
Left Ordon after intrusive thoughts convinced him he was a danger to his village, now works at Telma's bar as a waiter in exchange for a room. He's responsible well liked, though he's not too fond of himself. He has some complicated feelings about the whole turning into a wolf thing
Apple (A Link to the Past, Oracle of Ages/Seasons and Link's Awakening)
20
Just a few seconds after Koholint disappeared
From one dream right into the next (sorta?) he's understandably disoriented at first. He pushes that aside pretty much immediately though, much more interested in getting to know everyone. He's a kind and soft spoken, weirdly wise sort of guy and near instantly becomes the heart of the team
Wallflower (A Link Between Worlds)
19
4 years after wishing upon the triforce with Zelda
Bitter doesn't even begin to describe this uh.. Pleasant fella. After being bossed around for the better part of his life he doesn't take orders from anybody and is this close to quitting his job as a blacksmith. He hates being stuck here, he hates these strange people, really there's not much he doesn't hate. But that can't be all there is to him...
Puzzle (The Legend of Zelda and Adventure of Link)
18
1,5 years after waking Zelda II
Confused, disoriented, but still happy to help and ready for adventure. Though some of the others don't really like him around he's still just as friendly to everyone. Since he struggles to communicate he tends to stay quiet. He appears to be simple minded on first glance, but he'll prove to be a valuable member of the team.
Sprout (Minish Cap)
23
13 years after defeating Vaati
After his grandfather died he retreated into his house and dedicated himself to improving his blacksmithing skills to live up to his grandfather's name, he was quickly forgotten by his community and faded into obscurity. Now he may be the best blacksmith in Hyrule, so good that even the royal guard hires him, but among the general castletown population he's nothing more than a forest cryptid. He only leaves the house when he has to, carefully avoiding people. Not because they disgust him, he just has a major case of social anxiety!
Squire (Breath of the Wild)
14
3 years pre calamity
This absolute rascal couldn't be happier about his current circumstances. These unknown woods are his playground and all of these weirdos are his friends now! Though everyone's pretty sure he's a knight trainee, he insists that he's just a stable hand for the guard. His chaotic and carefree nature surprisingly doesn't get in the way of things as he's eager to help out wherever he can, seeing the whole journey as an impromptu camping trip.
Some funfacts :]
Most of them are neurodivergent in some way!
Birdie and Seagull have ADHD, Grasshopper and Choo are autistic, Squire gets the combo platter AuDHD and Wolfie has OCD
Additionally, Birdie has auditory processing disorder and dyscalculia, and Squire has dyslexia
A few of them also have speech disorders
Choo stutters and Puzzle has cluttering speech disorder
Apple has a weak voice, so after a while his voice gets tired and gets hoarse
Choo enjoys drawings and cartography, two skills that will be very important!
One of Seagull's hobbies is photography! He takes his pictobox everywhere
Wolfie also does entertainment at the bar from time to time! He sings or does card tricks
Sprout knows HSL (hylian sign language) because his grandfather was deaf
Seagull's piratey way of talking is 100% for show and painfully inconsistent
Wolfie speaks in a thick southern (in universe ordonian) accent but he's trying hard to mask it since he moved to castletown
Wallflower absolutely hates Puzzle
Squire's special interest is horses
Birdie is a bit of a doormat so he has the ideas but Wolfie is the one to actually get them through
A number of them are blood related (has nothing to do with the colours of their names in this post, I had to reuse some because there weren't enough orz)
That's all I have for you today! Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! :]
If any of you have any questions about my Links or AU you'd like answered, my inbox is open!
Have a lovely day everyone!
#links meet au#tloz#legend of zelda#tloz fanart#tloz au#legend of zelda au#link#artists on tumblr#not lu#link and the links au#LatL au#my art#triangles#IT IS DONE FINALLY#Apologies for my handwriting also orz I tried#LatL#the lads
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ARDRA AND REVATI: STAR-CROSS LOVERS?
Ardra, the 6th nakshatra within the 27 nakshatras, resides in Gemini, co-ruled by Rahu. It's also known as the "moist one," referring to its association with moisture in the air, which leads to the formation of clouds and eventually rain. The symbol of Ardra is either a diamond or a teardrop, reflecting its connection to moisture and wetness. This teardrop symbolism encompasses various forms of sorrow, as well as the clarity that often follows a cry. Twilight is set in Forks, Washington, a town known for its very rainy climate. It’s where Bella, a native born under the Revati sun, encounters Edward, who is a native born under the Ardra moon.
Kristen Stewart revati ☉ x Robert Pattinson Ardra ☽ in twilight
Revati, the 27th nakshatra, resides in Pisces, co-ruled by Mercury. Its name translates simply to "wealthy," but alternatively signifies "to transcend," aligning with its position as the final nakshatra. With its focus on duality, Revati symbol of a fish swimming in the sea. This symbol, representing the soul's journey through the universe's waters, has ancient roots. As the last nakshatra, Revati holds significance for Moksha and ultimate enlightenment. It symbolizes the point in time where both material and astral realms merge into the causal realm, eventually transcending into the supreme eternal void. It’s also important to note that Venus exalted in the revati Nakshatra, The energy of Pisces is enhancing Venus's spiritual dimensions of love, beauty, and harmony, allowing for unconditional love and the use of love and art as agents of healing. In my opinion, this is what an Ardra craves: unconditional love.
Olivia Hussey revati Asc x Leonard Whiting Ardra ☉
There are parallels between Romeo and Juliet and Edward and Bella, especially in the second installment of the Twilight saga: New Moon. The book and the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet are even referenced in the film. Like Romeo and Juliet, Bella and Edward are star-crossed lovers, feeling as if they can't live without each other. There are outside forces that disrupt their romance (rival families or vampirism), yet they still long to be with each other, even if it means in death.
Ardra individuals, due to their deity Rudra, can embody the destructive and transformative essence of Shiva, characterized by chaos and disorder. Under Rudra's influence, they exhibit rapid shifts from joy to sorrow. When fixated on desires like romantic relationships, Ardra natives may harm themselves internally, converting longing into self-inflicted pain. The 12th house symbolizes the "end" and is linked to the subconscious, dreams, and sleep, resembling a temporary state of death. Pisces itself is sacrificial, especially when they love or care for others.
Here are some more revati x Ardra pairings
Alex Lawther Ardra ☽ x Jessica Barden revati ☽ in End of the fucking world
The series follows the journey of two troubled teenagers, James and Alyssa, as they set out on a road trip to find Alyssa's estranged father. James, who considers himself a psychopath and desires to kill someone, views Alyssa as his ideal target. Meanwhile, Alyssa seeks escape from her troubled home life, where conflicts with her mother and step-father prompt her to leave. However, as they navigate through various unexpected and dangerous situations, their perceptions of themselves and each other are challenged. Along the way, they develop a complex and intense relationship, moments of introspection, and unexpected tenderness.
Harrison Dickinson Ardra ☉ + sleeping beauty Elle Fanning revati ☉ in Maleficent 2
Harris plays Prince Phillip, and Elle portrays Princess Aurora in "Maleficent 2." When Aurora agrees to marry Prince Phillip, Maleficent voices her disapproval. Queen Ingrith, Phillip's mother, emerges as an opponent to Maleficent, devising a wicked plan to permanently separate humans and fairies. This creates tension between the two groups. Princess Aurora, who embodies characteristics associated with the Revati nakshatra, will be further examined in a future post.
Sources: The Book of Nakshatras by Prash Trivedi
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HLT character post
Novak
Link Novak is sort of based on several Eastern European cultures. His name is Slavic, and I tried to use some of the aesthetics. He’s the Link in Twilight Princess, and comes between Link Between Worlds and Four Swords Adventures. Timeline-wise, his adventure also takes place just a little after Triforce Heroes, but in a different location.
He’s distantly related to the royal line, but was legitimately raised by wolves for a short period of time before wandering into Ordon Village. After his adventure, he spends a lot of time with Zelda, and is one of the few people she actually trusts. He keeps his ability to turn into a wolf and manages to expand on it a little, though his abilities are limited to mostly mammals with roughly his same mass. He found a journal kept by Silva (Link to the Past hero with a talent for magic) and uses that to help him a bit. He’s not good with magic in general, though. He’s not much of a scholar, either, but his efforts to do more research gain him a web of allies and friends across the kingdom and beyond. He’s pretty nice, but he has fangs.
In his middle age, he, along with a team, manages to recreate the mirror. He and Midna reconnect, and he eventually moves to the dark world. He and Midna (along with other pairings like theirs) parent a new line of shadow beings, ones with more Hylian appearances and more shapeshifting powers.
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Ranking Link+Zelda and Ganon Incarnations
1. Hyrule Warriors - The more time has passed, the more I realize just how fucking good Hyrule Warriors was as a celebration of the Zelda series, which includes how superbly designed and characterized its Link and Zelda are. There are aspects of many past incarnations mixed in them, but they still manage to stand out as their own individuals. I especially love how Link is given actual character flaws, growing arrogant and believing himself to be the great lone hero of the story only to recognize that he, like all Links, never save the day purely on their own, and how Zelda is an absolute badass in combat as both herself and as Sheik, something that’s rarely seen outside of the Super Smash Bros. series.
2. Skyward Sword - Chronologically the first Link and Zelda, these two are some of the most human feeling. You really connect with them in all of their expressiveness and vulnerabilities. The relationships they forge with the likes of Impa and Groose only add to the sensation. It feels like they were written to be relatable people first and mythical figures of legend second.
3. Breath of the Wild / Tears of the Kingdom / Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - There’s been much talk of this version of Zelda and how interesting, endearing and relatable she is in all of her scientific nerdiness and feelings of inadequacy when placed with heavy burdens, and how admirable she is in her courage and self-sacrificial nature, and all of that is true. But I think that across all three games Link also shapes up into a surprisingly complex character that was unexpected given his initial stoic front in Breath of the Wild. And give both of them credit: they’re the first Link and Zelda to have a radical design overhaul in three decades.
4. Ocarina of Time / Majora’s Mask - The first 3D Link and Zelda were also the first to truly showcase some semblance of characterization and character development, as we watch them go from children to adults and gain great strength at the cost of losing their innocence.
5. The Wind Waker / Phantom Hourglass - I greatly enjoy these two in The Wind Waker, where they are very expressive and funny and sympathetic. But they lose some points due to Phantom Hourglass, which did them kind of dirty in favor of becoming the Linebeck Show.
6. Spirit Tracks - They look the same as their ancestors from The Wind Waker, but they’ve got a different, unique feel to them, with Link being a working class guy instead of some island bumpkin in over his head, and Zelda being a sheltered princess who has to learn to come into her own rather than an Action Girl from the beginning. They also have one of the tightest (and cutest) bonds of friendship out of any Link and Zelda given their circumstances.
7. Twilight Princess - Both of them are in service of the real protagonist Midna, whom they share an excellent bond with, but they still have distinguishing factors that make them stand out, with Zelda being more of a Queen than a Princess this time around and Link having his own arc of going from simple farmboy to Hero of Hyrule carrying forth his ancestor’s legacy.
8. A Link Between Worlds - Virtually clones of the next Link and Zelda pair on this list, but with somewhat more personality and agency, helped along by their Lorulian counterparts.
9. A Link to the Past / Link’s Awakening / Oracle of Ages & Seasons - The “classic” Link and Zelda who provided the template for the others. No real personality to speak of, sadly.
10. The Minish Cap - These two, who are childhood friends, have slightly more personality than the above...but I’m sorry, the “toon” designs do not fit beyond The Wind Waker and its direct follow-ups. It’s a freaking Game Boy Advance game, why give them these expressive designs if we aren’t going to actually see any expressions? Also, Link’s birb hat is distracting.
11. The Legend of Zelda / Zelda II: The Adventure of Link - Basic blank slates that existed before the franchise truly got solidified on the SNES. Zelda especially just looks wrong now.
12/13. Four Swords & Four Swords Adventures - These are technically two separate incarnations of Link and Zelda, but they’re essentially carbon copies of each other. I can’t find myself giving the remotest shit about Link when there are four of him, and what the fuck is up with this different “toon” Zelda design? That giant red bow she’s wearing looks hideous!
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1. Hyrule Warriors - Again, this game nabs the top spot and gives us the definitive version of the character. Ganondorf in this game has it all: the active villainy and terrifying chimera beast form like in Ocarina of Time, the capacity for self-reflection and self-awareness like in The Wind Waker, the manipulative usage of other villains as pawns like in A Link to the Past, Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures, and even the mastery over his Demise rooted elements before Tears of the Kingdom. We even get three whole chapters of him as the playable protagonist, where he gets to show off his non-inherently evil qualities such as his tactical brilliance, good leadership skills, and sheer determination to achieve his goals.
2. Tears of the Kingdom - The latest Ganondorf, who is also the first in the series’ timeline, has been met with great acclaim, and rightfully so. Not only does he (mercifully) usurp Demise’s position as Demon King whose hatred fuels almost every great evil in the series, but he feels like Ocarina of Time’s Ganondorf on steroids: an active, omnipresent villain despite not being on screen that much but this time not even needing to be mobile to do so thanks to the horrific Gloom ecosystem under his control. And like the corresponding versions of Link and Zelda, he bucks tradition hard design-wise by having a dragon as his beast form rather than a giant pig. Add to this Matt Mercer’s epic voice and you’ve got a fantastic villain.
3. Ocarina of Time - The first ever Ganondorf created, this is the character that took Ganon from an average villain to one of the greatest villains in video game history. He actively drives every major crisis over the course of the game, lending him an aura of omnipresence despite his actual limited screentime, and is shown to be as cunning as he is powerful by tricking Link and Zelda into helping him conquer Hyrule, turning it into a dystopian nightmare. He’s also deliciously theatrical - the man plays his own theme music on a pipe organ, for crying out loud! The cherry on top is his horrifying Ganon form taken in an unforgettable final boss fight.
4. The Wind Waker - Ganondorf is kept at a distance throughout this game, locked away in his tower and pulling strings, more of a McGuffin than a nemesis. After Ocarina of Time, this is a disappointment, but it could be made up for with good pay-off. And man, does the game ever deliver. When Ganondorf takes action, he is terrifying, both animalistically psychotic enough to do anything yet humanely wizened enough to control this madness at the same time, giving Link the worst of both worlds to contend with. And not only do we get yet another epic final boss fight against him, but he even ends up as a tragic figure: a wretched old soul full of regrets but too full of greed and pride to act upon them, desperately clinging to his dreams rooted in the past while raging against the future that threatens to leave him behind.
5. Twilight Princess - Being just the power behind Zant until the very end, Ganondorf is just here to be the final boss. Again, this would disappoint if the game didn’t make him a worthy final boss, and it more than delivers in this regard. You fight this bastard in just about every way you possibly could fight him, all while he displays a chilling malevolence in every word and action. He really does feel like what he is: an aged-up version of Ocarina of Time’s Ganondorf whose goal is still well in sight and thus he’s able to play the long game to get it.
6. A Link Between Worlds - As many others have observed, Yuga-Ganon of Lorule ended up being a greater menace than his Hylian counterpart who comes directly below him on this list. Not only does he have a unique design and personality of his own, but he is an even more formidable opponent in battle, full of tactical creativity that is difficult for Link to counter.
7. A Link to the Past / Oracle of Ages & Seasons - The “classic” Ganon. He’s big, he’s got magic powers, and he’s got a wicked trident. Unfortunately, you barely ever see him, much less get a feel for any personality beyond baseline evil. Oh well, he still gets the job done.
8. Breath of the Wild / Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity - He’s more of an evil force of nature than a proper character, especially in Breath of the Wild where he has been rendered mindless. What he lacks in substance he makes up for in style, as he is visually stunning.
9. Four Swords Adventures - The problem with this incarnation of the character is that he entered development as one thing and ended it as another. He was supposed to be the same version of Ganon as two spots above and this game would show his origin. But when Shigeru Miyamoto nixed that, we end up with a Ganondorf who is completely offscreen, and a Ganon who still just feels exactly like that version but with a different color scheme. The best that can be said about him is that he finally allowed there to be a truly gigantic 2D sprite of Ganon.
10. The Legend of Zelda - Ganon is one of video gaming’s greatest villains, but man would you not be able to tell that from his debut. All the build-up and mystery surrounding him, presented so well in the instruction manual (”no one knows how he looks like, for none have lived to tell”), and what do we get? A teleporting blue pig in a red jersey. That is SO LAME.
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So I feel like at this point im becoming kinda known for having a very enthusiastic, positive voice when it comes to Tears of the Kingdom. Because of that, I do want to delve into things I hope the DLC will touch on and points of the story that are indeed weaker and I wanted more of! And… then I’ll go into why I’m not completely upset about it.
First and foremost, the sages of old. While we have seen old sages for mere moments in the past, the reason I feel differently about totk’s sages is that we have a character actively interacting with them, aka Zelda.
The sages of old are faceless (which may be a result of opting to utilize headpieces and reusing avatars due to them focusing on the rest of the game) and all have the same cutscene. It was incredibly repetitive and boring by the fourth time we saw it. Zelda’s scene with them is similar as well, which is fine but having an added variety and flair would have been nice, especially as I’m going through the game again.
Overall, the critique is the lack of details in the past. I wanted more and I understand the direction they took, a balance between botw’s open world and a linear story game. It’s more in depth in Botw but not absolutely required like the rest of the Zelda games. That in general is a commonly shared negative critique.
For me, I actually thoroughly enjoy the open world, not entirely linear storyline. That is of course not the case with everyone, but that was the entire concept of botw and ultimately its sequel; they delivered games with entirely open world concepts and a story that is followed through the player’s choice rather than a requirement. And both are fantastic. Botw was light on the plot, totk was much heavier and does have a more distinctive storyline.
Love or hate, they did it well in ToTK. Not perfect, but pretty damn well. It ultimately comes at the sacrifice of story details, especially with characters like the old sages. It’s disappointing to say the least, but it is simply a product of how the games’ concept affected the story.
Another thing I am not entirely a fan of— Nintendo establishing a whacky timeline and then completely abandoning it. Of course, so many people can theorize and speculate but I feel like a lot of common criticism of the game would be helped with them officially stating where this game appears in the overall timeline. Especially if they say “botw and totk are the skyward sword of a new timeline, one so far into the future the remnants of old legends are rare to find”.
That’s how I’ve taken botw and totk. Rauru and Sonia are the first to establish a new Hyrule. They have no connection to Skyward Sword and the rest of the series, because they are so far along in time that tens of thousands of years have passed. The Zonai, the secret stones, and the Sky Islands are all pieces from a time and era we were JUST introduced to. I’m anticipating more knowledge, lore, and history to come to light in future games. I’m okay not having ALL the answers. Because I recognize that botw and totk are the start of a NEW era of Zelda games.
That angers some people, some dislike it, others are fine with it, and some even love it. I’m okay with it because I have enough faith that this will all be explored more in depth in future games. But it is a flaw in ToTK, one I understand, and it’s completely okay that it’s one I don’t necessarily like! Patience is key my loves.
Something I do not love at all is Nintendo’s firm standing on Link being the ‘link to the player’ rather than his own character. I find some of the best Zelda stories have a strong, expressive Link! In botw, I do get it! But in totk… I wanted more. Because then I remember Wind Waker and Skyward Sword, two of the absolute best stories in the Zelda franchise (in my opinion, twilight Princess is also up there) and I get a tad disappointed.
Totk is still open enough that there are people that DESPISE Zelda for ‘stealing’ Link’s house and are vehemently against the idea of Zelda and Link being together, when it is all but stated in the story and the details we got. I feel like half of the emotional appeal of totk’s story truly comes from Link’s wish to bring her back home to him, safe and smiling. It was his entire motivation in Botw, to see her smile again, so taking that perspective and really appreciating Zelda brings that strong emotional reaction totk’s story targeted.
So yeah. If I go on more, I’ll just be talking about how people have the right to dislike Zelda but if they do, then they won’t get the emotional connection to totk and its story the way players are intended to. And that is their right, but it’s not how Link canonically feels about Zelda so yeah. If we just got small expressions from Link, maybe some of that could be avoided.
Alas.
The depths— insanely cool the first time I dived down! But they’re repetitive in their own way, to the point that I have not gone back down once since completing the side quests (bargainer statues, Kohga, Mineru) and lightroots. Though whoever said “let’s make the lightroots connect to the shrines on the surface” I want to give you a forehead smooch bc you are a beautiful genius and I love you.
I think that getting to fight the final bosses for the temples and the Gleeoks are super fun, which makes up for the repetitive landscape. I’m not insanely bothered by this, but I do dislike that a third of my maps are completely ignored now that I’m done with it story wise.
A commonly shared opinion is the stupidity of having to run up to one of the Sage avatars to activate their power. I replayed botw and the sheer joy in getting to take out a Modulga by using Urbosa’s Fury only to remember that it takes much longer now made me very thankful. But yeah.
Tulin is Perfect. The rest? Nah. Give me a Sage button rather than a map in the wheel. Like geez, it shouldn’t be so difficult to call your avatars over. Even when I whistle, I’m chasing Sidon down and he’s useless so I banish him.
Overall, I wanted more DETAILS. But I understand the concept; I got enough to make me excited for when we get more. I can live with the flaws because I can celebrate all they did right! I love Zelda, I love the new sages, and I love the side quests that brings Link closer to characters like Hudson and Penn.
I adore the little communities, Link’s side adventures, and the new landscape changes. I love the sky islands, because they’re just really fun to create whacky Zonai flying contraptions to try and reach the ridiculously far ones. Yeah, they could of had more of an impact in the game but as someone who can and would travel the surface level of Hyrule 1000x and not get bored, I didn’t mind how little I spent in the sky once i did the lightroots and side quests pertaining to the sky.
Overall? The game is pretty damn amazing. The new lore, the characters, and the quests are all so fun. It’s a brilliant game with a phenomenal emotional storyline that had me actually distressed for DAYS. No other game has done that to me for as long as this game did.
So yeah it’s precious to me and I am a Totk enthusiast and a Zelda enthusiast and a Zelink enthusiast. I am a ✨supporter✨
#thank you all for coming to my Ted talk#lol seriously tho this game did it all for me#I truly truly loved how amazing the gameplay and story was in this game#it’s so so phenomenal to go to the ground for the first time and see how much Zelda and Link have impacted Hyrule#godddddd I love them so much 😭#loz totk#loz totk sages#loz totk spoilers#loz tears of the kingdom spoilers#loz link#loz breath of the wild#loz totk link#totk zelink#zelink#botw zelink#loz totk zelda
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Matching Twisted Wonderland’s dorms with the dungeons of Zelda: Twilight Princess because I truly think they can fit while aligned chronologically.
1. Heartslabyul - Simply because both worlds are botanic, not to mention the exotic plants we can find in both Wonderland and Faron Woods.
2. Savanaclaw - We’re looking at a mountain where the dwellers value strength and even hold physical contests. Just as Savanaclaw has its own Spelldrive stadium, Goron Mountain keeps a Sumo ring.
3. Octavinelle - This one’s easy. If water and fish aren’t enough, the boss of Lakebed Temple is an eel with tentacles.
4. Scarabia - At first, desert/sand is really all I went for here, to say nothing about a tomb. But both Chapter 4′s are some kind of "transition” in their own stories. “Schemer of the Scalding Sands” took place throughout winter break (i.e. between two semesters) while it is after clearing the Arbiter’s Grounds that we’re set to start collecting Mirror Fragments.
5. Pomefiore - The biggest fit here is "mirror mirror” and reflection. For the boss of Snowpeak Ruins, we get to actually see the Mirror Shard possessing Yeta. And then we track her movements by using the frozen floor as a mirror. Other than that, we’re literally in a “snow white” area, go figure.
6. Ignihyde - My favorite dorm to my favorite dungeon in the game! (1) Before this temple, we chase Skull Kid who summons puppets (i.e. mechanical figures) and plays a *game* of tag with us. (2) In the dungeon itself, we have actual robots for enemies and puzzles that involve transporting statues. Not only is it perfect for the engineers and gamers of Ignihyde, but appropriate for Hades, who also had “chessboards” with statues of the monsters he recruits.
7. Diasomnia - The boss of the skies is a winged dragon that we fight amidst a thunderstorm. Dragon aside, Malleus is also capable of affecting the weather with his emotions alone.
8. Ramshackle/NRC - (1) Like Midna, Grim is a dark and impish sidekick to the main character. (2) We also assume he becomes the Chimera by consuming all the Blot crystals and combining their power, so there are similarities to Midna’s Fused Shadows, which she first combines in this dungeon. (3) While we’re talking about combinations, Zant warps us to multiple different boss locations in his fight. (4) Just as the Twilight Mirror is needed to enter the Realm, Ramshackle houses a special mirror that can contact Mickey and seemingly also reveals the truth about the Great Seven (at least in Yuu’s dreams). (5) Just in general, NRC uses mirrors to transport students.
9. Royal Sword Academy - Since TP’s final dungeon is in Zelda’s own castle, I might as well match NRC’s lighter counterpart with what even sounds like a “royal sword” dungeon.
At this point, I would not be surprised if the developers of TWST were also huge fans of Zelda Twilight Princess and deliberately drew inspiration from it along with their other ideas. Combined dark material, magic mirrors, even the order they chose to arrange these dorm chapters. It may even give me insight to other peculiarities like how they thought to include Jack Howl when there are no wolf characters in Lion King (at least not the first) or how they were able to link Hades’ motif with engineering for Ignihyde. Not saying there’s only one explanation though.
Nevertheless, I only really expect eight chapters (not including Prologue) in TWST, with the finale involving Grim’s Overblot, but if there happens to be a ninth and it focuses on Royal Sword, this whole connection I’m making will be all but confirmed.
#twisted wonderland#legend of zelda twilight princess#Heartslabyul#savanaclaw#octavinelle#scarabia#pomefiore#ignihyde#diasomnia#grim twisted wonderland#royal sword academy
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Most Twilight Princess manga friendships, silbling ships, and relationships
Link, Darpa, Zeu, and Rioma: Bros
They've been friends for ever living in the Boarder City, until it fell Into the void, where eventually Link learn they all live in the Twilight Realm
Darpa has and obsessive personality who wishes to be greatly known in hyrule, and after falling into the Twilight Realm, He makes it his duty to be the protector of the city, as once link returns he is distraught when he warps the City back into the Light world by pulling the gaurof sword once again, and even more so learning of Link's position, However, he ends up rejoining Link in the final battle in hyrule castle along side his "subordinates" Zeu and Rioma"
Shad and Telma: friends
Shad was probably one of the first to join the resistance trying to prove his worth to others (and probably impress ilia which i'll get back to later) He's seen often at Telma's Bar with her and honestly i'n not sure how to describe their friendship!
Rauru and Zelda
He's basicly her Tutor, but a very strict person at that, not quite much else to say here lol
Darb and Luda
The Manga brought a whole lot to Luda in this! and it shows how much she cares for her friend despite being consumed by the Shadow Crystal, and will do anything to save him, as seems the same with darb, he was basicly her big brother growing up!
Ilia and Link
soooo, this could be considered as ship at first, hoever as time goes on they grow apart and find other people, which it is solidifyed at the end that ilia found another
Ganondorf and Zelda
based on Ganon's last statement to zelda in the manga, i can't tell if he's a simp or what, but Zelda clearly wishes to destroy him, Ganon hoever offered Zelda to join his cause, which she refused
Midna and Zelda
The classic "sister i never had trope" but it was done so well, i would have liked to see them interact more, but it was very good
Link, Malo, Talo, Beth and Colin
This is the classic Big Brother Trope, with some of his "younger siblings" always trying to get his attention in their own way, it is their capture which prompts Link to set out on his Adventure
Shad and Ilia
ok, was it unexpected? yes. was it good? yes. this was a pretty funny idea and i dig it! the way shad showed up to Ordon at the end and Ilia 's face seeing hime was great, this is probably the most underrated ship and deserves more love
Link and Midna
ok, The manga did amazing with these two, as it teased something between the two along the way, but became appearent in the 9th one ath the beginning, These two are great together, and it was very sad to see them part,Link truly wanted to leave with Midna. However Akira Himekawa Did do a great job at the very end of it when after Midna left he says,"May you live forever, my beautiful Twilight Princess" which was a very beautiful ending with it showing link leave Ordon as his home, and off to find a new adventure and possibly and old friend
#twilight princess#twilight princess manga#midlink#Shadilia#review#loz midna#loz link#loz shad#loz ilia#akira himekawa#legend of zelda
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GANON, PIG-FACED PRINCE OF DARKNESS
Just felt like doing a lookback at Ganondorf’s “demon beast” form that he takes on when his dark sorecery combines with the Triforce of Power, as it has gone through so many design changes.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA
Yes, this is how Ganon originally looked like. In the original NES game that started it all, Miyamoto had no backstory in mind for Ganon, he was just some demonic creature who was also a powerful dark wizard and known as “the prince of darkness” ‘cause he was pure evil for the sake of being so. Miyamoto at first probably didn’t know how such a creature would look like other than being ugly, but he eventually settled on the idea of Ganon having the face of a hideous boar. The graphics team turned out...that thing. A pudgy blue pig with only two visible fangs, a red tunic with a skull on it, and red boots. When you look at that pig, would you get any of what I described about Ganon, or feel like he at all matched the build-up to him? No. It just looks like a silly cartoon character. Shit tier design, major embarrassment, Miyamoto ensured it never happened again!
A LINK TO THE PAST
Now that Miyamoto had a better grasp on Hyrule’s lore and decided that Ganon was not a pig creature, but a man named Ganondorf Dragmire who takes on a beastial appearance through dark magic, his design had to reflect that, so he could now better ressmemble what Miyamoto had always had in mind. The above artwork is based on the sprite made for this game. He looks infinitely more credible than his original NES design, but that’s not saying much since he’s still a cartoony blue boar who looks kind of goofy and doesn’t really carry forward the idea of Ganondorf’s fearsome transformed state. The flopped down pig-like ears and pudgy face are too on the nose.
This design has been given a lot of modification in later artworks to make him look far more intimidating and fully restoring Miyamoto’s original vision (as seen in the header image.) Such as this one here:
OCARINA OF TIME
With the first 3D entry to the series, Miyamoto decided that they needed to go all out in making the transformed Ganon look like a truly imposing, savage, ferocious beast from out of a nightmare. Thus why now he’s not simply a boar, but he’s got steer-like horns, a lizard tail, hooves, and flaming red hair. He’s also not so much blue as he is...I don’t even know what to call that color. This is the demonic, evil darkness creature that the pig-like Ganon was always meant to be.
ORACLE OF AGES & SEASONS / A LINK BETWEEN WORLDS
The full evolution of Ganon’s A Link To The Past redesign. Along with the Ocarina of Time and Hyrule Warrior designs, this one is a favorite of mine. He looks absolutely intimidating, vicious, and evil here. The eyes, the ears, the facial structure, the tusks, the spikes, the skulls, the armor, the cape, the hooves, the hair and bulging muscles and brass knuckle...all of it comes together so well. This character artwork is the one used on Ganon’s Wikipedia page for a reason. The only part I don’t get is why the snout has to be a different color than the rest of the face. Or at the very least it could be more purple.
Tellingly, this design was so ideal that A Link Between Worlds used it for its depiction of Ganon, albeit with a few minor diffferences.
FOUR SWORDS ADVENTURE
Yeah, sorry, this one is a big step backwards. He looks like the A Link To The Past design with a more simplistic armor and a much uglier palette. I do appreciate the top spikes, demonic eyes, and hooves made it over, and that his snout is blue again, but that’s about it.
BS LEGEND OF ZELDA
How an unofficial spinoff game chose to depict Ganon. I think they just used the Game Over screen from Zelda II for reference and decided that it was a good enough look for Ganon. Nevermind that the evil pig silhouette on that Game Over screen isn’t even how Ganon looked like in the previous game, or any game for that matter!
TWILIGHT PRINCESS
Wh....what is this? What are you doing? Every past Ganon design looked anthropomorphic in some way, reflecting a man transformed into a more monstrous state due to abuse of power. This one’s just a giant wild boar with Ganondorf’s hair and headpiece. He runs around on all fours and everything! And sure, he’s intimidating and a threat, but it’s not what I really associate with “Ganon.” Still better than the original blue pig look but overall one of the least remarkable looks.
HYRULE WARRIORS
This is more like it! Once again a wild boar with dark fur and fiery red hair, but this one gets spikes, gold armbands, somewhat more human facial features and a more human-like posture. The perfect blend of man and beast, reinforcing how Hyrule Warriors gave us the best version of Ganon we’ve had in the franchise to date.
BREATH OF THE WILD
Technically not Ganondorf in beast form, but Calamity Ganon haven taken on a beast form of its own derived from the original Ganon. While an awesome visual, it’s essentially just a fiery, more demonic looking version of Twilight Princess Ganon that could easily fade from your memory some time after having killed it and won the game.
CADENCE OF HYRULE
It’s......unique? He’s got Ganondorf-like hair and headpiece crossed with the classic blue-skinned boar with spikes, a cape, a skull belt, and a trident, but good lord those tusks and that snout are huge!
So overall I’d rank the designs as such:
1. Hyrule Warriors
2. Ocarina of Time
3. Oracles of Ages & Seasons / A Link Between Worlds
4. A Link To The Past
5. Four Swords Adventure
6. Twilight Princess
7. Breath of the Wild
8. Cadence of Hyrule
9. BS Legend of Zelda
10. The Legend of Zelda
But maybe at this point Ganon’s beast form and its implications are just starting to show their age. I mean...dark man from the desert who’s the enemy of two fair-skinned, blonde haired, blue eyed heroes can literally dehumanize himself into a fucking pig!? YIKES!
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Some Author's Commentary on A Fishing Rod in Hand is Worth 2 in System Memory
This was in my drafts for two years when I finally posted chapter 6 of A Fishing Rod in Hand is Worth 2 in System Memory, and since it ain't gettin' any younger, might as well post it.
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I have thoughts about chapter 6 of my System Memory fic and figured to just put them in a post.
I'm so happy I got to the part where I traumatize Twilight. The best part about basing the Links not just on their games, but on a specific speedrun is that I get to write angst unique to that particular run. The story is supposed to be a mix of humor and angst, and I got the humor down if the feedback is any indication, so it was nice to turn up the angst.
This section was really helped by the fact I had access to an actual copy of Twilight Princess to explore the world and find things, like that the postman hangs out in the goat barn in Ordon. (Which sucks because that's not going to be the case for most of the other eras.)
I've played at least a little of one game for each Link except Four, and I think he suffers because of it. I have basic mechanics knowledge from first hand experience for everyone but him. All the glitches come from research and I have to research games I've never played or finished, but for him everything has to be researched.
I remember seeing a post that complained that Hyrule was rarely being given opportunities in fics to be badass or something along those line. So I thought, "okay, I'll give Hyrule an ability so overpowered that most of the other Links can't handle it."
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It's been a while since chapter 6 was posted, hasn't it?
I'm very satisfied with finally completing the second arc of System Memory, where I tortured Wind after torturing Twilight (emotionally). The arcs followed a similar progression, though I only noticed it in the middle of writing. Both went hometown → Zelda → Gerudo settlement → dungeon → portal. Both also had a battle where Hyrule was a total badass using an overpowered quirk of his games' controls. The 3rd era will probably not follow this progression (but Hyrule will still be a badass).
At first, the hardest part of that arc was the conversation between Grandma and Wind. I literally wrote the entire chapter with the Savage Labyrinth because I was avoiding that conversation just as much as Wind was.
But once it was done, the hardest part was definitely the naval battle. Which isn't good from a writing perspective because the navel battle was 1.5 chapters long.
From writing those chapters, I've found that the thing that really gets me in a writing mood is being a passenger on a plane or a long car ride with no internet and only my laptop with an open fic document for company. After 2 five hour car rides, the arc was "done" and I started updating it again.
Another thing that helps is having research notes from the actual game. They were very helpful for getting a sense for the Forsaken Fortress and Wind Temple layout, the sunrise scene, and visualizing where the pirate ship was supposed to do in relation to the islands.
(For the 3rd arc/era, I fortunately own a game set in that era for easy reference.)
...But having a first draft with all the necessary scenes present doesn't mean it's done, now does it? So, the battles in particular had lots of revisions because the story beats were happening too quickly and it was just too barebones.
I never meant for the time between chapter 6 and 7 to be as long as it did. I was kind of in denial about hiatus for a while, thinking "I'm only a month at most away from posting chapter 7!" for a lot of 2021 and 2022.
What basically happened was that I didn't want to post a chapter before the next chapter is fully written with all the necessary scenes. This is because I figured I wouldn't have anymore major edits to make to a chapter once the one after it is complete. But then chapter 8 was split into 8 and 9, and posting 7 without finishing 9 would be cheating, and then 10, 11, and 12 still needed to be written...
And that simple rule ballooned into a requirement that chapter 7 can only be posted once the entire arc has a complete draft.
(Arc 3 will probably follow the same rule, so there's aren't long waits between chapters in the same arc. Chapters between arcs is another story.)
I don't think this arc would've turned out the way it did if I hadn't taken that hiatus. For one, back when I finished chapter 6 I hadn't started reading Moby Dick, which definitely influenced Wind's narration. (I searched up crossovers between Moby Dick and Wind Waker and found nothing. Kinda disappointing.)
The chapters of the second arc are shorter than the first. I had felt the chapters were getting too long and wanted to cut them up (chapter 8 and 9 used to be the same chapter), but they all ballooned to be longer than I had initially expected. I guess that's just how it is.
All the comments on each chapter are very appreciated, even if I don't reply to them. They do a lot to boost my motivation to overcome writer's block. For those who commented, thank you.
#linked universe#system memory fic#tach's commentary#(also if you find typos in system memory just send me an ask so it doesn't have to remain there)
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How big is BotW’s Hyrule, really?
I mean you see comments about how BotW’s map is X many times bigger than Twilight Princess, or this game or that game, but somehow my brain just... can’t really understand that? So I decided to try and compare it using a different aspect: time.
Join me for a completely pointless exercise as I figure out exactly how big the BotW Hyrule is. And not just how big it is for us, but also how big it is for the characters. Is it that much bigger? (spoiler: yes! ...but also, no.)
If you just want the data/math, it’s available here, but more explanation on my Very Scientific™ process below.
So how are we doing this?
So I'm wanting to get a sense of the size as a denizen of the land might experience it. I'm looking at three things:
Your "average" trip versus a "full Hyrule" trip. So like, what's a trip your everyday guy might take to visit their friend in the next town over, and what's it gonna take to get all the way across the land. Also, to simulate an “immersive” experience, we’re following the roads. Mostly.
On foot vs horseback. C'mon, if you've got the chance, you're not gonna want to walk on a long trip. Also, we’re not using speed-boosting here. No rolling/sprinting on foot. No carrots/spurs on horseback. Just the fastest they can go without constantly pressing buttons.
"Real" time versus "relative" time. Real time being how long does it take me, the player, to navigate Link from Point A to Point B; Relative being more "how much of Link’s day does it take to make this trip". One helps us understand the technical, 3d-space size, the second helps us understand how big of a space it's supposed to represent.
So, we're gonna need some other Zelda games to compare BotW to. The 2d games are out, unfortunately, since top-down maps just frankly treat space differently, and WW and SS are out because their world maps are just. Like that.
That leaves us with OoT and TP to compare it to. Coincidentally, the other games that have horses. Let's go.
Ocarina of Time
So, first we gotta pick our trips. The OoT map is sort of set out like spokes on a wheel, so there’s not any obvious incremental trips. I went with Lake Hylia - Castle town for the longer one, and the Gerudo Entrance - Castle town for the shorter, in deference to that one gossip stone about the Gerudo going to get boyfriends. Also, used the 3DS version, since I knew I had an end-game file on there.
There’s no in-game clock, so I took the Very Scientific method of timing how long it took from the morning rooster sound to the night howling sound (and vice versa), assigning clock times to those points based on how I felt about the sky box, then dividing.
Then I realized I was an idiot, and there’s 24 hours in a day.
I ended up with a rough average of 6 in-game hours per 1 real minute, and from there filled out the table below:
[Description: a table charting the time it takes to go from the desert entrance to castle town, and the lake pen in front of lake hylia to castle town, both in our world and estimated game-world time. Conclusion is desert to castle town takes 6.96 game world hours on foot, 4.54 hours on horseback. Lake to castle town takes 8.89 game world hours on foot, 5.93 on horseback.]
The map is fast and super-condensed for the player, but Link is walking almost all day! On the other hand... You can get from any one community to the other between sun-up and sun-down.
Also, the roads in this Hyrule are bad. Just, so bad. Who’s maintaining these things?
Twilight Princess
So, Twilight Princess. I used the trip Link was supposed to go on at the start of the game for the “average” trip, taking him from Ordon Spring up to Castle Town, then extended the run to the northern entrance to Zora’s Domain for the full trip. In hindsight, not exactly a fair comparison to OoT since it starts outside of Hyrule Field, but... eh.
This one has longer day-night cycle, and no convenient way to force time along! I spent a lot of time waiting. Using the same Very Scientific method from before of assigning times to sun-up and sun-down, I estimated 1.45 hours per in-game minute. Very necessary, since I’m pretty sure the in-game clock doesn’t progress at all in Ordon/Faron.
Again... there are 24 hours in a day. You can just wait a full day and divide by 24. It should not have taken me so long to realize this.
All put together, you get this:
[Description: another table charting the trip times. Ordon Spring to Castle town takes 5.54 game world hours on foot, 3.64 on horseback. Ordon Spring to Zora’s Domain takes 9.72 game world hours on foot, 6.81 on horseback.]
A bit hard to compare, since it’s formatted differently, but to Link this map is actually around the same size as the OoT one. Fitting, since he’s a direct descendant of the Hero of Time. Usually the equivalent trips are longer by around an hour.
This Hyrule is very well laid-out. Roads take the quickest path to each place of interest and are well maintained. This traveler approves.
Breath of the Wild
Aaand, the big one. The giant map. I did, uh. I did a lot more runs on this map, just because there were more variables to account for.
First off, we have an in-game clock. Thank god. No estimating here, we know exactly how much game-world time Link was running for. On the other hand, the real time got a tiny bit skewed by my opening the menu to change outfits, double check my map, replace weapons, ect. ....Eh, Link also got way-laid by a lot of Yiga (A LOT OF YIGA), it’ll probably even out. Maybe.
Look, I never promised complete mathematical accuracy, this isn’t Game Theory. Did you see how I first tried to calculate time earlier?
SO. Average trip, Kakariko to Hateno. You can use the camp-fire to start at exactly 5AM. I used the Royal horse for the horse-back run, because it’s surprisingly on the slower end of horses, and also it’s what I already had out.
Full-Hyrule trip, Hateno to Rito Stable. I marked the times I reached the stables along my path. For horseback, I actually did two runs, one with the Royal horse and one with the Ganon horse. Again, see the link above for the speed-reasoning on those two, and also it’s what I had in my stables.
Also, remember at the very beginning when I mentioned we were “mostly” following the roads? Yeah, here we are. To finish it of, and for my own amusement, I did two “gremlin” runs. More like normal play, ignoring roads, climbing and jumping off of things. No food, elixirs, or Revali’s gale allowed (setting grass on fire for the updraft is free game, though). One of these was entirely on “foot”, the other used wild horses I ran across.
Here’s the data:
[Description: two tables, charting multiple trips across Hyrule. Conclusion is Kakariko to Hateno takes 10 game-world hours on foot, 6.5 on horseback. Traveling from Hateno to Rito stable takes 40.17 game-world hours following roads on foot, 21.08 following roads on the royal horse, 15 following roads on the ganon horse, 22.92 ignoring roads without using any horses, and 18.5 ignoring roads if you take advantage of wild horses.]
Sorry if the image is hard to read, tumblr won’t let me use HTML to add a table to the post. The actual spread-sheet is linked here. This took a while to finish! Going across the entire map on foot took 40 minutes of real time! On the other hand, grabbing a wild horse for half the journey while running wild across Hyrule is faster than taking the roads with the Royal Horse on the roads. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Also, Link did not stop to sleep. Or let the horse rest. That seems unsafe, and your average citizen would need to add to the travel time, but we’ll allow it because he’s a feral child running wild.
Lots of roads. So many roads. Not necessarily efficient roads? On the other hand: so many mountains, they don’t have much choice. Definitely the most scenic trip.
Results
SO HOW BIG IS HYRULE IN BOTW? Pretty big! But not, like, that big.
Okay, to explain: if you’re looking at real time, getting all the way across Hyrule on foot in Breath of the Wild (taking the roads) take around 6 times longer than it does in Twilight Princess. For players, that’s huge! That’s a lot to explore!
But in in-game time it’s only 4x more. Still big! But, you know. Not crazy.
Let me put it another way: let’s say on your trip across all of Hyrule you’re going to walk for 10 hours a day - 8AM to 6PM. Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess could both be done in one day, but Breath of the Wild would take just over 4. It’s still more! But it’s not like. A lot more. This trip isn’t taking you a week or longer, is what I’m saying.
You can say that the trip from Kakariko to Hateno is roughly the same as crossing the entire Twilight Princess Hyrule, though.
Again, if you want to reference all my data, the spreadsheet can be found here.
Who cares about this? I don’t know, probably no one! A couple fanfic writers, maybe. But it’s here, recorded for the future.
Have fun.
#loz#zelda#botw#TP#OoT#why did I do this?#who knows!#the whim took me and I had nothing better to do#yza talks about a thing
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10 characters, 10 fandoms, 10 tags
Sorry for the delay, I was at work when I was tagged by @bougainvillea-and-saltwater to do this, thank you, it’s about time I post something on here (and not just hide behind a like button) and this is actually a good opportunity to show some of the fandoms I have interest in so here we go…
1. Ulfric Stormcloak, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Honestly… I could put a whole list of 10 of my favourite characters from Skyrim alone, but I put Ulfric, I’m currently writing an OC backstory which will end up in a relationship with him so I have him on my mind a lot at the moment 😅 (also I’m reading an amazing story about him at the moment by @thequeenofthewinter)
2. Guzma, Pokemon Sun/Moon. I don’t think I would have cared as much for this character if I hadn’t read the comics done by @elbdot also his theme music in game is incredible, I like the concept of his character being incredibly powerful despite being a bug type specialist (a notoriously weak typing)
3. Percy, Critical Role (Campaign 1 & Legend of Vox Machina). I started to watch Critical Role when it was on episode 50 of Campaign 1 and managed to catch up by their first live show, and Percy was always my favourite (with Grog a close second) Campaign 1 will always have a special place in my heart as it’s the one I always go back to when I’m feeling down. Percys natural smugness and amazing one liners just works so well, I love it
4. Loghain, Dragon Age. Ok this might be a surprise, most people go for people like Alistair, Anders etc. But my favourite character is Loghain, why? The Novel wrote by David Gaider, “The Stolen Throne” which focuses on the friendship between Loghain, Maric and Rowan during the Orlesian Occupation of Ferelden (sorry if you have no idea what that meant 😅) it’s an amazing book that I read a least once a year
5. Krasus (Korialstrasz), World of Warcraft. Ok, little confession… I’ve never played WoW, but I’ve read a lot of the books and whenever Krasus turns up in one of the novels I can’t help but smile, I’m a massive fan of the “War of the Ancients” Trilogy by Richard A. Knaak (I’d highly recommend them if you’ve not read them, I’ve read them twice since I got them in 2020)
6. Thorin, The Hobbit. I watched the first film of The Hobbit and instantly had Thorin as my favourite character, in the time between the release of the first and second films I read the book (having never read it before) and I won’t lie, I cried at the end, never cried at a book before then (have since… several times) Richard Armitage did such a good job as Thorin
7. Aragorn, Lord of the Rings. I’m that person who will remind you that Viggo broke his toe in that one scene 😆 I tried reading the books but I didn’t even get as far as Moria, but I adore the films and it’s soundtrack (my favourite used to be Legolas, but as I’ve got older it’s shifted to Aragorn) Viggo was perfect for the role
8. Link, Legend of Zelda. I know this is a little vague so I’ll narrow it down, I’ve played “Twilight Princess” & “Breath of the Wild” and I have started several others, I think it’s just the fact that I really enjoy the games so I’ve naturally got the PC as my favourite character
9. Obi-Wan, Star Wars. “Hello there” Finally a Sci-fi character 🤔😆 I grew up watching the original trilogy so Alec Guinness was always Obi Wan…. Then the prequel trilogy came out and Ewan McGregor was amazing, he played the part so well and he is BY FAR my favourite Star Wars character of all time, adding even more with his original series on Disney+ I quote Obi-Wan a lot too, and me and my brother get carried away and end up reciting most of his dialogue for fun. It’s one of the few Sci-fi things I watch (along with Star Trek) and I always watch them at least once a year
10. Mr Darcy, Pride and Prejudice. I never thought I’d say that one of my favourite characters would be from a Period Drama, I never used to like them, then my mum read the book and asked if we could watch it one day, that was the end of 2020, we seem to watch it once a month now 😆, Darcy is brilliant in the film (I haven’t seen the TV series) and played by a great actor (Matthew Macfadyen) the moment he walks through the fog, when the music picks up 💕🥰💕 (if you know, you know)
Honourable Mention: Lupin, Harry Potter. I love this character in both book and film and I was torn between him a Mr Darcy to put in my top 10
I don’t know enough people to tag 10 so I will invite people who see this to do one themselves as well as the previously tagged @thequeenofthewinter and @elbdot
#pokémon#the legend of zelda#skyrim#critical role#dragon age#world of warcraft#the hobbit#lord of the rings#star wars#pride and prejudice#harry potter
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Shackle and Chain Timeline
the zelda timeline as a whole is something of a mess, and its easy to get confused trying to parse out the inconsistencies and how everything fully ties together. ive seen a lot of different interpretations and how they differ from the canon timelines supplied by nintendo (none of which ive ever really agreed with, particularly the more recent idea of having the timeline split during minish cap, but thats another topic i wont get into here), but for my story i figured id give my shot at one that makes the most sense to me. there arent too many differences, but i feel any differences from the canon example at all are deserving of an explanation, so ill get into that here (along with my kinda shitty timeline graphic i threw together in like 5 minutes)
to make things simple, ive outlined every iteration of link in a square, and listed all of their games they appear in! also, the gaps in time arent really to scale, but in general are just there to help spread it all out. this doesnt feature EVERY character that i plan on having appear in the story though (such as how ravio has already made an appearance in chapter two, and i plan on him sticking around for a while because i love ravio) but lets get into the differences! like i said, this mostly follows canon, since i find a simpler option to be better, but there ARE some important changes ive made!
first off, ive included two non-canon games! im not planning on bringing in any others aside from the hyrule warriors games, but i felt these were necessary for the timeline as a whole. the first hyrule warriors is the only way to easily resolve nintendos stupid "breath of the wild is in all 3 timelines!" bullshit, since thats not how time works. at all. but if you take hyrule warriors as having merged the timelines back into one (with three parallel worlds as opposed to three timelines), then the problem is solved! and since i included one warriors game, i might as well include the other, which leads to the second timeline split as a result of terakkos actions. (and like, yeah i COULD have added in another "link dies" timeline there, but since neither that nor the post age of calamity timeline will ever get another piece of media, i dont see a reason to explore that concept)
the next change ive made is combining what canon considers two separate iterations of link (specifically the one from a link to the past and a link between worlds). i understand WHY theyre two different links, but a lot more of the two games just makes sense in my opinion if they arent different at all (specifically how a link between worlds has the same map, characters, dungeons and themes, AND the actions of link at the beginning of tri force heroes, where he tries to hide his identity. that just makes more sense to me if hes been through a LOT more quests, including one where he was labeled a criminal, than just one quest where he wasnt ever vilified)
the last change i made has to do with four swords and four swords adventures, and this change is a hill i will die on. THESE GAMES ARE A PAIR. DO NOT SEPARATE. i KNOW the timeline has them centuries apart. i KNOW this. but its wrong! at the beginning of four swords adventures, it directly references both the hero from minish cap and four swords, but only vaguely referring to minish cap while specifically calling the hero from four swords "link", which, along with implying the hero from four swords adventures already knows what happens when you draw the four sword, leads me to believe that these two games feature only one iteration of link! but then that leaves the question of where in the timeline both games fall? is it directly after minish cap? or after twilight princess? well actually, its neither! several things featured in four swords adventures shows that the two games can only exist during a brief window of time, namely the presence of zora as an enemy, and the existence of the dark world. both of these things are only found in the downfall timeline, after link is slain in ocarina of time, meaning both games have to take place there (not to confuse the dark world for the dark realm, which only exists in the adult timeline as far as weve seen. im pretty sure they have the same origin, but the dark realm was influenced less by ganon since he was sealed somewhere else in that timeline). the dark world narrows it down the most, since it gets restored back to the sacred realm after the events of a link to the past, so the game has to take place before then. this means the two games actually fit nicely into the period of time known as the imprisoning war, where ganon is properly imprisoned within the dark world (which, to those of you who played the game or read the manga, know that this is what happens in four swords adventures!). in my opinion, not doing this is the single most aggravating thing nintendo did to the timeline. everything else i can excuse, but THIS angers me to no end.
anyway, thats the timeline ill be working with! at least, assuming tears of the kingdom doesnt have MORE fucked up time travel bullshit. ill take a look at this again once the game comes out, but hopefully it wont change anymore!
#the legend of zelda: shackle and chain#tloz sac#the legend of zelda#shackle and chain drabbles#nimbus speaks
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Top Ten Favorite Legend of Zelda Games
Since I'm huge Legend of Zelda fan, I decided to do my personal top ten Legend of Zelda games. I'll even briefly go into why. Some quick rules on this. Some are the same from my last top ten. In fact, most are. If it's basically the same game with a different name, with no real gameplay differences, it'll be considered the same level. I must have at least played the game, though finishing is not required, as I sometimes have trouble finishing games like this due to my playstyle frequently getting me killed. I will do another honorable mentions, and I may even eventually talk about the game that isn't making even the honorable mentions that I've played. No, Zelda 1, 2, and 3 will not be making this list as I've never played them.
10. Oracle of Season/Ages It's basically the same game, but one has time travel. You're saving either Nayru or Din, and defeating the badguy. I think one's supposed to come after the other and the two complement each other some how, but they're still basically the same game. And it's really easy to accidently do something wrong and make the game unplayable without starting over.
9. Minish Cap. There's a reason this game made it this low. Despite it being actually a fun game with a fun concept, there's Ezlo, the cursed mage/person that will be Link's very annoying hat for the whole game. Ezlo is supposed to be your Navi of the game. He's supposed to give helpful hints, but he doesn't. Instead he says the same stuff over and over and over like "go to this area." And you go to the area and all he says is to go to the area. So no real clues on what to do. Ugh.
8. Majora's Mask. So before I get a ton of hate on the placement of this game, it has nothing to do with the graphics. I tend to greatly dislike games with time crunches, so the three day time limit always stressed me out, even though I could rewind whenever I wanted. I was always afraid that I wasn't going to get to where I needed to go and get even one area done in three days.
7. Twilight Princess. This is another good game with lots of good game play, but while I really like it, I like other games more. Actually, I think if not for the occasionally really dark colors, it would be a lot more enjoyable. But it's really dark, even in Hyrule proper.
6. Skyward Sword. So this game, I actually debated putting higher because the story is amazing, the graphics are incredible, the music is wonderful, and the friendship between Link and Zelda is very believable, unlike Minish Cap where Zelda just kinda declares us friends and we just kinda go along with it. Unfortunately, while I tend ot like Fi, I agree she can be extremely annoying. Add to that inconsistent controls, and difficulty aiming, and you can see why the game made it so low.
5. Link Between Worlds. Alright, you could argue that Link to the past also goes here, because it's kinda the same idea, just one Link travels between worlds and the other travels through time. However, while they seem to have a similar idea, I'm not sure I'd agree that they're basically the same game with a different play style. For one thing, there seems to be a new villain intent on releasing Gannon. Though he claims he only seeks beauty. The other world is an alternate reality of Hyrule called Lorule where everything is opposite of Hyrule. Everyone's unpleasant, the hero is a coward and they have no Triforce, so their world is falling apart and losing hope. Ravio is a fun character, and his shop makes it possible to take on the dungeons for the princesses in whatever order you want, though his stuff is super expensive, even to rent. I highly recommend you buy ASAP.
4. Ocarina of Time. This is the first Legend of Zelda game I ever played. And when I was very young (I think 10 or so) I could not get past Goma, the spider boss of the Deku tree. Yeah, seriously. Now, I can beat the game no problem. The updaged graphics in the 3DS version are actually much more appealing, the music is good, and it's just a good game. You feel close to most, if not all the major side characters and truly dislike Gannondorf, like a proper villain.
3. Breath of the Wild. This is the most recent Legend of Zelda game, aside from the Warriors games. The graphics are beautiful, and the world is fun to explore. The main reason it's not higher is the weapons and shields. They all break, and you can only carry so many. Heck, even the Master Sword can break if you use it against what the game classifies as the "wrong enemies" though in the case of the Master Sword breakage isn't permanent, it just needs to recharge then it's back. But it is a bit ridiculous that the most iconic sword of the Legend of Zelda franchise can break. Everything else? Sure, as long as some of the stronger swords take longer.
2. Wind Waker. This game is gorgeous. I mean, for an obviously cell shaded games. The story is really good and sailing the seas is SO much fun. The music is wonderful. It's too bad the final boss is so hard to beat
Now before I reveal the top Legend of Zelda game, here are the honorable mentions. Link to the Past, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks.
Link's Awakening. Yes, it's just a dream, but that's the point of the game. And honestly the updated release for the Switch was so much fun. It really played into the dream aspect with the characters looking like toys rather than real people, the edges of the screen being slightly blurry, and it really makes you feel bad for doing what you're doing. I love this game, becasue it really makes you feel the consequenses of your actions. Throughout the game, the enemies are constantly telling you that if you wake the Wind Fish, which is the only way to escape the island, you will destroy the island and kill everyone living there. Monsters will include you, as they seem to believe you are a figment of the Wind Fish's imagination. You have a choice here. Keep playing and destroy everything on this island, including the poeple you met here, or don't and be stuck on the island in a dream. The ending is really heartbreaking too. This is one game where I really don't blame the monsters at all. This is their home, and they know they'll effectively die when the Wind Fish wakes up. No wonder they're all unhappy when you come to wake it up.
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So, BO2W Breakdown
Buckle up, this is gonna be a long one.
Here we’ve got Ganon’s...energy taking over Link’s arm. Ordinarily, I’d call it Malice, but based on what it turns into, I’m just going to be calling it corruption. We don’t get much information from this scene besides this expression:
Link’s grabbing the corruption with his other hand, and wincing. It looks painful. I personally think it’s for cinematic effect that it was included, but it COULD be a gateway into a Phantom Hourglass sort of mechanic--Link has to function on a time limit, or using the corruption’s power could drain his life.
Next we’ve got a closeup of Ganondorf. F in chat to the rehydration theorists.
And the closeups of his jewelry. The only significant thing I can see is his necklace, which looks like a cross between the Gerudo symbol and a Fleur de Lis:
But what I’M most interested in is this tie on his belt:
For one, it’s WAY bigger than it needs to be, and that’s deliberate. Ganondorf’s got a jewelry aesthetic he’s already hit above; everything else is gold, why not this bit?
Most importantly, you can barely make it out, but the designs either look Sheikah or Zonai--they’ve got that same kind of swirly busy pattern to them. The red tint and tan-ish lines in it makes me think it’s possessed Sheikah tech.
Next, we’re shown Zelda falling. This looks like it happens right after these two caps from the first trailer:
So we reach for her as the ground collapses, and evidently, we fail to pull her back up. So my next question for that scene is going to be what the in-game reason is for us not diving in right after her. Maybe we won’t get one, since the appeal of the original BOTW was that you could fight Ganon whenever you wanted.
Up next, we’ve got a skydiving shot:
The first thing to notice is that Link’s pose while skydiving is just about identical to his pose in Skyward Sword:
Second is that, yes, he’s falling towards a floating island, and that in itself is noteworthy, but he’s FALLING. There’s something either above him that he jumped off of, or a force that carried him high enough TO fall, and I doubt Nintendo’s encouraging magnesis flying.
So, there’s a few options: Loftwings making a return (which is unlikely, but a hope I have), something like Revali’s Gale boosting Link up for a cinematic shot, indicating that the corruption arm has that kind of power, or islands higher than the one shown here.
Now the island itself:
In Skyward Sword, Skyloft looks like this:
And (spoiler alert) we loose this island here over the course of the game:
Now, it’s not a PERFECT 1:1 match, as most things between games aren’t, but a quick rotate and overlay shows it’s got the same kinds of shapes between the two. The same “W” shape along the eastern side, the same tiny island off the northeast point, the same relative edges.
Now, I don’t know what happened to the plaza at South Skyloft, or the Knight’s Academy isle, but it could very easily be drift away from the central island.
The presence of other islands through the clouds seems to support that theory. Now let’s look at Link here:
The outfit is new. We haven’t, to my knowledge, seen one of this design in other games. My gut reaction to this image was “oh, we go back in time and we’re the first hero now!” because it’s vaguely reminiscent of Tapestry Hero.
But upon closer inspection, that theory’s null and void. Under Link’s tunic in the image above, you can see that he’s still wearing the shorts he woke up in in the first game. So either Sheikah boxers haven’t changed in 10,000 years, or it’s taking place in present day. Jokes aside, I’m curious to know if the outfit he’s wearing is modeled after Tapestry Hero.
Next thing to point out is the obvious:
Link’s arm here looks less prosthetic and more...withered, I almost want to say. The corruption here’s made his hand look frailer, and armored them up with Zonai patterns before it fades out at his shoulder. Based on how the tattoos look, I think they’re an artifact of the corruption taking hold.
Also, the belt here:
Aesthetic purposes, or specific function? The presence of the second, smaller one on the side reminds me of Skyward Sword’s adventure pouch, which could be how the new game handles inventory size:
Next we’ve got another flying shot:
It seems like he’s flying towards Ruined Skyloft, and you can see the bottoms of islands above it, possibly meaning that the sky serves as more than just a hub world like it did in Skyward.
Now let’s look at the paraglider he’s using. It’s new.
This is how the paraglider looks in the original BOTW. It looks like we still have the Rito symbol in the center, but other than that, there’s a LOT of changes here.
First off is the color. We’re now blue and gold. The shade of blue makes me think of the Kochi Dye Shop’s navy blue:
So, possibly a dyeable paraglider?
The new pattern surrounding the Rito symbol makes me think that it’s combining the paraglider with Skyward Sword’s sailcloth:
Other than that, there isn’t much else to say about the paraglider besides the handles looking like they’re made of bone. Craftable paragliders? God, I hope not.
Back to Link:
Here we have him in different gear than the last shot. He’s wearing the snow boots, he has a shield with a stylized Eye of Truth looking upwards, and he looks like he’s carrying a traveler’s sword and an unknown bow. The presence of the bow makes me think that the shield here is a lower tier item, rather than this game’s Hylian Shield equivalent.
Now, let’s get a better look at the horizon:
The trees here look a lot like the smaller trees you can find in Akkala, but there’s a distinct lack of red among them.
Then it looks like we’ve got some ruins at the furthest isle.
Whatever the rock formations are over there, they don’t LOOK natural.
Another thing I noticed is the bottoms of the islands.
These look a little too geometric to be natural, too. Now, this one, I’m a little muddy on, because it COULD be a stylistic choice. But it also reminds me of the Shrines if you clip out of bounds:
And a little bit of the dormant Gate of Time from Skyward:
My money’s on the cube-like nature of the islands’ undersides being deliberate, rather than just a far-off render.
And then there’s this thing!
What is it? It doesn’t look broken at all; look how nicely the roof(?) is kept. The ribbing on the sides makes me think it might be a Zonai thing, but the shape makes it difficult to figure out. A giant temple? An airship? A sloped coliseum? This thing haunts and vexes me.
Our next shot is presumably from one of the islands, based on the color. Here we can see that there are definitely ruins all over the place. Link is in the same gear as before, so I won’t touch on him.
This, however, has my interest. The design here has more geometric patterns--Zonai ruins?
We’ve got another one off in the distance here. Sky checkpoints, like Sheikah towers?
Now this guy here. There’s a LOT to look at. First off is the eye design, it’s the same sort of upward looking one that Link has on his shield in the previous shots.
The energy that’s pulling this thing towards its base looks like the same green energy that surrounds the arm holding Gan in place in Trailer One:
This stuff. That, plus the fact that the robot has to be pulled into its base rather than just existing, implies that either A: Link activates it himself, like a trial thing, or B: that the green energy here functions in the same way Malice does in the original BOTW.
This pattern at its base is intriguing, too. I don’t recognize the gold symbol in the center, but the green around it reminds me of the portals from Twilight Princess.
Which, yes, everyone’s already said that the Twilight Princess patterns look like Zonai things. But another thing this weird dial thing reminds me of is from Lanayru Desert:
On top of that, the color palette of this guy looks like that of the Lanayru Robots from Skyward:
BO2W robot on the left, Lanayru robot on the right. Given that Skyward is a lot more vibrant than other non-Toon Zelda games, I think this is a fair enough comparison to draw similarities from.
And then we get a closer view of the sky ruins from the last shot. I don’t know if the geometric pattern in the corner is a deliberate carving, or wear from time, but since the pattern looks ALMOST mirrored around the corner, I’m going to go with the former.
A better shot a few frames later. The robot has HANDS, which I do not like in any way shape or form. However, we get a better look at the sky ruins.
We haven’t seen this style of stairs before, to my knowledge. The pedestal out front looks like a light source, and it has the same floral egg thing the robot above has on each shoulder; the eggs could easily be a power source for Zonai tech. And at the top of the stairs, we see a pedestal, backing up the theory that these ruins function as our new Sheikah towers.
This is our next shot. Which...
Unikoblins. Can we talk about that? UNIKOBLINS.
Anyways, Link is here again in his old clothes. This is a very early game shot, because his right arm isn’t corrupted yet; this means we get to explore Hyrule before we embark on the main quest. Which gives rise to a question: Where’s Zelda?
The hopeful side of me wants to say that she’s a tutorial companion, like Navi or Tatl, at least for the beginning here. The pessimistic side of me thinks that she’s waiting for us at a predetermined location, and this is just part of getting to her.
Now the unikoblin structure itself is built on a Talus, meaning that the dev team at least intends to have more inter-monster interactions. But if you kill the Talus, does that mean that the base falls apart, or does it just drop down as a separate entity?
Also, what are these background ruins? The one on the left looks like it’s a distinctly different style than the one on the right. It looks almost like a giant guardian arm.
Our next shot is Link’s arm getting corrupted. Which, first of all, the effects look beautiful.
Now, we can see a corner of Link’s hip here, and we know that this is his right arm. So Link’s lying down here. Unconscious? Knowing how Zelda games like to start with Link waking up, probably. Although it looks like at least part of his shorts got an update.
We can see what looks like circuits here. It looks a bit like the electricity puzzles you can find in the Divine Beasts and Shrines in the original.
Then we’ve got these strange symbols.
Whatever this circular stone he’s lying on is, it looks a lot like the Zonai puzzle from the “A Fragmented Monument” sidequest.
This one that everyone thought was the Mirror of Twilight for years.
Our next shot is Link using the corruption powers against enemies:
The spike ball itself looks solid; the question is, is this a duplication power, or a visualization of how the spike ball is set into motion?
We see it barreling over a poor Unikoblin or two, but I’d like to turn your attention to the Moblin and the background.
The moblins here have helmets, and the bases, while they carry the same design, look like they have more cause and effect in mind. The left base’s rock, for instance; that’s a lot bigger than the rocks we got to play with in the last game, and it looks like we can barrel anything in the screen over with it.
The helmet, though, concerns me a little bit. It looks natural rather than forged; like it’s the moblin’s horn, just very much deformed. Does it mean a harder enemy, or is it just for flavor?
Our next shot is this strange flower thing. Note that Link’s right arm is perfectly fine in this shot, meaning that it’s still early game.
This is what Link’s flamethrower looks like. And this:
Is Zonai art.
So the question is, what IS the flamethrower? My first thought was that it’s either a new item in its own, or it’s a Sheikah Slate upgrade. The latter might sound a little far fetched, but Link in this game is right-handed, and in BOTW, he always held the slate in his LEFT hand when using it.
We have more of the weird faded designs that we saw on the Sky ruins:
And we’ve got some kind of pedestal or stage behind the ground flower thing:
It looks like it’s either an altar or a grave, from what I can tell. The stairs aren’t the same design as the ones in the sky, and there aren’t any patterns on it.
More importantly, though, is that this place is underground. This could be a part of the game you’re required to go through, in order to get to Raisin Gan.
A few seconds later, though, we get our answer to what the flamethrower is!
It’s a shield!
Off to the left side, we can see pillars with more weird scribblings towards the top. These match the Sky ruins’ pillar shape, with a narrow base and a wider top.
Our next scene is...weird.
We see a puddle splash in reverse. It’s hard to tell if it’s actually water or not, but the design on the ground implies that it’s either been there for a long time, or that that’s a dedicated splash spot. And the quality and zoom makes me think that this is part of a cutscene. Return of the timeshift stones?
We then see Link...surfacing out of the island? I don’t know how else to describe it. However, his arm is changed again, and glowing, meaning that this is a corruption power. And the “water” he rises out of here looks a lot like the puddle in the last clip.
We get a good look at the Zonai Lights:
A Sky ruin that looks like it contains a room:
And a glimpse of other isles’ ruins in the far distance.
And then as the camera zooms out...
We can place a location!
We’re right over Thundra Plateau!
We also get a mildly better look at the back wall of the sky ruin, which looks to be some kind of table:
The next scene is Hyrule Castle:
The ground shakes and it starts to rise up. However, notice that the columns surrounding the castle are now missing.
We’ve also got red sparks in the air, like we would have in a blood moon. However, due to the sky color, we can assume that this is a conscious decision by Gan himself, and that he isn’t drawing power from his surroundings.
We then see that power bleeding out of the ground. It’s MUCH more red than Malice is, which has always been a kind of burnt pink-ish color.
However, even though Ganon lifts the castle up, he doesn’t lift it very high.
The castle’s about triple the height it was. But since we’re talking Skyloft levels of floating islands, this is still pretty ground-level. What’s interesting to me, though, is that in this shot, despite the game now being about sky islands that we should be able to see from ground level...there aren’t any here. This, to me, means that there’s going to be a sudden appearance of the isles in the sky, rather than them simply being accessible now.
And that’s the whole trailer! I have many questions.
My blog! If you have any opnions/questions/theories, feel free to drop an ask!
Part 2 is up! We missed a lot!
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