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linzerj · 3 months

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Just getting this idea out there so that maybe I'll actually finish writing it one day, but -

I've been on a Legend of Zelda kick recently. Currently replaying BOTW. Never played AOC but I've watched gameplay and all the cutscenes so I know what happens. Planning to play that and TOTK again soon. But I've got this idea cooking in my head.

Theres a post that talks about "what if you could find the Divine Beasts in the Depths", and another funny post that was just "what if Teba was the sage of Wind and not Tulin?" And I remembered when BOTW had just come out, and then AOC after, and people were speculating about the characters, like Teba, being the New Champions and getting to bond to the Divine Beasts.

That didn't happen in canon, but. Hear me out. What if even just one of the Divine Beasts bonded with a New Champion... like say, the one who doesn't become a Sage?

Teba, Sidon, Riju, and Yunobo return from their adventure in the past/alternate timeline/whatever, having saved those Champions and that Hyrule from destruction. Their own timeline is still the same, but they continue on as they do in canon.

Except they all meet up shortly after returning home, and one of them (Sidon or Riju maybe) asks "hey did anyone else try going to the Divine Beasts only to get rejected" and while the rest are like "yup wonder what that's about, sad" Teba is like "no wtf are you all talking about I was settling back in with my wife and kid."

But something about it sticks with Teba. He goes home, looks up at Vah Medoh, and thinks, 'it probably won't work but I may as well try just to confirm.'

...Vah Medoh accepts him as its new pilot.

I'm unsure as to whether or not Revali's spirit will still be there for a quick hello - but if he is, he'd be like "whomst?!" And Teba would be like "if you were still alive I'd definitely adopt you because thanks to some time travel shenanigans i know that you desperately needed a parental figure in your life".

Mostly everything else proceeds as is canon up to the start of TOTK - except for the other Divine Beasts continuing to chill at their resting places, because upon hearing about Teba successfully bonding with Medoh, the others want to keep trying.

But, for whatever reason, Hylia decided that you cannot be both a Sage and a Divine Beast pilot, so the Beasts acknowledge them but never quite accept them as their pilots.

Then, TOTK. Then the chasms. Then, the other 3 Divine Beasts taking a plunge into the Depths.

Teba freaks out a little bit, but Medoh is circling Rito Village and is fine, except now there's these random floating islands but also a fuckass blizzard that's making it almost impossible to keep everyone fed, and Teba's just been saddled with Elder status so he's super in charge and Tulin is in a bit of a "I can do anything let me prove it let's go" phase and is trying to convince Teba to use Vah Medoh to fly up and stop the blizzard, but Teba is way too busy trying to keep the village from falling apart to go right now -

Then Link shows up, and Tulin runs off, and Link follows him, and the two go up and find the Stormwind Ark and fight Colgera and as the magical blizzard finally ends, Teba is just like "what the fuck".

Tulin tells him he's become a Sage, and isn't that cool dad?! And Teba is like "you're 12 and you're going to help fight a demon king?!?! Wtf?!"

But then at some point, Tulin (who knows the other Sages from that time he was in AOC, and meeting them a few times with his dad after) one day looks up from his breakfast and says "oh hey Sidon just became the Sage of Water! I saw it through my connection with Link!" And that's when it clicks into place for Teba why the Beasts never quite accepted the other "New Champions" - because they were destined for something else.

But Vah Medoh is still here. And it's pissed that it's fellow Beasts are gone and it also wants to blast Ganondorf in the face.

Unfortunately, Teba can't let it blast the castle when Link and co go to confront the Zelda illusion, because Tulin is there, Link is there, Sidon and Riju and Yunobo are there, and it's not the real demon king yet anyway.

Teba is grumpy about it, about letting Tulin go off and risk his life when he's a child and Teba is an adult, but then a huge dark dragon explodes out from the chasm below the castle and Vah Medoh is all too happy to fire upon it, knowing it's Ganondorf and wanting some sweet revenge of its own.

Teba's just surprised he can see the dark dragon, it's huge but he'd heard tales of only the young, or those chosen by thr goddesses, could see dragons. Maybe it's because of Vah Medoh that he can see this one, and the little light dragon that comes in and - hey is that Link?!

Maybe it ends with Teba going down to the Depths with Link to visit the other Divine Beasts, and suggesting that the locations stay known so that future generations may try to awaken them. They don't really need the Beasts anymore since both Calamity Ganon and Ganondorf have been defeated, but Medoh doesn't want to turn off and is happy just chilling at Rito Village with Teba. The end.

I have like 2.5k of this already written, I just wanted to use this post to write more of the ideas for the fic structure before I go to bed lol. And this idea probably doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense canon-wise, but it doesn't need to because the only reason this exists is because i love Teba and wish he'd gotten more screntime (or at least some spoken dialogue in the cutscenes!) in TOTK.

#the legend of zelda #teba #vah medoh #totk #botw #aoc #age of calamity #tears of the kingdom #breath of the wild #loz #tloz #tulin #fic ideas #linz rambles #listen. i love bird dad. i want more of him #if i cant find the content i want ill make it myself

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science-lings · 1 year

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Was replaying botw so I can finish it before totk comes out and, I just realized that you can hear naydra moaning and wheezing of pain as you make your way up mount hylia. I know It’s probably the most obvious thing ever, but it still broke my heart a little bit

Oh yeah, I love it in a sad way. It's so gradual too, bc you have to sneak/ fight your way up and you can tell that something is off but it's only until after you get to the spring that you see what's going on. When I get to that point. I'm going to see if I can get high enough to see her without triggering the cutscene and the fight.

#I wonder how long she's been corrupted for before she gets freed. Like has it been since the calamity rose?#Maybe she tried to fight it but nobody saw #or the calamity attacked it when link awoke since there was a surge of shit going down at that point #ask andromeda

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bahbahhh · 1 year

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The Killing Moon Author's Note

He asks if he remembers her.

He doesn’t answer.

There is quiet longing between them in moments when they are alone that Link still cannot place. He thinks he needs time but Hyrule won’t grant them peace. Especially not when there is a kingdom to rebuild and the Blood Moon still rises. But Link doesn’t want to rebuild, he just wants-

(Or, Breath of the Wild 1.5 for those who are tired of waiting.)

Rated E - Post BoTW/ TotK theories - 50,834 words - complete

Read The Killing Moon on Ao3

(Two months later, here it is!) Wow. I cannot believe this story is finally done. I started writing this before so much of what defines me and my life today even happened…I look back at 2017 and the things that used to excite me, bother me, worry me have shifted and changed so significantly…and yet LoZ remains

There have been a few games in my lifetime that have touched me this way, becoming sources of comfort during challenging or stressful times, never losing their luster. (“Seriously, you are playing that again, B?” ) The idea for The Killing Moon came following a frantic explosion of creative energy after I finished BotW for the first time. I didn’t want it to be over. I remember diving into fanfiction at the time, hungry for anything and everything that would keep the story alive.

Then I decided to write a multi-chapter, lore-heavy, character-study of a fanfiction. As my first stab at fanfiction. Because, why not.

I churned out several chapters REALLY fast (I think 9??) and then my life got busy, my attention shifted, and before I knew, it had been years.

I would occasionally think about the story, sometimes making a mental note to go back and delete it, only to forget about it again…To be honest, I was nervous to look back at my writing and get stuck….I had had a vague outline of where I was going that was lost, so all I had in my head was a final confrontation under Hyrule Castle (more on this later).

Following a replay of BotW and the 2021 E3…I decided to do a massive edit, removing chaptering 2-9 completely, and reworking the plot to align more cohesively with what we received about the sequel. The story had a clear endpoint and it took off from there.

Major changes/themes/story notes

[MAJOR CHANGE] the tense:

I switched the ENTIRE story from past to present tense (I am positive I've slipped up here and there…I did not have a beta and, alas, I am not an editor…truly, this was written in the sleepy moments I get at the end of the day when my kids are in bed).

The Killing Moon was never meant bring much resolution and I felt present tense lent itself better to the suspense and tension I wanted present throughout with this in mind. Also, from the beginning, this story has been primarily about Link beginning the process of unpacking some of his trauma. I wanted a chance to deepen my version of Link POV and intensify the complexity of emotions he might face after all he has endured…I wanted to honor the complexity living with trauma. At times, it was meant to feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable and confusing. He is actively remembering his past in this story, specifically recalling personal details no one else can give him. Even Zelda is limited in what she can tell him about himself and as Link says, it feels wrong (even though she would gladly do it) to hold her accountable for chronicling his life. So if he wants it, he must endure it.

[THEME] loss of knowledge to time/making decisions on incomplete information:

I also wanted a tense that promoted unreliability…this story is very much a guessing game. For us (the fandom) with the sequel coming, but also the characters themselves…literally working back from the almost-end of the world where many of the information-keepers died and records were destroyed/lost.

BotW is a post-apocalyptic Hyrule. The “golden age” is long gone. Even the “robust” Hyrule we see in the events of 100 years ago do not hold a candle to what is alluded to exist in Hyrule 10,000 years prior. There is little/no mention of KEY elements in LoZ lore because they have been lost to time, purposely concealed, and then forgotten over the ages.

“Goddess, don't tell me you’ve forgotten your sacred charge? “A pause. “The power without equal. The hidden treasure of Sky Keep? Broken by Twilight’s touch? Fa ha ha…The birth of the Calamity has even faded into myth, hasn't it?...Now give me what I ask in return for the secrets of the Triforce.” (Horned statue, Chapter 4)

In the Killing Moon, first time they have ever heard about the Triforce is from a demon.

This Link and Zelda, in a way, resemble the first version of themselves. They have very little guidance. The history they are working through is incomplete and potentially inaccurate (maybe even skewed by those who recorded it) and yet, they must face destiny all the same. As we saw in BotW, destiny doesn’t wait for you to be prepared.

[THEME] the burden of destiny/ trauma across lifetimes:

Jacob Geller provides a beautiful narration to the theme of darkness in the Zelda series as a whole and does a magnificent job of summarizing what sets BotW apart. “It is a game in which each acre, every abandoned stable and crumbled temple and forgotten spring is a monument to your failures.”

I didn’t come upon this video until very recently, but I feel like it captures the essence of the the "big picture stuff" I was aiming for with Link. The first scene I wrote for The Killing Moon was actually his panic attack in chapter 3:

"Nothing - left of me," he continues in a desperate whisper. He can’t read her face. "If we have to - again," His hands are sweeping in front of him, tracing his broken speech in patterns that feel true. “I won't come back. My body but I-”

A new resolve takes hold of him. He doesn’t need her to just hear him -he wants her word. He’s in her face now. She takes him up in her hands again, and furiously thumbs away the tears from his cheeks. He is supposed to be dead. He whimpers and dips his head down, chewing, chewing, chewing on the words.

"Not-not even sure I'm fully alive!"

To die (I know the jury is out on whether he actually dies or not, but in The Killing Moon, he does die 100 years ago), come back without your memories (essentially the stuff that make us who we are), into a world that has seen generations since you closed your eyes, and be thrust back into a destiny you have already failed…and then the WEIGHT of your past lives…thinking about the overstimulation alone breaks my heart. I feel it in my gut.

Now that Link has finally done it, “completed” the task he was charged with 100 years ago, what happens to the weight of duty when the war is won? What happens to a weapon? Does he get put on a mount somewhere, too? Does he turn to dust?

He can’t even figure that out because of the inescapability of his fate. In the first chapter, he is called to destiny a THIRD time in a single lifetime.

He is also trying to make sense of this with another person. Someone he learns he once loved, who still loves him, who he understands has danced with him in these roles over many lifetimes.

Is there any part of this soul that is his alone? (Chapter 7)

How much of this was manufactured? Does that even matter to him now? Can he allow himself to have feelings? In BotW, we learn 100 years ago Link felt so burdened by duty, he stopped speaking (in The Killing Moon, it is a total loss of the already very little verbal speech he had as an individual who is/was selectively mute.) Now, faced with another “calamity” of sorts, it is his feelings toward Zelda, in particular, he struggles with. And she as well -can they allow this when they know what is at stake? There is a push and pull intentionally through the story, the impact of severely ingrained GUILT for wanting more than what they are destined for. Wanting each other more than anything.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve heard stories about your travels, all you’ve done for everyone else since you woke up. It doesn't feel like my Hyrule anymore. It feels like yours.”

“It can be yours, too.” His voice frays at the end. He sets his hands on her thighs. Something burns in his throat.

“It’s OK. I’m at peace with this. Really, I am. I will do everything I can to protect it. To protect them. For you.” (Chapter 10)

Also a feeling that their timing is off. Their specific time together, that they were supposed to have, has past (I think we see it in AOC tbh). They’ve lost that to destiny, too.

[MAJOR CHANGE] Big Bad

"A Spring is created only when a divine spirit departs from Hyrule." A mischievous smile. “What is born from shadow? A Void. The Blood Moon is a harbinger of what’s waiting beyond. See, look here-” (Hino, Chapter 3)

In the original draft of this story, before 2019 E3, Void was the name of the "Big Evil" in this Hyrule. It was going to be revealed as another title for Demise, trapped inside Ganondorf who was sealed under Hyrule Castle. I shit you not, lol. His sealing was going to have been flawed somehow and the malice or essence that escaped is how we get Calamity Ganon. That is why in chapter 7 the movements of CG in the footage are “off”. Basically a dead spirit carcass being possessed by the Big Evil because, fuck, he’s not going to die that easily after 10,000 years and then another 100 more of being this close.

When we got the teasers, Void became a description for the concealed bit of history. I still wanted to play with the themes of parasites/possession and added in the possibility that after his time with Zelda, a silver of the human he was started to come through. You can read my thoughts on the battery theory, which heavily influenced the connection between Ganondorf, Link and Zelda in this story.

“All three or none at all.” (Master Sword, Chapter 7).

Ganondorf too is trapped by his destiny and how TERRIBLE it is to be on THAT side of it. Imagine if your destiny was the soul of not a Hero or a Goddess, but a demon. What if your destiny was to be the one who will Eat the World? And what if you loved Hyrule? What if Ganondorf was a man of the people, who was trying to do right and the Royal Family tried to ERASE him from history by sealing him away and concealing everything from the records?

“We are bound too tightly in this fate. We’ve been fighting for a long time. More than a century. It was us ten thousand years ago. It has been the three of us time and time again. Link, when I was in the darkness, sometimes I felt like he was a part of me. And that part was lonely and scared and so tired. I think he wants us to save him like we saved you. Is that crazy?”

I am admittedly pretty obsessed with the idea Zelda feels connected to Ganondorf.

[STORY NOTES] Zonai

Mentioning the Zonai came in the rewrites. Not even on my radar in 2017 when I started The Killing Moon. Clearly, I am firmly in the-Zonai-play-a-big-role-in-the-past-and-TotK-camp. But I didn’t think it was realistic for Link and Zelda to figure out everything about them in this story.

[STORY NOTES] Luminous Stones

Another addition to the rewrite. I became obsessed with all the raw luminous-stone looking crystals in the teasers and ran with the detail about them rumored to contain souls of dead. It did not make it into the story but I did have tons of notes about how these luminous stones might be souls of Zonai or the army of the spear-wielding rider in the pictographs/ petroglyphs and their energy is part of the seal.

[STORY NOTES]Losing the Master Sword

The threat of this was always in the original story but it was emphasized more in the rewrite.

The original story had Link’s nightmare in which the Sword is gone (it was actually written to be symbolic of LINK “becoming” the Master Sword in the nightmare, that his body is the weapon, to be bent and broken and forged again and again with the Shrine of Resurrection). Hyrule Forest–resting place of the Master Sword–was destroyed in the original story. It fits well with TotK. I do wonder if the Lost Woods will be inaccessible for the game or for a part of the game.

[Fun-ish facts]

I love to connect all the LoZ stories and overiously do so with direct references to past lives (this story is SS, TP, Oot-heavy). But there are more indirect references in The Killing Moon I tried to sneak in:

"Wind waker" - Stamella shroom tonic for soldiers (Wind Waker)

The three comrades from Link's past (Colson, Medin and Jayde) are called "four swords" by their commanding officer. (Four Sword Adventures)

This is dangerous.” Link starts.

“Take this.” Zelda hands him her torch before stepping further into the cave. (Chapter 11)

(A spin on "It's dangerous to go alone, take this!" The Legend of Zelda 1986)

Thank you to those who have stayed with the story. Thank you to those who are new. I do this for fun and I can't tell you how much it means to me every time I get a notification someone took time out of their day to leave kudos or write a comment or I see the story was bookmarked. Comments/questions always welcome. I am planning to go back and do some minor (mostly grammar) edits but I already have some ideas for a continuation once TotK is out.

I just love this fandom.

#bahbahhhwrites #loz botw fanfic #botw fan fic #long fic #author's note #the killing moon #legend of zelda #loz #botw #loz fanfiction #loz fandom #totk theory #totk fanfic #tears of the kingdom

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starrbar · 1 year

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Dude, asp3rgers is literally named after Hans Apserger, a Nazi. Just use Google my guy, you're using Nazi terminology, dickhead.

Imagine blaming someone for the name of their PROFESSIONAL DIAGNOSIS, my guy.

Like, does it occur to you that this is the most far removed you could ever get from "activism".

What made you wake up in the morning and come to me specifically, by the way? Have you been sending this to everyone else in the world who was told by a fucking doctor that they have a mental disorder called Asperger's that has done been a thing probably their whole lives, and telling them THEY are perpetuating bigotry by going on with their damn life and accepting the word they've been given for their condition?

Whaddaya want? Ya want me to frantically scurry to my Carrd to change the label? Would that make me less of a direct contributor to anti-Semitism?

Ehehehehehehe, here I was bitching about anti-kink fuckers when the internet has people like you misfiring their righteous anger so hard that you're mad at random mentally ill people for being oh... so, so ignorant to the catastrophic harm they're causing for not suspecting that the label they were given might be a Nazi term~!

You are the most self-important asshole I have ever seen, and that's saying a lot considering the shit I've witnessed online. I hope you're as miserable a person as this makes you sound, because my god, this is pathetic.

I did look it up btw, for anyone who is curious. It looks like anon is indeed correct about the origins of the name.

I still don't give a single pebble of my oddly blue shit because I am not fucking responsible for any of this.

Yes, my shit is blue right now because I ate some heavily-dyed cake yesterday. Yes, I loved adding that to my response to this person and their worthless take. Enjoy reading about my bowel status before I cast you into obscurity, as your next messages will be ignored unless you have the balls to come off anon about it.

Go fuck yourself. 💖

For everyone else:

Do I need to explain btw that if someone came to me in GOOD FAITH to inform me of the fact that a label I'm using may bring up terrible feelings for people because of its origins, I'd legit listen and go change it?

I probably will change it anyway because I identify more with "autism" (because I get to say "I have awootism" and that's hilarious—also I can just say "I'm autistic", but there doesn't seem to be a grammatical equivalent for Asperger's).

But this is not how you have a fucking conversation.

This is not how you inform innocent people of a dark history behind something they grew up with.

This person is not AT ALL concerned with me becoming a better person or being more sensitive to others or learning a lesson. This person JUST wants to take their own self-hatred out on some rando online, to make me feel guilty for shit I was unaware of, and to make themself feel superior in whatever desperate way they can.

I see right through this garbage because I witness it daily.

My brother and my closest high school friend were both diagnosed with Asperger's YEARS before I ever was. I grew up with this. I grew up proud to be this, because I recognized that it made me different from my peers in a way that would gain me discrimination and bullying, but that I could also have solidarity with the other kids who understood what it was like.

So.

Genuinely.

I will change the name for MYSELF, because of MY new experiences and information from my doctors.

And I will not rush to do so because I have better things to do with my time than sweat and panic over what some little insect thinks about my Carrd. I have a game to work on, a dog to let out, a job to go to, and a husband to cuddle. Oh, and of course, I gotta finish my replay of BotW so I can jump on TotK when my husband is done playing it! Priorities, hello! xP

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scarlethallow160 · 1 year

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finished zora’s domain

im sad its over like there was more to it than goron city (cuz of the stuff you have to do to actually get to the water temple like with the wind temple) but the water temple itself was so short, only had 4 of the mechanisms when the other two had 5. :( and thats when u can actually play/fight w sidon, since he isnt with you on the way to the water temple like tulin was 😭 but now im gonna do a lot of exploring/adventuring before going to gerudo town since i have the sidon avatar with me :’)

and yes im still salty about the marriage thing--which is nothing against yona, she seems very sweet but ultimately that subplot added absolutely nothing to the overall story. they could have added her as a character still for the zora armor part and it wouldnt have been any different than what we got. i’ve felt this way with other romances in other games but its almost impossible for me to get invested in a romance thats shoved at you from out of nowhere

complete sidenote--i hate how the great fairies cost more and more rupees now to upgrade stuff. i’d rather have just had to pay that bigass sum to “unlock” them like in botw than what it is now 😭

another sidenote--that.....thing? klinton or w/e his name is trying to become a satori freaks me out, i Do Not like his energy. idk it feels like he would snap and bludgeon me to death or bite a chunk out of my face or something LMAO

also yeah sidon still gay as fuck for link, i’m pretty sure i saw a note thing that someone else posted where yona tells link anytime sidon talks to her its to talk about him (link) lmao and the part where he makes his vow to link and talking to him later before/after the coronation...... /screams

(i also took an obscene amount of screenshots/videos of pretty much all of sidon’s parts lmao like i did when i replayed re3r)

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three-bunnies-in-a-trenchcoat · 11 months

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OK ok. many things 2 say. i just woke up and read ur answer so bare w me i have a lot

first of all. yeah people really fuck with malons character and the tropes they stick to her are boring at best and misogynistic at worst and it makes me Very Upset. shes one of my favs and shes actually rlly interesting if u squint (im abt to make 2 posts abt that lol) but noooo shes Time's Wife and The Boys Mother and nothing more . when it comes to Time L/U its weird bc it takes the heroes shade into account (which is fine! it is canon!) but imo the heroes shade completely fucked her character to shit and disregarded her entire story of oot and mm and. hhhh. i dont like that version of her becoming the Main Interpetation. please stop making her a brooding asshole please consider her as shes written pleaaaase 🙏🙏

i dont blame u for finding oot and mm dull. theyre long and old and not quite story-heavy as sksw and botw but im just insane about its themes and characters so if u ever have questions i can prolly answer them (and itd make me super happy lmao 🕺💃)

i didnt even know the shortened names were a completely fanon thing what !! hell world ig aaaagh

and OK THANK YOU!!!! there is a MASSIVE difference between tired and sleepy and he is TIRED if anything !!!!!!!! the entire game is about how devoted link is to saving zelda that it caused the reincarnation cycle OF COURSE HE WOULD BE TIRED. OF COURSE HE WOULD SACRIFICE SLEEP FOR THE SAKE OF HER. OF COURSE!!!!!!!!! i will say that there is this interesting thing w sksw in that, like... you start out being told link is someone who is very carefree and almost lackadaisical. he lives with his head in the clouds and takes things at his own pace and he likes to stop and smell the roses and whatnot (see: everything zelda says at the beginning of the game abt him not practicing and not rlly taking it seriously and etc etc etc). hes too late to see her at the forest temple and impa tells him he was too late to SAVE her and THEN we get that iconic "am i late?" "no. youre right on time." scene, and then it ends w ghirahim saying hes "far too quick" at the end of the game. what im getting at is that hes trying so, so hard throughout the game to be the hero zelda needs, and he gets better and better and better (albeit at his own expense). i DO think the impa scene was the major turning point and fucked up his view of himself ("why would i need to take care of myself when she still needs to be saved?") but point is. he is trying so hard. yes hed be tired and itd almost certainly be self imposed but sleepy? LAZY??? did you play the game past the opening .

you and me have the same brain abt sksw link i think. no more sleepy soft sweetheart link i want sksw link with a good heart who is still ultimately so sooo tired and weary bc he is putting everything he is into saving his friend but who also wont pass up the opportunity to fuck with people or wreck shit if he wants to.

ok sorry for the long messages. Why am i not following you what hang on

Dang :/ you really can't have anything in this place, huh? (Also I'd love to hear what you have to say on the hero's shade (even if its just in the context of lu), because I do quite like him (although the version that exists in my head is admittedly a bit-- different))

It's not that I don't want to watch it its just that I know after about three hours I'll be giving up (yeah I can replay a game I've already finished three times for six straight hours but GOD FORBID I try to watch a new show or listen to a podcast :/)

Yeah the names are shortened. yall could've been creative at least? It feels like it reduces them down even further, if that makes sense

YES he's getting faster and faster but at what cost!! Buddy you're going to make yourself sick!!! Take a break once in a while!!! (I say while actively writing several fics in which he Does Not Take A Fucking Break)

At this point sksw link simply has no shits left to give. Like yeah he'll help people but. Wouldn't it just be so much easier to give this love letter away as toilet paper? And also like I know it's just restrictions on how many words they can get in the boxes. But he seems like a pretty blunt guy. I think someone who's a quote unquote "soft sweetheart" would at least be willing to use more than three words at a time (and he wouldn't walk closer to better hear a private conversation, cough, pipit and his mom, cough, and then lie about it)

#the main thing that interests me in ss isnt like. the characters and such. but rather the lore and the fuckery of the timeline.#so im not as qualified to speak on it as i would like :/#also im just bad at grasping stuff thats not laid out directly in front of my face #mb and strawberryrosewood scream about hats

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cobaltaris · 11 months

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Aris Media 2023 #27: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

to be honest despite putting 100 hours into this I? don't know how to dissect this in my usual short-form reviews on this site? (this aged poorly i wrote like 10 paragraphs on it) guess we'll try because oh my god this was. an experience i wasn't ready for

so THAT was the imprisoning war...

also uh! Spoiler Warning! deep in the Read More for gameplay and story terms! i'm not gonna tell you how everything plays out but there is unrevealed stuff i need to go into, but being we're nearly a month out from release, that's mostly fine, i think

okay so breath of the wild aged kinda weirdly for me? it's a GREAT game but in retrospect it felt lacking compared tro some of my favorite Zelda games, especially in dungeons and storytelling, and i really was worried TotK wouldn't vibe with me cuz BotW looked to be a paradigm shift for the whole Zelda series

and? surprisingly, it all worked out?? i was so enthralled from beginning to end! having the same hyrule didn't end up mattering to me cuz i didnt replay BotW, and there was simply so much MORE to the world despite that. AND SO MANY KOROKS TO TORTURE AND CRUCIFY

not to mention when you can put a slab of iron together and put wheels and a stick on it and have it work as a great way to get around, the fun of traversal kinda overrode the thoughts i had about all that; the Zonai stuff is SO GOOD (that goes for both the devices and the people-okay mainly Mineru but can you blame me she is PERFECT)

SPEAKING OF CHARACTERS TO GET OFF HOT GOAT PEOPLE FOR A SEC; THIS F U C K

the memory stuff is kind of just okay in retrospect, didn't love the plot but the big key moments stuck with me, but GOD ganondorf is so good. they hit all the beats i was hoping for with him and probably made his most outright evil portrayal yet, while STILL making him so calm and in control that it's scary. the way they send him off is so good and please moots finish the game when you can cuz that ending OH MY GOD-

anyway! i just really liked vibing in this game doing shrines and whatnot, which with the new abilities are way more fun and memorable than in BotW. the jenga shrine is? amazing? Ultrahand makes every puzzle a joy to Ignore the Main Solution To, and Ascend and Recall are just outright broken and very fun to use. while I had more issues with durability this time i also love how natural and useful Fuse is; Rocket Shields are so fun and i wish I got more Rockets simply to use them more than I did

the characters are also a lot more fun this time around, and the returning ones got to shine way more! the Tarrey Town quest was SO good in this one, the Champions are a delight, the musical troupe you help out really stuck with me...and Addison. he's. he's a treasure. I'LL SUPPORT YOU

I didn't get too much out of the Sky Islands admittedly; they're still really cool but! generally repetitive after a bit and not super interesting, great atmosphere though. but it's the Depths that really caught me off guard, places in games with a lot of bounty to them but also HIGH levels of danger are some of my favorite things! but the thing i really loved about it is when i realized that it is Tears of the Kingdom's Dark World - its an exact mirror of the original world, Lightroots connecting to Shrines, water aboveground being walls in the Depths, and generally being a way harsher environment. once i realized that, it elevated it SO much, and along with a few things really made it feel like TotK was this hella cool mix of traditional and open-world Zelda

caves! finally back in this one! can i just say that between Vinny's pronunciation of them and their allure here i've gotten obsessed with finding them, every time i see one i just yell "BOOBEL GEM!!" and start firing arrows and hfgjfgjkfg

but no really the caves were such a sour missing part of BotW and their inclusion gives the world so much more needed complexity. i love exploring them, and to repeat this point again, it felt so Classic Zelda to go in one, solve an environmental puzzle, and get a Shrine out of it - and a free one almost always, which feels like the developers also bringing back how caves used to be! i need to say it again THIS GAME WAS SUCH A TREAT

that goes also somewhat for the dungeons, besides like, the Water Temple, which compared to other Water Temples felt extremely lacking, and even in this game it has...no scale? just feels like a regular place? BUT THE OTHERS. DAMN. even if i wish they were even bigger and had more to do, the fact they are real places with lore behind them to explore, different atmospheres - the Fire and Lightning ones EXCEED at this, especially in delivering great boss fights with the Sages' aid. too bad about that same cutscene repeating four times huh

there's even more i could go into it, like how the Gleeok fights are the most HYPE thing and i love them, or how i kinda still wish there was more enemy variety, and ALSO this game got me into the wonder that is house renovation, it's so good actually, but being i'm putting this all in a Tumblr post on a dashboard expected to be scrolled through at high velocity, i'll just cut it here because i loved this one too much. legit too much! it's a Top 3 Zelda, but there's almost too much to do and it can get overwhelming, and still areas left to improve on, but I am more than satisfied with what Tears turned out to be after my skepticism <3

Grade: S

#aris media 2023 #zelda #zelda totk #tears of the kingdom

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six-of-ravens · 1 year

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totk update, since I realized I haven't talked much on here about it:

I beat the Wind and Water temples. wind bc Rito Village is basically where Purah wants you to go right off the bat (and I had no better ideas so I just headed out in that direction), and I stumbled upon water after i...

Investigated Kakariko Village and the Ring Ruins, which was interesting, but ended up leaving after a bit since I couldn't figure out if there's a main quest there (I did the sidequest where you read all the tablets)

unlocked one Great Fairy by bringing minstrels to her in a cart (badly, I am no great horseman) and it delights me that you can just do that instead of having to pay 10 million rupees this time

Tried to get into the lost woods to get to the korok forest, but couldn't figure out how and gave up eventually. I'll go back there someday

Found 2 of the geoglyphs, those memories, man....just kill me it'd be nicer

After finishing the water temple I decided to just run around the world and vibe for a bit before attempting the Gerudo and Goron quests (in botw those two were the hardest, so I'm lowkey expecting them to be the hardest here).

Haven't explored the sky islands or the depths much. I'll go to the sky if I can get there easily but I want more hearts before I attempt the depths. Also, just enjoying being back in Hyrule again.

That said, I LOOOOOOOOVE the caves. LOVE THEM. even though they have like likes. They're so cool, have so much cool loot, etc.

I love how they built onto botw. I did not think they could make botw hyrule feel like a minimalist kinda world but oh man. There's SO much more here!!

I'm so happy bc all I've wanted is to replay botw with new shrines and quests and some new parts of the map to discover and...that's basically what totk is.

Haven't built anything too extravagant yet bc, as my coworker said, it's kind of annoying when you spend so much time building something and end up abandoning it after a few minutes bc you don't need it anymore.

Side note, this Zelda figure that's telling people bonkers shit around Hyrule...is that Ganondorf in disguise? Somehow?? Or is she just seeming like an asshole bc it's all Part of Some Greater Thing?

Anyway I'm in a shrine in Hebra right now for some reason (was trying to get to the Sky Cube, fell, woe is me), but once I finish that I might head back to Hateno Village....I hope I still have Hateno House!!!

#totk spoilers #ps if you know the answer to any of the questions or puzzles pls do Not inform me i wanna figure it out for myself #if i rage quit I'll look up a tutorial on my own

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jonathanraychapman · 2 years

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Comparing Witcher 3 to Zelda Breath of the Wild

Both of these games take hundreds of hours to go through (potentially 1000+ hours - depending on if it's your favorite game and what you’re trying to achieve). The sheer entertainment value they provide to the gamer is immense. However, despite their first appearance they are very different in how they operate. I wanted to discuss my observations about that - not in minute detail, but at the high-level. I just think it’s interesting that Witcher went in one direction and BOTW went in another.

Witcher 3 (2015) is sort of the current pinnacle of a sword and sorcery open-world adventure RPG and so it’s fair to compare others in the genre to it - no matter what year they came out. I’d first compare Skyrim (2011) to it and point out the difference between “show.. don’t tell” between them. And by that I mean the act of putting the story into writing on the one hand and enacting the story through voice-acting and videos on the other.

Now I discuss Skyrim here because I really feel like it’s the root from which both of these games sprouted. I love Skyrim as an open-world experience, but I have to discuss it critically for a bit. While Skyrim had a lot of telling, it didn’t have a lot of showing (and that comes from the style of the previous Elder Scrolls games to be fair). Sure.. the world is very fleshed out with its own mythology and if you’re a video-game scholar, you can dig out all the juicy details (from statues and books in the game.. not necessarily from NPCs or quests) and there’s a ton of lore videos all over YT doing just that. But - again - to a player like myself, the world can feel a little lonesome and forlorn (maybe even a little boring). I mean that’s sort of more realistic, but it’s also a hindrance to the experience. By the time you finish side-questing, you may have already forgotten what it was you were trying to do in the first place. I feel like later games built on top of this open world game (i.e. location teleportation systems) but added on additional layers of story and style.

Compare Skyrim to Witcher 3 - which came out just 4 years later. Witcher 3 is happy to just show you the story continuously all the time with wonderful voice acting and cut-scenes (referencing the book source material but not requiring it). It just feels a lot more alive (again to my personal experience). And unlike most games full of that sort of content, it doesn’t feel like you’re playing a movie. There’s enough freewill to vary the outcomes to let the illusion of living the story hold. However, the game moves in acts and you will move to the next act in time - which will change the world and how you can interact with it. That required a monumental amount of effort to achieve. And it really helps the replay value (spoiler: Zelda has a different way to achieve that). Want to see how something changes after the trigger point occurred some 20 hours of gameplay back? Well, you’ll just have to play the game differently on the next run.

The reason I mention those two games is to compare them to Zelda BOTW and how it plays out. Zelda sits between both of those on the spectrum between open world and staged/polished content. The focus is on gameplay and mechanics. The background on Zelda games is one of action/platformer and I feel like the developers really stepped out of their comfort zone to try a different genre (Zelda was an action-RPG, but not to this level). And for the most part, it’s a very good game that balances open-world feeling with holding true to the roots of the franchise (conquer area boss and move on). But it sort of puts the game in a weird place - coming to it strictly from an open-world RPG player myself. Is it still an immersive experience (meaning if I walk into someone’s house, will I find the story there as well as out on the main plot trail)? Sure, but only barely. But is it immersive compared to Witcher 3? In storytelling style, I believe Witcher 3 has the edge, but in gameplay, you can certainly be more immersed in Zelda. They’re flip sides of the same coin.

Zelda is about the controls and snappy/accurate gameplay first and foremost - from the hacking/slashing/jumping/combat-combo system to the puzzles you’ll have to solve with a small set of predefined abilities that you’re given near the start. It’s that sort of skill-heavy action game at heart, crammed into an open-world simulation to match the Western aesthetic. They took the little booklet that came with The Legend of Zelda (NES) and they stretched out the story as far as they could (which took years over multiple series). Then they gave it a quasi-cell-shaded/quasi-realistic world for the player to explore that I think looks gorgeous. But it’s clear that the lore takes second stage to the action. It’s sort of a nice reward for solving the level in Zelda (given through cut-scenes). In Witcher 3, it’s given before, during, and after the level (by the characters in the scene - one who you are actively controlling the whole time). I will defend Witcher 3’s gameplay here as well. People gripe about the swordplay (and I think that comes mainly from Witcher 1), but remember that there’s all the sames alternate forms of combat in one game to the other (from bombs, ranged weapons, magic, etc). Even the Witcher rune system feels kind of like Link’s from BOTW in some regards.

In some ways, Zelda’s difficulty curve seems to almost fit the Souls style of games (although I haven’t played enough of those games to really judge). There seems to be the theme of meeting some monumental challenge (which comes down to practice and skill) to be given a little breadcrumb of a story that will make more sense as it goes along. Maybe that game series had an influence here on Zelda BOTW’s developers more than Western RPGs. I feel both Witcher 3 and Zelda were certainly influenced by Skyrim though.

And the focus on gameplay vs story is really what changes the motivation to replay the games. Zelda has entire DLC dedicated to more puzzles and more difficult challenges (supposedly to be completed before the final battle), but very light story additions (literally just a cutscene and some extra voice lines here and there). Compare that to Witcher 3 - with two very large lavishly-voice-acted DLC packages that add a ton of story, whole new regions to explore, but no real additional challenge or mechanic additions. Zelda is mainly about the challenge whereas Witcher is more about the story. They’re both a good time, but go about the experience in different ways.

#witcher 3 #legend of zelda #breath of the wild #skyrim

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sarsaparillia · 3 years

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could i request some legend of zelda thoughts in honor of the 35th anniversary? just...any thoughts in general? i have zelda brainrot and i’m so interested to hear your thoughts on your favorite game or zelda lore

oh man. fuck. there is SO MUCH. i’m gonna toss this under a readmore, because it’s just. it’s a LOT.

so the first thing you need to understand is that i have loved the legend of zelda since i was a VERY TINY CHILD and this intense love has not waned yet. i was eight years old when my parents bought my brother and i an N64, and we got Ocarina of Time, and that was IT for me, okay, i was DONE. i think i played that game.... i don’t even know. a hundred times? it was a LOT. minimum four times a year for a decade and a half. this confused and enraged my very-neurotypical brother, because he COULD NOT understand why i could play the same damn game so many times. the answer, obviously, is hyperfixation, but what is ADHD, anyway

so do i have Thoughts about Legend of Zelda?

you’re fucking RIGHT i do!!!!

my favourite game is probably Twilight Princess. i love Ocarina of Time because it was my childhood, but Twilight Princess taught me a lot about atmospheric story-telling, and about character story-telling, and specifically, about LOCATION-as-character. it was just so PRETTY to look at! midna made me laugh and then she made me swoon, which should surprise absolutely fucking no one! Twilight Princess was also the first Legend of Zelda game that inspired me to fic about it, so make of that what you will. i ALSO loved Windwaker. do you know how much time i spent making snacks while i just sent link off sailing the ocean? so much. SO much. tetra also is the best incarnation of zelda, and you can fucking fight me about it.

Breath of the Wild is beautiful and heartbreaking and i just need link and zelda to hug. don’t want them to smooch, because i personally really am revolted by the knight/princess trope? don’t ask me why. i Cannot get behind link/zelda, have NEVER been able to get behind link/zelda, and probably will never be able to get behind it! and like, you know what, that’s just the way i am, i’ve made my peace with it.

but you know what? i’m actually currently replaying BOTW, so let me tell you my feelings about Revali.

so here’s the problem of Revali: he could, quite literally, have survived Windblight. i dunno if anyone else has thought about this, but Revali is Rito. he legit could have just. fucked right off? flown away! gone back to the aerie to FUCKING REGROUP, and then WOULD HAVE SURVIVED. and yeah, i am aware that the Champions are more fun all dead, because it hurts more

BUT

CAN YOU IMAGINE

link, a hundred years later, rolling up to rito village, carrying two twigs and a lollipop, going “ya i’m gonna fight it” and this ancient, wizened rito going “what the FUCK you are a CHILD what HAPPENED TO YOU weren’t you OLDER than this?!?!?!?”

which leads me to my favourite au, which i have spoken with @persephonesnow at length about, DAD!REVALI. which is literally just an au where revali, badly injured, decides to take custody of the singular brain cell that he and link share because link’s dead in a ditch lmao he doesn’t need it, and gets the fuck off of Medoh before Windblight rips his head off and cooks his ass for dinner. gets home to the aerie, where everyone is just. so glad he’s not dead? jesus. thank hylia you’re not dead. but Revali, being Revali and kind of a shithead for it, mostly grumps and gripes and dramatically blames himself. his wing was badly-injured enough that he probably won’t be able to fly free and easily again---he made it back to the village on adrenaline alone---but he’s still a pretty baller shot.

and a lot of the rito don’t come back from the war. a lot, a LOT of the rito don’t come back from the war.

revali’s nest-sister, for one. her mate, for another. they left a white, chirpy little chick named teba behind. the kid’s a puffed-up fuzzball of down and baby-beak and like, ZERO coordination? useless, entirely. he won’t last a night on his own.

and revali is like “fuck my whole life, i guess i have a kid now”

so he’s got this kid, and a whole bunch of other kids, actually, because so many of the people he’d grown up with haven’t come home and aren’t going to and oh man do i have Thoughts about rito sky burial, and the world is like, weird and quiet, and NO ONE is going near the castle, and link’s probably dead, and mipha and the other champions are DEFINITELY dead, so he’s like “...fuck it? i guess we’re gonna do this, whatever, i can be a single gay dad to twelve children, it’s fine”

anyway fast forward a hundred years, he ends up yelling at teba and link both and his blood pressure is definitely through the roof but it’s FINE, DAD, WE’RE FINE, and revali, holding his grandchild, just SCREECHING “IT IS NOT FINE YOU MORONS”

so yeah, there you go

i can go on about legend of zelda forever i’m so sorry but like LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE LIFE EXPECTANCIES OF THE DIFFERENT SPECIES HEY NO COME BACK HERE IM NOT FINISHED---

#legend of zelda #loz #ignore me #listen sometimes u just gotta infodump about the things u love #anon #also i wrote this post my medication wearing off and drunk on power #as im sure you can tell

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levithestripper · 4 years

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Aw yeah you know it's angsty BOTW time >:) Can I request an S/O comforting Link waking up from a nightmare? Thank you so much!

@voidnin

Sidon wasn’t having the best day. His princely duties just got basically doubled, now that he’s learning how to become a good King when his father finally retires. Link had been out hunting today with the other Zora’s so Sidon really hadn’t had any time alone with the small Hylian lately. Every part of Sidon’s day seemed to be planned out for him, even bathroom breaks! The poor shark boy was so stressed out anymore that all his hair would be falling out, if he had any. Soon the day is coming to a close, the sun setting west of the Domain, giving the luminous stone sculptures a charming evening glow. Sidon was bushed as he walked to his quarters, his feet dragging. Link was already home, crouched in front of their personal cooking pot. By the smell of it, Link was making Sidon his favorite, Salmon Risotto. The tired shark drudged over to Link, wrapping his beefy arms around the small Hylian waist. “That smells so good, darling. You always know what to do to cheer me up, My Pearl.” Sidon set his head on top of Link’s. Link was so small that Sidon still had to bend over to do it comfortably. The short stature of the blond Hylian was one of Sidon’s favorite things, aside from his cooking and good looks.

The couple were snuggled into bed, Sidon happily eating his second helping of food. Link was cuddled under Sidon’s thick arm, wrapped up in a blanket like a cocoon, slowly drifting off to sleep. The last rays of sunlight were drifting through their open air windows, a gentle breeze flowing through their room. Sidon finished his plate, stretching over to set it on the nightstand carefully, as to not wanting to wake Link up. He slowly laid them both down and pulled the covers up. He, too, became drowsy and fell asleep.

The night was a cold one, making Link shiver and curl up closer to Sidon. The blond’s eyebrows were furrowed, a grimace displaying itself on Link’s usually happy face. He groans, shooting up out of bed. His small body was shaking, looking way more frail than it should. Silent, fat tears rolled down his face, images of his Champion friends that he couldn’t save one-hundred years ago replaying over and over in his head. His fight with the Guardians at Fort Hateno was repeating over and over, forcing himself to watch his past self die, failing his duty to protect the Princess at all times. He’s a failure, he’s a failure, it’s his fault all of his friends are gone, its his fault that Mipha is gone. If only he were a better knight.

Sidon woke up to the sound of Link crying, which was the worst sound that he could possibly wake up to. He sat up in bed and pulled Link close, cupping his boyfriend’s small face in his clawed, webbed hands. His soft thumbs wiped away Link’s tears the best that they could, but they just kept coming. Sidon tried to talk to him, to calm him down, but nothing worked. He kissed his eyelids when they closed, desperately trying to get Link to calm down. Luckily for him, there was a glass of water on the nightstand as if it was given to them from Goddess Hylia herself. Sidon handed the glass to Link, who was grateful and almost drank the whole thing in one go if it weren’t for Sidon telling the boy to pace himself. The water helped him immensely, slowly stopping his tears. “Baby, my Pearl, do you want to talk about it, or do you want to be distracted from it?”

Link signed shakily that he wanted to be distracted, as it was to sensitive to talk about at the moment. Sidon set him gently on the bed as he rushed off to get Link his favorite stuffed toy from his childhood in Castle Town. It was the only toy Link remembered receiving from his mother before she died. Sidon quickly returned and placed Link on his lap, handing Link the beaten down, old toy. The blond held the stuffed plushie of a horse (that looked strangely like Epona), close to his chest as he cuddled himself closer to Sidon. The Prince quickly wrapped his arms around the boy, holding him close as he rubbed his back soothingly. He rocked Link back and forth, slowly urging him to go peacefully back to sleep. With some encouragement from Sidon, Link did fall back into a peaceful sleep with nothing but sweet dreams as far as his minds eye could see.

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not-iscariot · 3 years

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This was really hard but if you’re interested in my reasoning then scroll below...

Favorite game of all time: Dragon Age Inquisition

For a lot of the answers I wanted to give Big Brain Answers, but thinking through all the games I’ve ever played... I don’t have the hours on any other game like I do this one. I have my own issues with the franchise and some of the decisions that get made but hot damn does a good RPG Fantasy series do it for me. I’ve never played another game that genuinely feels different and unique every playthrough, the world is so big and the ability to feel like a bunch of different versions of the Inquisitor are some of the reasons I find the game so fun to replay. I’ve played 3 games through to completion, 2 with the Trespasser DLC, and 1 where I played every DLC available. I’m currently on another playthrough right now... so based on my attachment and hour log I would say this is my favorite game of all time.

Best Story: Mass Effect 3

This was also really hard because there are a lot of games where I loved the story. I think it’s really hard to end a series and I honestly liked the ending of Mass Effect although not everyone is a fan. The choice-consequence ramifications in this game are pretty brutal and it’s rewarding to see the conclusion of so many of the companions’ arcs. The first time I finished this game I was sobbing which showed how much investment I had in the story and the characters, especially Shepard. I think there are a lot of interesting larger ideas explored in the series like collective consciousness through the Geth as well as the tension between synthetic and organic, which I found myself thinking about a lot when reading Emergent Strategy.

Favorite Art Style: The Wolf Among Us

RIP Telltale. I liked a lot of their games, but WAU is where I feel the style really hit it’s stride. It worked super well with the fantasy/detective story. I’m sad they never got to finish the game.

“I’ll finish it some day”: Zelda: Breath of the Wild

BotW is a really amazing game but I have never in my life finished a Zelda game. I want to finish it bad but I sucked literal ass at the boss fights. I also struggle hard with games that have huge open worlds when there isn’t a story really driving me through objectives and missions. Some people love the freedom, I tend to get bored quickly. I dropped the game because I didn’t have time to play it so when I feel up to it again I’m starting from the beginning.

Big Personal Impact: Dragon Age 2

This game made me realize I was bi and helped me come out. That’s pretty much all there is to it. By far my favorite companion set, I hope for future games they take more cross impact between companion characters because that was seriously lacking in Inquisition.

Best Combat: Spider-man

Super fun combat that you personalize to your fighting style. When I was hitting my best in terms of combos it felt super cool. Just a really strong game gameplay-wise.

You like, but everyone else hates: Beyond: Two Souls

I don’t know if everyone hates it but when I talk about it I hear a lot of groans... this is definitely one of my favorite games to play with someone else and I think it’s super engaging to play with people who aren’t really into video games. It’s easy enough for them to get into with a decent story and decent twist reveals.

You hate, but everyone likes: Fallout Franchise

I’ve tried so hard to get into these games. I own most of them but I have never been able to finish one. Fallout 4 was super buggy and I couldn’t get through some of the critical fights. I wanted to be into it but it just didn’t do it for me.

Underrated: Jedi Fallen Order

I don’t think it’s that underrated but I had a friend tell me it was “just Dark Souls with lightsabers” and I thought that was an unfair assessment. The Jedi gameplay is really fun and the boss fights are hard but so worth it to keep trying until you get through them. Also, as a Star Wars nerd, I liked this offshoot exploration of the Jedi.

Overrated: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

OK I bought this game having never played a Witcher game or engaged with really any Witcher content and I thought, based off the amazing reviews, that wouldn’t be a problem but I could not get through it. I just didn’t understand what the heck was going on or get attached to any of the characters. I went back and bought the first two games on sale, although the first is so frustrating because you have to obsessively save so that you don’t lose progress. I’m open to changing my mind down the road but I just didn’t get into it.

“Why do I like this?”: Grand Theft Auto V

I bought this at the beginning of quarantine last year as a long game to have that would take me ages to complete so I wouldn’t lose my mind. It’s the only GTA game I’ve ever played and I got super into it even though it’s like... GTA. Truly just THAT video game stereotype, you know?

Game you always go back to: Borderlands 2

I’ve played the other Borderlands games but this is definitely my favorite. Just a decent game to playthrough either on your own or with other people. I like the drop-in, drop-out story play through you can do with people.

That atmosphere...: Stardew Valley

Pretty self-explanatory. I wish I lived there. I want what they have...

Bad Day Cure: The Uncharted Franchise

Decent story and story arcs. Good gameplay to zone out to. I like the characters. This was the first set of games I played on my PS4 and it was during a blizzard. Super replayable.

Favorite Protagonist: Hades (Zagreus)

I almost said Dragon Age 2 for Hawke but because Hawke’s personality really depends on the player (I exclusively do humorous) I didn’t feel that counted for strong protag writing. Zagreus rocks. Bi king. He’s sensitive and caring and tough and funny. His arc is so wholesome... my childhood trauma definitely projected heavy onto this game.

After Work Game: Left 4 Dead 2

This was the first game I ever bought on Steam back in 2012 to play with my online friends from deviantArt... that’s how old this game is for me. I’ve clocked almost 400 hours and it’s definitely my go-to comfort/tune out game. I literally play this game to self soothe when I have anxiety... I’m so used to it and familiar with the gameplay that it doesn’t stress me out at all.

Biggest Letdown: Mass Effect Andromeda

After ME series I was honestly fine where Shepard’s story ended and I was down for another protag and offshoot story but... the game sucked. The combat was fun and it wasn’t unplayable but ME was so good that this game just didn’t live up to the standard. The companions are just not as interesting or engaging, it was buggy and animated weird as hell, and I couldn’t give a fuck about Ryder honestly...

“Back in the day” game: Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire

Curling up on the couch or in my room on my Gameboy Advanced SP in red collecting pokémon... these were the DAYS.

“Not the best but having fun”: Fire Emblem Franchise

Three Houses is definitely my favorite and the only other that I liked out of the few I’ve played was Awakening. I think the games are decent and fun, Three Houses was definitely the strongest in terms of side characters and story, but there are still issues like... how romancing works. Claude is so bisexual it’s actually alarming...

Criminally Overlooked: Mirror’s Edge

This series had potential to become such a cool franchise but it stopped after Catalyst. I was so invested in the world they created and it was just very... whatever Watchdogs was trying to do but I didn’t like as much. Some really awesome gameplay, just a lot of parkour and running.

Depressing Game: The Walking Dead

This game and the subsequent ones I just feel so bad for Clementine, this poor girl cannot win. I never finished the last season because I lost track of what Telltale ended up doing, but now I know they finished it so I gotta get back in there. Yeah I cried at the end of this first game.

Favorite ACTIVE Franchise: Dragon Age

So many issues with the series but... it’s likely if they’ve announced a new one I’ve already pre-ordered. I’m very invested and hope Dragon Age 4 is as good if not better than Inquisition...

Not usually my thing but...: Red Dead Redemption 2

Not at all a game I would usually get based of how it was advertised and explained to me as well as the usual crowd who’s into it but... I really loved it. I said this before that I’m not great with super large maps and free reign but RDR2 is one of the few exceptions. I would spend hours just running around and hunting. I started playing it in quarantine and lord... it was so nice to just roam around this huge, beautiful map and feel like I was hanging out outdoors. It also made it shitty to be stuck outdoors because all I wanted to do after I finished was go on a cross-country road trip. Still very much a like... manly man game. But I don’t mind that.

Anyways that’s my two cents. Here’s the blank:

#video games #me #long post

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synoxshots · 4 years

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Tagged by @sentinelapologist to answer some video game questions and rest assured I am about to give some very embarassing answers! (I wish I was kidding)

GAMES:

First game you ever played: This is gonna date me! Right so. I can’t remember it well but Fifa 98 definitely had an indoor stadium so I must have played that, because it wasn’t on Fifa 99 which I have much clearer memories of playing. But that would have come out when I was like, 3/4 years old so I’m not sure if I actually played it so much as went OOH! at whatever my brother/cousin (because we would have been at my aunt’s to actually have computer games) were doing. Or if we were behind the curve with getting it (also very likely). Definitely played Fifa 99 on my cousin’s computer for many years, also Lego Racers (which heh, I redownloaded earlier in the year as well for the nostalgia kick - no lies it holds up!). I have a lot of nostalgia for late 90s/early 00s video game graphics because of this, and tbh Fifa games probably peaked with 99.

Favourite game: Honestly I’m so invested in SWTOR so it’s hard not to say that, it’s had the biggest impact on my life like. Open world + Star Wars? the dream. I’m more of a SW fan than a gamer so it was definitely the universe that drew me into it in the first place. Also BOTW because oh my god. And I only got into that once lockdown hit this year but honestly, I cannot say how much I adore it.

Game you’ve played through multiple times: Super super into the Lego games, so Lego Star Wars - to the point we had it on the Xbox, and then I’ve downloaded it on Steam and played through it multiple times on the pc. And I’m a completionist, so that’s like, collecting everything not just going through the story once. Fun story, the prequel games were released before RotS came out so I got the basic outline of the film from that game first oops. Also I’ve played through the Crash Bandicoot GBA games quite a bit too.

Game you hated at first but now you love: Don’t think I have one? Because yeah if I’m hating it right off I’m not gonna stick with it. Which is probs why I’m really fussy about buying games and replay so much stuff instead. I have my comfort zone okay

Game you used to love but now you hate: I spent a lot of hours playing Runescape in my life, and every now and then nostalgia tells me ‘hey log in!’ and within two minutes I realise it is the grindiest game ever. I still have my account from when I was like, 11, though, which is a substantial chunk of my life. Also League of Legends - I joined it because a few friends roped me in and it was great when we could play together but going it alone was pretty brutal because fuck up a tiny bit and boom, toxicity. So then I just played ARAM mode and not SR with others, then just stopped altogether. May be partly why group-finder scares me so much, though also y’know social anxiety in general. But let’s not get into that.

Your favourite game atmosphere/setting(s): BOTW for sure, I can just lose myself in that world forever. The music is fab as well and I’ve been trying to learn a bit of it on guitar, music adds a lot to a game/film/anything for me so yeah. But it’s also visually just so beautiful. There’s a lot of planets in SWTOR as well, Tython, Voss, etc.

Game with the best group/companion(s): I don’t really play a great deal of games where I have companions really so gotta say SWTOR! Smuggler gang is my favourite. Just all out nonsense.

A game with your favourite ending: literally drawing a blank here. I think a lot of things I’ve played have been the type to go on and on.

A game with the worst ending: as above. maybe I just don’t finish things? That said the final boss fight in I think the second of the Crash trilogy games was super disappointing and didn’t match how insanely hard I found that game. (And I’m talking as an adult hahaha, I got the Switch ones this year). also kinda with you on the end of the agent storyline too, I left that one til last because the internet raved about how good it was but in the end I was...underwhelmed.

Best character customisation: struggling to actually think of games I’ve played with character customisation as opposed to ones where I’m just given a character/choose from a selection. and it’ll be a real sad indicator if I say SWTOR because I am constantly complaining about the creator. though I do like outfit designer. hmm, pass.

HERO AND COMPANIONS:

Your favourite playable character: does it count if they’re my own? haha. in SWTOR I’d generally say a smuggler because I seem to come up with 5000 different ideas for OCs and playing as a gunslinger is super fun (and I’ve learnt to love scoundrel too!). And then in the Lego games I’d play as Shaak Ti a lot, but that was first because she looked cool though I do think she’s neat generally! But she probably doesn’t count as a video game character. Ooooh Link as well, because I’m getting more and more into Zelda games.

Your favourite companion(s): *cough* Theron. Kira. T7. Risha. Guss. Blizz. Gault. Torian. Felix. Nadia. Vette. Talos. Ugh, loads tbh, I’ll forget them all. *gesticulates generally at SWTOR*

RELATIONSHIPS:

Favourite game friendships: I live for the smuggler crew dynamic, and the BH crew as well. And the Jedi Knight/Kira friendship warms my soul.

Favourite game relationships: obv I’m super biased but Theron/Knight. Smuggler/Risha. Consular/Felix. BH/Torian. I’ll just list my otps here shall I? SWTOR is the only game I’ve done where there’s been relationships I think. still haven’t finished KOTOR.

Favourite companion banter: smuggler crew probably again. Smuggler just never stops. not sure about between companions though there’s a bit of it with the smug as well.

A relationship you weren’t sure of but loved: I knew going into the Docmance how many people hated it but I really enjoyed it! Suited how my Knight was at that point.

A character you wish you could romance: Elara with f!Trooper, hoping that becomes more of a thing going forward. Also I wanna kiss Tau. And Anri. Basically I see a cool woman come along and I’m just like...is this a love interest?

FUN:

Shoutout to a random NPC: hey Numen Brock! And Lemda Avesta as the first wlw I got to kiss in game!

A game you love watching playthroughs for and want to play: I don’t really watch playthroughs a great deal so I got nothing here! and when I watch playthroughs they’re normally of games I already know well because I wanna experience them first for myself? So I like watching BOTW challenge/speedrun/trickshot videos and stuff sometimes, and ACNH island tours but that’s because I know the games.

Love watching playthroughs but won’t ever play: as above really, but if I don’t have the intention to play them then I’m almost certainly not watching vids of.

Why do you play video games?: uhhhh. because I enjoy them, but also escapism I guess? like it’s easier to throw myself into another world and focus and fixate on that rather than dealing with the general...stuff. it’s a type of relief sometimes innit.

anyway if you’ve made it this far down in reading this then consider yourself tagged, because this was a long’un!

#about ro

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beelzebumons · 4 years

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tell me your thoughts on your favourite Zelda game :D

thats gotta be botw lol

tbh botw was the first zelda game i actually played in its entirety and by myself. It’s the reason i bought a switch, all the screencaps i kept seeing looked so good and idk its probably my favorite game of all time at this point. It’s so incredibly beautiful and there’s so much to explore!! im still not done finding all the korok seeds and the mini bosses! also its just really fun to play, i love all the different weapons you can use even if they break, i think its exciting to find new ones bc there are so many lol...

I’ve actually been replaying it also! I just finished the trial of the sword a second time, and next time i play i think ill replay the champions ballad dlc !

#shiekah

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neokad · 4 years

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The Legend of Zelda - The Wind Waker! (HD Turbo Championship Edition)

Hi everybody!

As I plan to revisit many Zelda games I haven't played in years (or at all!) in the upcoming months, I finished what used to be one of the most controversial titles in the series for the second time, and the first in four years! And to my shock considering what I've heard about this adventure over time, I fell in love with it all over again 💗

I'd actually like to start this humble review with this analogy: What surprised me the most while replaying this game, is how its overall structure and world are. I feel like the best way to describe this game is like this: A perfectly balanced mix - as all things should be - between a classic Zelda quest, and the much more revolutionary Breath of the Wild. Now, I gotta say, it may be strange to some people to compare an older title to a newer one to describe it, but I promise it'll at least somewhat make sense at the end of this review... I hope O_O

But hey, we might as well review the plot early as usual! Well, there honestly isn't a lot to this story as usual for most Zelda games, but it is pretty solid regardless. Basically, as the ambient intro of the game teaches you, the ancient land of Hyrule got flooded by the gods, as Ganondorf tried to conquer the land with no Hero opposing him. And ever since that event, the world has been flooded with the Great Sea, only leaving many small islands and some people behind to rebuild the world. And so, many years after this happened, we find this game’s Link on his 12th birthday, wearing the “Hero of Time’’s clothes for the occasion as a longheld tradition. BUT, as this supposed happy day happens, his sister Aryll gets kidnapped by a giant flying bird to the Forsaken Fortress - as many other young girls. Naturally, Link tries to go save her with the help of Tetra - another young girl that escaped captivity thanks to her crew of pirates. With the help of her companions and their ship, Link sets out for the fortress, but as he is clearly underpowered, he gets demolished there by none other than Ganondorf, and washes up ashore, unconscious on Windfall Island, greeted by... a talking red boat! And this same boat tells him he must collect the Three Pearls of the Gods in order to gain access to the Master Sword, to finally save the kidnapped girls! This is not the whole plot of course, as I’m hiding some actual plot twists from you, the reader, buuuut I will say that while it’s not the most developed tale out there, it’s well done! But I feel like what drives this the most is certainly the art style and the characters themselves. See, I firmly believe this game has the best Link in the ENTIRE SERIES, no questions asked! He’s expressive, funny, endearing and he just looks so dang adorable! Part of his charm is definitively thanks to the situations he’s put in, but I think it’s mostly because of the game’s artstyle. IT’S BEAUTIFUL

Yes, granted, it’s not nearly as detailed as many games you’ve probably played, but the cartoony style they chose for Wind Waker really makes the locales pop out, and made the slapstick in the game that much more endearing! Plus, some of those shots just look, well, breathtaking really.

Speaking of character expressions and slapstick, I also believe Wind Waker possesses a very memorable set of NPCs as well! Be it the employee in the battleship game with his twofaced personality, or anyone involved in the many sidequests all over the islands, I’ve built lots of memories just traveling all around the sea, reading and delivering letters, just to get to know those people more! And it turned out that a good chunk of them gave me a good time!

Well, let’s talk about those travels, shall we? Wind Waker got (in?)famous over the years for having sailing. Lots of it. And especially in the original Gamecube version, it made travelling slow and boring to some as a result. Basically, you needed to constantly change the direction of the wind in order to travel as quickly as you could. Suffice to say, switching the wind’s directions this often got irksome pretty quickly : P Thankfully, the HD port on the Wii U does give you an optional Fast Sail in a side quest! As early as the second island in the game! Which means that those who found the sailing unbearable in the original will have a better experience ^^ But regardless, there’s a lot of sailing in this game, which is what replaces running/rolling around on the overworld. And instead of having different regions, they’re all replaced by 49 islands of different sizes and importance! And this is where my BOTW comparison will shine~ I think this game is pretty close in spirit to Breath of the Wild in some ways. Sure, unlike in that game, you’re locked to a certain sequence of items/dungeon/progression, just like a classic Zelda experience! BUT! Wind Waker also allows you to explore 40+ non-important islands, and sailing between them in anticipation of what you might find there is suuuuch a good feeling! Plus, there’s many treasure chests to loot (both major and minor) while you’re travelling on the big blue. Due to how much you can find in your way off the main quest - while being far away from the suggested path the game wants you to do at the moment - gives this game a very open feeling despite still having a linear quest to it! And I think this element of discovery and exploration in a linear format - coupled with the great visuals and ambience the sailing offered - made this game so, so, so much fun to play <3

But what about the gameplay and dungeons themselves? Well thankfully, they’re both quite good as well! What I like most is how much of an improvement swordplay got compared to Ocarina of Time. Not only are the enemies generally more diversified in strategies and design, Link also received many new moves to his arsenal, and those made combat so much more intense and exciting! Though it did make the game very easy overall thanks to having so many options... alongside you not taking very much damage for most of the game :P Still, the dungeons made up for this! They’re quite fun and pretty well paced, and each offer some quite nice ambience as well! Although I will say that the late part of the game has two dungeons with pretty similar concept, which while fun in their own right, did feel a little uninspired despite them having clever puzzles :/ On a semi unrelated note, the intro sequence at the Forsaken Fortress has you playing a stealth sequence, and you coming back to it later while able to defend yourself was a high point for me!

I do want to leave a quick note about the music, and honestly? It’s pretty great as well! Like I pointed out earlier, the dungeons create some very fitting atmosphere, but as soon as you’re outside them, many of the main islands have some very pretty, energetic music that is PERFECT for a Zelda game (especially Dragon Roost Island), and the Great Sea theme is very adventurous and grandiose, which motivates you even more to set out and explore! Though it’s somewhat strange that many smaller locations have no music at all, which makes sense to be fair, since those islands are usually pretty small from the outside ^^

Overall? I expected to only like this game, but I ended up adoring it! The Wind Waker is a marvelous journey that leaves a lot open to the player about how they approach the game, while still giving you enough of a compass to never be lost! And a competent story with charming characters and great music certainly help to make that adventure all the more memorable! Though I suggest you all should play the HD version if you can, since it has the fast sail and better looks. BUT, it also heavily tones down the infamous lategame Triforce fetch quest. (While it did not make much sense story-wise since you could just do spoiler without it before, I didn’t find it all that bad in the HD version since you can do some of it before having completed all other dungeons in the game ^^ But yes, HD or not, this is a grand adventure! Play it! 9/10

#zelda #wind waker #review #neokad #gaming

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