Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - May 12, 2023

purple_beard · May 6

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I don't understand why Nintendo has kept the meta story so quiet...I can't recall a Zelda game where that has been so under wraps...

DLurkster · May 6

2 minutes ago, purple_beard said:

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I don't understand why Nintendo has kept the meta story so quiet...I can't recall a Zelda game where that has been so under wraps...

1. It's Nintendo, they always keeps thing close to their chest.

2. They said the title would spoil the game.....

3. There's has to be a reason beyond the gameplay most seen of this game is $70.

Maybe the story in tandem with the gameplay is why this game is $70 and not so much with current gen and performance on other consoles platforms.

Either way, with Nintendo streaming this game next week Thursday night, the story won't be so under wraps, eh?

KoolK · May 6

So I messed around with the game for about 10 hours and wanted to give you my impressions. I won't include any spoilers or anything that might impact your enjoyment of the game. I just wanted to give you all a quick rundown of how I feel about the game so far - without going into specifics. I have the collectors edition coming on the 12th so I'm going to wait to play more, because I don't want to have to replay half the game when my copy finally arrives. As such these are pretty much the final impressions I'll have until then. That said, I won't overly mind replaying these initial hours, because the opening sections of this game are more interesting and flexible than they were in BOTW. Being as early as I am my opinion could of course change, but this is how I feel about it so far.

As a preface let me say that I did not love Breath of the Wild as much as I thought I would. I was on an overseas vacation when it came out and still spent an entire day going store to store to find a console and copy (yeah I know I should have pre-ordered) . I failed and had to pay scalper prices when I got back home instead. So yeah, I love Zelda, but I didn't quite love BOTW. I felt like it was a beautiful home with bare bones furniture - a proof of concept of what could be an incredible Zelda game, but missing a lot of the things that made Zelda, well, Zelda to me. I liked it, but I also don't hold it in the highest regard as a Zelda title. As an open world game I feel that it's a notch below RDR2 and Elden Ring (to me), although it undoubtedly does some things better than those games did, such as the sense of exploration, variety of locations, controls and fluidity of gameplay.

TOTK put the furniture in that home, and then some. To me, it feels like the jump between the original Zelda on NES and A Link to the Past. It massively fleshes out every aspect of the game. The characters, places, and gameplay mechanics are much deeper than in BOTW, making it a far denser experience. I'm barely into the game and it's already thrown more things for me to think about than BOTW did during my 120 hours with it.

It feels like a blend of old-school Zelda, BOTW and something entirely new. If you're someone that wanted Zelda to marry the incredible open exploration of BOTW with a bigger helping of classic Zelda flavor you're going to be happy to see that done here. It's a Zelda game made for two audiences - new players who might have experienced Zelda for the first time with BOTW, and those of us in our 30s and older who love the classic games. I'm usually not a fan of games that try to appeal to everyone, but I feel they mostly did a great job pulling it off here (with some exceptions). I did not feel that way about BOTW.

It also reminds me of the transition from Ocarina of Time to Majora's Mask in terms of feel. It's familiar, yet the experience is all new. It's darker, more brooding and kind of eclectic but traditional at the same time. It's not just a DLC, it's a fully realized sequel. It mixes familiarity with a completely new experience like MM did. I will also say that I was not a big fan of the minimalist soundtrack of BOTW. To me the soundtrack of these games is incredibly important and the soundtrack of BOTW was severely lacking. The music in TOTK is much better. I'll leave it at that. This is my favorite soundtrack of the post Majoras mask games.

Ultimately, if I had to boil my impressions down into two words it's density and balance. It's much denser, and it balances old Zelda with new far more successfully than BOTW ever did.

Personally I advise against playing the game floating around out there. It has some annoying resolution/aliasing issues that I don't think you'll see in the official release. The fact I enjoyed it as much as I did despite those issues should be a testimonial to the quality of the core game.

Edited May 6 by KoolK

purple_beard · May 6

3 hours ago, DLurkster said:

1. It's Nintendo, they always keeps thing close to their chest.

2. They said the title would spoil the game.....

3. There's has to be a reason beyond the gameplay most seen of this game is $70.

Maybe the story in tandem with the gameplay is why this game is $70 and not so much with current gen and performance on other consoles platforms.

Either way, with Nintendo streaming this game next week Thursday night, the story won't be so under wraps, eh?

I mean, maybe DL...at most, I'd go with opening chapter storyline....point of quest....not the deeper/main storyline.

Edited May 6 by purple_beard

purple_beard · May 6

7 minutes ago, KoolK said:

So I messed around with the game for about 10 hours and wanted to give you my impressions. I won't include any spoilers or anything that might impact your enjoyment of the game. I just wanted to give you all a quick rundown of how I feel about the game so far - without going into specifics. I have the collectors edition coming on the 12th so I'm going to wait to play more, because I don't want to have to replay half the game when my copy finally arrives. As such these are pretty much the final impressions I'll have until then. That said, I won't overly mind replaying these initial hours, because the opening sections of this game are more interesting and flexible than they were in BOTW. Being as early as I am my opinion could of course change, but this is how I feel about it so far.

As a preface let me say that I did not love Breath of the Wild as much as I thought I would. I was on an overseas vacation when it came out and still spent an entire day going store to store to find a console and copy (yeah I know I should have pre-ordered) . I failed and had to pay scalper prices when I got back home instead. So yeah, I love Zelda, but I didn't quite love BOTW. I felt like it was a beautiful home with bare bones furniture - a proof of concept of what could be an incredible Zelda game, but missing a lot of the things that made Zelda, well, Zelda to me. I liked it, but I also don't hold it in the highest regard as a Zelda title. As an open world game I feel that it's a notch below RDR2 and Elden Ring (to me), although it undoubtedly does some things better than those games did, such as the sense of exploration, variety of locations, controls and fluidity of gameplay.

TOTK put the furniture in that home, and then some. To me, it feels like the jump between the original Zelda on NES and A Link to the Past. It massively fleshes out every aspect of the game. The characters, places, and gameplay mechanics are much deeper than in BOTW, making it a far denser experience. I'm barely into the game and it's already thrown more things for me to think about than BOTW did during my 120 hours with it.

It feels like a blend of old-school Zelda, BOTW and something entirely new. If you're someone that wanted Zelda to marry the incredible open exploration of BOTW with a bigger helping of classic Zelda flavor you're going to be happy to see that done here. It's a Zelda game made for two audiences - new players who might have experienced Zelda for the first time with BOTW, and those of us in our 30s and older who love the classic games. I'm usually not a fan of games that try to appeal to everyone, but I feel they mostly did a great job pulling it off here (with some exceptions). I did not feel that way about BOTW.

It also reminds me of the transition from Ocarina of Time to Majora's Mask in terms of feel. It's familiar, yet the experience is all new. It's darker, more brooding and kind of eclectic but traditional at the same time. It's not just a DLC, it's a fully realized sequel. It mixes familiarity with a completely new experience like MM did. I will also say that I was not a big fan of the minimalist soundtrack of BOTW. To me the soundtrack of these games is incredibly important and the soundtrack of BOTW was severely lacking. The music in TOTK is much better. I'll leave it at that. This is my favorite soundtrack of the post Majoras mask games.

Ultimately, if I had to boil my impressions down into two words it's density and balance. It's much denser, and it balances old Zelda with new far more successfully than BOTW ever did.

Personally I advise against playing the game floating around out there. It has some annoying resolution/aliasing issues that I don't think you'll see in the official release. The fact I enjoyed it as much as I did despite those issues should be a testimonial to the quality of the core game.

I liked botw....but I'm kind of in-line with some of your feelings....

I got "into" Zelda, alttp, ww, mc, albw, ss...

Tp with wolf link was cool..., Zelda ii was nice change of pace. Mm was a interesting spin on oot... I never got into out like others....

Oracles.. need to finish

LA...cool idea...I like remaster a little more than gb original

DLurkster · May 6

47 minutes ago, purple_beard said:

I mean, maybe DL...at most, I'd go with opening chapter storyline....point of quest....not the deeper/main storyline.

I concur, I mean they are playing the game close to 2hrs to midnight our time. Unless they are not playing from the start (And I can't see why not with again literal hours till the game launches) They gonna show the opening of TotK I rather not see it, plus as I mentioned before here. I will be playing MK8 with you guys on Thursday night so that takes care of that and even if for some reason I wasn't playing still wouldn't watch live as I hope I get my CE the day after and not on May 15th. So there's no point for me to watch, can't say for anyone else getting the game in a few hrs or for some reason those who already got it earlier.

Edited May 6 by DLurkster

Juanblue85 · May 8

Tears of the Kingdom Guidebook is coming in June via Piggyback Guides. Been a while since I heard from them. Standard Paperback Guide: https://www.amazon.com/dp/191333001X/ref=sr_1_12?crid=3ARH04I2YAFH6&keywords=tears+of+the+kingdom+guide&qid=1683534141&sprefix=tears+of+the+kin%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-12

Collector's Edition Guide: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1913330001/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3ARH04I2YAFH6&keywords=tears+of+the+kingdom+guide&qid=1683534076&sprefix=tears+of+the+kin%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-4

Edited May 8 by Juanblue85

DLurkster · May 8

I have mention this to a few ppl on our MK8 night on Discord voice chat.

My current hype level for TotK is currently at 18/10. I mentioned last on a MK8 night it was at 15/10.

For those of you confused how and where is the number coming from. TotK will be 20th released Zelda game from Nintendo this Friday so in accordance with the 20th game, my hype level over the typical 10 scale is ascending to 20/10. Honestly I didn't think I could be this hype, at least maybe a 13 or 15 out out of 10 but my every growing smile for this game has not wavered and has been going up exponentially since the gameplay vid since March 27th. (That seems like a eternity ago, huh?). So I might make it to 20/10 before or at release of TotK.

SO MUCH HYPE!

DLurkster · May 9

Those ask the developers (an evolution from the Iwata Asks) from Nintendo, has a new volume for TotK.

I will link the the first 2 part below, they both short reads and provide some small insight of course on the development of TotK.

Volume 9 of Ask the developer is complete!

Edited May 11 by DLurkster

DLurkster · May 9

Well, well, well look at this......My Nintendo Tears of the Kingdom Sweepstakes

It's been a while to me that I seen a My Nintendo sweepstakes that actually piqued my interest.

Thought I share it here, if anyone want so enter. You enter with your platinum coins, you need 10 and you can send 3 entries total. Meaning...a total of 30 platinum coins for your chance at this sweepstakes.

Sweepstakes ends July 25th.

DLurkster · May 10

Part 3 of the Vol.9 Ask the developers of TotK is up.

The shortest part to read and it has a interesting tidbit at the end that most ppl wanted when it comes to exploration and what we were asking for this game.

Look forward to reading about or if do not look forward experiencing it in game in 2 days!

DLurkster · May 10

Interesting and good to note.

I was 50/50 wondering what they are gonna stream but knew it had to be something anyone has yet to see shown online anywhere outside of leaks.

As it stand now, tho again I will be playing MK8 that night, around the time of the stream. I am curious (even tho I was gonna watch the stream after I get the game to play for a while)

I still don't know as of this post, if I will get my CE day of release but crossing my fingers.

And oh sometime today my hype level has gone to 19/10.

20/10 here we come!

Dancing Mog · May 10

Went to my local Gamestop and put $5 on my copy since they wouldn't do pre-orders for the Collector's Edition but the employee said if i am there at midnight i can change to the CE so here's hoping.

DLurkster · May 11

All the parts for the Ask the developers Vo. 9 for TotK is complete to read at your for more behind the scenes and insight making this game.

Part 4 had me going that the development team on their own just came up with creating contraptions.

But later in Part 5 they confirmed that all the fan videos help provide the motivation to put this mechanic in this. I and I think most knew but it was nice to hear that confirmation, tho.

I have to say seeing that it was earlier thought on to create contraptions, I think it was combination of that thought and fans help bring this ideas to fruition. One thought can't be done without the other. That's cool!

purple_beard · May 11

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/05/video-digital-foundrys-technical-analysis-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom

Interesting read.

Also, reviews are going up today too...

Dancing Mog · May 11

Got my CE paid off, now to wait until release.

Ithrak Utopia · May 11

My store ended up getting CEs for Tears of the Kingdom and had some left to pre-order, so I secured a CE a day before the game's release. I'm going to buy some food before heading home tomorrow and pretty much try to be all in this weekend with the game.