A cool thing about the Plateau that I rarely see mentioned: Your first objective, marked on your map, is to activate the tower. But visually and through the old man, you're directed to the Temple of Time, which is not associated with any goals at all. That means that the very first experience most players will have is setting aside a clearly stated goal for later and exploring something else.
So true story: I first played it in fall 2017 and completely missed the indication of where to go, and then got lost around the plateau before even activating the towers & shrines, thus leaving me to die a few times getting lost in the mountains of the plateau and think it was stupid that it didn't help you figure out where to go. I then proceeded to play about 1000 hours of the only other game I'd bought (my roomie and I split a switch at the time so we shared): splatoon 2. Fast forward to May 2020 (yup) and I finally went back to be like "okay it can't be that bad if everyone loves it I must have missed something" and then proceeded to realize what I'd missed and feel like the biggest idiot ever because I'd managed to ADHD my way out of playing the most ADHD friendly game ever made
This game is the second single player video game my mom has played since the 80s, and the first one with combat. She had no idea what LoZ was going in. She ended up 100% completing this game on her first playthrough and it kept her engaged for months. She's disabled, and unable to work, and housework takes a lot out of her, so I suggested video games as a hobby to keep her occupied, as its one I enjoy as well. I think this game changed how she sees video games as a whole. She would talk so excitedly about all the new discoveries she made, showing me her progress when I came home from work and school. This game is so special to her, and myself by extention. From the combat to the puzzles to the exploration and story, my mom explored every inch of this game and adored every second of it. All 120 shrines, all 900 koroks, every single side quest in the game, every single miniboss. Everything. I love her. And this game Edit: mom has now been playing totk all day every day for about 3 days now. She's currently in Hebra, after completing the Wind Temple. She absolutely loves it, though she is nervous about fighting Gleeoks lol
This is adorable! Such a treat to read. I love how video games and especially Zelda can bring people together. Animal Crossing was that game for me to connect really well to my Mom. But I love that Zelda could be that for you ❤
I didn't play Breath of the Wild until April 2020. I was trapped in a foreign country due to covid travel restrictions, away from my wife and kids, and was in the process of recovering from emergency dental surgery due to an infection that developed while I was recovering from Covid itself. Once I started getting to the point of feeling human again, a friend I was visiting lent me Breath of the Wild to play. It was the first Zelda game I had touched since Windwaker. Wandering that world, listening to the soundtrack, it got me through some of the worst my depression has ever been.
i wasn't able to afford a switch until january 2023, and i am planning to finish the sword trials and face ganon within the next few days. i finally took the leap to buy the switch because my partner was gone on an extended, many months long trip, and i've been slowly becoming more and more lonely. this game has really, really helped to make the empty apartment easier to bare. it doesn't sound nearly as bad as what you went through, and i certainly hope you're doing alrighr now, but i can really relate to how this game helped get us through tough periods in our lives. it is truly the most immersive video game i've had yet to experience, and i'm sure that feeling is only going to double if not triple with the upcoming sequel. i hope you get to enjoy totk as well, mate, and also hopefully under better circumstances!
I’ll never forget the first time I spotted one of the dragons. It was midnight, real world time and I was crossing the long bridge and I said “oh shit, is that a dragon” and I got tingles. Truly a breathtaking game.
I hadn’t done any of the Divine Beast quests yet, I was just derping around trying to find memories with like 4 hearts and 1 1/2 stamina wheels, somehow found my way to the top of Mount Lanayru, found corrupted Naydra and scared the crap out of myself because I didn’t even know there were dragons in the game and she was purple and soaked in Ganon goop at the time. It was horrifying and magical at the same time. (I ended up fighting for my life to free her with only 4 hearts)
To be honest, when I found the Lord of the Mountain and put two and two together, I cried. It's honestly one of the sweetest, most respectful send-offs I've ever seen in any media.
The first time I did Eventide, right after completely clearing most of the island's enemies and specifically the top camp shown at 1:27:16... I got a Blood Moon. Luckily, I managed to not die but there was about 8 minutes of the high-level strat of "run for your life while dropping bombs behind you." Good times, seriously.
After some attempts, I eventually figured out that you can bring a raft to Eventide Island, and if you drop some weapons on that raft before stepping foot on land, you can pick them back up after the cutscene. Clearly not intended, but it's cool that it works.
@@gnolfo First playthrough: "I finally have enough stamina to paraglide to that island!" Second playthrough: "I'mma blow myself up to get there faster."
My favorite part of my various playthroughs was my first time on the Gerudo Highlands. I left the Great Plateau on the West side on a whim, and ended up going straight to the Gerudo Desert, and doing the quests there. After completing the Yiga hideout, I climbed up to the Highlands and started exploring. At that point though, I had never visited the Rito and gotten cold weather equipment. All I had was the Warm Doublet and the ruby circlet I had taken as reward for the Jeweler's quest in Gerudo town. I also only had around 6 heart containers. Everything there could one-shot me. It was an absolute blast. The most fun I've had playing the game. I explored EVERY inch of the Highlands, taking a picture of the Eighth Heroine's sword at the top, getting zapped by Farosh, finding the Yiga camp, encountering an invisible wall at the end of the world... And I didn't find the tower until much later, too, so I was flying blind. It was just incredible. I wish I could experience it again. One of my biggest problems with Breath of the Wild is that, once you've gotten good at the game, you will never experience the same level of wide-eyed wonder you had at the beginning again...
@@Draezeth BotW is one of a number of games/movies/TV shows/books/whatever I wish I could write a note to myself saying, "Ay, yo, this is you. You'll like this, trust me!" and then completely obliterating every bit of knowledge of that thing from my mind. I wanna say "get on it, science" but uh.... I don't think that tech would end up doing as much good as bad, sadly.
The fact we are at a point we can have a retrospective of botw is startling. ... It feels like just yesterday people were running around the starting area for the first time.
@@HealyHQ I'm not concerned with what time I have left. Only where I go once that time is up. I believe in God and Heaven and Hell. And I believe Jesus is my Lord and Savior. So I very much plan on going to heaven. Eternity in peace and paradise. It will make all this on Earth not really matter so much. Even if you don't believe the same as I do. You have to admit if it is true it's a very peaceful thing to look forward to.
1:32:33 In 2 years, I found 744 seeds on my own (630 unassisted, 114 with korok mask). I was determined to find them all without a guide before a sequel came out. I gave up in 2019. Once I found out there would be Koroks in TotK, I swallowed my pride, found an interactive map, turned on my WiiU, and got exploring. Totk is 11 days away and I have roughly 49 seeds left. Wait for me, Hestu. Edit: just got my golden poop pile! Ready to look for them in totk in the sky, sea, land, and underground.
Just watching the gameplay demo video that Zeltik made the other day had me wanting to open a portal in time to two weeks from now, I can't wait for it man
Breath of the wild was the game that launched my sister into playing ALL the zelda games. She saw this game and fell in love with the adventure and dove right in. Breath of the wild was incredible in every sense of the word and was the first game that truly felt like I was on an adventure, not the character. I’ll always hold it near and dear to my heart
1:54:19 Urbosa wasn't caring for her like a sister. Urbosa was caring for her lil her child. She was a close friend of Zelda's mother so it would make sense for Urbosa to be like a second mother to Zelda.
I haven't heard anyone say this but I like how OOT and Botw are the only ones in the collection that say "another (title here) retrospective Just something funny
the intro already has resonated more deeply and evoked more emotion than any video i’ve seen in recent memory. cant wait to dig into this over the next weeks or so. thanks for putting your heart into these!
This was an emotional video for me Liam. This game came out when I was in my last year of college and it was so magical. I recently lost my grandmother a few months prior and left a serious relationship with an ex. It really did bring me back to when I first played Ocarina of Time with my mother when I was just a child. Just the whole idea of summarizing one of the games themes with "Life goes on" left me speechless. It's so true, just having hope is enough to make me persevere through almost anything. Also the music was a bit controversial to me but hearing you go into so much depth with it changed my impression on it completely. I almost shed a tear hearing the themes and you explaining the emotional impact it has with each song. As a die hard Zelda fan for over 25 years, thank you so much for this video and all the others you have done in the past. This is seriously making my hype for Tears of the Kingdom that much more intense.
I am genuinely happy for everyone who loves BotW and TotK. The exploration of the overworld is amazing. But what I love about Zelda is unique, creative, linear dungeon design. And nothing will ever change that for me. It breaks my heart to know that I will never again experience that feeling from future Zelda games.
I listen to these videos while I make artwork and I've got to say you're my favorite youtuber when it comes to long-form content. Not only is your voice incredibly calming, you articulate each point with the perfect balance of objective observation and personal insight. There's always multiple times in each video where I think "I wonder if he'll mention this?" Only for you to say something about it less than a minute later. And lastly, the way you describe the different stories told through these games is so heartfelt and sincere that they make me tear up a bit. Thank you for your work, and I look forward to more of your videos.
I love how each champion gift is truly a special and cultivated thing. They all capture the character's most defining aspects, their strongest strengths, and inevitably, the things they weren't able to provide for Hyrule in the end. Link being bestowed these gifts kept the champions in a way. I think my favorite is Revali's gale in that sense, because although Revali always loved holding his ability to fly over Link, he was willing to swallow his pride in the end to allow Link to take flight for the better of Hyrule.
This retrospective can do nothing more for my monkey brain than playing on my Zelda game nostalgia and getting me even more hyped for Tears of the Kingdom.
I remember vividly the experience of seeing one of the dragons for the first time. I was crossing Hyrule bridge, when I happened to see Farosh. My heart literally stopped. I was immediately filled with such a sense of terror and awe. It's a moment I don't think I'll forget ever.
my main gripe is just it doesnt have the regular dungeons like forest, water temples and that the divine beast while cool all felt too samey inside them. but there design and way to get into each was amazing as well as the story behind each one being linked (ha) to one of the other heroes while i wish we got temples i still think this game is amazing from all the innovations it has and im still incredibly excited for tears. also loved this video
i dont know why but when it hit the part where you showed off the songs on horse it just hit different this game was truly amazing and this video is not just a love letter to this game but zelda as a whole. it got me all teary eyed for a second damn it lol
I got this game on the Wii U in a time where I was going thru probably the worst moment of my life, physically and mentally. It became my escape and holds a special place in my heart. Thanks for the great video.
as someone who didnt care for the game on release, this video still made me really emotional. everytime you talk about a game you make it feel like so much more than one. the experience, the feeling, the emotion, and the music come together so well, this was so impactful. your work paid off
It took me until my current playthrough of BotW in anticipation for TotK for me to fully appreciate and love it. As soon as I let myself relax and explore rather than get caught up in destinations, it all just clicked. This video sums up a lot of that feeling. And honestly, if I'm only now appreciating BotW, imagine how excited I am that TotK seems to be addressing everything I wish *was* in BotW like more active story, dungeons, enemy variety, and magic.
@@r3dsnow757 I did end up playing TotK right after and I really enjoyed it. I can't speak to your personal sense of whether or not you'll be burnt out or not. Take it at your own pace
Fantastic video, I'm certainly one of BOTW's harsher critics, particularly on the story as well as the puzzle and boss design. I think that the problem for me is that the game does a poor job of making me forget that I'm doing the same thing over and over again. Past Zelda games always walked a great line with the series' most repetitive elements by using a compelling narrative to motivate the player. The lack of stakes in the world really makes the story feel flat and makes it difficult to care about the world. Calamity Gannon is nothing compared to say, Majora and the moon falling, or the destruction Ganondorf causes in OOT. Those games made me feel like my quest mattered, I never felt that way playing BOTW (even though the game is telling me I should ) even though I have played it a few times since my original run. I guess exploration for the sake of exploration just doesn't hold my attention.
@@frogglen6350 I never said the other games weren't the same, I said that BOTW does a mediocre job in its execution of the story. Calamity Gannon is painted as this destructive, world-ending force but doesn't follow through on those implications. Yes, it killed the champions and put Link in a long slumber but that's not what we play in BOTW. People have lived with this thing for 100 years and yet the game expects me to believe that stopping this particular incarnation of evil is necessary. No, I just couldn't buy into any of it, I was asked to care about the champions, I didn't, I was asked to care about the citizens, I didn't, I was asked to care about exploring I didn't. Botw is the only Zelda game that I have zero emotional connection to after I played it and it's not because the game is bad, it's because there is not one memorable moment I can actively recall that makes me think “Hey I want to play this game over again. The game is honestly too understated for its own good. Thankfully TOTK seems to be addressing all of my criticism about BOTW😊
@@frogglen6350 The theming attached to a lot of the characters is strong which makes up for the small amount of screen time a lot of them have imo. It doesn't seem like much by today's standards but I have always thought that it is waste of time to compare something from 1998 to today, what's important is that I remember all the characters from that game right down to things that they said, the only thing I remember from BOTW is Zelda and the town building sidequest that's it!
Regarding the Divine Beasts, I think they also suffer from the issue you point out would happen if all dungeons were like Hyrule Castle. If you took just one of them and stuck it into a game like Twilight Princess or Skyward Sword it would have been an instant hit, but when every dungeon is like this it easily get tiring and the cracks begin to show.
I don't think I've heard a better encapsulation of why I love Breath of the Wild so much. For me it is the only game in my adult life that has truly brought back that sense of excitement, adventure, and wonder that I experienced playing games as a child. Many of my favourite moments playing it where wandering aimlessly on a rainy day, taking a new route to a known location and galloping along the path as the sun set over Death Mountain, or just staring across Hateno Village towards snowy Lanayru Peak. And above all else, those first moments of emerging and seeing the sweep of the camera across the vast landscape, knowing you can go to everywhere you see in that vast landscape.
No Man's Sky also captures that sense of "do what want, go wherever you want". Although it's not as packed as some might like, the sense of endless exploration and discovery, building your own bases, nearly endless places to go, all make it something very special.
As weird as it might sound, I think the ideal Zelda game is Elden Ring but less difficult combat. From armour, to unique weapons, more interesting “filler” content, way more enemy variety With a bit of the Zelda flavour mixed in with more puzzles, brighter disposition, etc Elden Ring actually made me want to explore, because the enemies I could fight were interesting, new and plentiful, the weapons and armour I could find were interesting, new and plentiful Add some in depth quests like that found in Witcher 3 and an engaging main story like in some of the other Zelda games Maybe I should say the ideal open-world Zelda game. Edit: and of course big emphasis on items or item like abilities as is the case in every Zelda game
I strongly disagree with the assessment. While Elden Ring is a fantastic game on its own, outside of combat, there’s a lack of reward when and on a second to third go around, make exploring way less reward especially with the lack of means traversal and also not always wanting to fight the same enemies over and over again after chillin at a site of grace. Not to mention outside of combat, there’s not much other ways to interact with the world outside of fetch missions. All and all I’m glad TOTK will be nothing like Elden ring
@@R.A.M_GamesBotw had much of the same issues Obviously i didn’t mean every single detail about Elden Ring like sights of grace I obviously mean a Zeldafied version of Elden ring, which mad more visually interesting “mini dungeons” with unique mini bosses in them (of course being Zeldafied would have an emphasis on puzzles and combat) Huge dungeons in the overworld like Elden Ring (which would also be Zeldafied to be more in line with Zelda dungeons) And the open world would still be as much of a sandbox as breath of the wild Maybe I should’ve said a mixture of Elden Ring, older Zelda games and Botw (with new things as Tears of The Kingdom is doing)
Tests of strength would’ve been fine if they had different enemies with different attacks or are different from ones you encounter in Hyrule that force you to create new strategies, maybe a lynel that can grab you or a gold bokoblin that doesn’t take damage from melee attacks or an underwater battle with a a big lizalfos or a hinox that has an eye patch but can detect you through sound. A spin on these enemies would’ve helped them.
After playing TOTK, I think the Proving Grounds go a long way in solving this problem. Each one of these shrines has a different theme to it, and ask the player to take out a group of enemies in unique ways.
Your intro really speaks to me. There were games that came into my life at some really terrible times... And somehow they lifted me up and made me strong enough to power through it. My family life was horrible when I discovered Majora's Mask and it'll always be my number one. It saved me. Nobody can ever take that away. It's the time in your life that it comes to you.
My first time playing through BotW I had no clue that if you lost your horse, you could just go to ANY stable and instantly recall it. I didn't want to go back and find it and never ended up getting another horse. Instead I ended up running and climbing around Hyrule instead the entire time, getting super familiar with how far my stamina could take me, what angle of slopes I could safely stand on to recover stamina, how to best utilize leaps and such. I also realized that 4-5 wood piles burning in close proximity creates a small updraft that I affectionately refer to as "Bootleg Revali's Gale" I massively prioritized (and to be fair I still do) having large amounts of speed enhancements on hand. It was a really interesting way to discover the world. To this day when it rains, I know that if it's raining and I'm trying to climb, Link can pull himself up 5 times without slipping, so when I hit that 5th bit it's time for a leap to gain distance instead of losing it.
I been listening to your retrospectives at work and well…… dude I love your stuff, your a good writer, your good at narrating I actually love your windwaker retrospective. Keep up the good work man.
I’ve seen a lot of introspective videos on BotW. Like an unhealthy amount. However, not a single on of them has compared to this in my eyes. The way you intertwined your own personal experiences with how you felt about the game was perfect. You were able to articulate perfectly not just why you loved the game, but why I loved it as well. I’ll definitely be rewatching this video for years to come. I’ve never watched one of your videos before, but this one just made me subscribe. Can’t wait to see what else you have in store.
This is by far the best Breath of the Wild analysis on the internet. You managed to capture in this video all that makes this game so unique. You showed that many of the elements that are often seen as flaws are an integral part of the game's philosophy, something that I have always only thought but that you managed to put into video format. A game with soul, an analysis with soul. Thank you!
Beautiful analysis as always. Breath of the Wild is already so nostalgic for me and I love revisiting what makes it so special. No matter what Tears of the Kingdom brings, this game will always hold a special place in my heart.
I'm a game developer. I like putting on long form video essays while I'm writing code and trying to fix my crap that has broken. I've come to really enjoy your videos while I work. Your positive joyful approach to games reminds me a lot of why I went into this line of work. I love games, they're beautiful wonderful art, and I wish more critics would focus on that.
Amazing video as usual my friend. Honestly one of my favorite parts was how you integrated the music into the storytelling of this video so beautifully. I feel as if BOTW's music does a lot of storytelling itself, and you did great representing that with how you displayed it throughout this video.
What I love about your videos is that you're not just going through the features and explaining the themes like a Wikipedia article, but you're explaining the emotional weight in a personal way. Love it!
I always understood why the shrines were a bit weak. The team had to split its time between working with a new engine, dungeons and populating the world. I was never to bothered by the tests of strength either, even though they were repetitive. That being said, I have high expectations for the dungeons and shrines in tear of the kingdom. Great vid as always.
Your videos are so special. There's a million video essays on RUclips, but your love and passion always shines through and makes every video you put out stand tall among the rest. Seriously amazing stuff man
I cannot express how well-timed this video is for me (even though I just finished watching it the day after it was published). The English servers for a live-service game I absolutely loved ever since it was released a couple of years ago had announced its end of service about a month ago, slated for this past weekend. I, of course, was devastated by the sudden announcement, as it seemed like things were at the very least stable (introductory packs for new players, a very large update that had data on content for the next six months or so, and a very passionate fanbase both here and where it was first released). It also doesn't help that no reason for the EoS has been revealed at the time I'm writing this comment, but often times companies don't need a valid reason. I've come to terms with the fact that, like life itself, every live-service game will have to end for one reason or another, sometimes unexpectedly, and it always hurts when the plug is pulled. The personal story of yours, one that I've also heard in your Wind Waker retrospective video, showing how you've overcome that low point in your life is what I'm trying to relate to here. Of course, the shutting down of a live-service game's English server is nowhere near as harrowing as a debilitating illness taking several years away from you. Hell, that's the last thing I'm wanting to impart with this comment. The common point between these is that life keeps going. And while you have gotten back on your feet, the intro and outro have given me additional resolve to stand up and keep on going. Thank you, Liam.
Beautiful video! You're retrospectives are always so insightful. From the game to life in general, they are always worth the watch. I found myself glued to the screen and I watched it all in one sitting. Thank you for taking the time to put this together.
Lynels were super fun to fight at first, then I realized you just could shoot them in the face then "ride them" and hit them while on their back. It doesn't cost weapon durability either. It really makes the fight trivial.
The unsung devs are the monolith soft devs using their xenoblade black magic allowing BoTW to run and look as decent as it does on the switch hardware.
Liam you’re always on point. I’m so glad you talked about the music with this one too. As a pianist it’s one of the many reasons BOTW is in my top 3 Zelda games!
The creativity of the gameplay is part of why I hold this game in such higher regard than the others. If you look at Twilight Princess. Yeah you have all these different moves, but they’re superfluous. They don’t make anything better than just mashing B, the game is designed around you being able to beat the game with just the execution move. Sure you can throw a ball and chain around, maybe stagger a bit with the Spinner or other such things, but nothing’s pushing you to do those things, because there’s no benefit to it, you’re just choosing to do something else than the easy way, which is just to mash the B-button or spin attack. Because of the resource game, mashing B to kill enemies in botw is often the LEAST easy way to win, because enemies are rarely alone and frequently tank your hits while they wind up their own, and it wears down your weapons faster than anything. You’re encouraged to do other things, using magnesis to pick something up around you and smash enemies with it. Headshotting archer enemies, sneak attacking them for insane damage, using stasis to freeze them for free hits, knocking them off cliffs, knocking them into deep water so they drown, using electricity to disarm them and take their weapons. Parrying them to disarm them and take their weapons. Using bombs to kill keese, chuchus and octoroks, taking advantage of airtime slow-mo to land easy headshots, using elemental arrows to instantly kill certain enemies and oh how I could go on (Tears of the Kingdom may well blow it out the water). It’s not just about the variety of combat options (of which Botw has far far more than any other game in the series), it’s about how valuable they are! How skillful they are and how they relate to the rest of the game. You don’t always have to conserve, you can splurge when you want to, having to deal with whatever ramifications there are to doing so later, of which there will be. In game design, when you expand the mechanics and the ways in which they relate to the game’s systems, you create dynamic gameplay. The almost sandbox like nature of these mechanics in botw, how that feeds into the challenge you face, every bit of moment to moment gameplay becomes a puzzle, a problem to solve and your freedom to solve it the way you wish is what makes the experience so incredibly investing.
Being all lento create your own solutions to problems is what sets BOTW apart from most other open world games and even Zelda games. As a long time zelda fan, this type of gameplay philosophy is what I’ve always wanted in a Zelda game since OOT
Man, you should do this exact same concept for Tears of the Kingdom. It's so similar yet different, almost like BOTW but from an alternative timeline or dimension with different events
The amount of passion, enthusiasm and emotion you put in these videos are unlike any I’ve seen on this platform. You truly are one of the best at what you do and it’s great to see your retrospective on my favourite game!
I have never played a Zelda game before last year! I started listened to the music and I became so emotionally attached to it before I even saw the game! I finally played it and it’s become such a lovely part of my love for games :) i watched this entire thing through and it was so incredible, thank you!
On this new high from TOTK but trying to avoid spoilers… this masterpiece of an essay is a nice break and a way to stay hyped about the series without killing the magic and mystery of the new game:)
Thank you Liam for yet another beautiful retrospective, the way in which you described your experience made me want to go back and play it again, maybe I'll even complete it before TOTK comes out, thank you!!
i was listening to this in one ear while playing tears of the kingdom, and it quite literally felt like 30 minutes of gameplay even though it was like 2 hours. when i heard you wrapping up the video i checked the time and was flabbergasted that it was 1 AM (i started at like 10:30PM), i got so lost in playing the game and listening to this beautiful video essay, 2 hours went by like a blink. Thank you so much for this video
You know, it has been more than 5 years since this game came out, and I still discovered new things about it every time I watch someone review or play it. I knew the zora armor let you swim up waterfall, but i never even thought of using it to scale up the castle as a way to reach the end. Truly a masterpiece of a game
This was an amazing retrospective, and I love how personal you made it. While game mechanics were mentioned, the focus was the feelings that Breath of the Wild evoked. It is more than a well crafted game, it is a well crafted experience with a relevant message for all. It seems to have impacted you greatly, and has impacted many others who have played it. I was fairly late to start playing Breath of the Wild, and even after that I had to get older to start understanding how impactful Breath of the Wild is and was. (Probably the closest I have gotten to this experience is when I played Tunic this past year.) Though it has flaws, it is a masterpiece, and will stay that way I matter what came before and what will come after.
"i was out in the middle of nowhere, going on an adventure. I didnt't have to think about anything else other then enjoying what was around me." I have spent nearly ten years looking far another soul that put into words one of my life's favorite memories. wasn't quite in a videogame but boy am i happy to hear there's others
I love the rewards you get for exploring: weapons that can break themselves and are number go brrrr, rupees to buy maxed armor then never again, finding the same enemies and finding new ways to kill them to get the same loot that you probably won't use and the really bad shrines
I almost turned your video off in the beginning because these retrospectives always lean towards having these eye rolling sentimental intros. I’m glad I stuck around because you’re wildly entertaining and well spoken. You got a new sub in me 💪🏻 Hope to see you in Hyrule in a few weeks
I have a large list complaints about BotW. Mostly it boils down to BotW being non LoZ like. I feel like if the game wouldve released without the LoZ label I would like it a lot more but to me it is missing the things I like most from other Zelda games.
You perfectly nailed every problem I have with the weapon fragility system in this game. Wasn't expecting that after you said you liked it. "Major Test of Strength" appearing on screen even started to be a moment where I just said "nope" and left the shrine immediately without participating. One Spirit Orb and one weapon from a chest stopped being worth breaking so much of my inventory and the time investment to me. These little guardians aren't even challenging once you figure out the simple patterns. I saw a Photoshop that said "Major Test of Patience" instead and I think that's the perfect description once you hit the point where you've mastered fighting those guardians.
I love how wholesome Nintendo flagship games have remained over the decades. Growing up with LoZ, among many other games, has given me an outlet of exploration, nostalgia, and even accomplishment I wouldn't have otherwise experienced in my life. I welcomed my first, and only, child into the world last year and am so excited to introduce that same feeling of wonder to her through video games.
my absolute favorite moment in the entire game was completing the last quest given to you by kass and getting to see him reunite with his family in rito village. the village has always been my absolute favorite location in the game because of its amazing soundtrack and stellar atmosphere and finally seeing kass standing on the landing by the akh va'quot shrine with his daughters, all of them singing and playing along to the theme of the town, was so heartwarming. its made even better by the story kass tells you when you talk to him later that night once his daughters have gone to bed and the song he sings for you. gave me insane goosebumps the first time i experienced it. great video, man.
Thank you so much, Liam. I have heard so many people, SO many people complain about weapon durability in this game. I have, since my first playthrough, also found it to be an essential mechanic to the design philosophy of the game, and I found it keeps my experience fresh and dynamic.
Unfortunately I just can’t like this game, I grew up with OoT and it’s nothing like BoTW, No major dungeons other than the 4 beasts, weapons break, damage scaler is very weird(take so much damage) and I just don’t feel the music. It’s fun to run around for a little while but that’s it, eventually it just feels empty.
@@Yohoat I think my reasoning is because in my time in botw I was doing more repetitive tasks than OoT Like the shrines or korok seeds, they weren’t my favorite. I was struggling in what to do
I agree. BotW has a lot of content but it's all repetitive. Also finally someone else that also feels the music is lacking. Man, at some point I would avoid fights because I couldn't stand hearing the battle theme over and over and I also muted my game at times during the shrines because of it's repetitive music.
I Love how the game very subtly and gently guides you towards Kakariko and Hateno villages. Yes there's a quest marker, but you can turn that off. Trying to go anywhere else prohibitively dangerous. Zora domain has Lizalfos which are tough and fast for new players. Otherwise blistering heat, numbing cold, persistent weather, and guardians box you in.
I just want to say I have severe anxiety and depression and your videos really help me. I love watching and listening to your commentary! Thank you so much you have no idea how much of a blessing you are ❤
Literally goes out of his way to spend hours hoarding and collecting weapons...."if your running out of weapons it's a skill issue " yea , definitely not wanting to spend minutes looking for items that last seconds
Too bad the game has about 13 unique enemies compared to twilight princess 70+. No actual boss fights, no music, no story, no dungeons, no new items to find. Good game but just not a Zelda game to me. Very much feels like a Ubisoft game to me. I think it's also a little telling every BOTW video doesn't use music from the game lol.
It always bugged me that one of my friends dismissed Breath of the Wild as 'empty', and just a lot of fields, despite playing it through. Nothing I've said has changed this, and it's frustrating, like he's willfully ignoring how packed the world is.
They might be comparing it to Witcher 3, which imo is far too dense. You can't go 40 feet without tripping over something in that game and while I never actually played past Act 2 because, god, the combat is horrendous, I ended up skipping most of the loot stuff because it's just far too much.
The rising music at the end of part two made me cry. This video brought back so many memories from playing Breath of the Wild back in 2017, when I was only 11 years old, the first game I was TRULY hyped for. I'm 18 now, just turned it exactly one week ago, and Breath of the Wild has unknowingly been one of the most formative pieces of media in my life, along with Into the Spider-Verse, Dragon Ball and My Hero Academia. I did get Tears of the Kingdom last week, and it's been amazing of course, but I haven't had that same feeling, and I haven't been playing it as much as I wish I could. When I get around to playing it again, this video will be in the back of my head, and I will appreciate every second of it.
When I first played this game, I just started watching Samurai Jack with the final season being released. I made it my goal to best roleplay the hero thrown foreword in time where Ganon's evil was law, and to find a magic sword to oppose him. From hunting boar in the woods to hiding from guardians I could never fight, it was the most fun I had in years. I wish I could go back to the past just to relive it all
Wow. What a project this must have been. The bit from about 2 hours until the end of Part 2 was very well done. A lot of this resonated strongly, and I've been putting BotW content on YT for six years. I'm very impressed.
A cool thing about the Plateau that I rarely see mentioned: Your first objective, marked on your map, is to activate the tower. But visually and through the old man, you're directed to the Temple of Time, which is not associated with any goals at all. That means that the very first experience most players will have is setting aside a clearly stated goal for later and exploring something else.
Great observation! As if it wasn't already cemented enough that BotW has the best tutorial.😅
This a tutorial on how to ignore instructions
My first experience was running right up to the castle and then discovering that this was a bad idea.
I mean it's a big ass steucture and anyone who's played OoT will immediately recognize it and want to go there lol
So true story: I first played it in fall 2017 and completely missed the indication of where to go, and then got lost around the plateau before even activating the towers & shrines, thus leaving me to die a few times getting lost in the mountains of the plateau and think it was stupid that it didn't help you figure out where to go. I then proceeded to play about 1000 hours of the only other game I'd bought (my roomie and I split a switch at the time so we shared): splatoon 2. Fast forward to May 2020 (yup) and I finally went back to be like "okay it can't be that bad if everyone loves it I must have missed something" and then proceeded to realize what I'd missed and feel like the biggest idiot ever because I'd managed to ADHD my way out of playing the most ADHD friendly game ever made
This game is the second single player video game my mom has played since the 80s, and the first one with combat. She had no idea what LoZ was going in. She ended up 100% completing this game on her first playthrough and it kept her engaged for months.
She's disabled, and unable to work, and housework takes a lot out of her, so I suggested video games as a hobby to keep her occupied, as its one I enjoy as well. I think this game changed how she sees video games as a whole. She would talk so excitedly about all the new discoveries she made, showing me her progress when I came home from work and school.
This game is so special to her, and myself by extention. From the combat to the puzzles to the exploration and story, my mom explored every inch of this game and adored every second of it. All 120 shrines, all 900 koroks, every single side quest in the game, every single miniboss. Everything.
I love her. And this game
Edit: mom has now been playing totk all day every day for about 3 days now. She's currently in Hebra, after completing the Wind Temple. She absolutely loves it, though she is nervous about fighting Gleeoks lol
maaan I've had the game since 2017 and only have 500 Korok seeds and barely 110 shrines I am so jealous of her lmao
@@thezonaiarchitect to be fair, she has a LOT of free time lol
Your mom is SO awesome i feel so jealous 🥲🥲
This is adorable! Such a treat to read. I love how video games and especially Zelda can bring people together. Animal Crossing was that game for me to connect really well to my Mom. But I love that Zelda could be that for you ❤
@@PiePiePie07 funnily enough, ACNH was the game she started out with, but I think she got bored of it eventually
I didn't play Breath of the Wild until April 2020. I was trapped in a foreign country due to covid travel restrictions, away from my wife and kids, and was in the process of recovering from emergency dental surgery due to an infection that developed while I was recovering from Covid itself. Once I started getting to the point of feeling human again, a friend I was visiting lent me Breath of the Wild to play. It was the first Zelda game I had touched since Windwaker. Wandering that world, listening to the soundtrack, it got me through some of the worst my depression has ever been.
Your story was actually beautiful😊. I hope everything’s right again
That sounds rough. Glad breath of the wild helped you go through that.
i wasn't able to afford a switch until january 2023, and i am planning to finish the sword trials and face ganon within the next few days. i finally took the leap to buy the switch because my partner was gone on an extended, many months long trip, and i've been slowly becoming more and more lonely. this game has really, really helped to make the empty apartment easier to bare.
it doesn't sound nearly as bad as what you went through, and i certainly hope you're doing alrighr now, but i can really relate to how this game helped get us through tough periods in our lives. it is truly the most immersive video game i've had yet to experience, and i'm sure that feeling is only going to double if not triple with the upcoming sequel. i hope you get to enjoy totk as well, mate, and also hopefully under better circumstances!
I'm glad you're okay!
Everything has been much better now. I'll be able to enjoy Tears of the Kingdom safe and sound at home this time.
I’ll never forget the first time I spotted one of the dragons. It was midnight, real world time and I was crossing the long bridge and I said “oh shit, is that a dragon” and I got tingles. Truly a breathtaking game.
I hadn’t done any of the Divine Beast quests yet, I was just derping around trying to find memories with like 4 hearts and 1 1/2 stamina wheels, somehow found my way to the top of Mount Lanayru, found corrupted Naydra and scared the crap out of myself because I didn’t even know there were dragons in the game and she was purple and soaked in Ganon goop at the time. It was horrifying and magical at the same time. (I ended up fighting for my life to free her with only 4 hearts)
It’s bland
you got WHO
I saw one when I was still on the plateau and immediately thought « How on earth am I ever gonna defeat that thing?! »
@@zacatkinson3926its insane how bland it is. I just cant for the life of me find any reason to keep playing. This isnt Zelda.
To be honest, when I found the Lord of the Mountain and put two and two together, I cried. It's honestly one of the sweetest, most respectful send-offs I've ever seen in any media.
Wait what?
@@voltron77 the late and great satoru iwata
oh my god i never noticed, rip itawa🫡
The first time I did Eventide, right after completely clearing most of the island's enemies and specifically the top camp shown at 1:27:16... I got a Blood Moon. Luckily, I managed to not die but there was about 8 minutes of the high-level strat of "run for your life while dropping bombs behind you." Good times, seriously.
😂😂😂
After some attempts, I eventually figured out that you can bring a raft to Eventide Island, and if you drop some weapons on that raft before stepping foot on land, you can pick them back up after the cutscene.
Clearly not intended, but it's cool that it works.
@@gnolfo First playthrough: "I finally have enough stamina to paraglide to that island!"
Second playthrough: "I'mma blow myself up to get there faster."
My favorite part of my various playthroughs was my first time on the Gerudo Highlands. I left the Great Plateau on the West side on a whim, and ended up going straight to the Gerudo Desert, and doing the quests there. After completing the Yiga hideout, I climbed up to the Highlands and started exploring.
At that point though, I had never visited the Rito and gotten cold weather equipment. All I had was the Warm Doublet and the ruby circlet I had taken as reward for the Jeweler's quest in Gerudo town. I also only had around 6 heart containers. Everything there could one-shot me.
It was an absolute blast. The most fun I've had playing the game. I explored EVERY inch of the Highlands, taking a picture of the Eighth Heroine's sword at the top, getting zapped by Farosh, finding the Yiga camp, encountering an invisible wall at the end of the world... And I didn't find the tower until much later, too, so I was flying blind. It was just incredible.
I wish I could experience it again. One of my biggest problems with Breath of the Wild is that, once you've gotten good at the game, you will never experience the same level of wide-eyed wonder you had at the beginning again...
@@Draezeth BotW is one of a number of games/movies/TV shows/books/whatever I wish I could write a note to myself saying, "Ay, yo, this is you. You'll like this, trust me!" and then completely obliterating every bit of knowledge of that thing from my mind. I wanna say "get on it, science" but uh.... I don't think that tech would end up doing as much good as bad, sadly.
The fact we are at a point we can have a retrospective of botw is startling. ... It feels like just yesterday people were running around the starting area for the first time.
It feels like just yesterday I saw a new video about things I hadn't discovered yet in BOTW. Oh wait...that was yesterday.
The last few years have just flown by. It's a little scary. How much time do we have left...?
@@HealyHQ I'm not concerned with what time I have left. Only where I go once that time is up. I believe in God and Heaven and Hell. And I believe Jesus is my Lord and Savior. So I very much plan on going to heaven. Eternity in peace and paradise. It will make all this on Earth not really matter so much. Even if you don't believe the same as I do. You have to admit if it is true it's a very peaceful thing to look forward to.
what do you mean? I started playing BOTW 1 week ago in 2023 on CEMU in 5K HDR ultra graphics. Its an awesome game in 2023!
started BOTW yesterday for the first time. It's been a magical experience so far
A month later and Liam casually returned with a +2 hour analysis, the dedication is respectable
You're here too? How can one individual have such good taste in content?
Was literally thinking this. I had to double take the video length
How does one "casually" upload a video of size? This video probably took him forever to play, write, edit, and upload.
@@stormhought whoosh
@@calebpeters3378 or he's everywhere and you only see him in comment section of good content
1:32:33 In 2 years, I found 744 seeds on my own (630 unassisted, 114 with korok mask). I was determined to find them all without a guide before a sequel came out. I gave up in 2019. Once I found out there would be Koroks in TotK, I swallowed my pride, found an interactive map, turned on my WiiU, and got exploring. Totk is 11 days away and I have roughly 49 seeds left. Wait for me, Hestu.
Edit: just got my golden poop pile! Ready to look for them in totk in the sky, sea, land, and underground.
I was just looking for something to kill time, waiting for TOTK, without TOTK gameplay spoilers, you're a blessing dude
finally, another person is trying their hardest to avoid spoilers
@@stormhought i havent seen any footage since the first footage with the “glider” 🫡
@@noahsabadish3812 wish I was you dude
Just watching the gameplay demo video that Zeltik made the other day had me wanting to open a portal in time to two weeks from now, I can't wait for it man
@@stormhought There’s no spoilers. :((
Breath of the wild was the game that launched my sister into playing ALL the zelda games. She saw this game and fell in love with the adventure and dove right in. Breath of the wild was incredible in every sense of the word and was the first game that truly felt like I was on an adventure, not the character. I’ll always hold it near and dear to my heart
1:54:19 Urbosa wasn't caring for her like a sister. Urbosa was caring for her lil her child. She was a close friend of Zelda's mother so it would make sense for Urbosa to be like a second mother to Zelda.
All I want is to never find amber or opal in a treasure chest ever again.
In six years and 8 days well be watching Liam make Another Tears of the Kingdom Retrospective. 🥹
Looking forward to that!
I haven't heard anyone say this but I like how OOT and Botw are the only ones in the collection that say "another (title here) retrospective
Just something funny
God willing!
the intro already has resonated more deeply and evoked more emotion than any video i’ve seen in recent memory. cant wait to dig into this over the next weeks or so.
thanks for putting your heart into these!
do you know where the background music is from?
This was an emotional video for me Liam. This game came out when I was in my last year of college and it was so magical. I recently lost my grandmother a few months prior and left a serious relationship with an ex. It really did bring me back to when I first played Ocarina of Time with my mother when I was just a child. Just the whole idea of summarizing one of the games themes with "Life goes on" left me speechless. It's so true, just having hope is enough to make me persevere through almost anything. Also the music was a bit controversial to me but hearing you go into so much depth with it changed my impression on it completely. I almost shed a tear hearing the themes and you explaining the emotional impact it has with each song. As a die hard Zelda fan for over 25 years, thank you so much for this video and all the others you have done in the past. This is seriously making my hype for Tears of the Kingdom that much more intense.
Dropping this retrospective just before the launch of TOTK is just perfection
I am genuinely happy for everyone who loves BotW and TotK. The exploration of the overworld is amazing. But what I love about Zelda is unique, creative, linear dungeon design. And nothing will ever change that for me. It breaks my heart to know that I will never again experience that feeling from future Zelda games.
whats even more frustrating is that the tools to make a great dungeon are in the game they just aren't using them properly
@@supremeleaderfrancisco9062they're being used differently not in a improper way
I listen to these videos while I make artwork and I've got to say you're my favorite youtuber when it comes to long-form content. Not only is your voice incredibly calming, you articulate each point with the perfect balance of objective observation and personal insight. There's always multiple times in each video where I think "I wonder if he'll mention this?" Only for you to say something about it less than a minute later. And lastly, the way you describe the different stories told through these games is so heartfelt and sincere that they make me tear up a bit. Thank you for your work, and I look forward to more of your videos.
I love how each champion gift is truly a special and cultivated thing. They all capture the character's most defining aspects, their strongest strengths, and inevitably, the things they weren't able to provide for Hyrule in the end. Link being bestowed these gifts kept the champions in a way.
I think my favorite is Revali's gale in that sense, because although Revali always loved holding his ability to fly over Link, he was willing to swallow his pride in the end to allow Link to take flight for the better of Hyrule.
This retrospective can do nothing more for my monkey brain than playing on my Zelda game nostalgia and getting me even more hyped for Tears of the Kingdom.
I remember vividly the experience of seeing one of the dragons for the first time. I was crossing Hyrule bridge, when I happened to see Farosh. My heart literally stopped. I was immediately filled with such a sense of terror and awe. It's a moment I don't think I'll forget ever.
my main gripe is just it doesnt have the regular dungeons like forest, water temples and that the divine beast while cool all felt too samey inside them. but there design and way to get into each was amazing as well as the story behind each one being linked (ha) to one of the other heroes while i wish we got temples i still think this game is amazing from all the innovations it has and im still incredibly excited for tears. also loved this video
i dont know why but when it hit the part where you showed off the songs on horse it just hit different this game was truly amazing and this video is not just a love letter to this game but zelda as a whole. it got me all teary eyed for a second damn it lol
I got this game on the Wii U in a time where I was going thru probably the worst moment of my life, physically and mentally. It became my escape and holds a special place in my heart. Thanks for the great video.
Firstly, this video is beautiful. I was brought to tears at least 4 times throughout its running. Secondly…
“Thigh flow ruins” is diabolical.
I can't describe with words how happy this video makes me 😍
For whatever reason, your reflection on the horse riding themes with the overlays was the most impactful part for me. Really beautiful.
as someone who didnt care for the game on release, this video still made me really emotional. everytime you talk about a game you make it feel like so much more than one. the experience, the feeling, the emotion, and the music come together so well, this was so impactful. your work paid off
It took me until my current playthrough of BotW in anticipation for TotK for me to fully appreciate and love it. As soon as I let myself relax and explore rather than get caught up in destinations, it all just clicked. This video sums up a lot of that feeling.
And honestly, if I'm only now appreciating BotW, imagine how excited I am that TotK seems to be addressing everything I wish *was* in BotW like more active story, dungeons, enemy variety, and magic.
Did you end up playing TOTK right after ? I currently got back into BOTW and while I love the game I'm worried i'll be burnt out for TOTK.
@@r3dsnow757 I did end up playing TotK right after and I really enjoyed it. I can't speak to your personal sense of whether or not you'll be burnt out or not. Take it at your own pace
Fantastic video, I'm certainly one of BOTW's harsher critics, particularly on the story as well as the puzzle and boss design. I think that the problem for me is that the game does a poor job of making me forget that I'm doing the same thing over and over again. Past Zelda games always walked a great line with the series' most repetitive elements by using a compelling narrative to motivate the player.
The lack of stakes in the world really makes the story feel flat and makes it difficult to care about the world. Calamity Gannon is nothing compared to say, Majora and the moon falling, or the destruction Ganondorf causes in OOT. Those games made me feel like my quest mattered, I never felt that way playing BOTW (even though the game is telling me I should ) even though I have played it a few times since my original run. I guess exploration for the sake of exploration just doesn't hold my attention.
Yup its mid
@@frogglen6350 I never said the other games weren't the same, I said that BOTW does a mediocre job in its execution of the story. Calamity Gannon is painted as this destructive, world-ending force but doesn't follow through on those implications. Yes, it killed the champions and put Link in a long slumber but that's not what we play in BOTW. People have lived with this thing for 100 years and yet the game expects me to believe that stopping this particular incarnation of evil is necessary. No, I just couldn't buy into any of it, I was asked to care about the champions, I didn't, I was asked to care about the citizens, I didn't, I was asked to care about exploring I didn't. Botw is the only Zelda game that I have zero emotional connection to after I played it and it's not because the game is bad, it's because there is not one memorable moment I can actively recall that makes me think “Hey I want to play this game over again. The game is honestly too understated for its own good.
Thankfully TOTK seems to be addressing all of my criticism about BOTW😊
@@frogglen6350 The theming attached to a lot of the characters is strong which makes up for the small amount of screen time a lot of them have imo. It doesn't seem like much by today's standards but I have always thought that it is waste of time to compare something from 1998 to today, what's important is that I remember all the characters from that game right down to things that they said, the only thing I remember from BOTW is Zelda and the town building sidequest that's it!
i didnt like botw even remotely its one of the worst zelda games imo
@@zacharybecker8228 Ok boomer 👌
Regarding the Divine Beasts, I think they also suffer from the issue you point out would happen if all dungeons were like Hyrule Castle.
If you took just one of them and stuck it into a game like Twilight Princess or Skyward Sword it would have been an instant hit, but when every dungeon is like this it easily get tiring and the cracks begin to show.
this came at a perfect time, i just finished breath of the wild for the first time today!
I don't think I've heard a better encapsulation of why I love Breath of the Wild so much. For me it is the only game in my adult life that has truly brought back that sense of excitement, adventure, and wonder that I experienced playing games as a child. Many of my favourite moments playing it where wandering aimlessly on a rainy day, taking a new route to a known location and galloping along the path as the sun set over Death Mountain, or just staring across Hateno Village towards snowy Lanayru Peak. And above all else, those first moments of emerging and seeing the sweep of the camera across the vast landscape, knowing you can go to everywhere you see in that vast landscape.
This is going to be incredible! I can’t imagine how much hard work this was!!
No Man's Sky also captures that sense of "do what want, go wherever you want". Although it's not as packed as some might like, the sense of endless exploration and discovery, building your own bases, nearly endless places to go, all make it something very special.
As weird as it might sound, I think the ideal Zelda game is Elden Ring but less difficult combat.
From armour, to unique weapons, more interesting “filler” content, way more enemy variety
With a bit of the Zelda flavour mixed in with more puzzles, brighter disposition, etc
Elden Ring actually made me want to explore, because the enemies I could fight were interesting, new and plentiful, the weapons and armour I could find were interesting, new and plentiful
Add some in depth quests like that found in Witcher 3 and an engaging main story like in some of the other Zelda games
Maybe I should say the ideal open-world Zelda game.
Edit: and of course big emphasis on items or item like abilities as is the case in every Zelda game
I strongly disagree with the assessment. While Elden Ring is a fantastic game on its own, outside of combat, there’s a lack of reward when and on a second to third go around, make exploring way less reward especially with the lack of means traversal and also not always wanting to fight the same enemies over and over again after chillin at a site of grace.
Not to mention outside of combat, there’s not much other ways to interact with the world outside of fetch missions.
All and all I’m glad TOTK will be nothing like Elden ring
@@R.A.M_GamesBotw had much of the same issues
Obviously i didn’t mean every single detail about Elden Ring like sights of grace
I obviously mean a Zeldafied version of Elden ring, which mad more visually interesting “mini dungeons” with unique mini bosses in them (of course being Zeldafied would have an emphasis on puzzles and combat)
Huge dungeons in the overworld like Elden Ring (which would also be Zeldafied to be more in line with Zelda dungeons)
And the open world would still be as much of a sandbox as breath of the wild
Maybe I should’ve said a mixture of Elden Ring, older Zelda games and Botw (with new things as Tears of The Kingdom is doing)
@@MasonOfLife TOTK defiantly will be the answer to that issue. Only a week away!
@@R.A.M_Games It feels surreal, I’m so excited for it
Tests of strength would’ve been fine if they had different enemies with different attacks or are different from ones you encounter in Hyrule that force you to create new strategies, maybe a lynel that can grab you or a gold bokoblin that doesn’t take damage from melee attacks or an underwater battle with a a big lizalfos or a hinox that has an eye patch but can detect you through sound. A spin on these enemies would’ve helped them.
After playing TOTK, I think the Proving Grounds go a long way in solving this problem. Each one of these shrines has a different theme to it, and ask the player to take out a group of enemies in unique ways.
Your intro really speaks to me. There were games that came into my life at some really terrible times... And somehow they lifted me up and made me strong enough to power through it. My family life was horrible when I discovered Majora's Mask and it'll always be my number one. It saved me. Nobody can ever take that away. It's the time in your life that it comes to you.
My first time playing through BotW I had no clue that if you lost your horse, you could just go to ANY stable and instantly recall it. I didn't want to go back and find it and never ended up getting another horse. Instead I ended up running and climbing around Hyrule instead the entire time, getting super familiar with how far my stamina could take me, what angle of slopes I could safely stand on to recover stamina, how to best utilize leaps and such. I also realized that 4-5 wood piles burning in close proximity creates a small updraft that I affectionately refer to as "Bootleg Revali's Gale" I massively prioritized (and to be fair I still do) having large amounts of speed enhancements on hand. It was a really interesting way to discover the world.
To this day when it rains, I know that if it's raining and I'm trying to climb, Link can pull himself up 5 times without slipping, so when I hit that 5th bit it's time for a leap to gain distance instead of losing it.
I been listening to your retrospectives at work and well…… dude I love your stuff, your a good writer, your good at narrating I actually love your windwaker retrospective. Keep up the good work man.
The way that I will click on literally every Zelda BOTW retrospective that comes out no matter how many years it's been and how long the video is 😭✋
I’ve seen a lot of introspective videos on BotW. Like an unhealthy amount. However, not a single on of them has compared to this in my eyes. The way you intertwined your own personal experiences with how you felt about the game was perfect. You were able to articulate perfectly not just why you loved the game, but why I loved it as well. I’ll definitely be rewatching this video for years to come. I’ve never watched one of your videos before, but this one just made me subscribe. Can’t wait to see what else you have in store.
This is by far the best Breath of the Wild analysis on the internet. You managed to capture in this video all that makes this game so unique. You showed that many of the elements that are often seen as flaws are an integral part of the game's philosophy, something that I have always only thought but that you managed to put into video format. A game with soul, an analysis with soul. Thank you!
Beautiful analysis as always. Breath of the Wild is already so nostalgic for me and I love revisiting what makes it so special. No matter what Tears of the Kingdom brings, this game will always hold a special place in my heart.
I'm a game developer. I like putting on long form video essays while I'm writing code and trying to fix my crap that has broken. I've come to really enjoy your videos while I work. Your positive joyful approach to games reminds me a lot of why I went into this line of work. I love games, they're beautiful wonderful art, and I wish more critics would focus on that.
The lost woods I just brute forced my way through until I started memorizing the path i didn't know it was the fire guiding you xD
Amazing video as usual my friend. Honestly one of my favorite parts was how you integrated the music into the storytelling of this video so beautifully. I feel as if BOTW's music does a lot of storytelling itself, and you did great representing that with how you displayed it throughout this video.
What I love about your videos is that you're not just going through the features and explaining the themes like a Wikipedia article, but you're explaining the emotional weight in a personal way. Love it!
Peak. Absolutely peak. Amazing work man I’m so glad you were able to finish this video. And now we wait for Tears of the Kingdom!
I always understood why the shrines were a bit weak. The team had to split its time between working with a new engine, dungeons and populating the world. I was never to bothered by the tests of strength either, even though they were repetitive. That being said, I have high expectations for the dungeons and shrines in tear of the kingdom.
Great vid as always.
Your videos are so special. There's a million video essays on RUclips, but your love and passion always shines through and makes every video you put out stand tall among the rest. Seriously amazing stuff man
easily my favourite youtuber could watch these videos for the rest of time and i wouldn’t get bored
How are your video essays so good at capturing the vibes of the games themselves. Such high quality
I cannot express how well-timed this video is for me (even though I just finished watching it the day after it was published). The English servers for a live-service game I absolutely loved ever since it was released a couple of years ago had announced its end of service about a month ago, slated for this past weekend. I, of course, was devastated by the sudden announcement, as it seemed like things were at the very least stable (introductory packs for new players, a very large update that had data on content for the next six months or so, and a very passionate fanbase both here and where it was first released). It also doesn't help that no reason for the EoS has been revealed at the time I'm writing this comment, but often times companies don't need a valid reason. I've come to terms with the fact that, like life itself, every live-service game will have to end for one reason or another, sometimes unexpectedly, and it always hurts when the plug is pulled.
The personal story of yours, one that I've also heard in your Wind Waker retrospective video, showing how you've overcome that low point in your life is what I'm trying to relate to here. Of course, the shutting down of a live-service game's English server is nowhere near as harrowing as a debilitating illness taking several years away from you. Hell, that's the last thing I'm wanting to impart with this comment. The common point between these is that life keeps going. And while you have gotten back on your feet, the intro and outro have given me additional resolve to stand up and keep on going.
Thank you, Liam.
You're quickly becoming one of my favorite game essayists. This one was quite touching; well done!
I still love listening to this, while working, or sleeping. Awesome video
Seeing how you value freedom and exploration so much I just have to ask:
Have you ever played Outer Wilds or plan to play it?
Beautiful video! You're retrospectives are always so insightful. From the game to life in general, they are always worth the watch. I found myself glued to the screen and I watched it all in one sitting. Thank you for taking the time to put this together.
Lynels were super fun to fight at first, then I realized you just could shoot them in the face then "ride them" and hit them while on their back. It doesn't cost weapon durability either. It really makes the fight trivial.
The unsung devs are the monolith soft devs using their xenoblade black magic allowing BoTW to run and look as decent as it does on the switch hardware.
Liam you’re always on point. I’m so glad you talked about the music with this one too. As a pianist it’s one of the many reasons BOTW is in my top 3 Zelda games!
The creativity of the gameplay is part of why I hold this game in such higher regard than the others. If you look at Twilight Princess. Yeah you have all these different moves, but they’re superfluous. They don’t make anything better than just mashing B, the game is designed around you being able to beat the game with just the execution move. Sure you can throw a ball and chain around, maybe stagger a bit with the Spinner or other such things, but nothing’s pushing you to do those things, because there’s no benefit to it, you’re just choosing to do something else than the easy way, which is just to mash the B-button or spin attack.
Because of the resource game, mashing B to kill enemies in botw is often the LEAST easy way to win, because enemies are rarely alone and frequently tank your hits while they wind up their own, and it wears down your weapons faster than anything. You’re encouraged to do other things, using magnesis to pick something up around you and smash enemies with it. Headshotting archer enemies, sneak attacking them for insane damage, using stasis to freeze them for free hits, knocking them off cliffs, knocking them into deep water so they drown, using electricity to disarm them and take their weapons. Parrying them to disarm them and take their weapons.
Using bombs to kill keese, chuchus and octoroks, taking advantage of airtime slow-mo to land easy headshots, using elemental arrows to instantly kill certain enemies and oh how I could go on (Tears of the Kingdom may well blow it out the water).
It’s not just about the variety of combat options (of which Botw has far far more than any other game in the series), it’s about how valuable they are! How skillful they are and how they relate to the rest of the game. You don’t always have to conserve, you can splurge when you want to, having to deal with whatever ramifications there are to doing so later, of which there will be.
In game design, when you expand the mechanics and the ways in which they relate to the game’s systems, you create dynamic gameplay. The almost sandbox like nature of these mechanics in botw, how that feeds into the challenge you face, every bit of moment to moment gameplay becomes a puzzle, a problem to solve and your freedom to solve it the way you wish is what makes the experience so incredibly investing.
Being all lento create your own solutions to problems is what sets BOTW apart from most other open world games and even Zelda games.
As a long time zelda fan, this type of gameplay philosophy is what I’ve always wanted in a Zelda game since OOT
*able
it really doesn’t matter how many times a retrospective comes out for BOTW, i have watched all of them
Man, you should do this exact same concept for Tears of the Kingdom. It's so similar yet different, almost like BOTW but from an alternative timeline or dimension with different events
It’s a rom hack lul
The amount of passion, enthusiasm and emotion you put in these videos are unlike any I’ve seen on this platform. You truly are one of the best at what you do and it’s great to see your retrospective on my favourite game!
I have never played a Zelda game before last year! I started listened to the music and I became so emotionally attached to it before I even saw the game! I finally played it and it’s become such a lovely part of my love for games :) i watched this entire thing through and it was so incredible, thank you!
On this new high from TOTK but trying to avoid spoilers… this masterpiece of an essay is a nice break and a way to stay hyped about the series without killing the magic and mystery of the new game:)
liam and kingk both uploading several hour long zelda retrospectives on the same day? splendid.
They are great RUclipsrs.
King k is garbage.
Thank you Liam for yet another beautiful retrospective, the way in which you described your experience made me want to go back and play it again, maybe I'll even complete it before TOTK comes out, thank you!!
AWWW Liam Triforce, thanks for all your hard work to doing these videos over the years ! You speak for us all ;)
i was listening to this in one ear while playing tears of the kingdom, and it quite literally felt like 30 minutes of gameplay even though it was like 2 hours. when i heard you wrapping up the video i checked the time and was flabbergasted that it was 1 AM (i started at like 10:30PM), i got so lost in playing the game and listening to this beautiful video essay, 2 hours went by like a blink. Thank you so much for this video
Am I the only one that actually hated my horse? That final fight was so anticlimactic and my stupid horse just made it all the worse
The beginning was really powerful. Great job Liam!
I'm thankful to the Lord that you recovered from such a sickness.
The world is better with you here
You know, it has been more than 5 years since this game came out, and I still discovered new things about it every time I watch someone review or play it. I knew the zora armor let you swim up waterfall, but i never even thought of using it to scale up the castle as a way to reach the end. Truly a masterpiece of a game
This was an amazing retrospective, and I love how personal you made it. While game mechanics were mentioned, the focus was the feelings that Breath of the Wild evoked. It is more than a well crafted game, it is a well crafted experience with a relevant message for all. It seems to have impacted you greatly, and has impacted many others who have played it.
I was fairly late to start playing Breath of the Wild, and even after that I had to get older to start understanding how impactful Breath of the Wild is and was. (Probably the closest I have gotten to this experience is when I played Tunic this past year.) Though it has flaws, it is a masterpiece, and will stay that way I matter what came before and what will come after.
At about 20 mins in I can already tell that this is just a 2 hour video talking about how they love the empty open world of skyrim lite.
"i was out in the middle of nowhere, going on an adventure. I didnt't have to think about anything else other then enjoying what was around me."
I have spent nearly ten years looking far another soul that put into words one of my life's favorite memories.
wasn't quite in a videogame but boy am i happy to hear there's others
I love the rewards you get for exploring: weapons that can break themselves and are number go brrrr, rupees to buy maxed armor then never again, finding the same enemies and finding new ways to kill them to get the same loot that you probably won't use and the really bad shrines
I almost turned your video off in the beginning because these retrospectives always lean towards having these eye rolling sentimental intros. I’m glad I stuck around because you’re wildly entertaining and well spoken. You got a new sub in me 💪🏻 Hope to see you in Hyrule in a few weeks
I have a large list complaints about BotW. Mostly it boils down to BotW being non LoZ like. I feel like if the game wouldve released without the LoZ label I would like it a lot more but to me it is missing the things I like most from other Zelda games.
Like?
It's the most Zelda Zelda
You perfectly nailed every problem I have with the weapon fragility system in this game. Wasn't expecting that after you said you liked it.
"Major Test of Strength" appearing on screen even started to be a moment where I just said "nope" and left the shrine immediately without participating. One Spirit Orb and one weapon from a chest stopped being worth breaking so much of my inventory and the time investment to me. These little guardians aren't even challenging once you figure out the simple patterns.
I saw a Photoshop that said "Major Test of Patience" instead and I think that's the perfect description once you hit the point where you've mastered fighting those guardians.
I love how wholesome Nintendo flagship games have remained over the decades. Growing up with LoZ, among many other games, has given me an outlet of exploration, nostalgia, and even accomplishment I wouldn't have otherwise experienced in my life. I welcomed my first, and only, child into the world last year and am so excited to introduce that same feeling of wonder to her through video games.
my absolute favorite moment in the entire game was completing the last quest given to you by kass and getting to see him reunite with his family in rito village. the village has always been my absolute favorite location in the game because of its amazing soundtrack and stellar atmosphere and finally seeing kass standing on the landing by the akh va'quot shrine with his daughters, all of them singing and playing along to the theme of the town, was so heartwarming. its made even better by the story kass tells you when you talk to him later that night once his daughters have gone to bed and the song he sings for you. gave me insane goosebumps the first time i experienced it. great video, man.
One of the only long formats I've watched start to finish and enjoyed every bit. Well done Liam.
Thank you so much, Liam.
I have heard so many people, SO many people complain about weapon durability in this game. I have, since my first playthrough, also found it to be an essential mechanic to the design philosophy of the game, and I found it keeps my experience fresh and dynamic.
Event Tide Island can be easily cheesed. Just drop all of your strongest weapons on the shore. And pick them up when the trial starts.
Unfortunately I just can’t like this game, I grew up with OoT and it’s nothing like BoTW, No major dungeons other than the 4 beasts, weapons break, damage scaler is very weird(take so much damage) and I just don’t feel the music. It’s fun to run around for a little while but that’s it, eventually it just feels empty.
@@Yohoat I think my reasoning is because in my time in botw I was doing more repetitive tasks than OoT Like the shrines or korok seeds, they weren’t my favorite. I was struggling in what to do
@@Yohoat Hyrule field is a single area in the game, you definitely don't spend 90% of your time there like in botw
I agree. BotW has a lot of content but it's all repetitive. Also finally someone else that also feels the music is lacking. Man, at some point I would avoid fights because I couldn't stand hearing the battle theme over and over and I also muted my game at times during the shrines because of it's repetitive music.
I'm halfway through the video and it made me fall in love for BOTW once more
I Love how the game very subtly and gently guides you towards Kakariko and Hateno villages. Yes there's a quest marker, but you can turn that off. Trying to go anywhere else prohibitively dangerous. Zora domain has Lizalfos which are tough and fast for new players. Otherwise blistering heat, numbing cold, persistent weather, and guardians box you in.
I just want to say I have severe anxiety and depression and your videos really help me. I love watching and listening to your commentary! Thank you so much you have no idea how much of a blessing you are ❤
The act of just wandering around, collecting, enjoying the music, is a feeling I’m not sure ANY game, even the DIRECT SEQUEL, will be able to surpass.
Literally goes out of his way to spend hours hoarding and collecting weapons...."if your running out of weapons it's a skill issue " yea , definitely not wanting to spend minutes looking for items that last seconds
Weapons are literally everywhere and you don't need to fight every baddie. It's a skill issue.
Too bad the game has about 13 unique enemies compared to twilight princess 70+. No actual boss fights, no music, no story, no dungeons, no new items to find. Good game but just not a Zelda game to me. Very much feels like a Ubisoft game to me. I think it's also a little telling every BOTW video doesn't use music from the game lol.
It always bugged me that one of my friends dismissed Breath of the Wild as 'empty', and just a lot of fields, despite playing it through. Nothing I've said has changed this, and it's frustrating, like he's willfully ignoring how packed the world is.
They might be comparing it to Witcher 3, which imo is far too dense. You can't go 40 feet without tripping over something in that game and while I never actually played past Act 2 because, god, the combat is horrendous, I ended up skipping most of the loot stuff because it's just far too much.
The rising music at the end of part two made me cry. This video brought back so many memories from playing Breath of the Wild back in 2017, when I was only 11 years old, the first game I was TRULY hyped for. I'm 18 now, just turned it exactly one week ago, and Breath of the Wild has unknowingly been one of the most formative pieces of media in my life, along with Into the Spider-Verse, Dragon Ball and My Hero Academia. I did get Tears of the Kingdom last week, and it's been amazing of course, but I haven't had that same feeling, and I haven't been playing it as much as I wish I could. When I get around to playing it again, this video will be in the back of my head, and I will appreciate every second of it.
When I first played this game, I just started watching Samurai Jack with the final season being released. I made it my goal to best roleplay the hero thrown foreword in time where Ganon's evil was law, and to find a magic sword to oppose him. From hunting boar in the woods to hiding from guardians I could never fight, it was the most fun I had in years. I wish I could go back to the past just to relive it all
Wow. What a project this must have been. The bit from about 2 hours until the end of Part 2 was very well done. A lot of this resonated strongly, and I've been putting BotW content on YT for six years. I'm very impressed.
This man does this for the love of the craft and it shows 🙏