My Twitter: / b_mask_ My Patreon: / bmask My Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/b_mask A quick discussion of my thoughts before playing the latest Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom, concerning Breath of the Wild and the Zelda series as a whole.
I’m surprised you enjoyed your second BOTW playthrough more than your first one, since I feel like that’s the less popular take, what with the sense of exploration and discovery being so integral to the enjoyment of the first playthrough, but it’s also a take I feel very seen by. I feel that a larger degree of mastery over the world really helped to engage more deeply with what the game was trying to do, where a lot of my first playthrough was me (joyously, don’t misunderstand) ooohing and ahhhing while fumbling around with a stick.
Spot on. It was realising how I could do it that improved on the experience and made my 40 hour revisit even better than my enjoyable 60 hour original quest.
The first time I played it I moved slow and steady collecting a lot of resources on the way. The secound time I improvised more with what I had and went much faster. During my secound playthrought Boomy Zoomies were also discovered so with those and stasis launches I had even more fun breaking the game. As far as I can tell we probably won't have those in TotK so that will be strange to me. It changes how I move about the world. Even not having magnesis would be odd, but ultrahand will replace that. I also think recall and acend will be good additions that help you move about the world fast.
Where does that gag originate from? The voice sounds like mrclemps, but I'm sure it's something else, and I just didn't pick up when B-Mask started doing that.
On the subject of the comment on the current state of Nintendo games, I do think they are slowing down the more innovative takes and reimaginings on their franchises and formulas as they are preparing for their next console gen and want some big hitters for its launch, that and the fact that they relatively recently expanded their offices and workforce size. Its also reassuring that all of these experimental games (BotW, Odyssey and Kirby Forgotten Land) all have been huge critical and financial successes for their respective franchises.
I'm glad the flagship new entries have done so well _for the most part_ (even if I'm unusually un-enthused on Odyssey as a Mario fan, plus MOST of the spinoffs got back-handed for their new games thanks to the poor execution of the content rollout - Strikers 3 probably hurting the most for how it middling the roster is despite having "A++ for effort" animations that use the voice work pretty well in the end), but it drives me nuts how Nintendo's actively screwed the online and the MASSIVE back catalog of classics that haven't seen the light of day for 10 years or more: - the only collection-ish releases we've had are Mario 3D All-Stars (kneecapped by using the Shinden Edition over NTSC to axe the BLJ and other speedrunning glitches - a turnaround from Ocarina 3D - AND not using this to get more Mario out of the archives), the NES & SNES Minis and the Special Edition Game & Watches - all being kept to badly-limited releases (and thus a scalper's dream, which Nintendo and other companies NEED to stop enabling) - I'm glad Advance Wars finally got something (from WayForward's pedigree, no less!), but what about the games post- or pre-GBA? - Mother 3 precedes itself, but it still stands out as one of the most-annoying hold-outs for localization (Lucas is one of the most loved characters in Smash & they finally released the gathering-dust-for-29-years English version of Mother 1 *_for the Wii U that Nintendo failed by marketing_*, any & all excuses are stone dead as far as I can see) Sorry for rambling, I just want to see Nintendo improve in areas where the likes of Capcom & SEGA have been trying or soaring (promoting flag-bearers for flagship titles, hiring known fans for PR & official games, giving fan projects the thumbs-up and not using the banhammer or C&D so much, etc.) in the same timeframe the Switch exploded, IDK
I'd actually be pretty interested in hearing on your takes on various Zelda titles and what they offered for you, in similar vein to Liam Triforce's excellent videos on the series.
@@BMask definitely second this. Never seen any of your other videos before, but this felt like a fresh take on Zelda that I'd never seen before, and other videos on the series from you would almost certainly cement themselves among the other great Zelda RU-vidrs 😁
This is not an "open world" anymore. This is a full world adventure sandbox story fighting simulator crafting weapon cooking food puzzle jumping mining boss killing magic flying horse riding family friendly award winning pride and joy of gaming
This was a pleasant shift from every other Tears of the Kingdom video on RU-vid, desperately trying to guess at and solve everything about the game before its even been released. I'm tired of wanting to see content about the game all the while being worried about potential spoilers, correct/lucky guesses about the story or game mechanics, and especially the over the top ridiculous claims that people make about the game with absolutely nothing to back it up. I'm glad this video was a relaxing chat about what was and a mention about what could be. Here's to the wait until May 12th going by quickly and without spoilers.
I was just looking at your channel to see if you had a new video, and when I clicked back to the RU-vid homepage you had uploaded this. I...think I willed this video into existence.
I want Gwonam and Morshu so bad, man. Imagine if Beedle and Morshu have a rivalry across the land, competing for Link's business with ever increasing stakes in the goods they offer throughout the game.
From a hardware perspective, it's interesting how breath was made for wii u but got delayed so much to also launch on switch. And launcing early in the swit h life still visually being one of the most impressive switch games. Now tears of the kingdom is launching at the end of the switch life cycle, and will most likely get a port to the next console if last generation was any precedent
I'm almost perfectly aligned with your opinions on the matter. Well analyzed thoughts and with a good knowledge of the franchise permeating through the whole video. Great stuff!
I love your interpretation of the game's structure and story being a reflection of the idea to wipe the slate and reinvent the franchise. This wouldn't be the first time this happened. For example, Majora's mask and its three day mechanic reflected the game's short development cycle. The emotions of the developers are instilled into the game itself as it would for any work of art.
Honestly, I think the "rehydrated" Ganondorf is not rehydrated. I think that it is the pre-dehydratation Ganondorf, as, when you look at the background when he appears in the trailer, you can see Hebra. Intact. Without the hole that, Creating a Champion reveals, was created during the previous Calamity, ie much later than the sealing.
I played BotW the last year of high school. After that I didn’t really have time anymore to pay much attention to video games. But when I saw that gameplay demonstration, the very moment he fused the weapons I wast just instantly overcome with that old familiar feeling of pure hype. It made me go back and finish BotW which I never did despite having over 200 hours in the game and it was an absolute blast. A lot of the reason I got so excited for TotK was that they spent so long on making BotW’s engine and world, and now they’ve spent about as long on the sequel even though they’ve had the engine and world from the start. Just thinking about it like that, there’s no way it’s anything but incredible. But what has tempered my hype a little the last few days is thinking back to some other “no-brainer” things I got excited for in the Switch era. You mentioned one of them in the video: Nintendo’s output. I was so excited for the Switch’s release because consolidating development to one platform it would surely lead to more and higher quality releases. Another “no-brainer” that got my hopes up was ACNH, with the track record of New Leaf and Splatoon staying alive for years, it simply didn’t reach my expectations for an AC game even though I enjoyed what little it had to offer. That said, I really do think TotK is gonna be something special. The first game was so competently made throughout and the devs have talked at length abouthow many ideas they had and how they basically were pressed on time and staff. I get the feeling that they are their own biggest fans and that’s what instills confidence in me.
I really like your interpretation of Zelda herself in BotW being something of a metaphor for Zelda the series. I'm something of a sucker for stories that can be interpreted as metaphors for themselves or their own development. I'm sure your interpretation is going to stick around in my mind the next time I play the game. Perhaps too much thought put into a remark that took less than half a second for you to make, but I really like the RPGs Nintendo's been putting out or helping to heavily market on their platform. It feels somewhat emblematic (haha) of the shift from the Wii-era mentality, which saw a number of RPG titles not reach (or almost not reach) western shores because of how little confidence Nintendo had that they would sell. 3 Xenoblades on one console generation feels like a lot, but given that the series is Monolithsoft's flagship franchise, and they've been a key player in many of Nintendo's recent successes (being a support studio for Animal Crossing, BotW, and Splatoon), I say let them have it.
Definitely happy for the RPG fans but I grew up in an era where I saw two whacky sequels to Starfox on one console not that far apart, which was kind of emblematic of the treatment of all of Nintendo's core brands. If were gonna keep trotting them out for the smash rosters, let's justify their position a little and get some diversity in the lineup again.
@@BMask seems to me it's at least partially an issue with many of Nintendo's core studios not placing much confidence in creating new IPs outside of small eshop exclusive titles, or worse yet, experiments with new monetization models (e.g. Miitomo or Rusty's Real Deal Baseball). Fire Emblem does feel like it's hitting a saturation point, at least partially because more than one of the titles on the system are series anniversary crossovers of some kind. Speaking as an outsider, I don't think 3H merited a Warriors spinoff of it's own, with a plot that "matters to the main story" (especially when Age of Clamity had already done the same thing and showed that the plot would just be its own thing anyway). Still, while advancement is slow, it at least feels like most Nintendo franchises that still get entries are moving in a positive direction, which, looking around at other big names in the medium, is not that common. While series like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest are still going strong, one need only look at the state of long-time Halo or Gears of War fans to appreciate where the active Nintendo franchises are at the moment. Do wish they'd be more willing to take a risk with Star Fox though. Assault slapped so hard.
6:42 the director of minish cap also did skyward sword? That explains a lot. I really liked the art style and puzzle/dungeon design from both of these games and I thought the combat was really underrated to.
I always get so excited to see your perspective on anything I’m even generally interested in. It’s always something thought provoking that I never heard any one else think about
Even in just 11 minutes, your insights remain intriguing and thought-provoking, while your jokes sprinkled throughout make my smile grow bigger. I consider myself a fan of the series, but not as huge as one who’s been with it since childhood. And, I gotta be honest, aside from a few minutes of some 2D games, I’ve only played most of the 3D ones. Nevertheless, I can’t believe how much love I’ve gained for the franchise since I got Breath of the Wild at launch six years ago. Prior to that, I was introduced to the series via Smash, was blessed by the majesty of Majora and Wind Waker thanks to chuggaaconroy, and became a religious Hyrule Warriors fan, despite knowing jackshit about what was written inside the love letter. The most backwards introduction, I know, but it doesn’t change the fact that I loved Breath of the Wild because it was an open-world experience like I never felt before. Between that and the aforementioned crossovers, I had to go back in time to see the gems that had been forged prior. The results? I went into Ocarina of Time knowing that I’d be in for a more traditional Zelda formula. That prepared acceptance helped me appreciate this elder title, and it felt mostly timeless by the end. Also, it has one of my all-time favorite video game soundtracks. Majora’s Mask was a game I tried to play as a kid, but was too scared between the creepiness and the time limit. I overcame that fear a few years ago, and it became one of my favorite video games ever. Wind Waker definitely has my favorite art style, and I’m impressed that I was still able to take it seriously. I’m sure many felt the same way when it launched. The open exploration left me intrigued, but a bit bored at times. Not gonna lie, BotW may have spoiled me on that one. Oh, also, favorite ending. Twilight Princess. Odd. Despite just finishing a few weeks ago, my memory is skewed because I had to balance that one out with college work and other things, constantly putting it off as a result. I definitely enjoyed it, but aside from Midna, I can’t think of anything about it that made it jump out at me like the others. And now we’re here. Had a heaping helping of Hyrule goodness over the years, and I’m hoping that Tears of the Kingdom will be able to live up to it’s predecessors standards. I’m hyped, but I’m also cautious about anything nowadays. You can thank Mario Strikers BL and Pokémon S/V for that. I plan to put TotK to the test by replaying Breath of the Wild for my third time. Not just for the sake of hype, but to see how fresh of an experience Tears of the Kingdom will truly feel. In conclusion: YOU’RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE PIGLET MOVIE?! THAT WAS MY CHILDHOOD BUT GOD THAT MOVIE IS SO WEIRD I CANNOT WAIT!!!!
I didn't go for anything even near the definition of completion in the "preparing for TotK" master mode run I finally did. I remembered very little from my original 2019 playthrough, but I did come out of it loving the game, despite all my frustration with the yiga hideout.
I definitely enjoyed BOTW on my second play through as well! I just uploaded a video explaining my final hopes for the game. But my expectations in the video are not small in any way 😂 but it’s just fun ideas. Nice video you made!!
did genuinely enjoy this video. i think your take on the story is geniunely interesting, and im interested to hear your thoughts on the final product. i just genuinely miss the sense of progression and escalation that getting new items and a linear story provided. hopefully some semblance of that will return. i dont really need the enemies and weapons to scale skyrim style. im fine with finding an area with overpowered monsters and feeling the need to come back later. freedom is good, but too much freedom can create sameiness.
People always use the Majora's Mask example when explaining Tears of the Kingdom, but a better comparison would probably be A Link Between Worlds. That game was originally just an A Link to the Past remake for 3DS, but they managed to make something new out of the bones of the old, and from what I can tell most people absolutely loved that game.
BOTW hits my top games, I can't say where but.. I'm into the whole open world thing, and while I wanted a post-fight world too where ganon was done and we could explore a little more without the risk of death (i didnt get all of the castle explored for example) but I am beyond happy we get a sequel, I'd actually like a 3rd game with this link with a different smaller story (eg majoras mask isn't a main series game, so something like that) I can't wait for this game, don't plan on seeing the sun while i play. if I do I'll hiss at it.
I think it was knowing the lay of the land a bit better and how to have more patience with learning to observe the enemies and let the game tell me what I needed to be doing more than when I was just exploring and poking my nose into trouble. Just had a better grasp of how I needed to approach it and it was great to notice anything I'd done badly the first time in comparison.
You mentioned BOTW Zelda's arc being about pushing back against the role assigned to her to discover who she truly is... What if something similar is coming for TOTK's Ganondorf? A man who doesn't want to play the role of the villain or antagonist, but instead longs to chart his own path?
Entirely possible. I don't forsee Nintendo making Ganon a good guy based on what I've seen so far, even if twitter really wants it, but they were close with wind waker, they could come close again.
My friend, should seriously consider working with Liam Triforce Someday! That guy is not only a huge zelda fan like yourself, but also could have different takes that worth looking into. Who else?
After spending an hour scribbling out a ramble, I just wanted to say I'm curious to see what you have to say on Piglet's Big Movie (and I guess Winnie-The-Pooh in general now that the books & the IP are *_finally_* entering the Public Domain)
Just to point out that Ocarina of Time had a sense of exploration. It wasn't linear like Twilight Princess. In fact it's one of the few 3d Zeldas that lets you do dungeons out of order.
I'm going to make a quick prediction that I don't know if it's going to be true or not but hey I'm going to shoot my shot. Ganondorf is going to be the Zant of this game... And I think demise is going to take over at the end especially due to the trailer
Forget about piglet. Sonic X deserves a thoroughly thoughtful trashing for tarnishing knuckles' reputation for years to come, yet still serving as gold standard for their adaptations!
I want you to know, that I would watch this video, but I've managed to avoid Breath of the Wild spoilers up until this point and I'm not stopping now. But I offer up this humble comment to the algorithm to show that I still enjoy your videos.
@@macthemeh There's nothing to spoil really, The story takes a back seat, The setup for it happens after the tutorial The rest of the story is optional flashbacks that offer context, But do not progress the plot
Kinda a sad time. Breath of the Wild is only days away from being dethroned as the latest and greatest zelda game: a title it has held for six years. Once this releases, theres a good chance I will never go back to one of the games I go back to the most, due to totk being that same game but…more. Its, in a sense, time to lay botw to rest.
As someone who adored nuts & bolts' vehichle building but not it being tied to the Banjo IP; i'm cautiously optimistic for totk and do feel like it'll be better than botw regardless, its just to what degree thats true for me (cause I found botw to be quite mid and lacking.).
I played BOTW for the first time 2 years ago for about 90 hours. I pretty much hit the main story and did some exploration. However, I missed a ton of the game. I am now 90 minutes into my second playthrough and with around 80 shrines, 200 koroks, and 1 Divine Beast. I can officially say I have a greater appreciation for this game during my second playthrough than my first. The game was already amazing the first time, but it's truly one of the GOAT
Man even somewhat not fully thought out opinions of yours are still very fascinating to hear. As someone who never liked playing BOTW but loved hearing and seeing other people's experiences with it I'm very excited how this video will compare when Tears of the kingdom will come out.
Nuts and Bolts is hated because it removed too much of what people loved of the series. No one wants to see Kazooie have all her moves taken away and Banjo to feel useless. Breath of the Wild gives more opportunities without slaughtering the core of the series.
Do disagree that most of the Nintendo first-party lineup haven't taken similar approached to Odyssey and Breath of the Wild. IMO, the guiding philosophy was to take what worked about the series, and refine it while giving a good helping of original experimentation. New Horizons immediately comes to mind, as now you have pretty total control over not just your own house but your entire island. Metroid Dread was a return to 2D, building off of what worked best from both Prime and Samus Returns. Fire Emblem - Three Houses takes so much of what worked throughout the series, but goes for a more mature tone than Awakening or Fates had. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet (when they're not experiencing bugs) does away with the rigidity of past games' structure. You can truly go wherever and do what you want. Now, you are correct that this was far from the universal trend. Star Allies, Fire Emblem Engage, Pokemon Sword and Shield, any many others did just take another spin on the already established formula for their series. However, I would argue that might've been necessary to keep a healthy volume of new releases coming out to give the more ground-breaking titles the time/resources they needed to be so. Just my thoughts, IMO. Great video!
I agree with those choices and your reasons completely, but it's why I said a few. I was spoilt by growing up with the gamecube which not only affected every franchise- F Zero, Starfox, wario, and even introducing new franchises like pikmin for the very first time- AND going ahead with multiple iterations of each. We're still a long way off from matching that output, but I'm not of the belief that it won't happen eventually, or that steps aren't being taken towards it even now.
@@BMask Agree there. Also a GameCube kid too (lol)! I think what's stopping that level of output/experimentation on the Switch is honestly just how many more hands are needed to make games in 2023 vs 2003. It's good that Nintendo is finally re-investing in itself and building its internal teams though!
The BOTW plot, distribution of cutscenes and US voiceacting was the worst part of the game imo. I would rather have no plot than a boring series of clips treading over the same crap over and over and failing to really deepen my interest.
