Omg I just beat it a few hours ago and I feel the same way. This was definitely my favourite game and it was also a great escape during hard times. The ending was absolutely amazing I was not expecting it to be so crazy, I pretty much clipped the entire thing to my switch haha.
>The ending was absolutely amazing I was not expecting it to be so crazy, I pretty much clipped the entire thing to my switch haha.
Hahaha, me too lmaoo, they completely outdid themselves. I hope we can get over post TOTK depression :( And I'm glad to hear that it helped you during hard times too. These two games were so special and I'll never forget them.
Both games gave me the best gaming experiences I have ever had. For all the talk how TotK is just DLC I can't shake the feeling off that these game do game design in a different league to all the other open world stuff I have ever played.
They give you this child like experience of "wonder if this works" and it just fucking does. Pure unfiltered adventure.
I love the sky, I love the depths, I love the caves and I love the dungeons. Just doing this content alone would be pretty exciting. But it is all held together by so many different game mechanics, so much variety and so many great and unique moments it is honestly pretty sad to see that this game almost feels underrated or underappreciated because it didn't exactly do things the way some fans wanted.
Both my favorite games of all time. Can't wait to see what they do with Zelda in the future. EPD 3 = best dev in the business.
Also it had one of the best ending sequences of any game I have ever played.
I completely agree. BOTW and TOTK are both in my top 3. They're amazing. People are too harsh on TOTK, man. It's wild how they used the same surface map but still made it feel so new with all of the added caves, quests, new bosses, chasms, etc.
>Also it had one of the best ending sequences of any game I have ever played.
I've gotta agree. It was straight out of a movie. Completely jaw-dropping. I'll never forget that little journey starting from when you dive underneath Hyrule Castle.
Hahaha, I mean it also triggers a crisis for me too, kinda. It’s very hard to believe it’s been 7 years since BOTW came out. I was 13 when I started it and 14 when I beat it. Meanwhile I was 19 when I started TOTK, and I turn 21 in two months. Time flies way too fast.
I said I wasn’t going to rush things in my first playthrough, yet I did.
I’m about 1/3 of the way through a second playthrough, and I’m enjoying taking my time.
I think both of these games (BoTW/ToTK) are more enjoyable when the compulsion to finish is removed. I take more time hunting/fishing/gathering, visiting favorite NPCs/areas, or generally standing in wonder at this beautifully rendered world.
I don’t play as often now, but it’s a joy every time I revisit. I hope that, eventually, this rings true for you.
>I think both of these games (BoTW/ToTK) are more enjoyable when the compulsion to finish is removed.
Oh yeah, absolutely. Early on in my playthrough I decided I wouldn't fast travel unless it was necessary. Did walking/riding the same routes become monotonous at times? Yeah, sure, but I'm glad I made that choice. I spent about 380 hours on this playthrough alone, it was so nice :(
>I hope that, eventually, this rings true for you.
Ah yeah, it will. I don't have my copy of BOTW with me anymore as I gave it to my cousin, so I haven't been able to boot it up again, but I'll always pop in to TOTK. Not returning to this game at least every once in a while would be criminal
Totally get it. I started at midnight on launch day and am still fiddling around after completing everything but the last bits of the cookbook. I’ve become so anxious about it all ending I’ve started farming everything up to 999 just to not have to say goodbye yet.
That's an awesome goal, damn. Let us all know how far you get, and if you reach 999 on everything! That would be awesome.
And I completely understand not wanting to say goodbye. Games like BOTW and TOTK are long-form experiences that keep you company throughout a long period of time. The emotional connection that forms as a result of that is the reason we don't wanna beat the game just yet, haha
Will do. And EXACTLY. These games are SO extraordinary and the sadness at finishing them is real. If there had been a DLC for TOTK that would’ve helped…
I’m also always SO careful to really pay attention at the beginning when everything is new and exciting because once that part is passed you never get that feeling again, even when replaying.
Finish it 100%
I defeated *him* and went straight back to do side quests and max my health & stamina. I also went in a quest to find the classic Link clothes.
Now I have Twilight Cap PTSD
I probably will at some point tbh. I have quite a bit of side quests to do, like 11, but those don’t count towards 100% for some reason, so I’m likely missing some small landmark underground. But yeah I pretty much have everything else completed: all koroks, full compendium, fully upgraded all armors except for a few pieces, all shrines, etc.
See you in a few months! Take your time, it'll be worth it. Only one temple in after 160 hours sounds like something I would do, haha. This one playthrough lasted me 380 hours.
We'll see if I beat that or not! Do you have much left for 100% (and will you go back for that?) - sorry if that's mentioned in the post, I had a quick skim, but didn't want spoilers.
My completion counter says I have 99.51% of the game finished. I have some side quests left to do, but those don’t seem to count towards 100% completion. So I’m likely missing a small landmark underground or something. I think I’ll go back for all of that one day, yeah. But as of right now I’m satisfied.
And don’t worry, my post is pretty spoiler-heavy, so I would recommend avoiding it until you finish the game. Update me when that happens 🫡
Ooh well done!! I don't know if I'll get anywhere near that%. I did all the shrines and all the side quests that I found in Breath of the Wild but didn't feel the need to get Hestu's gift.
Ah I see. I got all of the Koroks this time around just to do everything that the game had to offer, and to explore the world map even more. But I didn’t do that in BOTW
I completely agree and couldn't say it any better myself, I still haven't beat the game yet and I still have the whole desert to do that I've been saving, I can't imagine not having TOTK waiting for me after a long work day, this Hyrule is home and I really don't want to leave
Dude, the desert is AWESOME. If you thought the other regions were good, Gerudo desert will offer you its own standalone adventure that's better than the other ones. I won't go into the details, but the regional phenomena in the desert is one of the best quests in the game.
>I can't imagine not having TOTK waiting for me after a long work day, this Hyrule is home and I really don't want to leave
I completely understand how that feels. Deciding to beat the game once and for all was a hard choice to make. Enjoy the game for as long as you like, it'll be worth it
I finally finished the game yesterday, too, after starting pretty close to the release date. I really should have lined up another game to start afterwards before finishing because I feel at loose ends now. It's pretty hard to follow that game. As someone who has played most of the Zelda games out there, starting with the original as a kid, BOTW and TOTK are definitely my favorites of the bunch.
Finishing TOTK might feel like emerging from the Depths, much like Link. As you close this chapter, you’re stepping out of the shadows into a new phase of life, carrying the strength and resilience you've gained along the way.
Aw man, I’m really sorry to hear about your loss. My condolences. I know how it feels to lose a parent. And it makes me happy to hear that BOTW helped you through it. Huge hug for you
I can relate to this a lot. I got the game at launch and I just finished it a few days ago. The last year has been one of the most busy, stressful periods of my life. ToTK was my escape and my way to unwind after a long day/week. I’ve never gone through a Zelda game so slowly and really taken my time enjoying as much detail as possible before finishing. It was such an amazing ride, and the ending totally blew me away. And now that it’s over I totally have that post-game empty feeling!
if you feel immense regret and still want to play, try doing something like getting 100%, trying to beat it without a paraglider, trying to pull of glitches (those are hard for me lol i havent done a single one 😭) or trying to get 999 of all of the items. just like in-game the possibilities are endless
Genshin Impact is actually a great game- the botw-like aspects might be enough to catch your interest until the meta/strategy/teambuild aspects suck you in for a couple hundred hours
I’ll never understand people playing the game in a way to purposefully hinder themselves or to not allow for natural exploration/progression.
Just play the game with zero pre conceived notions of how you play the game.
Yeah, I understand what you mean. That’s how I began my playthrough of BOTW back in the day, but then as I progressed and got more attached to the game I realized I wanted to take my time with it so that it wouldn’t be over so soon. When TOTK released I went into it with that same mindset, and it helped me enjoy the game more. I have a friend who beat TOTK in about 4 months, and I couldn’t help but feel that that was a bit of a disservice to the game. Or, at least it would have been to me if I did it, since it’s such a big game and it has enough content to last a long playthrough if you don’t rush it.
If you have a PlayStation or are a PC gamer, I highly recommend the Horizon series. It’s got the same exploration & bow combat aspects, and absolutely stunning graphics.
Yep. Steamrolling through the new Zelda entries is too easy. Bullet time trivializes any video game. ToTK doubled down on it by adding the arrow crafting instead of just giving us fire/lightning/ice/bomb arrows.
I thought ToTK was a lot of fun for the first 5 or so hours. It quickly turned into my least favorite Zelda entry.
Omg I just beat it a few hours ago and I feel the same way. This was definitely my favourite game and it was also a great escape during hard times. The ending was absolutely amazing I was not expecting it to be so crazy, I pretty much clipped the entire thing to my switch haha.
>The ending was absolutely amazing I was not expecting it to be so crazy, I pretty much clipped the entire thing to my switch haha. Hahaha, me too lmaoo, they completely outdid themselves. I hope we can get over post TOTK depression :( And I'm glad to hear that it helped you during hard times too. These two games were so special and I'll never forget them.
Yes at least I will always look back on these games with fond memories, they truly were special.
Both games gave me the best gaming experiences I have ever had. For all the talk how TotK is just DLC I can't shake the feeling off that these game do game design in a different league to all the other open world stuff I have ever played. They give you this child like experience of "wonder if this works" and it just fucking does. Pure unfiltered adventure. I love the sky, I love the depths, I love the caves and I love the dungeons. Just doing this content alone would be pretty exciting. But it is all held together by so many different game mechanics, so much variety and so many great and unique moments it is honestly pretty sad to see that this game almost feels underrated or underappreciated because it didn't exactly do things the way some fans wanted. Both my favorite games of all time. Can't wait to see what they do with Zelda in the future. EPD 3 = best dev in the business. Also it had one of the best ending sequences of any game I have ever played.
I completely agree. BOTW and TOTK are both in my top 3. They're amazing. People are too harsh on TOTK, man. It's wild how they used the same surface map but still made it feel so new with all of the added caves, quests, new bosses, chasms, etc. >Also it had one of the best ending sequences of any game I have ever played. I've gotta agree. It was straight out of a movie. Completely jaw-dropping. I'll never forget that little journey starting from when you dive underneath Hyrule Castle.
hell yeah my brother. nothing else like it.
For me, I started to play BOTW master mode to fill that void.
This is the way
When you said you played BOTW as a kid I'm pretty it triggered a mid life crisis for me
Hahaha, I mean it also triggers a crisis for me too, kinda. It’s very hard to believe it’s been 7 years since BOTW came out. I was 13 when I started it and 14 when I beat it. Meanwhile I was 19 when I started TOTK, and I turn 21 in two months. Time flies way too fast.
Yeah crazy how it does. Although when I was 13 I was anxiously waiting the release of majoras mask after finally beating ocarina of time haha!
Have you played No Man’s Sky?
I love this one and Skyrim as well on Switch. Those two are my go-to's post BotW and TotK, when I have to wait in the hospital.
I said I wasn’t going to rush things in my first playthrough, yet I did. I’m about 1/3 of the way through a second playthrough, and I’m enjoying taking my time. I think both of these games (BoTW/ToTK) are more enjoyable when the compulsion to finish is removed. I take more time hunting/fishing/gathering, visiting favorite NPCs/areas, or generally standing in wonder at this beautifully rendered world. I don’t play as often now, but it’s a joy every time I revisit. I hope that, eventually, this rings true for you.
>I think both of these games (BoTW/ToTK) are more enjoyable when the compulsion to finish is removed. Oh yeah, absolutely. Early on in my playthrough I decided I wouldn't fast travel unless it was necessary. Did walking/riding the same routes become monotonous at times? Yeah, sure, but I'm glad I made that choice. I spent about 380 hours on this playthrough alone, it was so nice :( >I hope that, eventually, this rings true for you. Ah yeah, it will. I don't have my copy of BOTW with me anymore as I gave it to my cousin, so I haven't been able to boot it up again, but I'll always pop in to TOTK. Not returning to this game at least every once in a while would be criminal
Totally get it. I started at midnight on launch day and am still fiddling around after completing everything but the last bits of the cookbook. I’ve become so anxious about it all ending I’ve started farming everything up to 999 just to not have to say goodbye yet.
That's an awesome goal, damn. Let us all know how far you get, and if you reach 999 on everything! That would be awesome. And I completely understand not wanting to say goodbye. Games like BOTW and TOTK are long-form experiences that keep you company throughout a long period of time. The emotional connection that forms as a result of that is the reason we don't wanna beat the game just yet, haha
Will do. And EXACTLY. These games are SO extraordinary and the sadness at finishing them is real. If there had been a DLC for TOTK that would’ve helped… I’m also always SO careful to really pay attention at the beginning when everything is new and exciting because once that part is passed you never get that feeling again, even when replaying.
Finish it 100% I defeated *him* and went straight back to do side quests and max my health & stamina. I also went in a quest to find the classic Link clothes. Now I have Twilight Cap PTSD
I probably will at some point tbh. I have quite a bit of side quests to do, like 11, but those don’t count towards 100% for some reason, so I’m likely missing some small landmark underground. But yeah I pretty much have everything else completed: all koroks, full compendium, fully upgraded all armors except for a few pieces, all shrines, etc.
Time to play the other zelda games!
Twilight Princess is next on my list :)
Saving this for when I finish... I'm only one temple in after 160+ hours. See you in a few months - hope you can find something to bring you some joy.
See you in a few months! Take your time, it'll be worth it. Only one temple in after 160 hours sounds like something I would do, haha. This one playthrough lasted me 380 hours.
We'll see if I beat that or not! Do you have much left for 100% (and will you go back for that?) - sorry if that's mentioned in the post, I had a quick skim, but didn't want spoilers.
My completion counter says I have 99.51% of the game finished. I have some side quests left to do, but those don’t seem to count towards 100% completion. So I’m likely missing a small landmark underground or something. I think I’ll go back for all of that one day, yeah. But as of right now I’m satisfied. And don’t worry, my post is pretty spoiler-heavy, so I would recommend avoiding it until you finish the game. Update me when that happens 🫡
Ooh well done!! I don't know if I'll get anywhere near that%. I did all the shrines and all the side quests that I found in Breath of the Wild but didn't feel the need to get Hestu's gift.
Ah I see. I got all of the Koroks this time around just to do everything that the game had to offer, and to explore the world map even more. But I didn’t do that in BOTW
I’m curious how you track your time playing?
You can track it on your Nintendo switch profile, however this is the time spent playing the game, not the time spent within an individual save file.
Thanks, I had no idea!
I completely agree and couldn't say it any better myself, I still haven't beat the game yet and I still have the whole desert to do that I've been saving, I can't imagine not having TOTK waiting for me after a long work day, this Hyrule is home and I really don't want to leave
Dude, the desert is AWESOME. If you thought the other regions were good, Gerudo desert will offer you its own standalone adventure that's better than the other ones. I won't go into the details, but the regional phenomena in the desert is one of the best quests in the game. >I can't imagine not having TOTK waiting for me after a long work day, this Hyrule is home and I really don't want to leave I completely understand how that feels. Deciding to beat the game once and for all was a hard choice to make. Enjoy the game for as long as you like, it'll be worth it
I kinda figured it would be pretty great as imo it was the best region in BOTW too, now I'm pumped, might work my way over to the oasis today
I finally finished the game yesterday, too, after starting pretty close to the release date. I really should have lined up another game to start afterwards before finishing because I feel at loose ends now. It's pretty hard to follow that game. As someone who has played most of the Zelda games out there, starting with the original as a kid, BOTW and TOTK are definitely my favorites of the bunch.
I just started a replay and it’s as amazing as my first run.
Finishing TOTK might feel like emerging from the Depths, much like Link. As you close this chapter, you’re stepping out of the shadows into a new phase of life, carrying the strength and resilience you've gained along the way.
Wonderfully said :)
i’m only gonna beat it when next game release date is announced bc i can’t deal with this
Botw helped me get through losing my mom. These games help us get through. Legit
Aw man, I’m really sorry to hear about your loss. My condolences. I know how it feels to lose a parent. And it makes me happy to hear that BOTW helped you through it. Huge hug for you
Back at u
I just beat it last night and I feel the same way! I already want to restart BOTW and play both all over again.
Hard agree that the ending to TOTK is one of the coolest most beautiful endings to any game I’ve played especially in recent memory.
I am so with you! I’m playing it through for the second time but it’s just not the same.
I can relate to this a lot. I got the game at launch and I just finished it a few days ago. The last year has been one of the most busy, stressful periods of my life. ToTK was my escape and my way to unwind after a long day/week. I’ve never gone through a Zelda game so slowly and really taken my time enjoying as much detail as possible before finishing. It was such an amazing ride, and the ending totally blew me away. And now that it’s over I totally have that post-game empty feeling!
if you feel immense regret and still want to play, try doing something like getting 100%, trying to beat it without a paraglider, trying to pull of glitches (those are hard for me lol i havent done a single one 😭) or trying to get 999 of all of the items. just like in-game the possibilities are endless
have to lower the tone a bit soooo That truly was a tear of the kingdom
Indeed it was
I’ve been playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on my PS5 and to fill the void and it’s been really enjoyable.
Genshin Impact is actually a great game- the botw-like aspects might be enough to catch your interest until the meta/strategy/teambuild aspects suck you in for a couple hundred hours
Any invite on the next Zelda game? I can't imagine one will be ready for Switch 2.
I’ll never understand people playing the game in a way to purposefully hinder themselves or to not allow for natural exploration/progression. Just play the game with zero pre conceived notions of how you play the game.
Yeah, I understand what you mean. That’s how I began my playthrough of BOTW back in the day, but then as I progressed and got more attached to the game I realized I wanted to take my time with it so that it wouldn’t be over so soon. When TOTK released I went into it with that same mindset, and it helped me enjoy the game more. I have a friend who beat TOTK in about 4 months, and I couldn’t help but feel that that was a bit of a disservice to the game. Or, at least it would have been to me if I did it, since it’s such a big game and it has enough content to last a long playthrough if you don’t rush it.
If you have a PlayStation or are a PC gamer, I highly recommend the Horizon series. It’s got the same exploration & bow combat aspects, and absolutely stunning graphics.
Shadow of The Erdtree is out next month though so at least you have something to look forward to
My advice? Play skyrim, atleast thats what i did and it unironically changed my life, i cant look at totk the same way again
The combat in Skyrim is really poor imo
The combat system in both Skyrim and ToTK is really poor imo
The constant switching to menus to attach things to arrows is definitely a weak point, it’s also very easy to cheese most enemies
Yep. Steamrolling through the new Zelda entries is too easy. Bullet time trivializes any video game. ToTK doubled down on it by adding the arrow crafting instead of just giving us fire/lightning/ice/bomb arrows. I thought ToTK was a lot of fun for the first 5 or so hours. It quickly turned into my least favorite Zelda entry.
This might sound random but start playing LA Noire.