Current Events > Wandering Hyrule searching for Shrines in BotW creates so many fun moments

(+) Yeah! (+)

I hadn't played BotW for about a year until this past week, when I picked it up again on a whim. I've mainly spent my time just trying to find the shrines I haven't already; I was at 66 spirit orbs, now I'm at 91. It's really satisfying, and probably my favorite part of the game for the ways in which it rewards your curiosity. When you start saying to yourself "I wonder if..." there is almost always a satisfying answer.

Spoilers, I guess, for a random shrine near Faron Peak. I'd reached a high point in the area and while looking around, spotted a big rock that looked out of place. The shrine sensor started beeping, so I knew I was onto something, but I couldn't seem to do anything on or with the rock.

Now, as it happens, I had received the Thunder Helm from the Gerudo chief just half an hour before then. So when my weapons started buzzing to alert me of incoming lightning, I didn't bother swapping out my metal and just let it happen. As it turns out, that is exactly the way to break that rock and reveal the shrine! It wasn't until after I completed the shrine that I noticed Kass in the area, with a riddle pertaining to that exact solution.

Tl;dr: BotW is great
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Fuck the lightning.

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You're supposed to drop a metal weapon on it and run away but that works too I guess.

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Tyranthraxus posted...

You're supposed to drop a metal weapon on it and run away but that works too I guess.

The thing about BotW is that it never cares how you solve a problem, just that you do it.
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I hate the shrines

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Antifar posted...

The thing about BotW is that it never cares how you solve a problem, just that you do it.

Yeah, I hope botw2 rewards the same creativity. I love Odyssey has a similar mentality where there can be multiple solutions to a problem.

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BloodMoon7 posted...

I hate the shrines

i hate that they replaced actual dungeons. They feel like what would be on an iOS version of zelda or something.

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yep! i love exploring and finding new things every time i play the game. ive gotten all the shrines already, but those korok seeds keep me going, my dudes

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Antifar posted...

I hadn't played BotW for about a year until this past week, when I picked it up again on a whim. I've mainly spent my time just trying to find the shrines I haven't already; I was at 66 spirit orbs, now I'm at 91. It's really satisfying, and probably my favorite part of the game for the ways in which it rewards your curiosity. When you start saying to yourself "I wonder if..." there is almost always a satisfying answer.

Spoilers, I guess, for a random shrine near Faron Peak. I'd reached a high point in the area and while looking around, spotted a big rock that looked out of place. The shrine sensor started beeping, so I knew I was onto something, but I couldn't seem to do anything on or with the rock.

Now, as it happens, I had received the Thunder Helm from the Gerudo chief just half an hour before then. So when my weapons started buzzing to alert me of incoming lightning, I didn't bother swapping out my metal and just let it happen. As it turns out, that is exactly the way to break that rock and reveal the shrine! It wasn't until after I completed the shrine that I noticed Kass in the area, with a riddle pertaining to that exact solution.

Tl;dr: BotW is great

ya-ha-ha!


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Yep. I loved it as well.

I think the enjoyment of the game depends on how much you like that sort of stuff.

I loved finding out why a certain mountain glows at night. It's great how the game is structured by rewarding your curiosity instead of guiding you with waypoints.

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Eliza-Schuyler posted...

yep! i love exploring and finding new things every time i play the game. ive gotten all the shrines already, but those korok seeds keep me going, my dudes

thanks!

twee hee

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solosnake posted...

i hate that they replaced actual dungeons. They feel like what would be on an iOS version of zelda or something.

I like the shrines but only if they had done proper dungeons as well on top of them. Hopefully we get those in the sequel.

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There are dungeons too.

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solosnake posted...

i hate that they replaced actual dungeons. They feel like what would be on an iOS version of zelda or something.

The open world was so good that the game didn't need actual dungeons. Besides, the Divine Beasts were decent and Hyrule Castle was an excellent dungeon. I want shrines to return, but I think there should be less of them. And I don't think traditional dungeons need to return, but I do want to see some variety in theming. They don't all have to be Sheikah themed or focused almost solely on puzzles. Give me a pure combat dungeon or something. And there should definitely be a few more open ones like Hyrule Castle, since that perfectly encapsulated what BOTW was all about.

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solosnake posted...

i hate that they replaced actual dungeons. They feel like what would be on an iOS version of zelda or something.

They didn't replace dungeons they just had less of them and the ones that we got were really good.

Additionally 2 shrines are really freaking large / roughly the same amount of content as the deku tree.

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The divine beasts are the dungeons

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SPE posted...

The divine beasts are the dungeons

they suck though

I mean theyre alright but they dont match up to a proper LoZ dungeon

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agreed, it's really thicc

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I love the shrine system, but if they decide to keep that approach in botw2, I hope they try to find a better balance between full sized dungeons and shrines

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Gwynevere posted...

I love the shrine system, but if they decide to keep that approach in botw2, I hope they try to find a better balance between full sized dungeons and shrines

Honestly, I think the only problem with the shrines were the amount of combat ones. Like it got old doing the same ones.

but I will say this, there is an assumption that if they didn't have those, they could have made another dungeon, but most likely, slapping some existing shrines throughout took barely any time over what a dungeon would have been.

I don't mind combat shrines, they just need greater variety, you know. Like some wave-based ones, or some harder than hard ones.

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finding and unlocking shrines was way more fun than actually completing them.

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"shrines" aren't exactly a new concept in zelda. They got special attention in BOTW but pretty much every game since and including LTTP is scattered with these hidden mini puzzle rooms where the reward is something like a piece of heart or 200 rupees.

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Oh yeah fewer combat shrines would have definitely made the system more enjoyable

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