Over 19 months ago, Game Maker Toolkit's Mark Brown undertook the gargantuan task of revisiting every major entry in The Legend Of Zelda series to investigate what made their defining features - namely those deep and challenging dungeons - so memorable. A good 13 videos later and Mark has finally come to the end of his journey (for now, at least) with the release of today's Breath Of The Wild video.
So sit back, grab a bite to eat and see how the Divine Beasts broke away from the original template Nintendo had adhered to for so long while ticking so many of the boxes true to the series' DNA. It's a fascinating watch and a must if you a) have a deep appreciate for the nuance of game design and b) have a disturbingly powerful obsession with all things Hyrulian.
Let us know what you what you think, and be sure to share some of your memories of Zelda dungeons both new and old...
[source youtube.com]
Comments 23
Hmm...
I'd have thought the tagline would've been: "Zelda's modern take on dungeons, tri-sected."
Y'know...
'Cause it's a Zelda game...
And... the Triforce is a thing.
The series as a whole is a good watch, if you have time. Really highlights the ebb and flow of game design.
Divine beasts were the weakest part of the game. The mechanic of rotating them to solve puzzles was interesting, but the novelty wore off pretty quickly.
I miss the old dungeons.
Loved playing the open world part of this game and some of the small dungeons but the divine beasts were definitely the weak point, which is a shame as I feel if they were stronger it would have been a better game then horizon zero dawn, but after playing both I feel horizon just out shines Zelda
I think the beasts get a bad wrap, I really appreciate the open-ended nature of the dungeons even if it means they can be cheesed rather easily.
It's impressive in that they made the entire dungeon a puzzle with an open-ended solution rather than simply a series of tasks required to advance.
Even though I also adore the previous Zelda dungeon template, I wouldn't be thrilled about a return to that rigid structure as in reality it just adds busywork if you can solve the puzzles quickly.
Don't you mean "dissected?"
2:53 - 3:18. Well, he summed up my dislikes perfectly - no wonder why I didn't enjoy any of those dungeons (including all five of BotW's).
"Puzzle box" dungeons that require "global thinking" have never been my strong point, hence why I've always felt it a burden to get through those types. "Lock + key" and "gauntlet" style dungeons are more me.
I loved BoTW, but the beasts need to stay in that game and the dungeons need to be brought back. The dungeons are much more sastisfying to play and beat.
I'm on my 3rd playthrough of BotW and the more I play it the more I find myself enjoying the Divine Beasts. Sure, they aren't that difficult but.....there's nothing in the game that's difficult. (Except trying to get the Knight's Bridle from the Mounted Archery Camp mini-game )
Dungeons are usually my favourite part of Zelda games. The divine beasts were okay but I did really miss the traditional style dungeons. By Skyward Sword they had become extremely cleverly designed and thematically dense so it was a shame Nintendo didn't continue the trend in Breath of the Wild.
If the next Zelda game incorporates larger, more complex (and themed!) dungeons whilst building on Breath of the Wild's foundations it would be awesome.
Sob....
I still have difficulty to play the game.
I think it's still too hard for me as Newbie of Zelda games (I got killed easily by Bokoblin) & that frustrated me.
Ah, well. I keep the games stay inside my cart case until i'm ready to play again.
Right now, i choose Portal Knights for Easy version of "Zelda" games.
Really want to play the dlc soon but did the game on Wii U and now have a switch. So sad that I can't transfer my save across 😞
*Dissected
*Appreciation
Come on, Dom. There's like one or two every article
The beast needed to lock abilities like the shrines. Revali's Gale pretty much skipped most of the beast without the need to play with the puzzle.
@Anti-Matter I also find Zelda really hard - I’m constantly lost, have no idea what I’m supposed to do next, and mid-fight I’ll either accidentally crouch, throw my weapon or my weapon will break. I’ve basically given up!
only good thing about the divine beasts were the music
Come on guys. Everything to say about this game has been said. Every valid praise, every awesome idea, everything. Highlight some other games please. Xenoblade, Mario, Splatoon, Stardew Valley, Rocket League, Fire Emblem Warriors, Enter the Gungeon... the list goes on and on. There are lots of great games on the Switch you could talk about.
I do like this guy's take on games and I am subscribed to him, I shall check this out.
Mark Brown and his series Game Makers Toolkit is amazing. He totally manages to hit the nail on the head when discovering how the game is crafted.
I'll be sad that Boss Keys is finished (for now) but excited to see where it can be taken in the future!
I second @Untempered-Link!
I love his show, the ones about mario and dkc's level design were amazing as well!
I rather enjoyed the devine beasts as a refreshing change of pace from shrines, but the shrines are really the meat and potatoes of the game. Champion's Ballad adds one additional beast and 16 Shrines to the one castle, four beasts (temples), and 120 shrines already present in the game. The 5th divine beast is not animal but machine, resembling an engine block. I won't spoil the ending but the boss, reward, and cutscene at the end of the champion's ballad was among the most satisfying boss encounters I've ever had the experience of playing, in any game series.
And the "because I can" aspect of shredding around Hyrule on a motorbike with no primary destination is awesome if a bit over the top given the mideval setting. Apples make good horse treats as well as bike fuel apparently. Don't waste rare or precious items filling the tank as they are actually less effective than more common materials.
Next up, do the trial of the sword thing...
I loved the change from dungeons to the way of the divine beats!
It was much more enjoyable
I think they created the perfect zelda game... Except for the dungeons and divine beasts. If the next zelda console title has the exploration and scale of BOTW, but with about ten cleverly designed massive themed dungeons spread out with clever bosses at the end of each (not just Ganon 5 times...), it would be the perfect video game. Let's face it, they did the shrines and smaller dungeons to appeal to the mobile aspect of the Switch.
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