#calamity storm and goop man will be there too!

[pageofheartdj]

Don’t worry, Camila. It’ll be easier with five of them xD

[grim-faux]

2 _ 24 _ A Collapsing Grave

First

 It was much harder than expected to relocate where in all the place that one bay door was situated, though it hadn’t been that far from where he first found the controls to drop the chain. Most of his travel consisted of trying to get around, while hefting the cumbersome fuse through or over obstacles, and getting stuck when he was met with a dead end. After much wandering and getting a little lost, he made it back to the shutter door and slotted the fuse into its rightful space beside the lever. With a sultry thrum, vibrant current coursed through the cables, alighting the bulbs along the frame above the bay doors. A sure sign all was in order.

 Despite all he had been through, Mono couldn’t help but bounce in place. It wasn’t quite static, not the controlled and melded electric current the Thin Man conducted with such ease. No. But it felt right. The door was alive, it would work for him.

 Hauling down the switch compelled the doors to shift, with a somber creak the shutter lifted a margin. Flint and silt drifted from the ceiling, drumming over Mono’s hat. When he released the switch, the doors descended. But slowly. Good! Nothing could crawl in. But when he was ready, he could go out.

 A last puff of the soggy draft rolled through the passage, as the shutter clinked into its crease. Everything was in order, he’s certain. It was safe to go find the Thin Man.

 Traversing through the entire factory was much easier, without the constant lurk of the Mechanic drifting among the vapor. The catwalk doesn’t extend the full length of the factory; on the floor, ruble and discarded machine parts obstructed pathways. Some disarray he has to bypass completely, while other barricades are at least traversable (without the clumsy fuse) by climbing, or scooting beneath. He doesn't recall the place being this littered with junk, but everything was already coming undone before he started. He must've remembered wrong. At one point he does recall he was very lost, but somehow in the mess, he’s at last able to return to where the first fuse was that awoke the factory.

 From there, the room he left the Thin Man in was wasn’t far away. It had been a while, maybe a day or more? Nothing was out of place, aside from the air being dry and the noises clattering out of the factory. Somewhere, one of the machine parts whistled, and the fog was more gray. It was so more different now from when he first left, he’s certain this is the same place. The body that fell from the cabinet is right where the Thin Man left it, the door was not far. He’s not lost anymore.

 Peering up at the tall door, he forgot he needed something to reach the handle. The Thin Man chose that place to stay, Mono never opened the door. He gave the area a look over, seeking a crate or something else he could drag on the grainy floor. When his search failed, he thought he might have enough energy to just pass through the solid door.

 He tried and tried, pushing at the solid panel. Even struggling to pull on his remaining energy, but failed. He moved away and gave the area another browse, walking around the side of the building where it jutted out from the wall. Some cables anchored vertically to the wall looked scalable, like storm gutters. He inched up those thick lines to a narrow protrusion that was flat and stable, just beneath a steep incline. Shuffling one way, he only found the ledge ended at the wall. Scooting in the other direction, he located a break in the cement, which he could squeeze into. The splint went deep and cut into a metal box, beyond the narrow crease the din of the factory faded out.

 This looked familiar, and promising. Light peeked in from one end, along with a sound. He could sense the diluted thrum, soft and gentle compared to the booming explosion of the factory. His ears rang with the familiar tenure.

 The vent dipped down and the opening peered upon the desk below. It wasn’t too high. Below, the Thin Man was doing something. Throwing something? Mono twisted around, then lowered his feet to the opening. He caught the edge of the flue, when the grate popped off beneath him. It’s not that high. It’s not that high.

 He let himself drop and plopped onto the desk. Not too bad. He looked up, before glancing over to the Thin Man sitting in the chair.

 “Come on in, why don’t you.” The Thin Man wound back his arm and… threw something. Another dull thunk followed.

 Mono collected himself and went to the side of the desk. It was a little harder dropping from the lesser height to the floor, but he was all right. It was nice leaning back on the chilly cinderblock wall. He still felt braised from all the running and huddling under blistering pipes. Sitting down felt so good. Quiet. Cool. Let his eyes slip shut. Dark.

 “Did you hear my message?”

 He opened one eye. “Mess-eng.” He didn’t know anything about that. Lifting his gaze a little higher, he watched the Thin Man flashed, the lights pulsing, and he appeared on the other side of the room. The picture board hanging on the wall looked sort of like an eye, but not like the warning speek. It had rings and rings with splotches of color. The Thin Man took some things stuck to it off and swept to the other side of the room.

 “Did you get that urge to explore out of your system?” He inspected one of the small, stick things, before throwing it at the not-eye.

 “Ss… n’toy?” he pondered.

 The Thin Man held up the bunch of branches, or pipes, feathers? in one hand, and tapped a finger on the tip of one. “Ah-ah. Not for children.” He threw one, hitting the not-eye. Mono didn’t get it. “Are you ready to leave? I can’t imagine you finding a stash of food in that place.”

 It would be safe to go now.

 Mono climbed to his feet and gave his coat a shake. Okay, he was good to go. The Thin Man set whatever the things were down on the desk, and went to the doorway. Mono is a little disappointed when the tall figure flashed and dissolved, like he typically does. At first Mono waited, confused. Was door to open? Follow? Is wait? Wait?

 He was back at square one. But there was the chair to the side of the room, by the tall cabinet. He hurried to grab it by the legs and hauled it across the coarse floor, back to the door. He got it close enough that he only needed to leap from the seat to snare the latch, and the panel swung open.

 Back into the choking, acrid atmosphere of the factor; heaving and chugging through its forgotten purpose.

 Mono wandered around the building for a bit, trying to find the bristling pick of the static in his nerves. It could be the factory blundered through his senses, overpowering everything and crowding out the gentle touch of the Thin Man’s aura. Or the Thin Man was just gone.

 The only way out was the bay doors. He thinks. Somewhere, he’ll catch up with the Thin Man. He’s sure.

 It’s another difficult trip from one side of the factory to the other. He almost knew the path too well by this point, and he hated that. Along the way of climbing and leaping – from chain to conveyor belt, crossing the catwalk – he did keep an eye out for the other kid. While he was on his own. The trek feels more perilous despite the absence of the Mechanic. Something about the calamity lair felt off, the steam spewing from gaskets more intense. Beneath the platform he scurried across, a gear burst loose and clanged against the trunks of the pillars below

 He… still doesn’t know what the Thin Man might do if he caught an other kid. The tall thin man stole Her, but let him chase. The man in the hat wanted company? But other kid might be scared, and that was okay, he understood. The Thin Man was scary and hard to really understand, even with share speek. The biggest thing to remember was the Thin Man is unpredictable, and there was no way to guess what he might do with an other kid.

 Even if he wanted to keep an eye out – while crawling under some squealing pipes. A good hide place, an area where he liked and other kid might like for hide too – it wouldn’t work. It wasn’t safe. He has to leave and take the Thin Man with him. But the Mechanic was tricked, the other kid is not locked up. They got a second chance. That was good.

 Where was he?

 Mono was forced into a retreat, beneath a low grate. A hose burst loose and spewed foul goop across the floor and walls, the retching had a vile noxious scent that burned his eyes and stung his nose. He nearly lost his hat in the haste to get away, before the thing could lash him with sputtering droplets.

 Somehow in his blind scrambling through the pipes, he got free without suffering injury. He squeezed from a wire cluster and looked around, uncertain of where he was. The fence to his side was crushed by a rectangular chunk of metal and ruble, but while inspecting it, he caught a dull but ominous creaking from somewhere. He was already moving before he checked overhead, then, ran faster.

 One of the shrieking pipes attached to a giant cylinder vat burst, igniting with a black ball of fog. The tendrils of a fire lashed at the breached opening of the container, and elsewhere, more screeching and explosions began rocketing throughout the depths of the machine.

 Mono got through a mostly standing portion of the fence, before wreckage from a metal beam slammed into the floor. He kept on the trail as the uproar increased by ten, the thick and sour scent of smoke burned his throat and eyes. He tugged the side of his coat up trying to stifle the intensity, and while it did help, it was a struggle to search the undergrowth of hostile tubing while keeping it set over his face.

 In his effort to find a stable pathway to crawl through (a feat that looked impossible now), he nearly missed the lash of color and heat before a patch of fire hit the cement. It was as he described it, a patch of fire. For a brief moment he stood and gaped, mesmerized as the liquid splattered across a vent and a vacant patch of the path; burning under the bidding of some caustic liquid. The flames writhed in an animated fashion, purple translucent tendrils prodding the scenery for unwary prey.

 He stumbled sideways and aimed for a set of cement steps, the only thing within sight that shouldn’t outright blow up under him. Barely on his third step, in a full dash, he’s snared roughly from behind and hoisted right off his feet. He fights immediately, clawing at the fingers locked around his waist, his legs pinwheeling at open air.

 “Ẅ̵ͅh̵̺̀a̶̳̽t̸ͅ ̴̰̂h̸͍͝a̴͍͆v̴̲̀ę̴̄ ̷̦̉y̸̱̕ọ̴̆u̸̙̽ ̶̰ḓ̶̈o̸̢͊n̸͍͘ḛ̵͝ ̵̲ṫ̶̢h̸̲̿i̶̲̅s̷̮̓ ̸͎̈t̵̓͜i̶̛͓m̵͎̾e̷͈̚?̸̰̽”

 Mono wilted when the Thin Man rotated him around to give him a glare. He didn’t do anything. It’s not his fault.

 “I̸̘̿ ̵̦͝C̶͔͊ȃ̸ͅn̸̮͋’̶͌͜t̶͈̂ ̸̥͛Ľ̶̺ẻ̸̬ḁ̸͌ṿ̷̔e̵̲͑ ̶̳̄Ỳ̶̰ö̷̞́u̵̟̽ ̸̻̋A̶̟͠l̵͇͌ŏ̵ͅn̵̞̽e̷̪͠ ̸͈͑F̸̹̓o̸̢̒r̵̻͒ ̴̩̉F̴̟̅i̶̪̓v̴̮͐ĕ̷͎—̷̹͐” The tall thin man recoiled when a collision of pipes anchored to a massive scaffolding ignited off their moorings.

 The Thin Man tucked Mono into his suit and stalled time. Carefully, he maneuvered away from the trajectory of destruction, weaving around fresh debris cast to the floor. It might have been easier to swipe aside the barrage of concrete and metal, but the entire place was coming undone. He made certain the child was secure and properly shielded, while he navigated the uproar with careful steps. The last time he attempted to manipulate the boy with his powers… it did not go well.

 Time reclaimed its turbulent droll, but he was clear before the clattering pieces scattered. Another eruption expelled a gush of hot smoke, black as ink. A spray of embers burst against the Thin Man’s hat and suit; he cringed low, coiling his arms tighter across his chest. Mono was practically soldered to his ribs and quaking, despite the inferno the place had suddenly become. Flames bloomed rampant among the conveyor belts, the once diligent trackway now rushed like water off their skeletal frames. The platform above bent and drooped, everywhere shoots of metal or rock scattered through the smog.

 “B̴͍̀e̵͍͊à̶̗r̶̭̈ ̶̰͐W̵̢͛i̶̦̊t̸̪̎h̷͔͐ ̸̮̎M̸͚̒e̴̩̕.” This would not be pleasant for the boy. It might even…. If he—

 The Thin Man teleported to the top of a stable section of scaffolding, above a network of cables stretched across the factory. The structure was already tipping before the tall figure supplied his weight, but it endured as he clicked along delicately. He kept a firm hold on Mono through his suit, and kept his other arm braced around his side. In case he needed it for an unforeseen event. Which was becoming an increasing possibility, as the sections of the factory and all its parts ruptured beneath his shoe soles. The sound of it more deafening than when the construct was alive and well. With a potent draw on his powers, dipping into an untapped pool he had not tampered with since he-himself was a small child. He tempered the drag of time and manipulated the structure, for a brief while he insured the fabric of the place wouldn't come undone. Not completely, but he would prepare for anything left amiss. The worst.

 Thick plumes bellowed through the inner workings of cables and support braces; concrete pillars blackened and chattering against the driving heat, flaked away or disintegrated. He tempered time further and braced himself, before shifting to a lower section of the floor. Solidifying his grip on the boy, and with a vague curse about the whole machination coming undone, he moved swiftly among the toppling limbs of charred metal. Faster than he had moved in many decades.

 If there was a time to bend the world to his whims, this would be it. Draw the wall to him and form a way out of this oven. However, some thought lingered in his mind, from during the time he chased Mono before the Tower. The man in the hat did not manipulate the city, to acquire his younger-self. For what reason to not? He did so, only once beyond the walls of the Signal Tower, to reach the doors and mend fractures. His powers were not omnipotent, and the stress… the boy.

 He needed a way out. An escape that didn’t end them both.

 Another structure of metal and demolished ceiling plunged to the grounds, where the Thin Man weaved along. He made a short dash and teleported beneath a collapsed portion of pipes, all appeared steady despite the chaos frolicking abundant. After shifting away to a clear area among thick red waves, he latched onto the tinge of fresh electric current. Despite the interference and broiling air, the Thin Man had a definite course.

 The static interference about his monochrome form surged, as he raised his free arm to an interlocked mishmash of pipes and gears, fused tight. With a slight tilt of his palm the ruptured sections burst apart with the same dignity and power as a tsunami crashing upon jagged sea cliff’s. Tempering time and flashing in brief bursts, he did not wait for the cinder to clear completely.

 In his mind the mantra chattered over and over, “Į̵̈ ̴̤̅Ê̶̳x̸̱͑i̶̥̇s̵̢̚ẗ̴̳́,̴̳͌ ̶̹̂T̸̼́ḧ̵̩ë̵̻ ̶̨͆B̶̥̒o̸̳͑ỵ̵̌ ̶͍̓I̵̳̿s̴͙͑ ̵̹̽Ā̶͈l̵̫͊i̵͖̓g̷̩͝ḥ̵̇ť̴̟.̸͖ Į̵̈ ̴̤̅Ê̶̳x̸̱͑i̶̥̇s̵̢̚ẗ̴̳́,̴̳͌ ̶̹̂T̸̼́ḧ̵̩ë̵̻ ̶̨͆B̶̥̒o̸̳͑ỵ̵̌ ̶͍̓I̵̳̿s̴͙͑ ̵̹̽Ā̶͈l̵̫͊i̵͖̓g̷̩͝ḥ̵̇ť̴̟.̸͖” Until it was a dull, obscure hum. Even if he didn’t know if he believed that still.

 Time insisted it must resume its correct spool of ticking, but he resisted to release it. He bided by different laws, nothing of this world could bend him. Unless he was receptive. Unless he gave in. Unless he surrendered. He resisted the typical ticking of the gnarled clock hands and threaded through a barrage of drooping metal infrastructure. He reached a mostly clean path, and with another phasing, arrived beyond the boarder of the collapsing beast. The constricting coils of the machine gave a forlorn wail at his back, while he continued his brisk stride toward that enticing draw of electricity. He followed the wall, noting a portion of gear embedded with the cinderblock, among scorched plastic, and other tidbits of ruble peppered among the brick.

 A guiding light shimmered in the smog above a tall, tattered frame. The bay door was partially demolished, its shutter slates gutted by a section of cylinder metal. With a firm temper on time and a rushed teleport, the Thin Man skipped through the passage unimpeded.

 The air outside the factory hung foggy, a thick vapor clung to the greasy, gray brick. Swells of inky clouds bellowed from the top of its roof, turning the usually gray clouds into all colors of midnight thunderheads. A vicious sizzling arose from the solid bullets smiting the brick, while another agonized howl rumbled from within those thick barriers. The place might implode yet.

 The Thin Man only paused to check his whereabouts, this location completely alien to him, the scenery unknown. A road extended from the ramp, leading from the large – traumatized – doors. An assortment of imposing buildings bordered the street, though, none offered sanctuary. He followed the motorway, only looking back to verify that the factory was not following. In all the madness of this world, it seemed a possibility. High above, a portion of the roof groaned and caved into the structure; allowing more smog and plumes of red flames to tear out.

 With his strained influence and powers withdrawn from the the imposing building, the barriers shielding the outside world from the ravaging inferno began crumpling like parched sand. More rabid flames tore loose, the solid black fumes intermixed with the tepid wash of gray showers, the watery prism unlike anything he'd ever witnessed in all his lives. As more of the factories guts dissolved beneath the unrelenting heat and weight of ruble, the fires suffocated. None of it was fast and less of it was clean, but soon, the tall thin man could make out nothing through the swelling vapors clogging the roads.

 It wasn’t until he reached an intersection in a distant alley, and came to a location he could force his way into with minimal resistance, that he risked stopping. The din of the dying factory was out of range, anything unleashed he could mitigate at this distance. The anguished cries still clawed through the sky (horrendously similar to a certain Tower), while the sky choked with a thick smear of toxic smoke. Best to stay indoors for a time.

 He forced the lock with his power and shouldered through the door. The place was musty and neglected, but it wasn’t collapsing. As for the tall thin man, he did fumble and toppled when he misjudged his footing. He did get his free hand to catch a shelf before he laid out completely, and let himself down to sit. He glared at the door, and the fortified structure slammed shut with a clack of finality.

 For a moment he sat trying to collect his wits, the airwaves buzzed as his static tinge thrummed. Hauling the child out of a collapsed skyscraper was one thing, trying to drag them both out of a ravenous bonfire was entirely different. By the Eye, he was not equipped for that. If it was him alone, the strain would be nonexistent – with the interference the child put out, conflicting despite his tampering with the transmission. He did not expect to walk away. It took everything to keep his form stable, keep the threads of static from dissolving completely into a crumpled heap.

 Then Mono would never have reached the Tower.

 Gingerly, he pried away the lapel of his suit. “M̷̬̓ǒ̸̘n̶͖͋õ̸̳?̴̼͝” The child’s breath came in wet, strained puffs. But still breathing. With Mono knitted into his dress shirt, he couldn’t decide if the child was conscious or not. “Mono?” He touched the back of his head, in all the haste and confusion, the lad's hat was lost.

 “Mmh.”

 The Thin Man let his shoulders slacken. Mostly alright, a little sooty, and whatever else before he claimed the boy. He tried to grip him, but the child was being difficult. As always. “Get out of there, you’re going to smother yourself.”

 A muffled, “Nh.”

 He looped his fingers around the child’s middle and pulled. “It’s safe. Let go.” It didn’t take much force to haul the boy loose. He held Mono firmly between his palms and gave him an intense scrutiny, checking his face and chest over for burns or cuts. The boy flailed, yowling about the indignity of it all. This valiant protest set the Thin Man more at ease, despite how close it had been.

 “You brought this on yourself. Getting corralled like that in the midst of an inferno.” He plucked at the knee, where blood soaked through the pant leg. If that was the most of his damage, then overall the child was fortunate. “What would you have done had I not come along? I don’t go looking for you, boy. You know this!”

 Mono blinked but didn’t utter a sound. The vicious trembling started up, so the Thin Man set him down. Once released of all nitpicking, the child scooted in close and nestled against his thigh. The face gawked at him, stained gray, with twin shimmering orbs, the hair all spiked and crazed. So placid and unbothered, never mind almost being broiled a few minutes ago.

 “Go do something. Find some food.” The man in the hat examined the area he had come into more clearly, and found it was shop of sorts. By a glance he couldn’t decide if provisions would still exist, but usually Stockers kept snacks available. It appeared unassuming and calm, no hostilities in the immediate vicinity. “I need to… rest a bit.” He pushed his hat down over his eyes, and leaned back onto the edge of the shelf.

 “Aam watch?” chirped the faint voice.

 “No. I am rest,” he sighed, all suffering and weary. “Entertain yourself elsewhere. This area seems safe enough.” The little hands patted his knee.

 “Watch. Aam watch’n,” the boy rasped. “S’rest. Sce'er dreem hant. Pro’tekt. M’do. Y’get’n rest. T'n ll’keep safe.”

 He fumbled for the child’s head and ruffled his hair. “Sure. Just don’t get into anymore trouble.” That request seemed too tall an order for one so small. He tipped his hat up and peered at the ash smeared face, still gazing. His frown deepened.

 At last, the child got the hint and backed away from the hand he left draped over his knee.  Mono turned and scurried off, it sounded like he headed into the inner store to forage for something.

 “Ductile little brat.” The reprieve would be temporary, no doubt he’d come to with the boy nestled on him as typical. For a while he would let the static interference scrub away his thoughts, all recollections, numb the alarming events. As soon as he could manage, he needed to leave the child somewhere and find a secluded television. That would be for a time later. The Tower would croon to him once more, but it could wait.

Next

[roninkairi]

GAME REVIEW: The Legend of Zelda- Breath of The Wild

I am kind of hard pressed in finding a good way to start off this review. I mean, I have spent the better half of the past 2 months exploring many of the various locales in Hyrule and trying very hard not to royally screw up, as well as devise ways to make rupees and gain better weapons, what series of sentences could I use to best sum up that kind of commitment to a game?

But then again, maybe I just did right now. I don’t think I could find a proper way to start off a good review without sounding either too fanboyish or pretentious. Also, to be quite fair, many of you who have been noticing certain pics I’ve put up on my Facebook and Tumblr accounts know I’m dedicated to this game. And with good reason, as it seriously is one of the best developed games ever produced for the Zelda series. Now this review is probably gonna take a bit of time for you to slog through, so pull up a chair and relax, this MAY take a while…

Initially made for the Wii-U (the one I will be reviewing here), Breath of the Wild is both the final game developed for the Wii-U and one of the launch games for the new Nintendo Switch. Graphically speaking, it seriously pushes the Wii-U, as you will see as you travel throughout the lands. From the plains of the Great Plateau and Central Hyrule, to the snowfields of the Hebra section and the vast deserts of the Wasteland, there isn’t one real ugly speck of dust out there. Well, maybe with the exception of any areas that is infected with the Malice goop, which I strongly suggest against touching. (Trust me, the stuff is like black slime in Ghostbusters—gets everywhere and is very hard to wash off…)

 As the theme of the game is reliant on the nature aspect, it seems almost organic in tone. And many of the other areas that are populated seem to borrow from certain parts of history (the developers said that the inspiration for the art came from the Jomon period of Japanese history. A quick Google search confirmed my curiousity) or are unique in itself, like the Gerudo women and their insertion of their own words for welcoming people and describing men and women respectively. In a way, it’s an interesting approach and gives the world some more personality than you may be used to. It also helps because for the most part, the primary story is simple: Link wakes up after being asleep in the Resurrection Shrine for 100 years and finds out that Ganon, or Calamity Ganon, is about to break out of his prison within Hyrule Castle, so it’s your job to go and kill him (Oh and save Zelda while you’re at it.) The bulk of the plot details are told either through flashbacks, or memories, scattered throughout the game and through journals and interactions with many other NPCs. I can understand why some people may not like the lack of a proper structured story but to be fair, most of the people that Link knew before he was put into sleep are, for lack of a better term, dead. The only handful of people still alive that remember him or personally know Link are either super old or Zora. (They have a RIDICULOUS long life here in the game and it makes a certain side mission a little…ummm…ODD.) I think though that as you make the journey all the stuff you get to do for the people you meet help to keep some semblance of a moving plot. Yeah, the people are aware of a giant Eldritch abomination that is on the loose, but they are preoccupied with other things, like getting married, treasure hunts and getting a picture of a Lynel. (Oh yeah, Lynels…I will get to those fuckers soon enough…)

By now you are probably used to the standard ways that the previous Zelda games have started out, which is a lengthy tutorial section where you learn the ins and out of combat, how the controls work and so forth. Well, not this time. Nintendo really meant it when they said this would not be the standard Zelda game; You start off in the Resurrection Shrine, get the Sheikah Slate, some clothes and a quick briefing on running and climbing, and then…that’s it. You step outside, get a beautiful opening wide shot of the area below and that’s all there is, now go follow that mysterious old man who just noticed you and is walking down the path. You want a weapon? Go find it. The Great Plateau is basically your training ground and you will learn, the HARD WAY I should stress, the ins and outs of combat, when to pick a fight and when not to and just how important it is to horde food. And once you finally get off of the Great Plateau (which itself will take a good chunk of time) the real adventure kicks in.

One of the best things about the original game was the open world aspect, where you have free reign to go out and explore the landscape. This is made very evident here in this game as well. The game is MASSIVE. Seriously. Hyrule here is supposed to be much, much bigger than the world of Skyrim and I will have to take them at their word for it seeing as I’ve yet to play Skyrim. (Yes, shocking I know, give me a break already.) There’s no one way to approach your quest. You COULD, if you wanted to, go and try to take down Ganon right away. I can tell you, after seeing Hyrule Castle later in the game, going straight from The Great Plateau to Hyrule Castle is tantamount to actual suicide. I mean in THEORY you could do it but it would be very hard and you would need to, well, NOT GET HIT. EVER.

Which brings me to the next point: the combat system. It still retains the basic controls, where we have Z targeting and shielding. But there has been quite a few changes. Instead of just a one handed sword, Link can now wield spears, bigger swords, rods and various clubs, boomerangs, halbreds and…a mop. No really, you get to use mops too. But you have to be careful, as durability on various weapons factor in; You could be wailing on a bokoblin horde with a sweet broadsword and then—you get a warning that the weapon will soon break. You are forced to constantly scrounge for weapons, bows and shields as you play. It’s an interesting way to make sure you do not rely too heavily on one weapon AND have the right tool for the right battle, but I would be a liar if I said I didn’t see the disadvantages of this at crucial moments. However, there are a couple of new methods employed now for attack and defense; the flurry, which can be activated if you manage to pull off a perfect dodge and the perfect parry, instrumental in deflecting certain attacks. The latter is very useful in a pinch especially against Guardians. Plus, it’s a good way to reduce wear on the shield. As you play further and further in the game, these skills will become not only second nature, but essential.

The foes you will face are varied too. Each type have their own unique quirks and behaviors, plus they will learn to adapt to your own tactics. If you try to lay a bomb at a bokoblin horde, one of them may have enough insight to kick it back to you. A Moblin may pick up a bokoblin and throw it at you if it lacks a suitable weapon. And then there are Lynels…

Yeah those bastards.

I do not know precisely WHY they made these one of the toughest things to fight in the game. But they are for some godforsaken reason. The Lynels, Talus, Hynox and Molduga are some of the biggest and, at times, tougher fights waiting for you out in the field. They are risky but worth the rewards they reap when you do kill them. And given that the Blood Moon in this game revives all the guys that you kill off, you will not have a shortage of battles. But if, by any chance, a Blood Moon occurs right AFTER you fight a particularly tough battle, then you’re kind of screwed, especially if you are low on food or weapons. And that’s the beauty of the combat in this game, it is simple in theory but when you actually go out there almost anything can happen. The healing system has also undergone a significant change, as you need now to eat food and elixirs in order to regain health out in battle, as opposed to the old ways of getting hearts. And they actually went out of their way to make the cooking system fun to use. You will experiment with cooking to find not only the best recipes for healing, but for gaining serious strength or defense buffs when you need it the most. Trust me, you will NEED to stock any and all ‘mighty’ ingredients.

Also, as you start to play, you may die. A LOT. Enemies can hit hard so getting the best armor will also be a priority. In previous titles, armor only really slighty changed the damage you could receive but here it is a matter of life and death. Some armor sets have idden benefits that can make exploration and combat easier. It’s also required to survive in other regions. Ever wonder how Link manages to survive being in certain places like volcanos without serious heat damage? In this game, it now is a factor. Whether it’s snow capped mountains or desert landscapes, your choice of clothes and/or elixirs can make a difference. But when it rains it can REALLY slow you down. Lightning storms also really, REALLY suck until you get the Lightning Helm.

Another real huge departure now is the dungeon system, or rather lack of. The game has only 4 main “dungeons”, or Divine Beasts, to go through (and of course, Hyrule Castle) while everything ese is now placed into Shrines hidden throughout the game, which house the Spirit Orbs you need in order to gain Heart Containers or Stamina Wheel expansions, and also weapons and treasure. Some of the Shrines just require a simple puzzle, others require more devious means of entry or survival (fear Guardian Scout IV). And even with the Sheikah Sensor just finding them is a task in itself. (Yeah, lets not even discuss Eventide Island, because that may cause some people to have fits.) It’s an interesting deviation, although some may wish to have a go at a standard Zelda dungeon. That may actually be the best way to describe the final area, Hyrule Castle. It was the only one I felt that seemed more in tune with the traditional Zelda game structure (barring the lack of compass and boss key of course.) The Divine Beast area are an interesting new way to get around this, though.

Now the soundtrack is another area I wanted to go into deeper with. You know how there is always a prevalent theme in the main field as you travel? Well…it’s not here. I mean there is music in the game, but only in certain areas and instances. When it does happen, it can go from nice and quiet to awesome in a second. Unless, of course, you are dealing with a Guardian. One second, you will be in the field, walking around and then that single piano chord plays and OH FUCK WHERE IS THAT RED LIGHT COMING FROM?!!!

There are actually quite a few musical nods to previous games (Like the Death Mountain area) along with many, MANY references to past Zelda lore. Certain islands and regions, for example, are named after many characters. You can even, if you have the right Amiibo, get gear related to past LOZ titles, such as tunics, swords, bows and even Epona herself (and Wolf Link, if you bought Twilight Princess). The side quest and other numerous things you can do are also here to help you out and keep you busy. Want more weapons or shields? Go look for Koroks! They can be almost anywhere and getting their seeds helps you to expand your inventory. (I wouldn’t go out of my way to collect all 900 of them though. Yes, you read right, 900. Just stop at 400) You can also take pictures to fill up the Hyrule Compendium, shield surf down slopes, go horseback riding, tackle an obstacle course or two, ride a fucking bear into battle—

No I did not make an error there. You can ride many different animals aside from horses. You can ride deers, elks, a moose, an undead horse, the King of The Mountains and even a bear...while it's ON FIRE.

…lets face it, this is the LEAST badass thing you will do at this point. There ‘s a LOT to do in this game. You can take your time or you could speed through it, your choice. But yeah, I’d take my time to enjoy this.

If I had to gripe about anything, it’s just this; the boss battles may be a little underwhelming. It depends though; I mean if you have the Master Sword with you when you take on any of the bosses in the Divine Beasts and Hyrule Castle then yeah, it can be quick. (Especially if you also get Ancient Arrows to even the odds.) And the final battle…I rather not give away too much, but my only reason for getting through that is the fact that at that point in the game, I had experienced so many other types of fights that when it was time to face Ganon, I pretty much knew what the hell to do at the right time, plus I had the Master Sword and beat all of the Divine Beasts first.  Also, as many have said, I think the story progression could have been done a little differently.

I wanna say that this is a complete assessment of everything this game has to offer, but it’s not as we have DLC coming later, which will add some new costumes, a Hard Mode (because apparently this game was taking it easy on us) and a new story that will be added in the fall. But from what I have played now, I can most definitely say this is one of the best games ever made, period. If you have a Wii-U this is a no brainer you get this game. If you have a Switch, yeah ditto, but make sure you charge up that bad boy because you will be playing this. A LOT.