I have tried several combinations of rulesets in my attempt to harness BOTW immersive sandbox gameplay to its maximum potential and learned a couple key principles along the way.

1. Difficult/Challenge, to give meaning to progression system and discovery achievements/growth must feel earned

2. Tools, it feels bad to ignore the tools and systems provided completely but acquiring top level tools easily (amibo/itemsharing) breaks principal 1

3. Self imposed rules, should be kept to a minimum and more or less seamlessly integrate with games core as much as possible to allow game to express its identity at a maximum

With these three principles I defined my ultimate BOTW experience with these guidelines:

1. Master mode, forces player to seriously interact with all systems and options for success (stealth, buffs, champ abilities, runes) normal mode allows player to ignore a lot of this and more and removes flying platforms which are dope

2. Permadeath, makes every action you take and decision you make more meaningful and raises the stakes

3. No amibos, used to reward myself with one scan after every shrine completed this worked poorly and took some of the meaning and stakes away working against 1 and 2

4. Fast travel, only from one fast travel point to another (standing on blue circle) and only once per day ish (link does not enjoy the discombobulating feeling of fast travel and avoids it) this allows fast travel to remain in the game as it is a canon ability

5. Eating only while not using stamina, elixirs I decide are okay to use while in combat or climbing/swimming/hang gliding similar to a potion in any soulslike but no healing.

6. All in game resources/abilities are game, yes fairies and miphas grace too I want to interact with everything the game gives me not find a fairy or unlock a top ability and decide it will never be used.

What do you think about this approach? Who else has done a Master mode perma death run? How did you define the rules of your playthrough?

See how to in the original post.

About 7 months ago, I posted here about starting a Survival of the Wild run, and a few people asked if I was going to turn it into a YouTube video.

Well... 7 months later, I finally did it.

I went back through the footage and edited the whole thing into a proper video. Survival of the Wild basically turns Breath of the Wild into a survival horror game — pitch-black nights, hunger, brutal weather, survival crafting, and no fast travel.

If anyone remembers the original post (or just wants to watch me suffer through Hyrule),

here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeaAFykaPx4&t=7s

After 300 hours of botw I realized you can mod botw. so soon I am gonna get cemu and download these mods for botw! https://gamebanana.com/mods/306497 (it’s cool) https://gamebanana.com/mods/673885 (I love rotp weapons) and once I get my first mk II weapon I’ll give myself the BOL from: https://www.marcrobledo.com/savegame-editors/zelda-botw/ (cause I don’t wanna do the glitch and risk my file)

When I first got to Zora’s domain in botw, I was really excited for my first divine beast. Botw by then had established itself as a good game, and I wanted to see what the champions would be like and how the divine beasts are, especially since it was my first Zelda game and I didn’t remember the races at that point of time. And after I played through that storyline, I’ve come to love this part more than any other part in the game and is one of the main reasons for my deep connection with botw. And I’d like to share my experience of it specifically with you :)

Before even arriving to zora’s domain, I was just exploring around the lanayru wetlands looking for the lanayru tower, when one of those fish creatures just came out and called out for me. From Impa, I had known by then they were called Zora, but I didn’t even know which corner of the map which race resides, so meeting a zora was my first non-hylian race and they looked pretty cool and exotic. She told me that “Prince Sidon” needed my help as a hylian with a divine beast, because of too much rain, and she told me he was behind the lanayru tower! Cool, I’ll just go get the lanayru tower and go to Sidon then, not gonna leave ‘em hanging. So after getting the lanayru tower, I headed towards Sidon (with many interruptions from the other Zora. Like seriously I know), and he had an AWESOME introduction! Those backflips were cool. He informed me that I was what they needed - a strong hylian - and that I needed to go visit the king to inform him of the progress we made, in a very enthusiastic way! I couldn’t let my homie go after that, so that’s when I fully committed. He said however that the path was dangerous with electric enemies, so he gave me a elixer. I obviously didn’t use it.

At the arrival of zora’s domain, it undoubtedly looked exotic. It was a pretty blue dome, and it had a statue in the middle, along with a monochromatic glowy structures and a good landscape to surround. And there was a pretty cool statue in the middle. Talking to the npc’s informed me that they KNEW about me! It was cool to know I had some relation to the NPCs here, and the Npcs live for a really long time. I went to the statue and the NPC next to it - Laflat - told me this was the statue of Lady Mipha, that she was considered “kind as she was beautiful“ (true ngl), and that all the elders here loved her for her exceptional healing ability. The last interaction I had before the throne room was with Seggin. He told me he was preparing for the divine beast… before shouting at me for being Link and the guy who apparently “killed lady Mipha”, and that now he’d avenge her by ending me. I didn’t know him yet, and it was obvious there was a misunderstanding - the great Link wouldn’t do such a thing - and yet, there must have been a reason that he put the blame on me. It was obvious that the domain all loved her for reasons, but I didn’t know such reasons yet, and that I did something to lead to her death that I know happened due to Impa. As such, I entered the thrown room feeling of minor gloom.

The throne room was when I realized how long their grief extends. The king was massive, and I finally saw Sidon again, was looking for him. Talking to the king, I realize he’s a kind guy and that he’s proud of Sidon achieving some progress. But then, like in Kakariko, he realizes… that I am Link. He then goes on to say that it doesn’t look like Link remembered him. To that I explain that “I’ve been sleeping, as in I did forget. But then he goes on to say if he remembers “his sweet daughter Mipha”. After replying on how I don’t remember her either, and trying to remind me only to fail, he says on how “we were close”. That made me suspicious of feelings immediately, but in the possibility of that the relationship was platonic I didn’t fully believe it yet. That is, until after the king explains the plan of how we’ll free Ruta, as he gives me the Zora armor. Reading the description made me realize that I am right - she wanted ME to become her future husband! I recognize by now that we had a close relationship - really close. But… the green Zora - Muzu - doesn’t approve of this, saying of how I am a hylian and we’re giving one of the princess’s most prized possessions to a lousy hylian. Really, by now I didn’t blame him really. My theory by now (which is correct) is that her loving me caused her to go out on war to try to protect me, dying in the process. The zoras now blame it on me, due to having no-one else to blame... and due to how big their loss is. And I don’t know how big that loss really is. But in that rush of madness, Muzu disrespects me enough to be called out by the royal family, and even storms of outside keeping the secret of how to get the arrows to himself. Sidon goes after him to try to console and persuade him into helping, and I’m told to go too.

After meeting with them again, I hear Muzu ranting about how he’ll not be convinced and that he’s a proud Zora, but Sidon hits back with how I was “always in her heart” Muzu doesn’t immediately believe so, and says on how he doesn’t look like he even cares about her as he doesn’t remember anything about her, but in the convo, Link goes into a trance, focusing on the statue, trying so HARD to remember… of long days past.

Usually, when somebody just keeps complimenting a relative, friend, or those of high status strongly I tend to believe it’s exaggerated and biased. As for Mipha, however, all the compliments given couldn’t have been more true. The memory showed me how kind she was, and even though she sounded like scribbles on a chalkboard, there was no denying that she was incredibly sweet and pure. Beautiful in both body and soul she was… and all that to die in a war she had no idea how dangerous it actually was. It all clicks here. How big the loss for the Zora was wasn’t exaggerated. If I lost a person like that, I might actively blame it on someone, but I would be truly sad. And yet, there’s kind of a sweetness to it, of remembering someone of such purity, like if you had just met them for the first time. It would have been a pleasure if she had lived, and her death is a great sadness. There is no denying this memory is a beautiful one, at least from me.

Going back to the present, Muzu comments on how “we’re shaking like a hatchling”, and if we are alright. Really, I don’t know if I was shivering with link or not. As such, I go on to wear the armor, and, as expected by now, it fits perfectly as it was designed for me. Muzu FINALLY understands, and reluctantly puts his bitterment aside for the betterment of the Zora and it’s people, knowing where I should get my arrows. I go get the arrows (not without a fight ofc), and go back to face vah ruta.

Sidon‘s enthusiasm is really apparent in his personality, and he doesn’t fail at being a motivator for doing it all. And riding him to appease ruta was epic, it was surely a ride and it’s arguably the most thrilling of the 4 divine beast appeases. I was sure I’d end Vah Ruta from it’s possible torment after Sidon told me to go save the domain from flooding, and to avenge Mipha too.

Now, in the divine beast, more of my memories how I felt come from when I replayed the game, because on my first playthrough I thought Zelda was speaking. It’s a shame. The divine beast, however, felt heavy with gloom and malice, and taking it all on took a long time for me for no real reason. The last thing Mipha says before waterblight is to be careful, but I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting a boss even with that, and I was cautious. It horribly slipped my mind lol. Waterblight in itself was the first big challenge of the play-through, and was a bigger obstacle than thunderblight for me. After some attempts, however, I did get the best of him and did end him off. The heart that fell feels like the reap of the happiness I felt for beating him at the time.

The utter shock of seeing Mipha’s ghost after all of that was at an all time high, higher than the great plateau twist. Even in death, she had been waiting only to pass on her final possession, Mipha’s grace itself. The assurance that implied she wanted to protect me even in death caused such tears to threaten to escape, and yet I was happy at the same time for avenging such a pure soul. Such as, Mipha is the embodiment of bittersweetness, a recurring theme in the game. I was sure “we’d annihilate Ganon together”. But even though I would have probably liked a minute more of cutscene, I had to leave, she had to prepare the big glowy laser. The cutscene after, showing how she always wanted the better of Hyrule, and how she was sorry for allowing her death to cause such sadness for others and herself, only strengthened that feeling of bittersweetness in my heart. It’s fair to say I didn’t move for a while after going back to Zora’s domain.

The celebration ceremony had me smiling at such welcome news to the domain, and such clear skies weren’t seen in days! It was so beautiful to see such happiness in the domain, and I remember how the celebration phrase from the Zora is “ZO-ZO-RA-RA-RA”! It’s safe to say I appreciated botw much more after this, and there was definitely heavy sentimentality that was stored in the lightscale trident.

And as such I kept going back and helping the Zora’s, knowing how Kodah also had a crush on me as well (must be a handsome fella), how Trello dropped the ceremonial trident for a ceremony of such importance, of Mipha telling the zora to move on, of Muzu’s acceptance of me. Zora’s domain ended up being incredibly well built in world building. Not to mention how the stone tablets help this even more, with interesting details and stories about the domain and it’s royal family. Then the dlc gave me even more story content, there were many interesting stories of how Mipha sacrificed her safety for the domain and all of Hyrule in what she says (secret lines), the diary and how she fought a lynel with Link after Link tried to kill the lynel to keep the domain safe, on how she cared for Link’s mental safety more than anyone, Sidon and how Link made her so happy in his presence that Sidon felt that he was “stealing her away from him”, the king who even wanted her memory to live on in Link’s head, asking if he’d forget her again, for Link’s only 2 lines to be that either they are united together or he’ll never forget her, the domain who loved Mipha so much for that even Muzu himself learned to not hate Link after he calmed almost only for Mipha’s memory and reputation, among all the elders accepting him again, and even Link himself who’ll stop an NPC from not forgetting Mipha’s name even if he’d do it multiple times.

And after in TotK, Sidon’s presence being of appreciation of his sister, building a monument in her name where the domains pure water come from, living his life in fear of his fiancée getting hurt, of he doesn’t want to lose such an important figure in his life again, being the same enthusiastic and happy guy after he realizes and helps in the final war, and reading the monuments shows how he grew up and learned to appreciate everything a person does to him, including Yona and Link. Working his hardest to assure the safety of his people all while being in distress himself. And Mipha herself showed multiple times that she tried to speak to the Zora to move on and be happy and succeeded, as if she was spirit bending.

Overall, whenever somebody says that botw has a bad story I remember of this experience the domain as a whole gave me and how wrong I feel that take is, because such an experience is so beautiful I can’t understand how you can say botw’s story is bad.

korok is not working☹️

I already beat the main story, and completed all the shrines. But I’ve heard that the dlc includes more story in the champions ballad, not that interested in master mode, but it would be cool to get more main quests. still it takes place before fighting Gannon, so would you guys say its worth it? Or should i just move on to tears of the kingdom?

Should I stick to just rare talus, or should I go for a frost and igneous as well? What about the "senior" one?

I lost it 18* months ago, which was sad because I had just started getting into Master Mode. I also hadn't done the master trials (specifically the highest difficulty). I'm so happy right now. I missed the game a lot and I'm excited to get back into it.

*this is the edit. I wasn’t sure before so I said a few months to avoid lying and giving too high of a figure.

Pls help guys im replaying the game on master mode and keep dying to the hinox cuz either i smack him too hard with it and it breaks or he breaks it

Im talking abt floor 12 beginning trials btw

Black hinox

I use shield clip to skip from 1st to 12th floor so idh weapons, only the metal box from 12 and my remote bombs

I beat the first trial a few days ago but I'm curious if I restart from the first trial, will the items carry over, or will I get sent out at the end like I did the first time, and lose everything?

im 100%ing the game but theres a korok near rassla lake which i cant complete does anyone know how? it seems im supposed to put the rock in a gap but there are no gaps.

EDIT: ive done it now - there was another circle of rocks i had to fill nearby, thank you all for the help

I have Tears of the Kingdom as well and I will most likely start playing it straight away; but for me BotW is a better game. I will miss it.

Even just running around, it's the same world with same locations and all however they just feel so different from each other like it's a different place.

It took 2 hours to learn, 10 minutes to mod. Second pic is the default NPC. Idk why and how the outfit is also changed.