Zelda: Eventide Island in BOTW is one of Nintendo’s best pranks

Eventide Island is a showcase of Nintendo’s sharp and clever design

• by
  
  Cameron Faulkner
  

• on March 31, 2023 9:16 AM

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild It contains 120 shrines dotted across each section of Hyrule, many of them outdoors, exposed to the elements on hilltops or reclining in a quiet valley. But some of them are completely hidden, waiting for you to complete the mission or puzzle before they get out of the ground.

In the year 2023, Polygon embarks on the Zeldathon. Join us on our journey through The Legend of Zelda series, from the original 1986 game to the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and beyond.

during reboot Breath of the Wild during the waiting period The Legend of Zelda: Kingdom’s TearsRecently, I did another run at Korgu Chideh Shrine. In order to get to it, I had to travel to the island of Eventide and go through one of the most difficult quest lines in an open world game. It’s commendable in terms of level design, but it also showcases Nintendo’s quirky sense of humor at times – and it can be downright annoying to deal with if you’re not prepared. It’s a bombastic, Hitman-esque level where the odds are stacked tightly against you, and it’s amazing.

It is far enough away to seem inaccessible.

Photo: Nintendo via Polygon

Eventide Island is not easy to get to. It’s an empty spot along the southeast coast of the game’s giant map, and unless you’ve heard of it through word of mouth, you probably won’t have stumbled upon it unless you explore it out of curiosity alone. You can fly there via Link’s glider (although this takes a lot of stamina) or use a raft. You can’t escape easily either; The only way to leave is to swim all the way back to the mainland – that is, unless you are very creative.

Upon landing on the island, the mission rules will appear on the screen: Move three orbs to different locations to win. Simple enough. But there are some extreme conditions: the game takes away your weapons, shields, shields, food, and all other supplements. You will have to find new equipment on the island. To make things even more difficult, the mission disables the ability to save your game, so you’ll lose everything (again) if you die.

You will definitely feel the breath of wildness on Eventide Island without any clothes on.

Photo: Nintendo via Polygon

It seems unfair at first, though, as you have a Sheikah Slate and runes – the bag of tricks you got at the start of the game. So, you can blow things up with bombs, create ice platforms in the water with Cryonis, temporarily lock enemies and obstacles in place with Stasis, and teleport magnetic objects with Magnesis. This means that this could be an especially difficult task if you feel more comfortable fighting with biodegradable weapons than reusable Link runes.

Overcoming each group of enemies requires a strong fist for each one of them Breath of the WildGame mechanics – especially stealth, luring enemies into traps, and being extremely accurate with crossbows and bombs. You need to learn how to get the most damage with inferior weapons that will break quickly, knock out a few mediocre enemies, deliver serious headshots, cause distractions, and above all, use the environment to your advantage.

Depending on your skill level, going through Eventide Island can take several hours and replays. With each new attempt at this semi-glittering experience, your gear will disappear, but your knowledge of the island’s layout will remain. I’m not going to claim that knowledge alone will help you win; You’ll likely have at least one hot moment for the player when dealing with some jittery physics, or when massive enemies hurtle in the way of the orb. However, getting to the shrine at the end is one of the most rewarding moments Breath of the Wild He has to show.

I’ll admit it: I molded this chinoc cheese by throwing bombs at it from a bench. You gotta do what you gotta do!

Photo: Nintendo via Polygon

It’s been about six years since I first made my way to Eventide Island, and my appreciation for its design only grows. It’s a fun yet torturous sandbox where Breath of the WildSeveral game systems operate in Symphony. Most of all, I like the way this mission plays out the game’s relationship to the player, as if you’re saying, “If you fly over here, and act independent and curious, we’ll let you do it. Just know you might get your ass in the process – Until the moment you win.”

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