Again in August final 12 months, when Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom had been within the wild for simply three months, we requested how your completion share was coming alongside. Given the scale of the sport, it was comprehensible that 37% of respondees nonetheless hadn’t crushed the ultimate boss and due to this fact nonetheless did not know their completion share.
9 months on, although, we think about that an important lots of you should have trounced Ganondaddy in an epic duel and rolled credit on 2023’s most anticipated Nintendo recreation…
Or have you ever? Chatting with the Nintendo Life crew, it appears that evidently a few of us nonetheless have not gotten round to giving TOTK’s massive dangerous a sound thrashing, even one 12 months on from launch. The sport is so huge and there is a lot else to do, we’re to know in case you ticked off Tears of the Kingdom or if it has grow to be your final back-burner recreation. Or if *whisper it* you walked away and by no means returned.
To mark the primary anniversary, we’re checking again in to see who on the crew has completed the combat and who’s nonetheless savouring the journey three hundred and sixty six days later. Spoilers inbound, clearly…
Alana Hagues, deputy editor
I imply, I suppose this is not actually truthful (on condition that I reviewed the sport) however sure, I’ve crushed Ganondorf. I beat him over a 12 months in the past. Take that, Demon King. Was it straightforward? Heck no. I had no concept what I used to be getting myself into and was woefully underprepared. This wasn’t like Breath of the Wild, which I performed a number of months after the sport had launched and there have been guides on the right way to do stuff. Nope. It is as much as me to inform folks the right way to sort out Ganondorf myself. *gulp*
So the primary time, it went… okay? I received to the second section, as an instance that a lot. However I would eaten all of my Gloom-healing meals on the way in which to the boss, with out even contemplating that Ganondorf himself may truly trigger Gloom injury and take away hearts, completely. I discovered the onerous means. However that did not cease me from dashing in for a second time, did it? Or a 3rd. It grew to become a degree of delight at that time. I’ll beat Ganondorf with out the Gloom-healing stuff.
Ultimately, I caved, and needed to go and farm Sundelions, purchase Gloom-resistant armour, and health-boosting meals, too. Primarily, I simply needed to be affected person and include the instruments. Oh, and ensure my Grasp Sword was prepared. That closing time, I managed to slice and cube my means by means of each single section.
By way of completion share, I have never actually touched the sport in about six months, so I am nonetheless within the excessive 60% vary. I really feel fairly snug in saying that I will not ever get 100% as a result of there’s simply far, far an excessive amount of to do, and the sport may lose its lustre. I’ve completed a heck of so much, and different colleagues have helped with stuff I have never been in a position to do. I am completely satisfied.
Ollie Reynolds, workers author
Oh gosh. I do know I will get a hefty dollop of backlash for this, however sure, I fell off Tears of the Kingdom as soon as once more. I actually tried with it, I swear. There’s simply one thing about it that did not hook me like Breath of the Wild and I am afraid now that I most likely will not give it one other shot.
So no, expensive reader, I’ve not crushed Ganondorf. Actually, I am going to inform you how far I received. I beat the Water Temple and the Wind Temple, and that is about it. Now, do not get me flawed, I actually took my time with it and gathered about 60-70 hours (which is considerably greater than most video games I’ve performed), however understanding now simply how far off I’m from beating the sport makes me wish to simply hold it locked away in a drawer eternally.
So, I am sorry Zelda, and I am sorry Hyrule. I merely cannot assist you to this time.
Gavin Lane, editor
I used to be by no means too nervous about spoilers for TOTK, so I resolved early on to take my candy time with it. I pottered round, snapped pics of the whole lot for the compendium, and meandered throughout the map ticking off dungeons at a sluggish and regular tempo.
Having completed all of them, I teleported to the clouds, loaded up on batteries for my plane-glider-thing, and crossed over to the fortress, coming into the chamber the place I anticipated to seek out the massive dangerous. And that is the place I hit save and have not been again since.
It is onerous to say why however I am simply in completely zero rush to ‘end’ TOTK. I’ve nonetheless received dozens of hours of exploring and aspect quests to tick off — I do not wish to understand how embarrassingly low my completion share have to be, even with “100 hours or extra” on the clock — and that is simply fantastic.
I 100%-ed Breath of the Wild simply a few weeks earlier than Tears launched, lastly discovering the one Korok that had eluded me since 2017. I am undecided I am going to monitor down each Korok this time, however I am completely satisfied to biff Ganondorf as and when the temper takes me. Or not. He’ll solely come again once more anyway.
Jim Norman, workers author
I handed The ‘Dorf a rattling good thrashing a very long time in the past now. I used to be eager to shine off the primary TOTK storyline as shortly as I might so pesky spoilers could not smash something too massive (spoiler: they nonetheless did), so I dashed by means of the entire dungeons, did a few aspect quests, after which took on the massive dangerous.
Like most different folks, I might think about, I used to be drastically underprepared for the ultimate battle on my first stab at it. I made it to Ganondorf’s meaty well being bar part (nonetheless an all-timer, in case you ask me) however the Gloom assaults received an excessive amount of and Hyperlink perished. Armed with a veritable buffet of Sundelion-based meals, my second try was a breeze. I bodily gasped at Ganondorf’s Flurry Rush. I used to be beaming through the transformation. And sure, I cried just a bit bit on the finish. It was wonderful.
To my disgrace, I have never truly spent that a lot time in Hyrule since. Each journey again has been filled with surprise and saved me for a lot of extra hours than I used to be anticipating, however I nonetheless in some way really feel like I’ve solely simply scratched the floor — and my 41.41% completion solely proves my suspicions to be right. I ought to actually return, huh? If different video games might simply push their launch dates by, like, two years, that’d be nice.
That is us, however what about you? We’re eager to listen to the way you’re getting on Hyrule. All completed and dusted? Second, third, fourth playthrough, maybe? Suppose this one will see you thru till the subsequent mainline launch? Tell us within the ballot and feedback under.
Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 earlier than becoming a member of the positioning full-time the next 12 months, rising by means of the ranks to grow to be Editor. He can at present be discovered operating from a Swap backlog the scale of Normandy.
