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Links Awakening is full of unnecessarily obtuse and frustrating puzzles
- Thread starter Vire
- Start date
It's an opinion about a video game that OP isn't alone in sharing. No one's wrong or right. Get over yourself.
Yeah I do remember having some issues with these games.
But they are wrong?
The "bush" they're complaining about is extremely telegraphed, not to mention that the game rewards you cutting down bushes with money and health so it's a reasonable assumption for the player to do it.
The trading quest is literally "talk to NPCs, have a functioning memory."
Nobody is treating anybody like a pariah except for you calling people manchildren for daring to disagree with the OP's bad takes.
Nah OP is wrong and if you agree with their criticism you are also wrong.
It's a ridiculously easy game and the phone house makes it even easier.
That said, the puzzle with throwing the chess piece is bullshit, especially in the original game.
That said, the puzzle with throwing the chess piece is bullshit, especially in the original game.
I think most of the 2D Zelda games are designed to slow progress a bit. Encourages exploration etc;
This. LA has already received 2 handholding coats of paint, each with extra hints and/or visual cues first the GBC version now the Switch, it definitely doesn't need a third one. yeah no shit ALBTW's puzzles are easier, this is from the time when Nintendo still believed players were intelligent/motivated enough to solve actual puzzles on their own and the best Zeldas were made (this, ALTTP and Majora's).
Though I agree the bush thing is slightly bullshit, seriously, there's a river and you need to cross to the other side, is it really that outrageous to have to search for an underground pass everywhere along the side of the river you're on?
User Banned (3 Days): Hostility
It's not "bad takes" they just don't like the fucking game but the manchild brigade has to come in and self satisfyingly jerk themselves for being able to beat Zelda before they stopped shitting their pants.
It's a goddamn video game but the moment you people have an in you pull this weird ass nerd superiority complex, and it is fucking ridiculous.
I didn't have much trouble, but I do have 19/6 year old memories of playing the original to help a bit.
The only thing I really had trouble with was finding that one bush to reveal stairs, yes... but that bush was standing alone, on the same screen as the exit stairs directly on the other side of a gap. So I felt like that one was on me for looking around the entire area so much and not noticing that, hah. And I found a lot of stuff elsewhere in the process of aimlessly wandering around due to missing that, so it wasn't that frustrating.
Similarly it took me a little to realize how to open certain doors in one dungeon, but I also kept playing it incredibly late at night, so... Otherwise, the hint systems (the phone and owl statues) are pretty direct most of the time. And anything you need to cut or dig is often are made to suspiciously stand out from other bushes/spots, with markings on the ground or a weird arrangement of things around them.
The only thing I really had trouble with was finding that one bush to reveal stairs, yes... but that bush was standing alone, on the same screen as the exit stairs directly on the other side of a gap. So I felt like that one was on me for looking around the entire area so much and not noticing that, hah. And I found a lot of stuff elsewhere in the process of aimlessly wandering around due to missing that, so it wasn't that frustrating.
Similarly it took me a little to realize how to open certain doors in one dungeon, but I also kept playing it incredibly late at night, so... Otherwise, the hint systems (the phone and owl statues) are pretty direct most of the time. And anything you need to cut or dig is often are made to suspiciously stand out from other bushes/spots, with markings on the ground or a weird arrangement of things around them.
No? The bush is very much not telegraphed and being expected to slash every bush in the game to progress is some ridiculous expectation you have there
The NPC quest isnt "difficult", but it is ridiculously long winded and takes a lot of effort that not everyone has the patience to engage with when there is little direction other than talking to every npc you see (especially when they move). As well as not having any discernment for what the questline is supposed to accomplish.
They are not wrong.
???
I just listed two Zelda games that I enjoyed!
Yeah, you're right. The series was always full of this stuff. I wish there were less of it as time went on though.
Nobody was "acting like gigantic fucking tools" until you came in here and called everybody who dared call the OP wrong "disappointments to their parents."
I think that's the key to it. The game feels like it's built around curious exploration, to where you're already going around cutting the bushes you can find, talking to people to find out what they might need, going into caves to see if there's treasure. I can't really say if it's fine or not, since I've been familiar with the game since I was a kid, practically before I could remember. I'm sure I got frustrated back then, but those feelings are long gone. No doubt an entirely different experience from playing it fresh as an adult.
Back then, it wasn't like I was playing the game just to finish it and go to the next game. Everything was intrinsically rewarding, because I hadn't already seen the same patterns and idea in video games and the world thousands of times. That's the difference maybe, and it think it relates back to your point. With limited time, there's more focus on progress. As an experienced player, you recognize quickly when things aren't really worthwhile or rewarding. When the focus is on progress, exploration becomes a frustration instead of a joy maybe? Not to defend obscure solutions too much - I know if I played Zelda 1 without a guide for the first time today, I'd be so mad trying to find level 8 - but I think it does work out well for some.
It doesn't bother me with Zelda, but I feel like plenty of games get to me like that. My issue isn't as much time, but more like 'why do I care?'. If I'm not super invested in a particular game, I'll definitely just want it to tell me where to go.
OP
OP
Ah man this thread has been a good laugh.
Apparently my intelligence isn't high enough to play Zelda. Also my opinion that puzzles are obtuse has been imperically proven by science that I am factually incorrect.
The superiority complex of basement dwellers in this thread is hilarious. Congratulations you beat a video game, you should be proud of your accomplishment.
Really? Enjoy your game, I'm not stopping you from doing so.
Apparently my intelligence isn't high enough to play Zelda. Also my opinion that puzzles are obtuse has been imperically proven by science that I am factually incorrect.
The superiority complex of basement dwellers in this thread is hilarious. Congratulations you beat a video game, you should be proud of your accomplishment.
Really? Enjoy your game, I'm not stopping you from doing so.
i found myself looking up guides for some particularly obtuse puzzles. i got stuck trying to find that bush that opens up the route to the animal village.
This. Link's Awakening is super simple by comparison.
If we're all talking about the same bush, I wouldn't say it's necessarily "clearly telegraphed". As I said in my previous post, I missed it at first too!
But it is the only bush on the screen (I'm pretty sure?), placed weirdly, with the exit stairs it leads to visible. It's not exactly obvious, but it's not like you're slicing down an entire field of grass and one random spot has stairs either.
Both things can be true, videogames these days do a lot of handholding so there is going to be a group of players who will struggle when they play a game that is more hands off
Thats not a bad thing
A game with a more old school approach that isn't panicked with the prospect of a new player getting lost and instead gives them other non-obvious clues in order to progress isnt bad game design necessarily but its NOT the OP's fault for
Thats not a bad thing
A game with a more old school approach that isn't panicked with the prospect of a new player getting lost and instead gives them other non-obvious clues in order to progress isnt bad game design necessarily but its NOT the OP's fault for
- not liking it
- voicing his opinion in the way you want him/her to
I had a similar opinion about the game, mainly because of stuff like this:
Different people approach problems differently and try different things first, it's not just a matter of being smart or not. The kind of puzzles in the game just didn't click with me and apparently a few other posters (not saying they're bad).
In the original these were just totally arbitrary horse heads that had to be thrown until they landed upright. It was a pretty bad puzzle. The remake cleverly makes them chess pieces that always move the same way, but the problem is that you barely have room to even see how they're moving in most cases. They're much more likely to ricochet off a wall than the floor, so it looks like random bouncing.
Maybe the Mensa members here got it right away, but my first thought wasn't "oh, they're chess pieces and not random horse statues anymore" and even if I had thought that I wouldn't have necessarily assumed "they''ll fly through the air like knights when I throw them." If you had more room to observe how they were landing and if they maybe had other pieces, like a bishop, it would have made things clearer without giving it away too much.
Maybe the Mensa members here got it right away, but my first thought wasn't "oh, they're chess pieces and not random horse statues anymore" and even if I had thought that I wouldn't have necessarily assumed "they''ll fly through the air like knights when I throw them." If you had more room to observe how they were landing and if they maybe had other pieces, like a bishop, it would have made things clearer without giving it away too much.
Different people approach problems differently and try different things first, it's not just a matter of being smart or not. The kind of puzzles in the game just didn't click with me and apparently a few other posters (not saying they're bad).
These are definitely posts by people who aren't being totally fucking bonkers about a game.
I don't blame you, OP. Heck, I've played the original Link's Awakening multiple times and still needed a guide or some direction at times because of not knowing where to go or what to do at a particular spot. The trading sequence in particular was a bit of a challenge for my poor memory.
Even still, there's a fine balance to making a game not too obtuse while also not being too hand-hold-ish and while Nintendo didn't perfectly nail it with every Zelda game, this is one that's rather close along with A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, among several others.
Even still, there's a fine balance to making a game not too obtuse while also not being too hand-hold-ish and while Nintendo didn't perfectly nail it with every Zelda game, this is one that's rather close along with A Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, among several others.
I honestly can't remember how I finished those games. I guess I'd a lot of time to try a lot of things! I doubt nowaways I would be able to finish them without checking the internet a couple of times
I beleive this is the bush the OP is talking about. It's the only bush in the area and it leads to a passage that lets you cross the river.
This is a very telegraphed secret.
Taking to NPC's is part of the game. It's a mechanic that exists for a reason. A series which lists "exploration" as a fundamental element should have some elements that encourage exploration. Talking to characters to progress is legitimate. If you don't have the patience to engage with this then maybe Link's Awakening isn't for you.
That's the issue, yes. Most adult players have large backlogs, so if a game isn't easily completed in a weekend, it isn't respecting your time.
LA absolutely respects your time, but it also expects you to spend some time in its world.
Also, claiming I finished the game as a child doesn't mean I'm better than you, it simply means I disagree with the thread's premise. There are plenty of older games I would agree have tons of obtuse puzzles, but not LA.
OP
OP
Shhh, you might get tagged for being a dirty casual gamer. Your gamer rep, credibility and intelligence is on the line here!
You get an item that the controller vibrates once you are near a seashell, also you get a hint about it if you talk to someone in the animal village.
The Oracle games were hard as hell, definitely had to consult some guides there, especially when you had one game affecting the world of the other. I would love a Switch remake with LA's graphics.
It is the only bush in that part (but its near a bunch of trees as well), but
- I dont believe the stairs are visible until its cut
- I dont believer there is an indication that you need to be in that general area to move to the other side
- That spot has a place for a hookshot to get across, so its not unreasonable to think you might need to get the hookshot to progress
Honestly, thinking about it, the real problem with that section may be how weirdly big the gap in the phone hints is. It just jumps to telling you about going to the desert when you not only have to get past that gap, but also deal with stuff at Animal Village first. Probably shoulda added something about finding your way across, at the very least.
Damn, been a while since I've seen this much whining about a game. I beat this game 100% with no guides when I was 8 when it first came out. I'm sorry some of you had touble with it, but... wow. You would think playing Breath of the Wild (or even an RPG) would teach you to explore everything and talk to everyone.
That's right, they're not.
Except for maybe that one guy saying the OP doesn't have intelligence. But they made that post after you began your rants
Meanwhile:
Hmmm this sure does look like somebody being a giant prick for no good reason.
It is the bush, I dont think it is heavily telegraphed that "cut this bush to progress through the game". Ridiculous expectation.
I beleive this is the bush the OP is talking about. It's the only bush in the area and it leads to a passage that lets you cross the river.
This is a very telegraphed secret.
Taking to NPC's is part of the game. It's a mechanic that exists for a reason. A series which lists "exploration" as a fundamental element should have some elements that encourage exploration. Talking to characters to progress is legitimate. If you don't have the patience to engage with this then maybe Link's Awakening isn't for you.
The NPCs dont encourage exploration, they basically say nothing of interest in this game unless they are part of the main quest. Heart containers and other things like that are reasons to explore. This was just busy work.
What did you think the general reaction was gonna be? Also, superiority complex? You're the one making a whole new thread which is nothing more than shining a big giant light on your opinion specifically. I'm not saying you can't have that opinion, but you could have just voiced it in the OT.
We can't. We could if the price is also lower... now it's the same fullprice and should be judged as..
I beat this game as a small child.
I don't have much else to add to it, it took me like 10 hours or less to beat the remake as an adult, and none of the examples you posted were things I remembered from childhood.
I don't have much else to add to it, it took me like 10 hours or less to beat the remake as an adult, and none of the examples you posted were things I remembered from childhood.
And it remains the best zelda game of all time, so shrug emoji?
The game has long shown you that:
1) Cutting bushes will give you rewards
2) There are hidden passages
That these two elements come together later in the game is not a surprise.
Also, the game introduces the trading sequence very early on. There's a Yoshi doll in the Crane Game, and one NPC talks about wanting a Yoshi doll for her child. The only way to miss it is if you refuse to talk to NPCs ever. Which, again, is maybe a sign this game isn't for you if talking to people in a game focused on exploration is something you don't have patience for.
1. I meant on the other side- at least in the Switch version, I'm pretty sure you can see the exit from there. Judging by that original screen above, you might be able to see the same by jumping into the water?
2. Fair enough, hmm. It's definitely true that you could end up looking elsewhere first (as I did), though I do think it ends up being the closest point you can get to the other side without swimming?
3. This is true! Though seeing that original screen also makes me think this may be something the Switch version accidentally introduced, if there was a screen transition and it'd be less obvious compared to the stairs? Which is the game's fault, obviously, just interesting to see that the remake may have introduced confusion as a result of not breaking up screens. Heck, even the bush looks much more obvious when you're presented with that screen in isolation.
If you're trying to say a game is impossible to beat without a guide because the puzzles are unintuitive, then yeah people bringing up their experiences solving the game perfectly fine in a age before internet wikis and youtube walkthroughs is a perfectly rational counterpoint.
That you expect everyone to just agree that pushing an out-of-place block to match a visual pattern is too complicated a puzzle is ridiculous.
That you expect everyone to just agree that pushing an out-of-place block to match a visual pattern is too complicated a puzzle is ridiculous.
If a style of design many people enjoy is "unacceptable" now then game design has actively regressed, thankfully it hasn't as long as you don't huff on AAA farts too much.
It's certainly not high enough to realize it's not cool calling anyone 'basement dweller' over disagreements on a videogame forum.
I honestly think this is an easy game in that regard. Between phone booths, visual cues, and NPC comments, it's really hard to get stuck. Even the Eagle Tower pillar stuff, which I always forget how to do, gives you everything you need and primes you for completing it by presenting some of the pieces to it earlier in the game.
This!
I beat the original as a seven year old. I'm currently playing through the remake and although I remember certain things I'm figuring out some dungeon puzzles all over again. I just don't understand this modern mentality of having everything so obvious it's brightly flashing and with waypoints everywhere. If you get stuck for 20min trying to figure out a solution that's ok, you don't need a guide every time a puzzle isn't immediately obvious, use some of that brain power.
