When Breath of the Wild first graced our screens, it was no secret that fans across the world were divided in opinion. Regardless of the good or the bad, this was not like any other game in our beloved series, and yet it still had that warm familiarity that the Legend of Zelda fan base knows and loves.
For me, Breath of the Wild was a beautiful masterpiece that is now perched at the top of the pyramid, alongside my cherished Ocarina of Time, and let me tell you, that is a big feat! Many aspects of the game were not what avid fans, including myself, had expected, but no one can deny that it marked the start of a new evolution for our adventures in Hyrule.
Replacing the standard dungeons with an abundance of shrines and sidequests, I found that this offering was a breath of fresh air (if you catch my drift), and one that I very much enjoyed!
Although all the challenges that are presented in Breath of the Wild are unique in their own way, the one that really stands out to me as being extremely entertaining and vividly discussed among the fan base is the famous Stranded on Eventide trial, home of the Korgu Chirdeh shrine. Located in the Faron Tower Region of Hyrule, in the middle of the Necluda Sea, Stranded on Eventide is a death-defying survival puzzle that brings with it a lot of frustration and a vast sense of satisfying accomplishment.
At one point in everyone’s lives, we have all asked ourselves or someone we know, “What would you do if you were stranded on a deserted island?” And this wonderful Zelda-fied island, in particular, brings a whole new meaning to the concept. One moment you are cruising across the sea, Korok Leaf in hand and a soft, salty breeze running through your pretty, blonde locks, when, suddenly, bam! Everything turns black and you wake up half-naked with all of your valuables missing. Castaway, anyone?
The objective is simple: Use your scavenging skills, Sheikah Slate, and wit to find the location of three metal orbs and place them on the altars found on the island’s edges to unveil the hidden shrine. Of course, if it were that easy it wouldn’t be any fun. Everything on this island is your enemy, from the Bokoblins to the weather, and, to top it off, you cannot save your progress along the way. So if you fail you are kicked right back to the beginning faster than you can shake a Deku Stick. Something that I became very familiar with.
“What would you do if you were stranded on a deserted island?”
My name is Char and I am a rain hater. I hate the rain in real life and I most definitely hate the rain in Breath of the Wild, because once it rains everything becomes slightly more difficult in Hyrule, and this island is no exception. I can deal with battling enemies and I can deal with hunting for food and weapons, but I cannot deal with the dreaded downpour that makes it impossible to climb or the lightning bolts that my lovely conductive weapons attract.
I have, however, always been a very stubborn person, and once I start something I generally do not give up until I have finished it. Call it a gift or a curse, but I like to push myself and I do not give up without a fight. Yes, I continued to repeatedly make the same mistakes, but in the end, I got the hang of it and finally conquered the weird but wonderful island. Although, if I am honest with myself, it was probably more to do with sheer dumb luck rather than skill.
I cannot seem to shake the thought of famous pop-culture deserted island movies when writing about Stranded on Eventide, and the constant thought of Tom Hanks marooned on a strange island, battling a Hinox for a glorified necklace is enough to amuse anyone, and it certainly would have given Hanks an Oscar for his efforts.
What makes this island so special compared to the rest of the map, and what I loved about it the most, is that it is completely secluded from the outside world. Considering that Breath of the Wild has a re-occurring theme of loneliness, I felt, even more so, a sudden surge of entrapment as soon as I hit the sandbank. Now, do not get me wrong, there is a lot more to Stranded on Eventide than a sullen feeling of isolation and a rain complex. I found that it cleverly trained me, as a player, to not merely survive but to really appreciate a new breed of trials and tackle something completely different than the usual dungeons that previous Legend of Zelda have to offer.
