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[atom519]

Glad I'm not the only one taking hundreds of screenshots as I play the game.

Also completely agree regarding Gerudo, I spent a full week in that region just exploring every nook & cranny. Despite what others have said, I really enjoyed infiltrating the Yiga Hideout and battling the boss there.

 

[casey_contra]

gerudo area was much better than the rito village and its ugly/creepy copy pasted children
they look like the swollen woman from Eraserhead

Awh - I thought they were adorable. Medli and Prince whatever-his-name-was were more proportionate - but these children were so cute!

 

[Neiteio]

Dude, I agree with you 100%. I usually hate the desert, but Nintendo did an AMAZING job of taking a race that has typically been a texture reskin on the same model and dialogue in mostly the same tone and made it a living, breathing realistic population.

I think my favorite part is the fact that Gerudo Town is essentially a commuter town. Many of the women live outside of the city with their husbands (no idea where lol) and commute in to work. This detail really struck me.

I also really liked how (post Devine Beast Vah Naboris spoilers)

Spoiler

Urbosa mentions how Ganon once took Gerudo form and how that makes her hate him even more.

A whole people carrying the burden of one person is such a real concept. Please PM me if this is inappropriate to say or an unfair comparison, but it reminds me of how my German friends regard Hitler. Like Ganon, he's obvious evil, but the fact that that evil took form within their country and community has a certain effect on them.

I think there's a lovely message to the whole relationship between Ganondorf and the Gerudo. By showing us how good and noble the Gerudo people are as a whole, it sends the message that just because a group of people has a bad apple here or there (in this case Ganondorf), it doesn't mean the group as a whole is bad. I think that message — as obvious as it may be to us here at GAF — is important in this day and age, where entire groups of people (races, religions, even police or BLM) are often scapegoated for the misdeeds of a few. It's a way to counter prejudice, in other words, by ascribing the actions of an individual to the individual, rather than tying it to the greater whole.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

Awh - I thought they were adorable. Medli and Prince whatever-his-name-was were more proportionate - but these children were so cute!

Yes! The Rito are probably my favorite race in the game. I love their design and like I said, Kass is the best character in the game.

 

[Jazzem]

It is somewhat tainted for me due to the tired, uninspired and frankly pretty insensitive use of crossdressing as a gag in 2017 (the

Spoiler

snow+sand boot

sidequest is especially egregious, an awful reinforcement of the 'trap' steotype :/)...but otherwise yeah it's a wonderfully fleshed out area, with thoughtful representation of different body types and personalities, definitely a step above their previous depictions. Plus that town theme has not left my head since I went there, heh.

And to be fair, I at least like that the NPCs who find out Link's identity don't make a big deal of it, the Hylian complimenting him for it was especially sweet.

 

[lvl99 Pixel]

Awh - I thought they were adorable. Medli and Prince whatever-his-name-was were more proportionate - but these children were so cute!

I still want to know why there are both rito and zora in this game...
they straight up contradicted their own world building

 

[WPS]

The thing that struck me the most about Gerudo was that they seemed to be the most concerned about their own history. I don't remember the Gorons, Rito, Humans or Hylians telling many legends, and even Kass and Impa only tell you things directly related to Calamity Ganon. Even the Zora's carvings telling the history of their kingdom are poorly maintained and only discuss events with in living memory.

Meanwhile, there's quite a few sidequests in Gerudo desert that are about investigating ruins and you get some glimpses into their history with the 7/8 heroines. What's more, Urbosa is the only person in the game to acknowledge the

Spoiler

namesake of a divine beast (or possibly even realise they have namesakes), and the only person to allude to Ganondorf as a predecessor to calamity ganon. This also gives a bit of context for how the Gerudo have gone from a people who would automatically elevate the only man around to their king to forbidding men entry to their capital - they are incredibly pissed about what Ganondorf did.

Amusingly, Ganondorf has gone from one of Nintendo's tallest humanoid characters to apparently rather short by Gerudo standards. He's only 7foot something while the Gerudo in BOTW are implied to be over 8 feet on average.

 

[Skronk]

As a fan of amazonian women I was in heaven.

 

[Neiteio]

It is somewhat tainted for me due to the tired, uninspired and frankly pretty insensitive use of crossdressing as a gag in 2017 (the

Spoiler

snow+sand boot

sidequest is especially egregious, an awful reinforcement of the 'trap' steotype :/)...but otherwise yeah it's a wonderfully fleshed out area, with thoughtful representation of different body types and personalities, definitely a step above their previous depictions. Plus that town theme has not left my head since I went there, heh.

And to be fair, I at least like that the NPCs who find out Link's identity don't make a big deal of it, the Hylian complimenting him for it was especially sweet.

I trust Nintendo wasn't being malicious, but yeah, the way they played the crossdressing for laughs did seem a bit insensitive and regressive. I don't think good humor should ever be at anyone's expense. (With possible exceptions for self-deprecating humor, and humor criticizing actions harmful toward others, i.e. people roasting Trump for his mean behavior.)

But like I said, I don't think Nintendo meant to hurt anyone's feelings. I still found the moment cute overall. Hopefully they're a bit more cognizant of this in the future, though.

On a side note, the girl outfit is possibly my favorite in the game, especially once I started experimenting with dyes!

 

[Jessensor]

Thanks OP for inspiring me! I've been avoiding the Gerudo region since beating the divine beast. Mostly also because of preconcieved ideas of desert regions.

Definitely going back there this evening tom immerse myself.

 

[Thud]

No Gerudo Valley music tho

 

[Neiteio]

Amusingly, Ganondorf has gone from one of Nintendo's tallest humanoid characters to apparently rather short by Gerudo standards. He's only 7foot something while the Gerudo in BOTW are implied to be over 8 feet on average.

I strongly suspect that a BotW depiction of Ganondorf would place his height at 9-10 feet tall. Men in most media are often depicted as taller than women, so they'd probably upscale him. Would've been neat to see what he looks like in this game.

 

[-shadow-]

No Gerudo Valley music tho

The one flaw that I'll never look past. How did they not put this in!?

 

[Glass Shark]

.

 

[Skittzo0413]

I agree that this is the best region (and town) in the game, but what really struck me about the Gerudo culture as well as the other variety of cultures in the game is how well they managed to make them fit organically in the other regions of the world.

Like, Gerudos traveling the world more than any other race makes perfect sense, since they need to look outside their town for a mate. That's why you see more of them throughout the world than you see Gorons, Rito, and especially Zora. The way they managed to make all of these incredibly different cultures and races actually mesh within the entire world is pretty remarkable.

 

[Kaiser Swayze]

It's probably one of my least explored areas in game. Mostly because the wide open stretches are a drag if you lose or don't have a sand seal, the Moldugas (sp?) are all over the place, and the heat issue can be a pain to manage. I also wasn't overly fond of the Divine Beast challenge, but infiltrating the Yiga clan was fun. And I'm glad my love of the movie Tremors helped me survive out in the further reaches of the desert.

 

[casey_contra]

I think there's a lovely message to the whole relationship between Ganondorf and the Gerudo. By showing us how good and noble the Gerudo people are as a whole, it sends the message that just because a group of people has a bad apple here or there (in this case Ganondorf), it doesn't mean the group as a whole is bad. I think that message — as obvious as it may be to us here at GAF — is important in this day and age, where entire groups of people (races, religions, even police or BLM) are often scapegoated for the misdeeds of a few. It's a way to counter prejudice, in other words, by ascribing the actions of an individual to the individual, rather than tying it to the greater whole.

I agree completely - very well said. I like how this game manages to put messages in (maybe even unintentionally) in a very subtle way. It leaves the message and interpretation up to the individual.

I've said this in other threads, but I love Bolson because, gay or not, he is flamboyant af. He is also a construction worker and "the boss." The precedent has been set by society and past Zelda games (think OOT and MM construction workers) that people in this industry, especially in leadership, are very masculine. Bolson manages to be himself and is also well respected by his employees and even invited to Hudson's wedding!

My uncle who works for Nintendo (jk, my uncle who is gay), works at Lowes (a home improvement store) and has actually gotten flack for being a gay man and working there. I'm gay too so I really like what Bolson does as a character.

 

[BorkBork]

I noticed and appreciated all of those details you mentioned, OP.

 

[CharminUltra]

But they don't sell poultry

 

[chaobreaker]

Their depiction was a huge step up from Ocarina and Majora. I'm glad they weren't depicted as enemies this time.

I liked how Urbosa acknowledges Ganon once being reincarnated as a Gerudo man. Nintendo bringing back just purely bestial Ganon was the best thing to happen to the Gerudo. Otherwise, they would just be the problematic depiction of dark skinned thieves they were in Ocarina of Time.

Now that I think about it, I'm wondering where the Gerudo were at in Twilight Princess.

 

[The Boat]

I trust Nintendo wasn't being malicious, but yeah, the way they played the crossdressing for laughs did seem a bit insensitive and regressive. I don't think good humor should ever be at anyone's expense. (With possible exceptions for self-deprecating humor, and humor criticizing actions harmful toward others, i.e. people roasting Trump for his mean behavior.)

But like I said, I don't think Nintendo meant to hurt anyone's feelings. Hopefully they're a bit more cognizant of this in the future, though.

On a side note, the girl outfit is possibly my favorite in the game, especially once I started experimenting with dyes!

There will be always people offended by something, the day we censor humor because someone might take offense is the day humor dies.

The fact of the matter is that the game, Link and every other character don't bat an eye at cross dressing or at the fact that he's slightly androgynous which I find very forward thinking and inclusive.
The fact that Link facepalms when the cross dressing dude who denies he's a man "shows" his beard and continues to act non challant seems to offend some people, but to me it seems completely harmless, as does the boots quest.

I find this very ironic as the Drag Queen community tends to have a very accepting (to say the least) sense of humor about these things, at least from the limited knowledge I got from Rupaul.

 

[Alienous]

I just wish they had

Spoiler

shown a male Gerudo, or at least tackled their absence

.

When I found out they were returning in Breath of the Wild my mind was buzzing with the implications of the Gerudo having given birth to the worst thing to happen to Hyrule. After that how exactly would you handle the male Gerudo that follow?

Playing the game, after completing the bulk of the Zora Domain part of the game, and seeing the game grapple with some pretty heavy themes, I was really looking forward to what they'd do with the Gerudo.

But

Spoiler

they sort of sweep that whole thing under the carpet. It doesn't seem like the other races of Hyrule have any lingering ill will towards the Gerudo. There isn't some sub-plot about the Gerudo imprisoning their male-born, or any real response of Ganondorf. There's a "he was a Gerudo once, so we're annoyed about that" and not much else

.

Design-wise I really liked them. The village ... eh, felt a little generic video-gamey.

 

[Luigiv]

Why are Gorons allowed in Gerudo Town?

Because no one knows what gender they actually are.

 

[Neiteio]

I agree completely - very well said. I like how this game manages to put messages in (maybe even unintentionally) in a very subtle way. It leaves the message and interpretation up to the individual.

I've said this in other threads, but I love Bolson because, gay or not, he is flamboyant af. He is also a construction worker and "the boss." The precedent has been set by society and past Zelda games (think OOT and MM construction workers) that people in this industry, especially in leadership, are very masculine. Bolson manages to be himself and is also well respected by his employees and even invited to Hudson's wedding!

My uncle who works for Nintendo (jk, my uncle who is gay), works at Lowes (a home improvement store) and has actually gotten flack for being a gay man and working there. I'm gay too so I really like what Bolson does as a character.

Yeah, Bolson is a great character. It's not clear whether he's gay or not, but the important thing is that there's this sense of love for every character in the game (on the part of the devs who made it), and that's really how we should regard each other in the first place. The important thing is the kindness in people's hearts. Bolson is just treated as a person. He has his style, his quirks, but it's all part of what makes him endearing. BotW has tremendous humanity in even its simplest characters, which is something I love about the game.

 

[nynt9]

Are these screenshots enhanced or something? My game doesn't look anywhere near this vivid even on the portable system itself.

 

[Jazzem]

/\ Agreed on Bolson, the variety of personalities you see is part of why I love BotW and he's certainly one of many in contributing to that.

I trust Nintendo wasn't being malicious, but yeah, the way they played the crossdressing for laughs did seem a bit insensitive and regressive. I don't think good humor should ever be at anyone's expense. (With possible exceptions for self-deprecating humor, and humor criticizing actions harmful toward others, i.e. people roasting Trump for his mean behavior.)

But like I said, I don't think Nintendo meant to hurt anyone's feelings. I still found the moment cute overall. Hopefully they're a bit more cognizant of this in the future, though.

On a side note, the girl outfit is possibly my favorite in the game, especially once I started experimenting with dyes!

Yeah, if nothing else I do think it's sweet how much Gerudo Link has been embraced by fans and such. And I agree that Nintendo almost certainly didn't mean maliciousness, just were perhaps somewhat tone deaf in certain elements of it.

I'll be fine if I never have to see another "crossdressing to infiltrate a female base" gag in my life though, heh.

 

[Neiteio]

Are these screenshots enhanced or something? My game doesn't look anywhere near this vivid even on the portable system itself.

Every screenshot you see in the OP was taken on my Switch in docked mode. No changes were made.

IIRC, playing in docked mode renders the game at native 900p with some extra filtering applied. I guess there's a natural downsampling effect when the Switch captures the 900p image at 720p.

I rarely play this game in handheld mode, because I'm always taking screenshots (I took like 9,000, and kept 3,000 I liked best), and I want them to look as nice as possible.

Really looking forward to taking screens of MK8 Deluxe. The replay mode (MKTV) will be handy for that.

 

[AGoodODST]

Okay now I'm am going to have to play some Zelda again tonight. Thanks op.

The Gerudo are indeed awesome. Not much to add that others haven't said. I also liked the the three different environments in the area; the canyon, desert and highlands. Also the day/night temperature shift.

I was disappointed about the lack of the gerudo valley theme. One of the best things about the Rito village was the remixed Dragonroost theme.

 

[Skittzo0413]

Are these screenshots enhanced or something? My game doesn't look anywhere near this vivid even on the portable system itself.

I play mostly in handheld mode and I agree that it doesn't look anywhere near this vivid. Especially this one, which caught my eye immediately:

Like OP said, docked mode has some great visual enhancements but I guess I (and maybe you?) have forgotten how nice those enhancements are.

 

[Jazzem]

Are these screenshots enhanced or something? My game doesn't look anywhere near this vivid even on the portable system itself.

I play mostly in handheld mode and I agree that it doesn't look anywhere near this vivid. Especially this one, which caught my eye immediately:



Like OP said, docked mode has some great visual enhancements but I guess I (and maybe you?) have forgotten how nice those enhancements are.

Not 100% sure if it is related to this, but have you both set the Switch's RGB range to Full in the system settings? Definitely recommend giving it a look, it does wonders for the vibrancy of the image

 

[Luigiv]

I still want to know why there are both rito and zora in this game...
they straight up contradicted their own world building

Nintendo don't care. They have never once taken their own world building seriously. They just do whatever is most convenient for the game they're making, even if that means contradicting past games.

In this game they needed one major race for each of the four corners (and the Sheikah, Koroks and Hylians were already being used for a different purpose), hence Rito and Zoras simultaneously.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Easily my favorite area. It made me wish there was a Wonder Woman game because I can imagine their society being like that.

Everything from the class on how to talk to guys, to kids debating whether marriage or pie is the best thing in the world is just adorable. And then you've got the training area.

 

[13ruce]

Urbosa and other gerudo proof women with a sixpack can look hot. I always laugh at people who think that sixpacks on women look disgusting.

Anyway i agree the Gerudo region and race was my favorite in Zelda BotW, we finally get to really know their culture and more. Before we have known them as bandits or pirates, this game finally lifts that stereotype about their race and shows that they are strong females.

The sidequests the dialoge the story all about them is fantastic tbh, and ofcourse the diverse looks they have you have skinny,normal and curvy sized and light to dark skinned ones is also very cool. It's really nice to see such a good fleshed out region. Normally i hate the desert area the most of a game but in this one it was fantastic.

Also their leader being a kid but still very strong willed is pretty cool.
Seeing gorons in town was pretty funny why do they let them in such mystery!

Also seeing kid versions of all races ingame was pretty darn cute.

Edit: also dat Molduga best world boss and seeing Arbiter Grounds buried crushed my soul a little.

 

[nephilimdj]

Its a pity too many have the same similar dating issue dialogues esp. Ones you meet rsndomly on roads.
Diverse characters, but there all sexually frustrated females in a world full of male npcs

 

[Neiteio]

If you're wondering why the screenshots look vivid, it's not only because I play in docked 900p mode, but it's also because I'll wait patiently like a mad man for just the right lighting. Also, a lot of areas have a light mist that is constantly moving across the screen (especially if you're looking into the sun), so I'll take 50 shots of the same thing and then keep the one that has the least amount of mist (and thus the boldest colors).

 

[plufim]

This thread is good content.

I was also impressed hylians have racial and cultural variety now too, with cultures inspired by japan and hawaii as well as usual fantasy stuff.

 

[Red]

Are these screenshots enhanced or something? My game doesn't look anywhere near this vivid even on the portable system itself.

Looks normal to me. The game has a fog or haze effect that is used pretty often, but given enough time and enough dedication to taking screenshots, there is no reason you couldn't capture bright, vivid moments.

If you're wondering why the screenshots look vivid, it's not only because I play in docked 900p mode, but it's also because I'll wait patiently like a mad man for just the right lighting. Also, a lot of areas have a light mist that is constantly moving across the screen (especially if you're looking into the sun), so I'll take 50 shots of the same thing and then keep the one that has the least amount of mist (and thus the boldest colors).

Also this.

 

[Timeaisis]

Yeah, Gerudo Desert is my favorite area as well. So well designed. Empty, yet full of life. And a bunch of interesting secrets hidden in the desert. I'll never forget the first time I got to the oasis. Just so cool.

 

[Neiteio]

Looks normal to me. The game has a fog or haze effect that is used pretty often, but given enough time and enough dedication to taking screenshots, there is no reason you couldn't capture bright, vivid moments.

Exactly. Just takes patience.

Half of my 200-hour playtime is taking screens. Roommate hated me for this.

But I do it because I love you guys!

 

[televator]

I'm glad they removed them from the whole thief depiction.

 

[JCH!]

Urbosa is such a badass. Gerudo are by far the most interesting bunch in the world.

 

[YAWN]

I'm a Zora fan myself, always have been.
BotW really delves deep into these cultures and it's awesome. I love how well designed each race is and how unique they are.

It really has me begging for a Zelda MMO where I could play as a Zora. The foundation is already layed with BotW, Ninty just needs to jump on the idea.

 

[Pinky]

Excellent OP with some beautiful pics! I agree with you on the Gerudo women. The diversity and varying personalities of the Gerudo is very well done and refreshing. The whole world is very diverse and varied. Very rich and welcoming.

 

[Hattori]

.

urbosa 😍

 

[Orin GA]

I liked the Gerudo as well, but the zora kids are the cutest.

On a side note, i feel like such a shorty in this game.

 

[TheMoon]

thread about Gerudo, first pics I see for miles are not of Gerudo ... what u doin!

 

[Neiteio]

thread about Gerudo, first pics I see for miles are not of Gerudo ... what u doin!

Just spreading the love for Rest of Hyrule before I get to the main course. <3

Keep scrolling, the Gerudo are there, I promise!

 

[Enduin]

They really are fantastic and definitely my favorite aspect of the game as well followed by the Rito, those damn Rito kids were great. And this is a reason why I really desperately hope they will pull a Majora's Mask and recycle a ton of BotW and create a much more character and quest focused game. As well as bring back traditional dungeons.

BotW was awesome and breathtaking but there was just so much I wanted more of that it simply couldn't provide. They killed it with the exploration and grand adventure, now I want them to scale it back a bit and create a more focused world. With deeper character interactions, multiple Hyrule Castle type dungeons and more traditional narrative.

 

[necrosis]

the gerudo area was arguably my favorite part of the game

it owns

 

[Red]

the gerudo area was arguably my favorite part of the game

it owns

Who would argue with you about it?