Started playing Wind Waker because why not... and it's surprisingly easy

[Ken Masters]

I'm not someone to gosh over dificulty and stuff like that, and I certainly don't think Zelda games are particularly easy, but a few days ago I decided to pick up Wind Waker because I love boats. No seriously, that's the only reason I picked it, I like the idea of a game where you sail everywhere appealed to my adventurous side, I guess :P

[spoiler=SPOILERS AHEAD]

So after the intro I was... kinda curious as to why I was given all my basic gear so quickly. I remember that in other Zelda games usually there was a long, dragged intro where you get your stuff.

Then the pirates where like "sure we'll take you there, no questions asked"

Forsaken Fortress was a laugh, and then you get the "Baton of Wind" (which I guess is our Ocarina of Time) from a talking Boat, again no questions asked.

I'm currently at the Tower of the Gods, which I assume is the midway point of the game, given that the whole "collect 3 random stuff" trope of Zelda games is done.

I just find everything.... so simple. I mean, it's not a bad thing, I'm having a blast because the game is tons of fun.

Is the game really that easy, or is just that my perception is conditioned in some way? The last game I played before that was Path of Radiance and Street Fighter V, both not-really-hard games, so I feel it can't be because context.

[Magical Glace]

So after the intro I was... kinda curious as to why I was given all my basic gear so quickly. I remember that in other Zelda games usually there was a long, dragged intro where you get your stuff.

TWW has a pretty well done intro. It's not slow and dragged out (like in TP or SS) but it still manages to introduce the player to the sort of person the Hero of Winds is and what his life is like.

Then the pirates where like "sure we'll take you there, no questions asked"

Quill (the Rito Postman) did talk them into it, and they saw with their own eyes why he wanted to go. It's not like they really needed questions.

Forsaken Fortress was a laugh, and then you get the "Baton of Wind" (which I guess is our Ocarina of Time) from a talking Boat, again no questions asked.

Well, he did fall over backwards when the boat head turned around. Assuming you're completely unspoiled, I will say there is a very good reason.

I'm currently at the Tower of the Gods, which I assume is the midway point of the game, given that the whole "collect 3 random stuff" trope of Zelda games is done.

I normally consider the dungeon after TotG (A second Forsaken Fortress Trip) the game's true midway point.

I just find everything.... so simple. I mean, it's not a bad thing, I'm having a blast because the game is tons of fun.

Is the game really that easy, or is just that my perception is conditioned in some way? The last game I played before that was Path of Radiance and Street Fighter V, both not-really-hard games, so I feel it can't be because context.

TWW is probably one of the easiest games in the series. Maybe not the easiest (PH and TP are also pretty strong contenders for this title), but definitely easier than MM, which was the 3D game before it. This can probably be attributed to the cut dungeons, I guess... At least the game isn't too handholdy though. The King of Red Lions doesn't really speak up much in the middle of a dungeon (the only examples I can think of are both in the Dragon Roost Cavern) and the game doesn't really shove tutorials down your throat, aside from a quick sword tutorial and an even quicker boat tutorial that takes all of two seconds. Edited August 29, 2016 by Glaceon Mage

[Nym]

(PH and TP are also pretty strong contenders for this title)

Nah, Skyward Sword is very easy, the only thing that will give you trouble is the motion controls.

PH and TP are very easy to pick up, yes but they are not the easiest. There a lot of annoying parts like the flute or the temple that you have to visit a lot of times in PH (I forgot its name, didn't play that game for a long time).

Some boss are easy but others, are not (I got more trouble with the final boss of PH that SS).

[Magical Glace]

Nah, Skyward Sword is very easy, the only thing that will give you trouble is the motion controls.

PH and TP are very easy to pick up, yes but they are not the easiest. There a lot of annoying parts like the flute or the temple that you have to visit a lot of times in PH (I forgot its name, didn't play that game for a long time).

Some boss are easy but others, are not (I got more trouble with the final boss of PH that SS).

The motion controls are so glitchy and annoying that I cannot consider it the easiest.

Stabbing is literally almost impossible.

The Temple of the Ocean King (the central dungeon of PH) isn't very demanding. And people overstress the repetitive nature. Shorter routes are unlocked every time you come back with a new item, and there's a checkpoint after floor 6. I like the dungeon, but it's not particularly challenging.

Also, the Flute isn't a thing in PH. It's annoying in ST, though.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Glaceon Mage

[Anacybele]

No, you're not crazy or anything, TWW is by far the easiest game in the series. At least to me. I found it so easy that it was boring. None of the bosses were really exciting to fight either. Especially Gohma, because it was almost a copy of the OoT version.

Imo, this game is awful and a disgrace to the series. The only things I liked about it were the art style and the Rito (Komali, Medli, and Quill are my favorite characters by far).

TP is kinda easy too, but at least it isn't insultingly easy. I still found it moderately challenging once in awhile (I mean, I actually died a few times, whereas I never died in TWW at all except for one defeat at the hands of Puppet Ganon. And that was all, just one death). And at least the dungeons were fun and creative for the most part. I didn't enjoy any of the TWW dungeons much except for the Earth Temple, really.

Skyward Sword's difficulty was perfect, imo. Not too easy, it's challenging, but not too hard. The motion controls are indeed part of the reason for it, as it forces you to hit many enemies a certain way to deal damage, which automatically adds challenge. But I also found the dungeons to be puzzling at times, and I had to look for help every now and then. Also, Ghirahim was really hard the first time I fought him. I died a bunch of times.

[Nym]

The motion controls are so glitchy and annoying that I cannot consider it the easiest.

Stabbing is literally almost impossible.

The Temple of the Ocean King (the central dungeon of PH) isn't very demanding. And people overstress the repetitive nature. Shorter routes are unlocked every time you come back with a new item, and there's a checkpoint after floor 6. I like the dungeon, but it's not particularly challenging.

Also, the Flute isn't a thing in PH. It's annoying in ST, though.

Actually, I take that back about SS, I forgot about ALBW which is very easy.

I know but this kinda annoying, and I hate time limits, cheap difficulty in my opinion.

I know it was not in PH but still worth to mention it

No, you're not crazy or anything, TWW is by far the easiest game in the series. At least to me. I found it so easy that it was boring. None of the bosses were really exciting to fight either. Especially Gohma, because it was almost a copy of the OoT version.

Imo, this game is awful and a disgrace to the series. The only things I liked about it were the art style and the Rito (Komali, Medli, and Quill are my favorite characters by far).

TP is kinda easy too, but at least it isn't insultingly easy. I still found it moderately challenging once in awhile (I mean, I actually died a few times, whereas I never died in TWW at all except for one defeat at the hands of Puppet Ganon. And that was all, just one death). And at least the dungeons were fun and creative for the most part. I didn't enjoy any of the TWW dungeons much except for the Earth Temple, really.

Skyward Sword's difficulty was perfect, imo. Not too easy, it's challenging, but not too hard. The motion controls are indeed part of the reason for it, as it forces you to hit many enemies a certain way to deal damage, which automatically adds challenge. But I also found the dungeons to be puzzling at times, and I had to look for help every now and then. Also, Ghirahim was really hard the first time I fought him. I died a bunch of times.

I never played TWW, only watched a playthrough of a french youtuber named Diablox9 (he did that years ago).

Also funny that you mention the first time that you fight Ghirahim, because when the game was under developement, Nitendo showed footage of Link fighting the 3rd boss of the game (The scorpion) in the first area of the game so everyone were surprised when they actually played the game.

[Anacybele]

I hate time limits too, which is a reason I don't like MM either (not the only reason, though of course). TWW and MM are the only Zelda games I genuinely dislike quite a bit. PH's Temple of the Ocean King annoyed me and made me give up on it, but it was a fun game besides. I just couldn't get past the second trip through that stupid temple.

[Magical Glace]

...Both the Temple of the Ocean King and MM have very lax time limits.

Really, with the Inverted Song of Time, you get around 226 minutes (or 3 hours and 46 minutes) in the N64 version. That's plenty of time to clear a dungeon or complete a sidequest.

In PH, it gives you ten minutes for three relatively simple floors to start, makes those floors easier each trip by providing shortcuts, and adds two minutes for every boss defeated (except the Cubus sisters, maybe. IDR) and has 5 Treasure chests with 1 minute, eventually totaling 25 minutes. There's also yellow jars scattered about that give 30 seconds a pop (you can even hit the sixth floor with 0:00 elapsed by knowing how to utilize them, though it's not expected to be doable without the grappling hook and Bombchus iirc).

Edited August 30, 2016 by Glaceon Mage

[Anacybele]

That's all your opinion. I don't like the time limits in those games, that's that. I still feel unwanted pressure in the games because of them.

[Original Alear]

Honestly, I've never heard anyone talk about wind waker as a difficult game, so I'm surprised you're surprised.

Nah, Skyward Sword is very easy, the only thing that will give you trouble is the motion controls.

PH and TP are very easy to pick up, yes but they are not the easiest. There a lot of annoying parts like the flute or the temple that you have to visit a lot of times in PH (I forgot its name, didn't play that game for a long time).

I don't remember PH well anymore, but I can't really think of anything that would qualify as difficult in TP. Except maybe the three darknuts at once fight in the cave of ordeals.

I'm sure hero mode in TP with only 3 heart containers is fairly difficult, since there are probably a fair amount of attacks that will OHKO you.

[Ken Masters]

That's all your opinion. I don't like the time limits in those games, that's that. I still feel unwanted pressure in the games because of them.

Nah mate, calling a game awful based on a game mechanic is an opinion.

The mechanic per-se (which was what he explained) is not.

So far I'm having tons of fun with WW regardless of the dificulty.

What I asked on my OP was simply if anyone else felt the same way, not which game was the best/worst :P

[Water Mage]

To be honest, the true joy of Wind Waker is sailing the great sea.

There's something incredibly fun about discovering an island and exploring it.

It's not really a game about hard challenge, but rather a fun adventure.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Water Mage

[Anacybele]

Nah mate, calling a game awful based on a game mechanic is an opinion.

The mechanic per-se (which was what he explained) is not.

...What?

Firstly, Glac is a girl. Second, she was using words like "simple" and that would equate to an opinion. Also, even if she's right about some of the things she's saying, it doesn't mean I have to like the time limits.

I found no joy or fun in sailing TWW's sea. It felt too empty and time-consuming. The swift sail in TWW HD helped that somewhat, but it wasn't enough to make me love doing it all of a sudden. (and just to point out, I have a similar opinion of Skyward Sword's sky area, despite that being my favorite non-FE game of all time. It felt rather empty too)

Edited August 30, 2016 by Anacybele

[Magical Glace]

Nah mate, calling a game awful based on a game mechanic is an opinion.

The mechanic per-se (which was what he explained) is not.

So far I'm having tons of fun with WW regardless of the dificulty.

What I asked on my OP was simply if anyone else felt the same way, not which game was the best/worst :P

TLoZ has far more demanding time limits anyway, hehe.

/me glances at TFH.

Those time limits are punishing. The Drablands Challenges are surprisingly hard.

Also, I'm not forcing anyone to like the time limits, just expressing confusion as to why they're a problem in the first place in those games.

And yeah I'm a girl haha.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Glaceon Mage

[Anacybele]

Well yeah, there's obviously not as much pressure as in some of those TFH timed challenges (I REALLY hate those), but it's still there. And I don't like being pressured in games. It makes me have less fun. I prefer being able to do things at my own pace.

[Ken Masters]

...What?

Firstly, Glac is a girl. Second, she was using words like "simple" and that would equate to an opinion. Also, even if she's right about some of the things she's saying, it doesn't mean I have to like the time limits.

I found no joy or fun in sailing TWW's sea. It felt too empty and time-consuming. The swift sail in TWW HD helped that somewhat, but it wasn't enough to make me love doing it all of a sudden. (and just to point out, I have a similar opinion of Skyward Sword's sky area, despite that being my favorite non-FE game of all time. It felt rather empty too)

Cool beans!

I am not fond of the tone, but what can you do

No-one's forcing you to like anything, mate. It was just, a funny stance you picked regerding a game, nothing more, because "awful and disgracing to the series" sounds quite harsh. I only played the 64 Zeldas, the SNES one, and the original, and I no way I can see Wind Waker being "disgraceful" :P

Oh, I'm sorry! It happens way too often, confusing genders, haha

Edited August 30, 2016 by 20XX

[Zera]

PROTIP: Save all the exploration until you have all your gear and are hunting for Triforce Charts. It will reduce backtracking and make the game more fun!

The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker is the closest 3D Zelda ever got to capturing thel feeling of ADVENTURE found in the original without being archaic like it. If you got the Wii U version, you should play on Hero Mode to mitigate the low difficulty.

[Scarlet]

Yeah, WW's pretty easy, but then again, there really aren't any particularly challenging Zelda games as far as combat/adventuring goes simply because you generally have absurd amounts of health and healing options compared to how little damage enemies do (especially in Wind Waker and Twilight Princess). The only somewhat challenging games that I can think of off the top of my head are ALttP, OoT and SS Hero Mode.

The Zelda games tend to be more about the riddles and puzzles, really, with combat just being a fun little distraction. In this regard, I don't think WW is particularly easy compared to other entries in the series - although compared to something like TP, most of its puzzles certainly are a lot more intuitive, which I think is a good thing.

[Zera]

Intuitive, you say? Can you give me an example?

[Scarlet]

For instance, the Terra Temple involves a few mechanics not found in any other dungeons in the game, but they're introduced nicely in easy puzzles before being properly put to the test in more difficult ones deeper withhin the temple.

This is in contrast to stuff like the staff you get in the Temple of Time in TP that is used for a single overcomplicated and tedious puzzle withhin the dungeon you get it in and barely anywhere else in the game at all, while at the same time being notable for being the only item in the game that arbitrarily won't function outside the dungeon you get it in until you beat it.

[tacticianwhite]

To be honest, the true joy of Wind Waker is sailing the great sea.

There's something incredibly fun about discovering an island and exploring it.

It's not really a game about hard challenge, but rather a fun adventure.

I agree with this, pretty much.

Yeah, The Wind Waker is pretty light on challenge, but I really enjoy sailing. The grand music during the day, the silence at night, the changes in weather...obtaining charts and then exploring the ocean in search of their treasure, coming across a Big Octo...and the HD remake made it even better with the improved sail that makes it faster.

[Zera]

For instance, the Terra Temple involves a few mechanics not found in any other dungeons in the game, but they're introduced nicely in easy puzzles before being properly put to the test in more difficult ones deeper withhin the temple.

This is in contrast to stuff like the staff you get in the Temple of Time in TP that is used for a single overcomplicated and tedious puzzle withhin the dungeon you get it in and barely anywhere else in the game at all, while at the same time being notable for being the only item in the game that arbitrarily won't function outside the dungeon you get it in until you beat it.

I don't know how you define "overcomplicated" and "tedious", but I thought the Temple of Time was a clever dungeon. BTW, why would you leave a dungeon after getting the item without defeating the boss?

[Anacybele]

BTW, why would you leave a dungeon after getting the item without defeating the boss?

*points to her Zelda fic where there's a dungeon where Link goes in it, gets the main item, leaves because said item needs a power boost to be used, comes back and gets his ass kicked by the mini-boss, and leaves again to recover while the other main character finishes the job for him*

That'd be a good enough reason if Ninty were to ever consider that scenario. :P

Otherwise, maybe to just go grab more potions or fairies. A player might think the upcoming battle will be hard.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Anacybele

[Magical Glace]

Unless you're going for the stray fairies, I personally recommend a cycle-reset after you get the Light Arrows in Stone Tower Temple for whatever its worth, since the second half can be done without doing the first in the same cycle. .

And like Ana said, stocking up. Though since you're given a fairy just before the boss anyway and Zelda games are typically pretty easy overall imo, I dunno how much I'd personally need to do that.

As for the Temple of Time, I'm more confused about where all the back rooms were during OoT and why we don't get to see him as a kid mumbling about Navi. I assume that the Temple is unchanged in location and Hyrule's other landmarks basically got plate tectonics'd around, but eh, that's just putting too much thought into Hyrule's overly-quick and bizarre tectonics that don't make any sense in context of what Plate tectonics are.

Hyrule is freaking weird.

[Lord Raven]

Has any Zelda game really been hard since Zelda II? Just asking here, because I haven't found Zelda games particularly hard since then, aside from some random shit you'd have to look up online (like heart piece locations and etc).