Korgu Chideh Shrine (Jim Norman, Staff Writer)
I’ll admit, the official title for this Shrine isn’t the catchiest one out there, but the quest itself is super memorable. That’s because this is the proper name of the challenge that we all refer to as simply ‘Eventide Island’.
This was one of the many, many moments in my first playthrough of BOTW that I thought to myself “good grief, Nintendo, you’ve done it again”. The challenge itself is simple: find the three orbs scattered across the island and return them to their natural pedestals to unlock the Shrine. Easy job, right?
Wrong! Upon arriving on the island, you are stripped of all of your gear, which (if you challenged the Shrine Quest at the same time as I did) was a rather substantial amount of progress to lose. Suddenly, you are back to the core mission of BOTW: survive; it’s brilliant.
You have to carefully consider your every move, plan each attack, rest wherever you can and please, for the love of Hylia, collect every single apple that you come across. It’s a proper challenge, for sure, but the reward of knowing that you have truly mastered BOTW’s series-changing mechanics is enough to make it one of the game’s best, in my book.
From the Ground Up (Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer)
Yep, just call me ‘Captain Obvious’. The Tarrey Town quest – officially called ‘From the Ground Up’ – is such a satisfying experience from start to finish, particularly since it’s one of few quests that actually has a tangible impact on the land of Hyrule.
At its core, From the Ground Up is really just a bunch of fetch quests cobbled together; you need to find yourself a Tailor, a Priest, a Merchant, and someone endowed with considerable strength. Not to mention the nearly countless bundles of wood required for the construction of Tarrey Town. But it’s the knowledge that you’re contributing to something real that makes this one so memorable. It’s a flippin’ town – you built a town!
Part of me wonders whether side quests like this one helped to inspire the more creative approach taken with Tears of the Kingdom; you know, how you can basically fuse weapons and stick objects together. Breath of the Wild had its fair share of creativity too, of course, but that overwhelming feeling of satisfaction upon completion of From the Ground Up must have informed Nintendo as to the direction of the sequel. It’s wonderful stuff.
The Thunder Helm (Felix Sanchez, Video Producer)
So, my favourite area in the whole game is the Gerudo Dessert, and in turn, that area has some of my favourite quests. Some of them include ‘The Eighth Heroine’ and ‘The Forgotten Sword’ quest (that’s how you get the sand/snow boots), but if I had to pick my absolute favourite quest of them all, I would have to go with ‘The Thunder Helm’. It may not be a pick you’ll see anyone else picking, but I chose this since you need to complete 5 (brilliant) quests in Gerudo town to get hands the golden helm.
Included here is ‘The mystery polluter’, where you have to follow melon rinds to track down the polluter who’s making a little girl unable to have a garden. ‘Tools of the Trade’ where you help a Gerudo woman set up a jewellery shop. And ‘The Secret Club’s Secret’, where you have to eavesdrop on a convo at a bar to get the password to enter a secret shop where you can get exclusive outfits. And that wasn’t even all of them!
I just find it really rewarding helping out the whole town, and as a cool bonus, you get to borrow the sacred thunder helm which makes you immune to lightning strikes. Doesn’t get any better than that does it?
Recital at Warbler’s Nest (Alana Hagues, Deputy Editor)
For all of the bombastic stuff you can do in Breath of the Wild, it’s always the quieter moments that stick with me, the calm after the storm. I’ve always loved the Recital at Warbler’s Nest, a Shrine Quest where you have to gather together five Rito sisters in order to practice a recital. You have to fetch the Rito, feed the hungry Rito, and reassure the nervous Rito. Along the way, you’ll uncover some strong sisterly bonds, as well as further understand the importance of music in the Rito community (think of Kass, after all). Once you have all five sisters, you’ll find them singing at the Warbler’s Nest. You then have to mimic their song with a giant Korok Leaf, and then a shrine will emerge from the ground.
That makes it sound simple – I definitely didn’t realise you had to stand on the pedestal the first time – but the quest got me to explore the Rito Village and get acquainted with the characters there. The Rito kids are adorable, and the musical moment is heartwarming and nostalgic. It shines a light on the smaller characters in the game that I hope Tears of the Kingdom will expand on.
A Gift of Nightshade (Gavin Lane, Editor)
I’ve got to be honest, I did all the quests in BOTW five years ago and have spent the time since pottering around mopping up other bits and pieces, so my memory of the quests is limited to the rewards, really. The big horse one was cool, but I remember zero details about it except the cool big horse.
One of the few that sticks in my mind does so because it’s linked to the geography of Hyrule – it’s the one where you help the two people meet at the heart-shaped lake. A quick google informs me it’s called A Gift of Nightshade and the heart-shaped lake is called Lover’s Pond, found on Tuft Mountain.
It’s a cute little tale of the timid Wabbin building up the courage to talk to Perda, and it was the feeling of stumbling across them in the wilderness that I remember most, the shape of the pond prompting me to investigate. Two lonely people in a lonely place finding love thanks to me was a sweet, simple little idea that worked beautifully; a tiny but significant stitch in the rich tapestry of the game.
