Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Shrine of Resurrection Downgraded

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In a more casual and accessible way, “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” builds upon what fans adored in “Breath of the Wild” by significantly improving various aspects. Despite the game’s meticulous detailing and impressive world-building, it’s striking that one significant location from “Breath of the Wild” falls short of its full potential.

In the Legend of Zelda series, Tears of the Kingdom stands out as one of the scarce direct sequels, with Link’s journeys typically lacking a continuous narrative thread. Few games in this franchise follow up with the same game map in their sequel, but Tears of the Kingdom bucked tradition by nearly maintaining the same overworld map, altered by time and the events at the start of the game. Sky islands and the depths were added to prevent the familiar map from feeling repetitive, while new events and quests transformed once-familiar areas. Unfortunately, one of Breath of the Wild’s key locations, the Shrine of Resurrection where Link awakens, saw minimal changes in Tears of the Kingdom, leaving a slight imperfection in an otherwise outstanding map layout.

The Downfall of Breath of the Wild’s Shrine of Resurrection

Due to the recognition of the map from previous game, Breath of the Wild, many gamers were thrilled to discover alterations in their beloved locations across the two games. As they roamed Hyrule, players would often stumble upon the Great Plateau, a place where the tutorial for Breath of the Wild was set. In Tears of the Kingdom, the Great Plateau presented distinctive adventures and quests, along with some shrines to conquer; however, its significant site, the Shrine of Resurrection, underwent minimal changes. Inside, players could locate a hot spring and a covert Yiga clan hideout filled with rewards. Consequently, while the developers didn’t neglect the location entirely, they missed an opportunity to reward players for recalling Link’s past experiences.

The Shrine of Resurrection Could Have Included More Lore Connections

In the legend of the Shrine of Resurrection, details have been scarce. It’s understood that Sheikah tech might have boosted the healing properties of its hot spring to revive Link, but not much else has been disclosed. The latest game, Tears of the Kingdom, had an opportunity to explore the enigmatic power of this hidden hot spring within a cave, potentially by incorporating a Zonai shrine at the Shrine of Resurrection. This could have provided more backstory for the Zonai shrines scattered throughout the game, as well as bridging the story between the two games. However, it appears that without Sheikah technology or Zonai control, the Yiga clan effortlessly seized the once significant cave.

What Happened to the Sheikah Technology?

In the interval between the two games at the Shrine of Resurrection, the only hint is that the tech used by Sheikah to revive Link has vanished. Post Calamity Ganon’s defeat, many Sheikah devices across Hyrule, including towers and most of the fearsome guardians, have been taken down for reasons unclear. From a design standpoint, it seems the developers chose to lessen other powerful technologies from the previous game as they focused more on Zonai tech in the new one. However, within the game itself, there isn’t much explanation provided for the absence of Sheikah technology.

It’s clear that players, especially those eager for a comeback of specific Sheikah technology elements, couldn’t help but notice this. Some players even employed Zonai devices to rebuild the Master Cycle Zero and Divine Beasts. The Shrine of Resurrection could have served as a means to weave the story behind the disappearance of powerful tech between the two games. Unfortunately, in the exceptional game that is Tears of the Kingdom, this particular aspect didn’t quite live up to expectations.

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2025-04-12 23:03