Passing through the Lost Woods in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom involves a puzzle unlike any other associated with the iconic location. The Woods have appeared in many Legend of Zelda games before, including the same incarnation’s introduction in Breath of the Wild. Nevertheless, Hyrule’s circumstances and the very nature of Tears of the Kingdom’s design have led to a truly unique example of the Lost Woods in its role as a barrier to Link’s quest.
As its name implies, the Lost Woods of Hyrule is a maze and an unusual one at that. The magic infusing the forest typically means that Link must take a precise path through it to reach the center. If he strays from this path, he will return to where he began. Of course, this is not without reason; the Lost Woods is often depicted as the resting place of the Master Sword, and has also been home to the Kokiri and the Koroks at different points in Hyrule’s history. Fundamentally, the Lost Woods exists to protect all of this from the outside world.
With the gloom dispersed, players can once again traverse the Lost Woods in TOTK by following the wind as in Breath of the Wild. The long grass of the Woods and drifting lights in the air reveal the path, but a lit torch’s embers can also provide a useful indicator. Naturally, a wrong turn will see Link enveloped in fog and returned to the entrance, and this extends to the paths to some of the Shrines hidden within the forest. Interestingly, Ninjis Shrine is actually unreachable due to the fog even after the Gloom is gone; in an inversion of his earlier journey through the Depths, Link must skydive to reach it.
In addition to moving through the Lost Woods, Tears of the Kingdom naturally offers a fast travel alternative. Namely, Link can travel to Musanokir Shrine beside the Great Deku Tree, and can do so even before the Gloom has been cleared. Of course, entering from the Depths is still an option as well, but the sheer convenience means that most players will likely opt for the Shrine. Similarly, Link can fast travel to Shrines or Lightroots to exit Korok Forest, but he can also make use of an Ogre Tree found behind the Great Deku Tree; climbing into this tree’s mouth will send Link to the Lost Woods’ entrance.
The Lost Woods has demonstrated a variety of methods for earning its name over the years. The teleportation it frequently employs to ‘punish’ a wrong turn, while not entirely ubiquitous, is certainly iconic, presumably leading to its inclusion in BOTW and TOTK. Not only does it appear in The Legend of Zelda, but it also forms the basis of the Lost Woods in the iconic Ocarina of Time. Here, Link finds his way by following the sound of Saria’s Song, although the appearance of the hollow tree trunks he passes through also offers a hint; a light in the center means that the trunk leads back towards Kokiri Forest.
2023-06-13 11:00:04
Original from screenrant.com