The Master Trials DLC Made Breath of the Wild Outstanding!
Posted on April 13 2024 by Julia Wilson
While most hardcore fans would have already ventured through Hyrule by the time the DLC released, people starting Breath of the Wild after June 2017 had three choices on how they experienced the game for the first time:
- Standard Mode as it appeared at the game’s launch, which provided an unsullied introduction to the new world of Hyrule.
- Standard Mode with the expansion pack offerings, including additional treasure chests and the challenges of the Trial of the Sword.
- Master Mode, if people wanted a challenging adventure straight away.
I wouldn’t have classed myself as a hardcore gamer back then, so I enjoyed the standard version of Breath of the Wild my first time though. For me, the game had a steep learning curve. I can still remember that first Guardian encounter on the Great Plateau, as I desperately tried to get Link to climb a wall! But, with everything said and done, I can say that the game does great work in gradually increasing the difficulty as your familiarity grows with the environment. Having accidentally entered the Hyrule Castle Sanctum when looking for a Korok Seed, I actually fought Calamity Ganon far, far earlier than I would have intended, and I didn’t find it too hard at all (I actually found Thunderblight Ganon the most challenging boss in the game).
I bought the Master Trials DLC after that battle, looking for the next challenge. The Master Trials definitely delivered in that regard, taking a great game and making it truly outstanding.
No Stone or Korok Left Unturned
Let’s face it: this incarnation of Hyrule is vast. Based on the city of Kyoto, Japan, which is home to Nintendo’s corporate headquarters, Breath of the Wild‘s map is approximately 12 times the size of the area explored in Twilight Princess! The great thing about this vast, open world is that, while the story gently guides you in certain directions, it’s all available for you to explore as you want to. I always like to unlock all the Sheikah Towers first (some are definitely more challenging than others, with Akkala and Central springing to mind!), so that I can see the map in its entirety. Plus, doing so gives you a feel for the regions you encounter and for the sheer size of the world you have to explore. So, given the size of the map and the freeform nature of progression, any additional tools to assist with exploration are appreciated.
The Master Trials thankfully provided such tools for exploration. Firstly, the map is enhanced with the Hero’s Path feature, which displays the player’s movements across the map (sadly only the last 200 hours of play though). The Hero’s Path instantly makes clear which areas you have left unexplored, which is so useful when trying to find all treasure chests — particularly the exclusive DLC ones — and when tracking down potential Shrines, locations, or elusive Korok Seeds. The feature enables you to focus on a particular region and leave no stone unturned.
Speaking of Korok Seeds, one special item introduced in The Master Trials, combined with the Hero’s Path, made Korok hunting that much easier. I know not everybody loves the Koroks, but even if you just want to find enough seeds to max out your weapon inventory, discovering the Korok Mask in the Great Forest and using it alongside the Hero’s Path ensures that the pesky forest folk can hide no more. And if you’re aiming for 100% completion, hearing the whistle of a nearby Korok makes achieving Hestu’s Reward so much easier.
Finally, there is the Travel Medallion, a fabulous item that makes revisiting locations across the giant map so much simpler. Once you have braved the Guardians in the depths of Lomei Labyrinth, opening the chest reveals this item that allows you to set warp points just about anywhere you want. Yes, you can use Shrines and Towers as warp points, but sometimes you need to revisit places which aren’t that close to either type of landmark, like when farming Dragon parts in obscure corners of the map or searching for weapons at Hyrule Castle. Being able to leave the medallion’s fast travel point at a handy location and easily warp back to it to collect more items made these types of activities so much faster.
I Raise You the Master Sword
As you progress through Breath of the Wild — as you gain more hearts, as well as better weapons and armors — the difficulty of the game reduces. At a certain point, hearing the Guardian’s piano music no longer triggers panic, but a hearty, “Bring it on!” Plus, the game provides ample opportunities to avoid or postpone difficult challenges. If you are struggling in a Shrine (the Shora Hah “Blue Flame” challenge was my nemesis), you can always leave and return at a later date, preserving your progress (with the exception of enemies that respawn) and any items collected. So what is there for players who wanted Breath of the Wild to be more difficult?
What if you couldn’t just leave a gauntlet and come back later? What if you had to do multiple challenges in a row? Look no further than the Trial of the Sword! Like Eventide Island on steroids, this combat gauntlet encompasses 51 floors split over three stages. You are taken back to basics — no Champions’ abilities, no armor, no stash of meals or weapons, just the resources you can forage. I loved this aspect of the Trial of the Sword. You have to think about your approach and be much more strategic, because if you get killed, you need to start that stage again from the beginning. So yes, I did chop trees to make dubious food; it’s times like these when every quarter-heart counts.
As you progress through the floors, the difficulty increases and the combat challenges become even more complex. Who hasn’t always wanted to take on a Guardian, a Hinox, or a group of Lizalfos in the dark? The final floor on the third stage, for example, is just brilliant. You’ve got the challenge of defeating a white-maned Lynel, mounted Bokoblins (eight or nine on Master Mode), and a Guardian Turret. Sadly, you don’t get to keep any weapons or items you find in the trials. However, completing a stage rewards you with the increase of ten in the base power of the Master Sword, which helps with the everyday battles in Hyrule. Your hard-earned reward at the end of the entire ordeal is the full-strength Master Sword at 60. Unfortunately, it still runs out of energy, but I guess we can’t have everything!
Who Wants to Fight a Golden Lynel?
Another key feature introduced in The Master Trials is the appropriately named Master Mode.
Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the monsters of Hyrule, the combat is generally quite forgiving. You can happily pause time to choose another weapon or eat a meal mid-battle. While Master Mode still allows this tactic, the opponents and challenges of the game are definitely increased. There’s no longer the option to use cover and slowly whittle away your opponent’s HP, as they now regenerate during battle; this feature makes dealing with multiple enemies so much harder. Elemental damage is reduced, and all enemies can detect you much more easily from a greater distance!
The challenge of Master Mode is apparent from the very beginning. I was shocked to see a Lynel on the Great Plateau! There are a lot more monsters around too, all of which have scaled up to blue level as the starting point. This mode also introduces a new tier of gold-level enemies, as seen with Bokoblins, Moblins, Lizalfos, and Lynels. I mean, at 6,000 HP the Silver Lynel was already one of the tougher encounters; but now we have the Golden Lynel with 7,500 HP, which is only 500 less than Calamity Ganon! Then there are the Sky Octoroks. These unique enemies hold up floating platforms of Bokoblins or Moblins, who are ready to snipe at you with elemental arrows as soon as they see you, and they have excellent vision! And let’s not forget the Guardians. Your perfect parry may be perfect no more with the firing delay; plus, the Guardian Scouts have upped their attack and evasiveness, making the Shrines more challenging too!
What is there not to love? When I did my second run-through of Breath of the Wild, while I enjoyed the experience, it felt quite easy. I completed the Trial of the Sword at a much earlier stage, and returning to the main game afterwards actually felt a little pedestrian. This experience inspired my next playthrough to be on Master Mode, the natural next step, and it revitalised the game for me as a new challenge. You can even take this one step further to the ultimate challenge of completing the Trial of the Sword on Master Mode! My own attempt is still a work-in-progress; I’ve not made it through the first stage yet (but I’m currently on 17 hearts, so I will retry when I have a few more).
Outstanding?
I loved playing Breath of the Wild and didn’t want the game to end, so being able to get The Master Trials to take the experience further was fantastic.
The Master Trials delivers on so many levels, with increased ease of exploration, the increased challenge, and the rewards of the Trial of the Sword. You also have the option to replay the entire game in a new way with Master Mode, complete with those intimidating Golden Lynels. And that’s not to mention all the nostalgic nods to past Zelda games in the form of extra clothing options, as you can adorn Majora’s Mask, Phantom Armor, Midna’s Helmet, or even Tingle’s outfit.
This DLC expansion really does elevate Breath of the Wild into an outstanding game. And for all that The Master Trials offered at the time of its release, there was still even more Breath of the Wild DLC to follow.
Did you enjoy The Master Trials? Did it enhance the Breath of the Wild experience for you? Did you experience Master Mode during your first playthrough? Let us know in the comments below!
Julia is from England and a writer for Zelda Dungeon, having first discovered the Zelda franchise with Breath of the Wild.
When not gaming I enjoy spending time with my pets.
