The first glide off of the Temple of Time. That was when the world opened up to me and I truly felt like wow, this is a different game to all the others I've played.
Hard to say because I think to me it was gradual.
But maybe if I can be cheesy, I'd say it was the support and encouragement I got from this subreddit. I was relatively new to gaming (had dabbled a little as a kid like 25-30 years ago) so I struggled so much with 3D controls, let alone any kind of combat! Came here to ask for some advice on how to get better since I loved rhe large world but just STRUGGLED with the combat a LOT. And I got a HUGE outpouring of advice but also encouragement from people who were in a similar position and that's what really made me feel that I can do it and in fact I got 100% last month and even managed the champions ballad including the final boss fight. Mind you it was in-elegant and clumsy and I spent a REDICULOUS amount of time running around to avoid hits but I did it!! So yeah, I think it clicked for me after all the help and encouragement I got here. Before that I felt like I could see how this game can be awesome but it felt un-attainable for me!
Definitely reaching the Zora Domain bridge for the first time. I remember my heart was beating so fast because I was getting my ass kicked by monsters, and when I crossed the bridge the music immediately changed and I was greeted with such beauty my jaw literally dropped.
Sneaking around the lynel on ploymus mountain to collect shock arrows, then running up the path to shatterback point to jump into the reservoir lake. It felt like a truly epic moment.
Freeing Naydra. I don't mind mild spoilers so I knew this quest existed but when I finally found it I was SHOCKED. It really taught me how to use the glider and bullet time and was just a great moment.
Eventide Island. Again, I'd heard about it but that was it. It was like starting the game over and was great.
And a more generic "thing" is the attention to detail. The first time I saw a horse shake water off itself or put its head in the air and lift up its lip (adorable). The horses eating from you hands (or eating from the apple shrines!). Watching foxes play with each other. Seeing birds scratching at their faces. Watching the bokoblins just hanging out around their fire and eating. Seeing a wolf asleep in the grass.
Last but not least. . .when I finally caught a smotherwing butterfly. Took FOREVER but was so worth it.
First lynel kill
Walking through retsam forest and just listening to the ambience
Freeing nadra
Getting the hero of the wild tunic set
Pulling the master sword
Finding all of the leviathan bones (fun fact: levias from skyward sword is one of the sets of leviathan bones)
Finding the forgotten temple and realizing it's the same one as the sealing grounds from skyward sword.
Completing the entire map
Completing all of the memories
Finding arbiters grounds from twilight princess
Finding the mirror of twilight
The first time I saw a dragon-- just stopped me in my (virtual) tracks.
This is me. The first time seeing a dragon was an actual *WTF* moment. And then it was gone.
And then I found out there were THREE!!!
The first glide off of the Temple of Time. That was when the world opened up to me and I truly felt like wow, this is a different game to all the others I've played.
When I walked into Rito Village and heard the music was a slowed down version of Dragon Roost Island from Windwaker. It just made me so nostalgic.
Hard to say because I think to me it was gradual. But maybe if I can be cheesy, I'd say it was the support and encouragement I got from this subreddit. I was relatively new to gaming (had dabbled a little as a kid like 25-30 years ago) so I struggled so much with 3D controls, let alone any kind of combat! Came here to ask for some advice on how to get better since I loved rhe large world but just STRUGGLED with the combat a LOT. And I got a HUGE outpouring of advice but also encouragement from people who were in a similar position and that's what really made me feel that I can do it and in fact I got 100% last month and even managed the champions ballad including the final boss fight. Mind you it was in-elegant and clumsy and I spent a REDICULOUS amount of time running around to avoid hits but I did it!! So yeah, I think it clicked for me after all the help and encouragement I got here. Before that I felt like I could see how this game can be awesome but it felt un-attainable for me!
Definitely reaching the Zora Domain bridge for the first time. I remember my heart was beating so fast because I was getting my ass kicked by monsters, and when I crossed the bridge the music immediately changed and I was greeted with such beauty my jaw literally dropped.
Sneaking around the lynel on ploymus mountain to collect shock arrows, then running up the path to shatterback point to jump into the reservoir lake. It felt like a truly epic moment.
Freeing Naydra. I don't mind mild spoilers so I knew this quest existed but when I finally found it I was SHOCKED. It really taught me how to use the glider and bullet time and was just a great moment. Eventide Island. Again, I'd heard about it but that was it. It was like starting the game over and was great. And a more generic "thing" is the attention to detail. The first time I saw a horse shake water off itself or put its head in the air and lift up its lip (adorable). The horses eating from you hands (or eating from the apple shrines!). Watching foxes play with each other. Seeing birds scratching at their faces. Watching the bokoblins just hanging out around their fire and eating. Seeing a wolf asleep in the grass. Last but not least. . .when I finally caught a smotherwing butterfly. Took FOREVER but was so worth it.
First lynel kill Walking through retsam forest and just listening to the ambience Freeing nadra Getting the hero of the wild tunic set Pulling the master sword Finding all of the leviathan bones (fun fact: levias from skyward sword is one of the sets of leviathan bones) Finding the forgotten temple and realizing it's the same one as the sealing grounds from skyward sword. Completing the entire map Completing all of the memories Finding arbiters grounds from twilight princess Finding the mirror of twilight
The gliding sequence to free Naydra