[Editorial] Master Sword Unleashed! (Surviving the Trial of the Sword)

After a lengthy wait, last week the very first DLC Pack for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild dropped and having spent a part of the weekend experiencing its every delight, it’s time to write about my favourite part of the whole thing!

Don’t get me wrong, the Travel Medallion, Hero’s Path, Master Mode, Korok Mask, Majora’s Mask, Midna’s Helmet, full Phantom and Tingle armour, are all great additions that do add to the game in their own way, but the Trial of the Sword is where the real action is at and that’s why today I would rather just write about that.

Instead of being a minor feature, a secondary difficulty mode that allows players to experience the game at the harder setting, or just something else you can wear, the Trial of the Sword is actual content that does in fact have some form of an impact, what with providing the means to unlock the true power of the Master Sword. It also comes with new dialogue for the Great Deku tree and a new location to explore, in a bid to prove Link worthy of wielding the Master Sword’s true splendour.

The only thing is, don’t go expecting the Shrine like experience to be a walk in the park. Even the Beginning Trials will soon have Link meeting a Terrible Fate if players aren’t careful and that is pretty cool! Why? Well if you can barely survive Trial of the Sword, than it means do not even try Master Mode just yet as you will not stand a chance, but hey aside from how dangerous it can be, the Trial of the Sword is actual a delightful experience.

One that sees you being stripped of all that you have and having to take on enemies armed with nothing but your wits and Runes until you’re able to arm yourself and fight your way through it, until reaching the nice little rest area where you can catch your breath, open a chest or three, gather supplies and cook before getting back into the foray!

And if you think the small enemies pose a problem, wait until you face the Moblins and Guardians and Lynels and various bosses that the Final Trials possess because that’s where the real fun begins and I had a great time playing through the whole thing, but because of the hassles that await, here’s a couple of tips to help you reach your eventual success and master the true power of the Master Sword.

• Tip 1: Never forget your Runes! – While Bombs are good, they are not the only useful Rune you have in your arsenal as Stasis is great for freezing every kind of enemy you will encounter and can be used to put them on pause long enough for you to get in a few good blows.
• Tip 2: Arrows are your Best Friend, but you need to Save them! – For the players who aren’t the most deadly in close-combat, you might want to take a step back and let your bow do all the talking, but while there are plenty of arrows to be found and acquired, try to make every shot count, especially since arrows are a great way of dealing with every boss you face and Guardians.
• Tip 3: Never Leave a Chest, Barrel or Crate Behind! – While not every area has a crate, a chest or a barrel in, a lot of them do, so if you wish to stay alive, never move on to the next area until you are sure you have got everything first. The more ingredients you possess, the more meals you can cook with better effects.
• Tip 4: Meals are Important! – With plenty of supplies being encounterable throughout the stages and rest areas, it’s important to put them to use whenever you can by cooking a complete meal, as the hearts they offer can be far superior to the ones you’ll get by eating food as you find it.
• Tip 5: Knowing when to Use your Ancient Arrows! – When going through the Final Trials, 9 Ancient Arrows can be acquired and as tempting as it is to use them on every Guardian you face, you’re actually better of saving them for the Lynels, especially the one in the final room who’s Bomb Arrows will hit you wherever you try to hide.
• Tip 6: Run towards the Lynels! – With Lynels being such formidable foes, it’s understandable to want to run away from them as soon as you see one but since running away from them isn’t an option, run towards them! By charging right at them, you can swiftly use Stasis to freeze them and be close enough to line up your shot and take them out with an Ancient Arrow.

But the most important tip is to have fun as it is all too easy to want to bow out in frustration, or totally lose your cool and enter pure rage, so have fun, do your best and if you fail, you fail. It’s okay to fail, after all not every Hero passes every challenge, so if you do bite the bullet, you can always learn from your mistakes and try again as that is the true way to be the Legendary Hero worthy of wielding the Master Sword.

Plus all the grief and torment is worth it as the full powered Master Sword can be used a lot longer before needing to recharge and has twice the power than when previously paused. So without a doubt the Trial of the Sword is worth doing and is the best thing to be included with the DLC Pack. Should you wish to disagree, be sure to comment below, because as far as I’m concerned, I have said my piece and it is time to wrap this Editorial up, so that you can have yours, so have at it!

Until next time, keep on gaming!