There are 152 shrines in Kingdom Tears which means that finding and solving them all is no small feat. Comparatively, Breath of the Wild had 120 (and you can see what you got from all of those here), but the payoff is surprising and quirky and raises some interesting questions about larger Zelda lore. It is noteworthy that there spoilers Below to unlock the game late.
After skipping the two passages that play at the end of each shrine for about 165 hours, the final shrine displays some unique text and suggests the player visit the Temple of Time for a reward.
The Temple of Time is located on the island where the Kingdom’s Tears journey began, and the statues of King Raura and Queen Sonja certainly do not refer to the ruins of the Temple of Time on the plateau. I don’t know who makes this mistake and rummages through the ruins for a very long time to get a reward, but you definitely want to go up to the sky. You will find a new chest behind the statue of the goddess.
And in this chest is the side of the ancient hero. The shield is unlike any in Breath of the Wild or Kingdom’s Tears in that it is one piece and not treated as three separate items. It also completely changes Link’s appearance. Functionally, it’s similar to the Majora’s Mask that transforms Link into Zora, Goron, or Deku. Its description reads, “This item is said to contain the soul of a hero who once saved Hyrule. This hero’s aura will envelop the wearer.” He may be a representation of the first incarnation of the Time Champion.
Some characters will change their dialogue if you are wearing armor. The average citizen of Hyrule doesn’t seem impressed, but people like Impa and Purah (and possibly others) who have some knowledge of the world’s history will have new things to say in response to Link’s new appearance.
For more information on Zelda, you can read Game Informer’s Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review Beginner tips guide Our interview with producer and director Eiji Onuma and Hidemaro Fujibayashi Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Amiibo guide This feature of dumb screenshots Learn how Patricia can help you sand seal, finally about my journey to find shrines and made me lose my mind here.
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