ZELDA DUNGEONS! Linear vs Non-Linear

Which is better?!
Patreon:
/ monstermaze
Become a Member:
/ @monstermaze
Join "The Maze" on Discord:
/ discord
Special Thanks to:
You!
Footage Credits:
Unbox Therapy ( • Nintendo NES Deluxe Se... )
Zelda Master and ZorZelda (Various Zelda games)
Siphano (A Link to the Past)
YTSunny (The Legend of Zelda NES)
My own captures
Notable Music:
Cleffer Notes: Shadow Temple Remix: Zelda Ocarina of Time ( • Shadow Temple Remix: Z... )

[@MonsterMaze]

Let me know what your favourite dungeon type is! Enjoy the rest of your weekend y'all ^^. Also, I will soon create a community post with some schedule updates in regards to upcoming projects, since there have been some slight changes. Especially regarding my big Calamity video (don't worry it's still coming).

[@PHO3N1X_28]

Love your videos. Keep up the great work!

[@tomscurlock7242]

My favorites are from twilight princess. My favorite of all is arbiters grounds, but I also love Snowpeak ruins, city in the sky, and the water temple from TP. It’s weird because normally I love non-linearity, but I love linear dungeons, particularly combat for used ones. Combat and exploration are my favorite parts of video games, but I’ve never really cared about story, that’s one reason botw is my favorite video game ever, because most of the story is skippable. I also love most of the dungeons from Oot and SS.

[@jakereich2080]

Anything that isn't BoTW.

[@kintaro1851]

I don't know if that counts as a dungeon, but it has a kinda similar structure. Because one of my favourites is the section of Skyward Sword, where you loose your weapons. Specifically the one in Eldin. The divine challenges are fun, but not really unique in their appearance and how they play. The atmosphere is completely different from the rest of the game, which makes it stand out for me.

[@airellecarol5043]

I love non linear ones. I Hope the next Zelda has some that feel different, but with the same sence of freedom.

[@StarWarsUnited123]

Both styles have a right to exist. It's always strange to see people critique linear dungeons. There should be some variety and linear dungeons also give level and game designers a chance to have more structured challenges.

[@fusionsigh]

WunderGecko I agree

[@arjunabazaz1006]

The thing people criticize and dungeons that don’t rely on anything except single room puzzles. A good dungeon should have single room puzzles mixed with puzzles about the dungeon at a whole

[@StarWarsUnited123]

@@arjunabazaz1006 a good dungeon can be literally anything, if it's well executed. It doesn't need a checklist of things to be good. if the dungeon itself is enganging it can also be a a combination of single rooms in a linear fashin. I agree that there should be variety. only linear dungeons would be dissapointing, but it could be a good change of pace if other dungeons are more open.

[@Mike14264]

Yeah, Gauntlet dungeons can be more action or riddle based, and that's great as well!

[@aozf05]

@Porfirio Rubirosa People criticize when things are TOO linear, like if a dungeon was just 10 rooms end to end with enemies. It's not very interesting. If people fave the Shadow Temple, I have my doubts that it has anything to do with its linearity. There's more to love about its creepy atmosphere, gauntlet style dungeoneering, and classic platforming dangers like bottomless pits. It also ties in with the Bottom of the Well which is the exact opposite of linear. And if you try to tackle the temple for the first time without the Lens of Truth, it's the hardest dungeon in the game and sure to be a memorable experience.

[@CGaboL]

I don't really pay attention if a dungeon is just a straight line or as open-ended as the Divine Beasts so long the dungeon is enjoyable and has a good atmosphere.

[@Ironwill3004]

I completely agree!

[@ND86119]

agreed

[@phoenix9531]

"Dungeons are as essential to the zelda series as milk is to cereal" Breath of the Wild was a cereal bar huh 😂

[@kitsunekaze93]

a very tasty cerial bar, but would probably have been better with some milk too!

[@Rocky712_]

@@kitsunekaze93 It was the worst cereal bar I had so far. Definitely some milk neeeded.

[@sardinee4564]

@@kitsunekaze93 BOTW was like cereal with grains and nothing else, albeit decent quality grains but still very plain. like incomplete cereal with the foundations for being good cereal. You also spelt cereal wrong. (;

[@moronicalmeister]

It is so refreshing hearing botw criticism. The first month of release felt like I was going insane with frustration trying to find anyone who experienced the same beautiful but exceedingly bland game I did.

[@phoenix9531]

@@moronicalmeister don't get me wrong, breath of the wild is probably still my favorite gaming experience 2015-2020

[@justdenks]

I personally prefer semi-linear games, like an open world with a clear objective that gives freedom but still gets you on the right path.

[@theoaremevano3227]

I like that too. I tend to call it "Adventure Style" when a game does that. :)

[@feyh]

You mean Breath of the Wild? ;)

[@thelegendofthem6120]

Like Link between Worlds?💋💋

[@limageur]

Dishonored ?

[@HerMi.T]

Then I think you like the dungeon like lakebed temple and botw's overworld.

[@Kringlord97]

I actually really like the Temple of Time since the pristine state of the architecture matches the literally "timeless" theme of the dungeon. My favorite BoTW dungeon was actually the Divine Trial dungeon from the DLC since it at least seemed nonlinear. My hope is to have some big, unique, grandiose dungeons with special items alongside the puzzle box type dungeons. Maybe even splitting some dungeon progression up so you have to leave a dungeon, do something else, and come back to continue past a roadblock or see how it's changed since you've left.

[@Anonymous-le8xe]

Personally I prefer the non linear dungeons I like the sense of freedom in a game

[@murtymcfly]

Personally, I prefer the *A I R*

[@rank2859]

Damn it I was about to say that lol

[@js1.987]

Doesn’t that defeat the whole point of a dungeon? A dungeon is supposed to confine you

[@Anonymous-le8xe]

@@js1.987 True but I mean the dungeons that gives you a large area to complete the puzzles in any order

[@dylanmcloughlin2187]

I agree but I also like having a special item that requires you to backtrack.

[@IssaalaaRacing]

Personally, I liked the Divine beasts structure of dungeons, completly non-linear and the puzzles were all fun, my only issue with them was the theme of the dungeons, for example, u can take the exact same design, the exact same layout, and the exact same puzzles and everything, but then just change the walls texture, the location etc. Like take vah Ruta, put it on the side of a cliff, and make the textures and stuff all water themed. And boom it will FEEL completely different. Other than than I liked everything.

[@TheGalaxyWings]

*Other than than*

[@rockyr.saints5137]

Agreed. I also feel like botw actually *has* proper dungeons, *but they're just split apart into multiple shrines* (i.e. shrines focus on singular concepts which could be combined to create proper Zelda-like dungeons). I wouldn't have minded this so much *if only the shrines and divine beasts had distinct aesthetic theming* (audio and visual).

[@gray.wesley]

Yeah that was a bit of a downside to the dungeons in BotW, I really liked the concept of these ancient beasts that used to be good, and then they became cursed and are now evil, and the presentation is really good, but if you forget all that existed they're just rotatable dungeons in slightly different shapes just rinse and repeated. They had SOME slightly different puzzles where you have to use different elements to complete them, but other than that it's just the same thing. Again, I like the concept, it just gets old really quickly.

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

if vah nabooris was the only roaming divine beast it wouldve made people like botw more.

[@sardinee4564]

BOTW divine beasts are shallow husks compared to ocarina of time dungeons.

[@TheFriskySquid]

11:38 What you said here is literally Twilight Princess. It has the high tech/clean sort of dungeons like sky temple and temple of time, it has dark scary dungeons, it has a snow and water and fire dungeon - it has everything (except truly non-linear dungeons). It's a shame some people don't like the game cause of wolf link parts. Snow Peak and Arbiter's Grounds are some of my favorite dungeons, and the Lakebed Temple is my favorite water dungeon (maybe because underwater combat was fun this time around).

[@kitsunekaze93]

Wolf link was an amazing game mechanic! cool and unique! it did however overstay its welcome sometimes, but once you got the "cure" and you could transform at will, the game got better!

[@KuraIthys]

It's the orb collecting thing that ruined it for me. Felt like tedious padding that served no purpose at all other than being able to say the game took a certain amount of hours to complete. Plus wolf link, while a cool idea, didn't seem to get used for anything decent. My final critique would be the last 2-3 dungeons and the end of the game in general feel unfinished. Like they just desperately rushed it out to get it done on time... I was pretty disappointed by the last few dungeons after how unique the earlier ones had eben. Midna on the other hand is the most amazing companion in any zelda game I've played (and I've played pretty much all of them besides the CD-I games and the the DS ones)

[@potatosack7492]

I agree. Except that I hate Lakebed temple. I found it really scary and hard af. I was stuck there for weeks. And i especially hated the boss. But, Oh well, everybody has their own taste.

[@kylehill3643]

@@KuraIthys My parents and I both hated her. She constantly put Link down and made the player feel dumb. Not sure why people love that. Feminazi's at hand!

[@jason20599]

@@KuraIthys if anything, Wind Waker felt unfinished

[@wandersgion4989]

1:26 “much easier to miss something” Shows the most difficult to find room in the water temple 😂 As a seven-year-old, that one hidden room kept me puzzled for weeks... I think my babysitter’s brother helped me find it. 😅

[@senordivinebeast646]

I think both linear and non linear dungeons have their pros and cons. It rly depends on how good the dungeon backstory and theme is to me

[@jbkgamr]

Forest temple is definitely my favourite. The atmosphere and music is unbeatable.

[@GSLinux]

Personally I prefer a mix of both: linear and non-linear. Even some that start linear but have non-linear sections, or vice-versa. It keeps dungeons feeling different from each other and a fresh experience to some extend when you factor in the theme, location or element of said dungeon.

[@234zuscoutjango9]

The problem with non-linear dungeons is (at least to me) that I lose all motivation when I see the main room with dozens of doors and things I don't understand. The non-linear dungeons are often more satisfying but also more frustrating.

[@corhydrae3238]

Fascinatingly, that kind of thing is exactly what motivates me. I get excited when I see a giant hub room with multiple paths and optimally some dungeon mechanic like changing water levels. Keeping track of your surroundings, making a mental map and remembering what you need to have or change to progress at specific points in the dungeon is fun to me. This just supports the point that the games need a variety of dungeons to satisfy each players needs.

[@Flome810]

Same if I see multiple rooms and doors in a dungeon I get overwhelmed and give up

[@potatosack7492]

Same, all the doors and pathways discourage me. I hate big places, especially in video games.

[@motherjup1ter]

Same, I just can't choose which way to go and I love just going everywhere @@corhydrae3238

[@AndrewIHanna]

My favorite dungeon in any zelda game is probably the temple of the ocean king from phantom hourglass because although being relatively linear you find a new way to solve each room every time you get a new item without it being expressly comminucated to the player, like being able to entirely skip the first triforce gem room by stringing the grappling hook between two torches.

[@toschiworlds7212]

Finally someone who likes the Temple of the Ocean King. I thought I was alone.

[@AndrewIHanna]

@@toschiworlds7212 i just think that not many people played phantom hourglass, or assumed it would be bad because its a ds game

[@TheGalaxyWings]

@@AndrewIHanna no the temple of ocean king is horrible to play despite its concept being interesting.

[@toschiworlds7212]

@@AndrewIHanna Well, good thing I started with Phantom Hourglass.

[@AndrewIHanna]

@@TheGalaxyWings what makes you think that

[@arcticdino1650]

I don't care if the dungeon is linear or not. I like it when dungeons have unique looks, interesting puzzle, and item usage. These reasons are why BotW had some of my least favorite dungeons. The golf one was the worst. I don't even remember half the puzzles. My favorite is the Ancient Cistern. It has a very unique design (based on Buddhism, which makes it even cooler), it had two separate halfs, and the rope... just that one rope

[@lococomrade3488]

"Golf one" BotW and TotK are both mini-golf games.

[@Colonel_Overkill]

When I entered my first divine beast, Vah Nabooris I waw amazed. I loved how different it was to the previous games and thunderblight was a significant challenge. That made all of the other beasts and ganons seem even more dissapointing. As for dungeons I prefer creativity and atmosphere over linear or non.

[@boltlight1244]

Yeah, me going to naboris first probably killed the other 3 for me. Naboris was way more challenging than the others and the puzzle was better. The other 3 after that just felt too easy.

[@olivera3365]

Vah Naboris easily beats out the other DBs for me. It felt like the only one with a... I'll put it "worthwhile" puzzle mechanic with the rotating belly. Vah Ruta really only comes close with the water spout but the other two are essentially the same and kinda boring. I'd love to see a new dungeon with the main mechanic being similar to Naboris because I feel like that could create a really cool puzzle box dungeon. I also feel like I had the experience ruined by playing Naboris early (2nd/4) because the others that followed (Medoh and Rudania) just never intrigued me the same...

[@murtymcfly]

Hope we have some linear and non linear dungeons, or just many different ones, I'd love some to be like Parkour, Combat, Puzzles, Mechanics etc

[@corrinflakes9659]

You mean: Platform, Gauntlets, and Puzzle Boxes styles?

[@HogW1ld385]

So...the shrines. You just described the shrines

[@murtymcfly]

@@HogW1ld385 n o d o n t

[@murtymcfly]

@@corrinflakes9659 basically

[@g.davidturnblom5751]

Zelda doesn't actually need any of those elements, though because Super Metroid has all of those. There are puzzles, places to show off parkour stunts with wall jump, as well as everything you're saying you want. Samus is much better equipped, both personally and equipment wise for those things than Link.

[@mikann9441]

I haven't watched the video completely, but I'm so happy someone would make this kind of video! Since i just love all dungeons and I don't think too hard about it, it's hard for me to completely understand the opinion of stuff being "too linear"! Thank you sm! This is why I love your channel! :D

[@MonsterMaze]

Great to hear you like it!

[@darklinklonklanklunkloinkl3060]

I prefer the 3D linear dungeons to be honest, like the twilight princess ones. if that’s linear. Edit: I guess it’s semi linear, but I like it when you do half of the dungeon, get the item then do the other half and then the boss. Especially when the boss needs the item to be beaten with. E.g. arbiters grounds.

[@WolfLinkChick1991]

Dang I love the Temple of Time dungeon!! But I agree with Miguel and Tulio: both!

[@feefster.]

BOTW was my first Zelda game, but watching your videos has made me want some traditional dungeons in the sequel!

[@JoshSJoshingWithYa]

Honestly, linear or nonlinear, it’s the aesthetic that makes dungeons memorable. I remember everything about the Great Deku Tree and Jabu Jabu’s Belly from OoT, despite them not being the best dungeons in the game. Spider-Infested Tree. Eaten By a Freaking Whale. I don’t remember much of Twilight Princess’s dungeons except for the Snowpeak Ruins, which REALLY stands out in my memory. Honestly, I think this is why OoT is still considered one of the greatest games of all time. Aesthetically-speaking, pretty much every town and dungeon has its own culture, and it feels like a new world every time you travel. Especially when you go into Hyrule Castle Town as an adult for the first time, that was especially shocking. The only critique I have for the aesthetic of OoT is Hyrule Field, which is pretty bland, generic, and mostly unchanging. Breath of the Wild does a lot right in this regard with its towns. Sheikah Village and Gerudo Desert were both my favorite places to hang around in. I just wish its landscapes and dungeons had more culture surrounding it, too.

[@mayonnaise2396]

Josh S last time I played twilight princess years ago, but there were so many interesting dungeon themes. An abandoned monkey temple, a magnetic incendiary Gordon mine, a sunken zora temple with a complex rotating centerpiece, an execution ground filled with skeletons and the undead, and so much more.

[@minight1711]

What I disliked about the divine beasts is that a dungeon is supposed to make you feel in enemy territory, but the divine beasts are so lacking in monsters you feel like you go there as a tourist more than anything else kupo

[@sch2412]

i just realized how much i enjoyed TPs dungeons. i need to play it again soon

[@gray.wesley]

Bruh did you really make a fictional "Ganon Cereal" product? I would make that my new diet even if it tasted like crap lol. But seriously sell me that!

[@moberlysquad67]

Favorite dungeons are probably Stone Tower, Ancient Cistern, Eagles Tower (I know, kinda controversial) and Hyrule Castle in BoTW. I don’t care if it’s linear or non-linear, as long as it is interesting.

[@MonsterMaze]

Eagles tire actually gave me quite a run for my money when I replayed it on the switch for the first time in many years. It wasn't as easy as I remembered

[@thisisfyne]

I'm 100% with you on this one!

[@arandom35yearold]

Eagle's tower is awesome. Its probably the only dungeon where I was genuinely lost on its traversal in a very very very long time. It actually gave me the feeling of adventure and discovery as I kept entering the wrong rooms and finally having everything click in my mind as to what leads to where. Simply amazing. Long, at times even frustrating, but an experience like no other to me. And the theme being a perfect fit for such disorienting dungeon. Needless to say, my favourite of all time.

[@supbilly07]

Water Temple in OOT was the best temple in the game. So taxing, but rewarding. Great vid as usual.

[@supbilly07]

@Retro Entertainment Channel Spirit Temple is great as well, but for me it wasn't as complex as the Water Temple. They are both great in their own way.

[@lpfan4491]

Water and Spirit temple are really nice. Sadly these dungeons were pretty much judt infuriating in master quest(my preferred game)

[@lpfan4491]

@Retro Entertainment Channel Difficult does not mean annoying. The other dungeons are fine once one is used to the gimmicks, but these two are not. The spirit temple in particular is the reason I do not replay masterquest often.

[@DavidAsp118]

Nice one! This is why I’m subscribed, you’re the best Monster Maze!

[@zeldaenby224]

I love puzzle boxes with the calm feeling like the ancient cistern and divine beasts it's really fun to wander around and figure it out slowly

[@bodaciouskyle]

Amazing video dude! Loved it.

[@KadenMacKay]

The visuals you create are honestly such a large contributing factor to the quality of your videos

[@Sum_Gi]

Thanks for the excellent use of my name :P. Little late to the comment party, but I certainly appreciate the shout out! Glad to be a part of the supporting fam!

[@BlaxeFrost-X]

Hybrid, because linear feels like i'm on a rail and non linear makes every challenge very disconnected, 3 keys = 3 mini dungeons in a non linear stage...

[@MajoraZero]

Great video! I appreciate your effort in no using only the same n64 footage of the dungeons, but also from the 3d remake and even some map viewers!

[@Greywander87]

One aspect of dungeon design that I don't see talked about enough is the in-universe reasons for it being built the way it is, or being built at all. Yes, it's just a game, but many of these dungeons can't stand up to even a superficial examination trying to match their in-universe explanation with the actual dungeon. I think it would be neat to have a game where the dungeons actually _are_ designed to contain some ancient evil (a literal dungeon), but also requires a mechanism to allow a hero to periodically enter and subdue the evil to prevent it from escaping. The dungeon is design to ward off intruders who accidentally wander in or are purposely trying to release the evil sealed within, yet to allow the chosen hero to enter and renew the seal. I think it would be neat to stumble across a room in a dungeon with beds, tools, building materials, and possibly a worker's journal that might give you a hint about some of the traps (e.g. "Someone activated the swinging axe trap in the eastern hallway and Bob got split open. I told them we should have waited to install that trap until later; now someone has to go turn it off, and it's not going to be me."). You know, evidence that this is actually a real place that someone built for a specific purpose. You might also be able to do research on the specific dungeon architects that could give you clues about how to tackle their dungeons. For example, one might like using traps, another prefers puzzles. One architect designs strictly linearly, another likes to create mazes that loop back on themselves with multiple paths forward. There might be some sort of telltale feature that indicates a trap or key that a particular architect always uses. Heck, some of the architects might even still be alive if the dungeon isn't that old, and you can go talk to them.

[@aneasteregg8171]

I feel like trying to justify their existence is missing the point. It's all about being fun. It's like trying to justify why Bowser and Mario can go kart racing together... Just go with it, ya know?

[@frankwuttson2253]

Wow, the quality of your videos are so great! You deserve more subscribers

[@HyruleGamer]

Could go on a huge gush about how amazing this video is but I'll leave it at, this video was amazing dude! Great work as always, love it 😀

[@MonsterMaze]

Thanks man! Im glad I decided to go back into the comments for a bit. Your comment totally went by me :O

[@joshbourne9679]

Another great video!!! Keep up the good work

[@TheFerdi265]

I personally really like the kind of creative "hybrid" and nonlinear dungeons, especially the way they were realized in Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword. I think actually most of what I liked is slowly exploring a space and finding my way forward, and beginning to understand the dungeon gameplay gimmicks when I get the dungeon item. Recontextualizing the dungeon elements after getting the item really adds to the experience IMO.

[@shadowdecidueye]

I can't wait to wake up tomorrow, to eat my daily dose of nutritious Ganon Flakes

[@drantino]

i genearly like both kinds of dungeons because of its differences it can do, skywards sandship is small enough but because of the fact you have to view it in 2 different stats with different opsticals actually make it alot bigger then youd think. also the fire temple of skyward sword is the one that comes to mind that uses the central room mechanic despite it being linear, you travel down the path by going from side room to side room to progress to the boss room which you see basicly right off the bat, but theres not actual out of order progression unless you want like 2 chests that arnt requierd

[@salvy6864]

I absolutely love videos that discuss Zelda dungeon design. Mark Brown's Boss Keys is my favourite series on KZbin and I'm always looking for more content like that. Loved this video. Please make more videos about Zelda dungeon design!

[@MonsterMaze]

Will do! And yes, Boss Key's is probably the best out there. Well researched, well produced and well scripted

[@thetravelerofworlds8359]

I like dungeons that have a feeling of story to them. From arbiters grounds with its rather direct and grim story of an execution place. To the ancient cistern with its subtler themes of purification and Buddhist fairy tales.

[@teebrown27]

Great video. I’m happy to hear someone else had the same thought after watching Mark Brown’s videos: an enjoyable has so much more than just layout. It’s about the experience!

[@AngelofGrace96]

Wonderful video as always! I've only played botw, and I really liked the divine beasts, so I think I'd enjoy non linear dungeons, but I would definitely be excited to see more varied dungeon designs in the future.

[@dcbandit]

I love the Forest Temple, the Woodfall Temple in Majoras Mask, Arbiters Grounds, Stone Tower Temple, and others I can't think of off the top of my head. All are very atmospheric and fun to play through.

[@virtualhavenstudios]

Awesome video ! I’m currently working on a game and this is exactly what I needed

[@MonsterMaze]

Glad to be of help! All the best of luck with your project

[@virtualhavenstudios]

@@MonsterMaze Thanks!

[@Dan_d00d]

well made, and well done for being clear about your acknowledgement to Mark and GMTK and others who have already discussed this topic space so well.

[@SamChaneyProductions]

Wow this was an exceptionally high quality video!

[@lenbartens9783]

Well jokes on you because I enjoy my cereal with SOUP *slurp*

[@josephmorse3089]

Bruh moment

[@murtymcfly]

Eww, I think

[@MidnightNaomi]

dude, cereal IS soup!

[@thisisfyne]

@@MidnightNaomi Bread is soup

[@flyingjudgeman6840]

"When you ask Zelda players what is their favorite dungeon..." - Forest temple music starts playing! Me: "exactly!"

[@FatePokemon]

Nice to see King K getting recognized he has great videos on the Zelda series. Also great video laying out everything you’ve had some awesome videos man

[@Anths_art]

I really love how the zelda community never gets toxic over stuff like this :) or honestly ever gets toxic in general.

[@tonygarcia759]

I love your videos and I love your editing and everything! Kuddos!

[@SamtheBravesFan]

2:50 See, I'm the exact opposite. That's one of the things I love about that Temple of Time. Heck, I think the entire build-up and atmosphere is one of the more well-executed sequences they've done in the series.

[@equinox-XVI]

I'm kinda stuck here because my favorite dungeon is Arbiter's Grounds from Twilight Princess. The first have chasing poes is non-linear and can be done in any order, but the route to the boss room immediately afterwards is pretty linear... Oh who am I kidding, if you like Arbiter's Grounds, you know EXACTLY why.

[@MaxFlame4]

Oh you uses Siphano footage ! Salutations from France 😁 Very great video ^^

[@VayuoftheForest]

I thought you weren't going to mention the fantasy/forest theme at the end there, but you nailed it on the head. But I like all the variety of themes. New and unfamiliar places always spark my flame!

[@kafeiaj1449]

Completely agree with your video man totally. For me I go with non linear dungeons the frustration you get out of not knowing what to do or feeling stuck and then making your way through the dungeon and having that "Aha" moment is the best!

[@mrhypnagogia]

I subscribed at the moment i read the name of the channel. I have wanted this type of content since forever.

[@steerpike66]

Forest Temple climaxing with Phantom Ganon on the horse riding out of the pictures was one of the best things that ever happened in a game.

[@Mike14264]

I like the dungeons that are a puzzle in itself, like using the layout to solve a riddle, or rearranging rooms, turning it on the side, stuff like that.

[@alonsopachecoherrera5687]

I'm so glad I discovered this amazing channel, you are great, man.

[@MonsterMaze]

Thanks a lot! And you are equally great for being here ^^

[@anuraglama1546]

Personally, I love how the shadow temple plays out. Its linear design is heavily inspired from the design of a tomb/morgue, it's simply a long tunnel, ornamented with the skulls, blood and grim walls. Its design is a kind of a challenge in itself, as you go deeper into the dungeon, you know there's no turning back and the stakes rises. And if you happen to die near the end of the temple (Especially in the invisible floor master room) its a long walk back from the dungeon entrance. Contrast that with the water or the forest temple where even if you die and start over, its not much of a problem as every room is nearby and the problem is just to set everything up again (Water level for example), but without the Farore's wind, death in shadow temple is more annoying. Couple it up with pitfalls, traps, invisible enemies, Stalfoes, its a pretty solid dungeon as it tests both your combat skills as well as your spatial awareness with invisible chests and hookshot points. Plus it does exactly what its name implies. Makes you feel totally uncomfortable.

[@orrinwatmough5248]

my favorite dungeon type is non-linear cause then I could get lost in the dungeon and try to figure out where to go

[@EmperorsNewWardrobe]

In some ways, the linear horror style of the Shadow temple is the main design of Dark Souls games (plus brutally-hard combat)

[@tranquil_fox]

I LOVE your assessment toward the end about variety. I absolutely LOVED the Divine Beasts, I’m a big fan of the “lost technology” aesthetic, and I love the non-linear, puzzle aspect as well, especially with using the entire dungeon moving to solve puzzles. I did feel like it was over done however, and I really would’ve liked variety in the setting as well as the style. I definitely missed some of the old style dungeons. I hope BotW 2 doesn’t throw away the Divine Beast formula, but I hope they use it sparingly, making room for other styles, old and new too. Great video as always!

[@Drengade]

The divine beasts would have been better if they meshed the technology with the terrain - have the camel be a deserty yellow stone and technology hybrid, feature classical gerudo patterns, like maybe their sand goddess, the gerudo don't have many distinct building patterns. - given it's electricity theme have large glass conduits of energy through the walls - maybe make the puzzles where you have to manipulate the electricity more obvious, requiring you to divert power around to different machines around the beast that do different things rather than just rotate it (i'd personally prefer an item to drive the puzzles, but i seem to be in the minority with my hatred of BotW's axing of core zelda mechanics). For the gecko make it out of darker, volcanic stone. rather than a few references to fire, i'd use lava, have the lava flows change as it moves, so you have to negotiate two forms. also, make it a dodongo, they have much more influence with the gorons. again - use goron symbolism. unlike the gerudo, the gorons have distict patterns and styles they use. The lack of a forest based divine beast - possibly for the koroks - was a mistake. a wolf maybe, a beast with trees inside, nature patterns, puzzles based around clearing the malice from the trees etc. The elephant could have featured gray stone, with imagery reminiscent of the water temple, or the lakebed temple. it's a Zora based structure, they probably have the strongest design flavour of any race in zelda. rather than spinning a waterwheel, have water level changes, maybe even bring back a dark link fight, with BotW's combat system (as much as i personally dislike it) a dark link fight like oot's would have been amazing. Finally, the bird, the rito haven't had as much time to develop, but that doesn't mean the devs couldn't have merged it in. tilting the thing is interesting, but due to the open design it changed to 'reach point, repeat'. close it up somewhat. use smaller rooms with individual puzzles, wind currents from its forward motion that you have to negotiate and/or turn off etc. Personally, rather than the designs of the blights, i'd go somewhat morbid. malice possessed champions. link literally fighting the former bodies of those he once fought with, monstrous growths of malice and shiekah technology replacing and adding limbs. just by doing that each would be distinct, the individual would affect the appearance, thus making them unique... rather than blobs of purple goo with bolted tech that are so similar in design they almost merge together. It's not like corrupted good guys haven't been done before: Blizzeta, Nabooru, that Ignis (TP), Zelda (TP)... now them being dead is a problem, but if the bodies have been magically sustained, or mummified like we see with ganondorf, it would be fine.

[@myhairhasamindofitsown]

I think Temple of Droplets might be my favourite. The music, the aesthetic, the fact that they spind the usal formula by making you open the Boss Door at the begining and then everything is centred on unfreezing the element.

[@MonsterMaze]

Oh god yes, that music is amazaaazing

[@CryptidCritter]

God, it's been so long since I've played any of the LoZ games (outside of BotW). I remember being a big fan of temples like the Forbbiden Fortress, The Forest Temple, and such. I really like the overall feel of TP's dungeons, and I think my all-time favorite dungeons were the ones in Majora's Mask, especially the one in Akalla, the Sun Temple I think? The whole turning the temple around was a really, really cool theme.

[@inkajoo]

There were higher-level puzzles in the first game. Most of them were tests of intuition. For instance you could deduce that the room behind a locked door is probably a trap (filled with monsters and no reward) if a room gives you a key and a choice of doors, and the triforce room wouldn't be accessible from one of them given the map layout and what rooms you've already been to.

[@rydogzilla2275]

I love those 3d zoom outs of the OoT dungeons! Where did you find them? Great video btw! You said what I've been thinking for years!

[@noeilia1758]

Personally I like both types of dungeons. If I want to think and explore and figure things out for myself, I prefer non-linear dungeons. And then, if I want to think less and do more, linear dungeons can be more fun at that time. For me it honestly just depends on how I'm feeling when I boot up a game.

[@rac1equalsbestgame853]

I'm more inro dungeons leaning towards the linear side. But I do like non linear dungeons, it's just that the linear type of dungeon is the type of dungeon I replay over and over again.

[@neveerland]

Ngl, I had a pretty bad day today but seeing this notification made it a bit better. Thank you my dude :')

[@MonsterMaze]

It is nice to hear I can make a difference.. if on;y a little ^^. I hope your day improves, and if not... there's always tomorrow

[@WillowEpp]

My favourite is whatever's in Link's Awakening because they don't overstay their welcome. Each one is compact enough to mostly keep in your head and they way they're arranged allows you to make incremental progress even if you only have 10-15 minutes to play at a time. It's a game that was well ahead of its time when it came to understanding what platform it was on and embracing the design ethos needed to succeed there.

[@Jeikobu]

My favorite is the Stone Tower Temple, because to me, it really feels like it tests you with all your dungeon tools from through the game. Sure MM didn't have the most dungeons, but that is part of what makes STT so special.

[@GrupoAmordeDios]

Seeing game play of all these dungeons makes me want to play a mixture of all the greatest dungeons... like a Mario party style the 100 greatest, but Zelda dungeons...

[@thisiscjshandle]

My favorite dungeons in the zelda series tend to be the ones where the dungeon itself is a puzzle that needs to be solved. These tend to be non-linear dungeons like the water temple but can also be done well in a linear fashion, like in the temple of time where you're figuring out how to get the statue back to the pedestal or the ice dungeon in A Link to the Past where you're essentially just going down but need to find different ways of getting to the floor beneath you in order to progress. For this reason I really enjoyed the divine beasts even though I agree that they could have been more aesthetically different.

[@anibalhyrulesantihero7021]

I'm more into the aesthetics, puzzles and bosses. Ancient Cistern and Sandship are my favorites. (Except for Tentalus. That boss fight kinda sucked.)

[@DanielTheAmbassador]

You misspelled Mike w Wazowski's girlfriend's name wrong

[@anibalhyrulesantihero7021]

@@DanielTheAmbassador Lol Nope.

[@DanielTheAmbassador]

@@anibalhyrulesantihero7021 it's a joke. r/woooosh

[@anibalhyrulesantihero7021]

@@DanielTheAmbassador Bruh.

[@DanielTheAmbassador]

hHah

[@Snowspring09]

As you said in the video, both dungeon types are good! I especially love mixtures of the two, as they play around with different mechanics, thus making the area feel both fun and unique!

[@thebradzone3922]

funny, i never really consider the mechanics much when i think about dungeons. the main pull for me has always been how varied they are in aesthetics and originality ☺️👍🏼

[@bobbleton6517]

The trick about non-linear dungeons is the risk that it might get too confusing. OoT's Water Temple as a kid was confusing as hell, because my 10 year old brain couldn't process that much at the same time yet. It's hard for me to pick a favourite dungeon, just as it is hard for me to pick a favourite game in this amazing series. What I can say is that there's not necessarily one I actually really *don't* like; which is an impressive feat for a series with so many games, of which I have completed most. I do have to say I'm on team A-little-underwhelmed-by-the-divine-beasts; dungeons are a huge part of what makes these games, so having just 4 very similar ones didn't sit too well with me. That being said, I did love BotW (although after playing way too many Souls games, I can not get into it anymore, because of the control scheme)

[@Blockvard]

Spirit temple and forest temple from OoT are always going to be my favorites. The atmosphere is fantastic!

[@hezekiahdaggett2179]

It’d be cool to get like a video with like the layouts of the 3D dungeons from the outside. That was a really cool visual that you included in the video

[@DanielTheAmbassador]

I love the use and stratosphere of Stone Tower temple in Majora's Mask.

[@ballroomscott]

My favorite dungeon is the Spirit Temple from OoT. I love the atmosphere! Also, this is one of the best Zelda Dungeon videos I've ever watched! You're so open and balanced in the way you cover this and seem to honestly want there to be something for everyone instead of just asking for what you want.

[@MonsterMaze]

Ah yes, the spirit temple was also great! And very interesting too, since you have to finish it by playing as both Young and Adult Link. Thank you!

[@nevercanyoucant]

Snowhead and Stone Tower from Majora's were awesome.. felt like massive puzzle boxes where micro puzzles were relevant to the whole... really special... I really liked the Temple of Droplets in Minish Cap too

[@ananas8031]

Dungeons I like the most are the ones with something special. Funny item , cool concept (turn the temple upside down, return as adult and child....) and strong presence. I find these have a soul and I'm feeling good when entering in them.

[@trebmaster]

1:25 - as a kid I was stuck in the water temple for TWO YEARS because I didn't know about that hole in the bottom of the spike floor!!!

[@MossBravado]

I agree that the divine beasts are all too similar but they are not the only things challenges Link faces. There are plenty of puzzles, mazes, and places to get lost, they are just more spread across the world rather than confined to one single dungeon. Eventide island, the Akkala pillar islands, Thyphlo ruins, the great hyrule forest trials, all of the mazes, the yiga clan hideout. There are plenty of dungeon elements in those places even if they aren't traditional dungeons.

[@turkenheimer4448]

Thinking about it, Majora's Mask's Stone Tower Temple is a really interesting dungeon to look at. It gives so much the impression of being non-linear because you can always see places that you obviously need to reach later, however there is pretty much always only one way to go next, which makes it totally linear. But then again this changes if you want to collect all the fairies which requires a lot of backtracking. So basically you can choose weather you want the dungeon to be completely linear or if you want it to be not so linear.

[@RyanHaney55]

I like a mix of all. I like the creepy ones like the bottom of the well in Ocarina, the Forest Temple, Temple of Time, Snowpeak Ruins in Twilight Princess, the shrines in BotW, Tower of the gods in Wind Waker, Deepwoods Shrine in Minish Cap...

[@murilokleine]

OoT Forest Temple all the way, it freaked out the ten years old me and is still my favorite to this day, 21 years later. The music, the puzzles, the atmosphere and Phantom Ganon where perfect.

[@WarriorJaddo]

I'm pretty much in the same boat of the people who didn't find enjoyment in the divine beasts of BotW, They felt extremely short and kinda felt like any other shrine in the game, i barely remember anything about it. The closest thing that felt like a dungeon in that game was hyrule caste IF you didn't just fly to the end. I enjoy both linear and non-linear aspects there should be a good balance. Given the fact that all shrines / divine beasts can be tackled at any point, theres no "progression" and felt the same.

[@RoninCatholic]

My favorite dungeons in Zelda 64 are Jabu Jabu's Belly, Water Temple, Shadow Temple, Bottom of the Well, and Ice Cave in that order. A mix of linear and non-linear, the first DEFINITELY chosen mostly for its aesthetics.

[@aqua9926]

Do you have a general idea when your calamity video will be out? If bot I understand all your videos are great and they are definitely worth waiting for. Grat job on another video MonsterMaze!

[@aqua9926]

I meant if not, I'm sorry I was trying to type too fast.

[@aqua9926]

Also I meant great job and i sent a comment 7 hours ago but i dont think it sent but oh well lol great job MonsterMaze I live your videos

[@boltlight1244]

For botw 2 id love to see both the style of the dungeons from previous Zeldas and the shrine, non-linear style dungeons. The game would be amazing if we could have both or went with simi-linear. The shrine style dungeons can even have a distinct theme based on where you are or which linear style dungeon you're closest to.

[@poetryandhiking]

I like both types of dungeons. Also, I think that dungeons could serve as portals to otherwise difficult to access areas of the map. Instead of reaching the boss’s chamber and then warping out after beating him, a doorway could open that takes you to a place on the map different from where you entered the dungeon. Thus the dungeon could be used later on as a way to access these areas more easily. This goes along with another theme of dungeons that I enjoy: dungeons that have a plausible real (though perhaps ancient and forgotten) purpose in their world.

[@SoulGameStudio]

Really a good piece

[@g-blade9983]

I like the divine beasts tho I think it's just that I like the puzzles not being harder to focus on because of the similarity and spaceing between them with my play style.