The Most Frustrating Quests in The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a masterclass in open world game design, which proved that Nintendo was the master of its craft once again. The incredible amount of player freedom in the game, coupled with the unique sim-like immersive elements, has made it one of the most reactive video game worlds in recent memory. It’s easy to see why the six-year wait for Tears of the Kingdom was so excruciating, as there really isn’t anything quite like Breath of the Wild out there.
RELATED: Switch Game to Play If You Loved Breath Of The Wild
However, for all the achievements this video game should be praised for, Breath of the Wild is not immune to criticism. The main story itself can be a little underwhelming, but what most people find worse are the telephone side quests which can be uninspiring compared to the rest of this wonderful experience. These requests often involve tedious quest quests, annoying challenges, and unclear objectives that can make them very difficult to complete.
10 The Lost Pilgrimage
“The Lost Pilgrimage” is the first thing that comes to mind when players talk about mediocre quests in Breath of the Wild. This shrine quest involves players sneakily following Oaki as he makes his way to a shrine, stubbornly wanting no help in his “pilgrimage”.
That said, Oaki is quite vigilant and can spot the player if they make even a single mistake. This sneaking around makes for a tedious and boring time, funneling players down a single path towards a solution, as opposed to the freedom with which it approached other challenges.
9 Under a Red Moon
There are many sanctuary quests in Breath of the Wild that require players to use their heads and apply creative solutions to get the job done. “Under a Red Moon” is not one of them. The mechanics for unlocking this shrine are simple – players just need to wait for a Blood Moon to unlock entry. It’s one of the most tedious, unfair, and random challenges players can deal with!
8 Robbie’s Research
“Robbie’s Research” is a side quest with one of the most annoying tasks players need to complete if they want access to great gear and armor. Players need to bring a blue flame from the Ancient Furnace back to the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab.
RELATED: Things to Know Before Starting The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
It might seem like a simple request, but it’s a significantly more complicated task when players sift through the many obstacles that stand in their way. They can be tackled by enemies, drenched in rain, or fall off the beaten path and lose their torch flame, forcing them to go all the way back and do the same thing again.
7 Special Delivery
“Special Delivery” is one of the most tedious quests that players can attempt in the game. It all starts in the Bank of Wishes, where a young Zora asks Link to help her deliver a letter safe and sound.
This request seems simple enough… until players realize what the quest entails. Players have to chase a flimsy piece of paper across a stream and clear all obstacles in the way, featuring everything from wooden blocks to aggressive enemies!
6 Rushroom Rush!
“Rushroom Rush!” it’s one of the game’s most mind-numbing quests, and downright excruciating if players decide to take this request seriously. It is given by Pirou at the Gerudo Canyon Stable, asking Link if he could get a certain number of Rushrooms back to get a diamond in return.
Sounds simple enough… until players realize that the total number of Rushrooms they need to bring back is 55 units! This routine is simply not worth the reward, and players are better off ignoring this request altogether.
“The Weapon Connoisseur” is a boring side quest with nothing special. All Link has to do is bring different weapons to a kid named Nebb in Hateno Village, who is impressed by Link’s variety of weapons.
However, it only recognizes a specific set of weapons, which can be quite annoying for players who thought this kid would be more reactive to their gear. This annoying quest hurts even more, as it could have been really interesting if Nebb recognized more than just eight super-specific weapons.
4 The jewelry trade
Quest quests are the bane of every player’s existence, and it’s a shame that Breath of the Wild didn’t prevent this curse as well. “The Jewel Trade” is one of many side quests over the phone, where players need to obtain a set of gems that they can sell for a marginally higher amount to Ramella in Goron City.
Not only is this area difficult to explore because of the heat, but the rewards aren’t worth taking this trek every time players have a stash of gems. Selling them normally or saving them for armor upgrades is the best course of action to take.
3 Zora Stone Monuments
The quest where players have to find various stone monuments scattered around Zora’s Domain is a frustrating quest for obvious reasons. While Breath of the Wild’s world design is certainly impressive, it’s still a chore to try to find all of Zora’s stone monuments if players don’t have a basic idea of where they already are.
RELATED: Breath Of The Wild: Hidden Areas You Didn’t Know Existed
This leads to clueless players aimlessly wandering this region to find the monuments, which is far from a satisfying way to play. Most people would give up on that task and wander the world as usual, which is fair enough.
2 A washed wife
It seems that Zora’s Domain is a hub for most of Breath of the Wild’s worst side quests. Another example of the same is “A Wife Washed Away”, which is frustrating for an entirely different reason.
The beginning of the quest makes it seem like a person’s wife is in danger or has suffered a brutal fate. However, when players go to the area where said wife disappeared, it turns out that she was swimming unaware that her husband was worried! It’s a pointless quest with a forgettable narrative that does nothing to highlight Breath of the Wild’s strengths.
1 Divine Beast Vah Naboris
Most people assume this quest is on the list because of the nightmare that is Thunderblight Ganon. While he’s arguably the toughest boss in the game, there’s no denying that the challenge is still fair and creative, requiring players to throw everything in their arsenal to emerge victorious.
However, the worst part of this main quest is easily the part where players have to infiltrate the Yiga clan’s hideout. The challenge feels downright forced, with Yiga Blademasters attacking the player regardless of their equipment and cheapening the progress players have made.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, are playable on Nintendo Switch.
MORE: Breath Of The Wild’s Underrated Features