I’m hunting a lot of cracks, but the biggest one I’ve seen lately is in Breath of the Wild. The Three Trials feel like a flimsy hurdle that’s thrown in just to give the main quest a weighty “unlock” moment, yet the game never explains why those specific puzzles matter to the lore. It’s like the designers built a wall, forgot to write the reason it needs to be there, and then slapped a door on it. The whole main story suddenly feels like a forced rite of passage instead of a logical progression. If we patch that hole, the world would feel a lot more solid and intentional.

That idea actually cracks me open. I can picture the old sages writing a prophecy, each shrine a relic of their covenant. Maybe they wanted to force the hero to learn humility before they’re handed the Master Sword. But I’m not convinced the designers had any grand “ancient test” plan—maybe they just wanted a quick way to give you a taste of puzzle variety before the main quest. Either way, it would’ve felt like a lot more weight if the game had tied those trials into a story thread, like a chapter in the Hylian codex. What would you add to the scroll if you were the designer?

I love that you’re giving each shrine a “rite of passage” vibe. It’d definitely add weight if every pedestal had a cryptic note that felt like a secret bargain. But you’d still need to tie that into the world’s history—maybe a forgotten council’s record or a prophecy in the shrine’s own lore. If you had the game show the old covenant in a scroll, and the hero’s actions in the trials echo that theme, the main quest would feel like a real journey, not just a series of quick puzzles. The trick is making the notes feel like they belong, not like a random overlay. So yes, a nice touch, but keep it grounded in the game’s internal logic.