'Breath of the Wild' DLC Lets You Relive Your Entire Journey in Seconds

The first DLC pack for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, "Trial of the Sword," is out now, and it's a delight. I'm currently seeking out all three pieces of the Tingle outfit, and I've already picked up all the bonus masks (and helmets), including the ever-so-useful Korok one, which vibrates when you're near one of those 900 seeds scattered around the map. All the new gear's found in specifically marked chests, each bearing an "EX." For excellent, obviously.

I'm not here to tell you where these little treats can be found, as the rewards for a set of new side quests (although if you're stuck and want pointing in the right direction, you can get me on Twitter). And I'm yet to attempt the actual Trial of the Sword, although the Great Deku Tree's spoken its piece on the matter. All I want to say, right now, regarding the DLC, is that you really do have to sit back, chill, and let the Hero's Path Mode play out, if only the once.

Hero's Path becomes active on your map screen once you've installed the DLC, and I was under the impression that it showed your route so far through the game. And it does that, true enough, leaving bright scribbles all over Hyrule—and combined with the new Travel Medallion (expect some resistance, picking that up), it immediately makes identifying and journeying to (and from) as-yet-unexplored areas a piece of cake.

What I didn't know it was going to do, however, is actually replay your journey, so far—from the Shrine of Resurrection to your first giant leap from the Great Plateau, and onwards, painting a trail as it goes. It's so, so satisfying, seeing your footsteps played back to you at the press of a button—and it really fires up the short-term nostalgia, stirring recollections of early encounters with enemies brandishing nothing more than rusty shields and tree branches.

As the path extends, snaking around mountain peaks and lakes, at whatever speed you settle on, so little X marks appear wherever Link ate it, accompanied by a little cry from the man himself. Turns out my Link died a fair few times on the route from Kakariko to Zora's Domain. (Sorry, champion dude.) Whenever he teleports, from field to shrine, there's a cute little flash and, pop, a Google Maps-like figure reappears elsewhere on the screen, immediately walking off in a new direction.

It is, officially, a Really Neat Thing. So if you're going back to Breath of the Wild today, DLC freshly received, kick back for a few before you begin questing again in earnest, and really drink in your story so far. It won't be the same as mine, and your map will have a wholly different set of lines scrawled across it. But I can guarantee you that you'll appreciate the gentle rush of warm memories Hero's Path provides.