# Back in Hyrule, Map Free I finally started *Tears of the Kingdom* this week. I know, I know. It has been a busy year, what can I say? I am enjoying my return to Hyrule and am not very far in at all, but it did not take me long to turn the HUD to "Pro" mode. ![[240606_TotK_HUD.JPG]] ![[240606_TotK_Pro HUD.JPG]] I did the same in *Breath of the Wild*, [inspired](https://kotaku.com/if-you-re-playing-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-turn-off-t-1792734400) by my favorite former Kotaku writer [[BTP1 - Kirk Hamilton – From Jazz Teacher to Game Journalist|Kirk Hamilton]].[^1] > You don’t actually need to read that extra information as you play. Like a lot of well-designed games, *Breath of the Wild* consistently communicates with the player in more organic, natural ways. If the temperature is cold enough to be an issue, Link will begin shivering. If you’re not making much noise, you’re not making much noise. The game world itself is easily readable and there’s always at least one easily identifiable point of reference on the horizon. The same is true for *Tears of the Kingdom*, being built in the same engine and world. Without the map and sound meter and temperature gauge, I find myself more immersed and engaged with the game world. It's a thrilling sense of being totally tuned into the game world and exploration. [^1]: But what a sham of a site Kotaku is now. A shell of its former glory and following suit with user hostile and annoying practices. In going back to read this article, none of the images Kirk shared were there. I assumed this was the ad blocker built-in to the browser I am trying. I switched off the blocker and the only elements that appeared were a slew of grody ads. The images are just gone. As I wrote this footnote, which is now its own little article [à la Gruber](https://daringfireball.net/2020/05/bloomberg_publishes_clickbait_in_break_from_rivals#fn1-2020-05-13), I feared the same fate for one of my favorite reviews of all time, Kirk's piece on *[Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs](https://web.archive.org/web/20131012003716/https://kotaku.com/amnesia-a-machine-for-pigs-the-kotaku-review-1274112886)*. This one is built off an iconic use of the word "NOPE" in screenshots. Heck, Kotaku's own review cards were images. They are all gone. But you better believe the ads are there. What an absolute shame.