The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has taken the flexibility of its shrine puzzles to a whole new level for fans. True to our earlier predictions, they are now going the extra mile by thinking outside the box and coming up with their own solutions to multiple challenges, defying the original expectations set by the developers (as implied by the shrine designs). And the incredible mental acrobatics on display has been a sight to behold.
We've got @nyxokal taking the long way around, using makeshift wooden poles to cross the water instead of the Zonai platforms Nintendo showed off in their promotional trailers. Meanwhile, @SecretSauce420 is skipping the rail puzzles altogether and relying on wind momentum and slick shield surfing to get where they want to go (and it actually works!).
And to top it off, @JamperSUA also tackles @SecretSauce420's same puzzle, but with a whole new solution that involves the explosive power of a bomb combined with their shield's momentum and some nifty shield-surfing skills. It's amazing that the same puzzle has two different solutions from two different people, all of which are completely original, and neither of which matches what Nintendo originally intended.
For some reason, everyone seems to be struggling with (or creatively invested in) this particular shrine, and some like @KelvinBelmont, @Avial_Andrew, @Azalea_Eternal are probably happier not knowing the real answer. But there's no shortage of creativity in other puzzles. Take this puzzle solution from @thompson_buddy, which happens to be exactly what I did myself because I couldn't be bothered to build a long bridge across the lava.
But surprisingly, some people, like @Volterus, actually enjoy the idea of building long things. And it's not just limited to shrines—this flexibility extends to areas outside of puzzles, such as the Goron region, where @RaineyDay42 shows off their multi-layered design. Players are even going so far as to eschew traditional methods like fusing fire fruits or using arrows in favor of more innovative approaches when arrows are lacking like @ElizaNonArtz's. I'm not sure what @TweakBlue and @squimsh_ are up to, but it looks like a lot of fun!
That's the gist of it, as @NeoGalaxyStorm and @AbramBuehner put it, intended solutions have gone out of style. @SoCalZork is having a blast not having to play by the game's obvious rules, and @Sushi293443428 is living it up and enjoying that sweet and iconic success anthem for their creative efforts, even though they came up with an unconventional solution here. This game is truly one for the books, and is one of the most fertile grounds for creativity, if not the cream of the crop in that department.