Review of Tears of the Kingdom: The Legend of Zelda

Tears of the Kingdom: The Legend of Zelda is aware that it has enormous shoes to fill. Heck, it's common knowledge. Breath of the Wild was a huge hit when it came out on the Switch, topping several lists of the greatest games ever made. It's the pinnacle of Zelda games and open-world gameplay. Following up on something is difficult.

Well, TotK has some very large shoes to fill. very large shoes. And it takes the most ingenious action imaginable. It sees Breath of the Wild and decides, "I'm just going to wear bigger shoes." It's Breath of the Wild wearing Gucci clown shoes. A Swiss wristwatch and a traditional fashion firm are collaborating on a rotating bow tie. Tears of the Kingdom enlarges the globe in both vertical dimensions, fills it with whirring, buzzing devices, and waits for you to get there and initiate action. "Now it's time to party," it adds, transporting you back to your parents' home.

But it doesn't imply everything is clown town. Launching the game seems like a triple-A HBO prestige-TV show for the Last of Us. You see "Nintendo Presents" in tiny characters on a simple black backdrop, followed by the game names in precisely the same font that takes you directly to the game and a cutscene. Nothing but calm confidence—no menus, no branding.

Link and Zelda are searching for prehistoric items in a cave. The sequence is beautiful, slow, lengthy, and somewhat humorous. Then you assume control, moving along Zelda at a speed that seems glacial to a player with BotW muscle memory. It is reminiscent to an Assassin's Creed game, where you are only following an unmatchable pace NPC.

The idea is as follows: Zelda and Link discover something underground, awaken it, and within thirty minutes everything changes dramatically. Islands show up in the sky, Zelda falls through a crack in the earth, and Link is given a new arm. Anything that follows is a plot spoiler. The only things that count are that you are in the sky and that you are Link.

This ostentatious beginning obscures the genuine spirit of the game, which is more clear as the hours go by. The first exam involves exploring the Great Sky Island, which is a lot more work than BotW's Great Plateau and has more twists and fissures. But the plan remains the same: visit these shrines, get some abilities, and then maybe we can figure out what the hell is going on.

All of the abilities are entirely new. Sort of, anyhow. Magnesis and Ultrahand are similar, however Ultrahand works on most objects. It allows you to rearrange objects, join them together, and do other similar tasks. You may fuse objects to weapons or even weapons to weapons using fuse, which is more recent. While Ascend provides a whole new level to traversal by allowing you to shoot up through a ceiling or overhang and out the other side, recall is similar to stasis only that it causes items to go backward in addition to halting time.

The four radically alter the game's emphasis from its predecessor. With Ultrahand's assembly-line capabilities, you can now construct 80-foot bridges from tree trunks to reach desired locations. Alternatively, after you're a bit farther in, you may experiment with the many Zonai gadgets, which range from wheels and flamethrowers to explosives and guns to Hooverless Roombas.

At first, these various devices seem a bit charming. A sail on a mast and some logs next to you may be the basic riddle of getting over the sea. Later, you could decide to construct your own Reliable Robin or ask where the fourth wheel is when you see three wheels and a wooden board. However, a very long time later—possibly even a few hours—you're thinking about how to build an automated robot that can help transform lava into rock by mounting a faucet on its front. You act goofy and obscene.

However, if you create enough rocket-powered, laser-firing, death-bent traction cities, you will never reach if-this-then-that levels of complexity. Your devices will continue to be somewhat foolish, allowing humor to constantly surface during unrestricted creative moments. However, due to the thickness of your devices, there are moments when it's better to abandon your flimsy stronghold and attempt to take on some adversaries the old-fashioned way.

You so get a weapon. However, oh no! Swords and other weapons aren't what they once were because of all that went wrong in the beginning. Each one is deteriorating. Fortunately for you, the enigmatic Great Sky Island has provided you with the ideal instrument to help them endure longer and have more impact.

For a few hours, fuse is a brilliantly silly power. After that, it changes to something strangely ordinary, then back to a kind of nice middle. It's absurdly stupid at first. You attach an arrowhead to a chicken breast. A minecart is placed on your shield. It's interesting that Fuse has that convenience built in. You put a massive rock on the end of a wooden stick, so enormous that it needs to contract when Link holsters it on his back so it doesn't clip through everything.

Fuse becomes bored after seeing how fast you can sling so many crap on Link's back that he begins to resemble a game of Buckaroo ready to buck. You just put swords on ends of spears, spears on ends of spears, or any other variation of "weapon plus weapon equals long weapon" in your first combinations.

However, it proceeds in precisely the same manner as Zonai and Ultrahand devices a short time later. You discover that combinations begin to seem like puzzles in and of themselves thanks to a number of minor rule adjustments, such as the fact that rubies have the ability to withstand fire and that fused Gerudo spears have a tremendous boost. The attack of a worn-out traveler's claymore is six, yet the strongest weapon I now have in my possession has an attack of 86.

Yes, Ascend and Recall aren't as profound, but they both become more apparent with time. Recall can be used for a variety of magic tricks; in fact, it's probably the best way to break the game, though I'm not close to knowing how. For example, you can use Ultrahand to move something to one place, then back, whip out Recall, and hey presto, you've got a moving platform for Link to use. I spent hours climbing something in the sky in the first major story section before realizing the game was shouting at me, "This is where we get you to remember to use Ascend later in the game."

Thus, the four powers that underpin our actions are as follows. Now that we've located them all, let's jump Fortnite-style to Hyrule below and attempt to locate Zelda. The game instructs you to travel to Lookout Landing, the principal village, so that's where you should go. After seeing Purah there, you learn of some odd disruptions in four spots on the globe. She advises you to start in Rito Village, which is in the northwest corner. Oh, and she hands you a paraglider as well.

It's now time to move forward. You're back in Hyrule, and—wait a second—It seems like I'm playing Breath of the Wild once again, but with slightly altered graphics. Well, TotK plays pranks, much like its predecessor. But it has higher standards to live up to this time.

Hyrule seems a bit empty after the thrilling Great Sky Island introduction, or maybe it simply feels a little more like it always did. While things have changed and there may be secrets that I have yet to discover, day-to-day activities remain mostly same. And for good reason—it is.

Your first investigation evokes a lot of emotions that are comparable to those of BotW. A memory gathering mission is presented to you, along with information about koroks. You also encounter people that need to be saved from the creatures that prowl the area. Oh, and shrines are back. They may have a new appearance, but they still work the same way. It's exciting that they have new abilities now.

But here is where TotK truly surprises you. Because of the game's infatuation with getting larger, your trip begins almost unimpressively and a little too snug and ends with a startling, ecstatic joy.

Beyond the novel and fascinating abilities of Great Sky Island, there are two major shocks in the first ten or so hours. The Rito Village primary goal is the first thing to tackle. It's time to go locate a large dungeon after meandering about and interacting with people (and discovering that you must stay warm in cold places and vice versa).

Rito and Tulin climb up into the skies as there's a storm covering the settlement in snow. A charming few stages with adversaries, trinkets, and puzzles quickly give way to an enormous labyrinth of death-drop platforming, jumping, and exploration. To be able to play a dungeon, this portion took me more than an hour to finish, if my memory serves me correctly.

This dungeon obstacle is significantly more reminiscent of Zelda than anything in BotW. Though it has just the right amount of novelty and silliness, it is never too tight. Fortunately, everything remains elegant even when things get a bit out of control because of the same meticulous attention to detail in both the physical and visual aspects of the design.

Even better, I feel like I'm doing things automatically. I'm not aimlessly meandering about, sometimes becoming frustrated because I don't know how to go around this place as efficiently as possible. I simply go for it and enjoy myself when I do something new, like putting a hot air balloon together and seeing how far I can go. Things become more apparent after a time as you ascend a number of aerial trampolines directly into the center of the storm.

You will discover the Wind Temple, a massive ship from Rito folklore, if you go into the snowstorm. The gates are stuck, but you have to go inside. Tulin can use his wind abilities to activate five keys, which will get everything operating. These are concealed—either by devious placement, a straightforward riddle, or a mound of adversaries. This is superior even if it's simpler than any of the celestial monsters seen in Breath of the Wild. The days of stumbling around a bewildering 3D map, trying to figure out where on earth to go next, are long gone. Unlocking the Wind Temple is a smoother procedure since everything is more simple, and it will also be more gratifying than facing any heavenly beast.

It's boss time once unlocked, which, in my view, also presents a nice difference. Unlike a combat challenge using a Sheikah power, they are large and straightforward, much like the dungeon. They feel big, have distinct targets, and use the skills you learnt to defeat this monster. They are incredibly entertaining.

Although the quality of the other dungeons varies somewhat, this straightforward yet widespread philosophy endures. Though the third temple to the east and the last one to the southwest are equally entertaining, my second temple in the northeast was a little lackluster (I won't name anything beyond the entrance to prevent giving anything away to major spoilers like myself).

You get a new ability after finishing each temple. For example, Tulin's power of wind from the Wind Temple allows you to fly through the skies for longer by sending you a gust from behind. when using these abilities might sometimes be more difficult, they can also be automated at times (for example, just pressing A when flying can activate Tulin's).

The heroes that aid you in the dungeons have spirit forms that give you these additional abilities. These spirits assist you in defeating adversaries by running or flying beside you. Occasionally, you have to rush up to this spirit and press A twice to prepare them before using the ability. While very inconvenient, this is fortunately not a very frequent event.

So, after traversing a path that feels exactly like the old Hyrule, we go from familiar-feeling shrines that present fresh challenges to trampolining through the sky with our bird friend to try and infiltrate a flying ship shrouded in snow and full of enemies and puzzles. All of this is before we take down a giant boss, who, in my conservative estimation, is a gazillion times bigger than little Link. It seems like you're playing Breath of the Wild, but it's certainly not, and that's the first trick TotK plays. However, I did mention two TotK techniques.

Its second ruse involves gradually creating a new means of transportation: the skies. Often, I felt at home traveling to Rito Village. I have a goal since I can make out a hill or something shining in the distance. I had best go up the hill as it is obstructing my view of what's coming up. Once there, I approach a shiny object that catches my eye. While traveling, I become sidetracked by other things, and before I realize it, the globe seems enormous once again.

But after the Wind Temple, I came to a crucial realization: Link is now, for some reason, completely fixated with skydiving. I should put myself in his position and fly up into the skies to give this child the kick he so desperately wants, if this is, in fact, a role-playing game. Yes, that's exactly what I did. I currently operate in such manner.

Tears of the Kingdom never stops luring you to climb straight up instead of taking a leisurely stroll up a hill or around dangerous mountains. Rocks descend from the sky, pleading to be imprinted with Recall. You may go on them and discover they lead to nothing fascinating, but for now, you have a free paragliding flight over Hyrule with an unobstructed view of all the other attractions around.

Positive changes have also been made to BotW's Sheikah Towers. They are unlocked not just by charming small riddles but also by launchpads, so you won't need to climb anything. Yes, they provide you with a map of Hyrule in the same manner. Of course, Link also needs to chart the sky islands. As you are launched into the air by the towers, Link uses his dependable, stone Nintendo Switch (Purah Pad) to look down.

These launches often take place near to a series of sky islands that provide a nicely symmetrical challenge. A few adversaries, a shrine, a huge gashapon machine that shoots out Zonai gadgets, several chests with treasure maps and other important treasures, and a very creative boss known as a fusion construct are all there.

The finest kind of predictability is achieved by these sky archipelagos. You locate it in a cunning new hiding place after running along thinking, "There has to be a treasure map here because all the others have one." Or these fusion structures, after a little island hop, transform from simple battles to very difficult riddles. Repetition expectations are intriguingly defied.

The sky islands seem to be few at first. When compared to the Great Sky Island, they hardly occupy any area in the sky. However, the contrary of the tranquil, solitary discovery on the surface, every archipelago is crowded with goods. While both are fantastic, a small trip across an archipelago provides a solution faster.

Since we are in the sky, we are able to go in any direction throughout the map. This implies that we won't have to walk about Hyrule for too long admiring how lovely everything is. I was first concerned that I wasn't seeing much of the surface and that I was playing the game incorrectly.

But now, hours later, I'm giddy with excitement. I still haven't seen a great deal. I soared to a neighboring tower and flung myself to Gerudo Town instead of traveling the lengthy route via Gerudo Canyon. I can look forward to all of that after I emerge from my cloud-like state. To tackle the dunes, I want to construct a massive vehicle. I'm going to be really happy.

And having fun is the main goal. This description of the many systems, paths, dungeons, and narrative elements only serves to highlight the game's stated features. It's really millions of times more than the sum of its components.

I tumble down a well early on. I haven't completed a task that has informed me of what is happening, thus everything is dark, and I come across an adversary. I perish because this opponent is just too formidable. It's a real delight, but it took me hours to figure out what's going on down there.

Afterwards, I become trapped while attempting to cross some water with a shining green stone to deliver it to a shrine so it might offer me some gifts. My homemade hovercraft overturns. I choose to make a paddle steamer out of it. My paddle steamer is completely nonfunctional. It's amusing to watch it flip around in circles while churning up water.

I then return to the town where I obtained this rock. I feel completely at home as the same lovely music that plays in Breath of the Wild continues to play. As is customary, someone's small Gerudo child must go to Gerudo Town without her parents, and Link is entrusted with assisting her father in accepting this fact. Yes, in a really cutesy sense, but also in a cartoonish one.

I made a straight down leap from a sky island around twenty-five hours before that. A Moblin decides to hurl rocks at me since I'm on a platform above it when I land next to it near a well. I struck one of the approaching rocks by mistake while attempting to shoot it with an arrow, which caused my arrow to fly to my feet and redirected the rock directly into the Moblin's face.

Tears of the Kingdom's environment is similar to Breath of the Wild's, except it's noisier and more adept at helping the player. Thus, you just act upon the objects. You work with materials in various ways. Reactions follow actions. Plans result in logical outcomes in the real world. Because of what you did, maybe not in the way you had intended. You are to blame for everything. You are the thrill of every choice you make.

There's much beyond the silliness to aid in these unending stories. Even though the primary plot plays a little more of a supporting role, Zelda is still present. Subsequently, the side missions vary in length from brief bursts to extended segments centered on personalities. In the meanwhile, cities and towns seem livelier than BotW, and sometimes the new Zonai gadgets that dot the landscape might appear here, revealing to us ferries or rollercoasters that the locals have created—something adorable and whimsical.

In addition, there are more adversaries, which addresses perhaps the largest complaint of BotW (apart from the ridiculous weapon durability issue). There are flying bugs that fling themselves at you in an exciting dogfight as you soar through the skies, large, three-headed animals that I'm still too afraid to face, and boss Bokoblins that command a flock of little guys in formation.

All of these additional features work in perfect harmony with the many systems included in TotK's predecessor. Both cooking and temperature variations still occur. It incorporates every feature from BotW that we've become used to, building upon it rather than starting from scratch. The sheer quantity of work in Tears of the Kingdom may be daunting when you combine all of this with the many, deep caverns carved out of the hills and mountains. If you'd want, you may spend forty minutes mining through a network of caves. Tears of the Kingdom has more depth than its predecessor, both physically and figuratively.

The performance is one very comparable element to BotW, but this is not surprising considering the six-year-old Switch. Robust vegetation and astute lighting techniques may reduce the framerate to almost single digits, while pop-in always afflicts the fastest drops from the sky. This is OK and doesn't really affect the game in any way, but wouldn't it look much better at 4K 60?

This game is really gorgeous, which is why it would be so much better at 4K 60. A languid balloon trip across the sky with no precise goal as the sun sets, or hot-footed frogs and bright-eyed crabs scuttling up a cascade of steps towards a mountain peak—all of these examples of peaceful beauty often pierce the absurdity.

The music benefits from its beauty just as much. On the surface, the unusual strings and shimmering piano seem familiar, yet the melodies in the sky speak to our newly discovered fun. When you fly off an island, the music seems more expansive and full of adventure than it does at any other time. It gives you the impression that you are really embarking on a journey.

Tears of the Kingdom is rife with this kind of attention to detail, as fans of Breath of the Wild would anticipate. However, it never prevents enjoyment. Tears of the Kingdom is a timid step in the right direction, one that often ends with goofy hot air balloon Hindenbergs or ridiculous paddle steam flops into the water.

It might be a tough task for Tears of the Kingdom to fill. But once you start playing, it all becomes irrelevant. After touching TotK, I suppose many people will never be able to play BotW again with the same happiness. Even yet, I imagine that some people won't be as enthralled with its sequel since it has a lot of the same visuals, controls, and perhaps even a foundation. However, it's similar to returning to a restaurant with a seasonal menu that rotates, except everything is in season this time. Everything plus the kitchen sink plus fifty more items you didn't know you needed may be found in Tears of the Kingdom. Its capacity to provide humor into any situation makes it indiscriminate.

And it's incredibly difficult to express any of that without having someone hold it. Will the follow-up to one of the greatest games ever get the same praise? Most likely not. After all, it's still a party in your parent's home. However, it's all pretty insignificant. Using my Switch has never been this much pleasure for me. Not even with Breath of the Wild, which is why I'm sitting here writing this right now—the first game I ever wrote about. In my opinion, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the finest Zelda game ever made, the pinnacle of open-world sandbox design, and the best game on the Nintendo Switch. It simply seems more Zelda. It's simply brimming with enjoyment. It is the video game Breath of the Wild. Some people will be too ashamed to wear this Gucci spinning bowtie with pride. Not me.

For the Nintendo Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is now available.See our Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom enemies, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Zonai, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom fusion, and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom vehicles for additional information.