The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom improves on 2017’s Breath of the Wild in almost each manner.
It’s extra visually spectacular as a result of it’s constructed from the bottom up for the Change’s now historic {hardware} and runs at a constant body fee, although there are nonetheless occasional minor efficiency dips when so much is happening, even when enjoying in handheld mode. It additionally kicks Breath of the Wild‘s sense of freedom up a number of notches because of its new ‘Zonai’ development mechanics and ‘Ultrahand,’ which let you actually “construct your individual journey.”
There are different noteworthy quality-of-life upgrades, together with displaying recipes extra visually, fast entry to menus and the power to mix most weapons with ‘Fuse,’ a function that makes breaking your favorite sword much less annoying as a result of attaching a Stalfos‘ arm to it’s undeniably cool (weapons breaking remains to be slightly irritating typically, sadly).
However the recreation isn’t almost as impactful as Breath of the Wild just because it’s a real sequel — a primary for the Zelda franchise. I can also’t assist however marvel how significantly better Tears of the Kingdom would look working on extra fashionable {hardware} (the place’s the mythical Switch Pro/Switch 2, Nintendo?). That’s to not say that the newest Zelda isn’t visually gorgeous. It’s the best-looking Change title but, however at instances, the rampant aliasing and low-resolution textures could make it look muddy, particularly when enjoying on a TV with the Change docked.
Tears of the Kingdom isn’t a reinvention of the long-lasting Zelda sequence like Breath of the Wild. It options largely the identical core mechanics, swordplay and even world as its predecessor, although I get pleasure from treading by the remixed Hyrule as a result of it’s considerably modified in some areas. The final time I performed Breath of the Wild was over 4 years in the past, and I bear in mind little or no concerning the recreation, in order that probably helps, too.
The truth that Tears of the Kingdom takes place in the identical world as Breath of the Wild was considered one of my key issues main as much as its launch, particularly because the recreation has been in improvement for roughly six years. A part of what makes Breath of the Wild so particular is the sense of exploration it fosters. Is that feeling of marvel gone if I’m traversing the identical world? Fortunately, throughout my time with the sport to this point, I discover myself at all times nonetheless questioning what’s over that subsequent hill, even when some areas and characters are acquainted.
The sport’s world feels completely different in different methods, too. In Tears of the Kingdom, there are the ‘Sky’ and the ‘Depths,’ two new areas above and under Hyrule. Whereas the Sky’s floating islands have been featured in Nintendo’s advertising and marketing main as much as Tears of the Kingdom‘s launch, the Depths have been largely saved beneath wraps.
With out revealing spoilers, the Sky’s floating islands are sparsely distributed throughout Hyrule (although there’s extra to discover than you may suspect). Then there’s the sprawling subterranean Depths and its pitch-black areas that activity the participant with brightening their environment. As a facet notice, it’s very cool (and satisfying) to dive down from the Sky all the way in which to the Depths. There’s an incredible sense of scale to Tears of the Kingdom that I’ve not skilled earlier than in an open world recreation.
I haven’t spent a lot time within the Depths but, however my minimal spelunking has been surprisingly tense and survival horror-inspired. You by no means know what’s going to come leaping out of the darkish or what’s past that glowing Brightbloom seed you simply connected to an arrow and shot throughout the cave.
In Tears of the Kingdom, Breath of the Wild‘s talents like ‘Magnesis’ and ‘Cryonis’ are gone, and of their place are ‘Ultrahand,’ the brand new energy Hyperlink makes use of to seize objects and transfer them round; ‘Fuse,’ the power to mix objects collectively, ‘Ascend,’ which shoots you upwards by surfaces above you, and ‘Recall,’ the facility to show again time (there are a couple of different surprises). All through the sport’s a number of dungeons (Shrines are again, too), that are a noticeable step above Breath of the Wild‘s in depth and problem (at the least to this point), you’ll use these varied powers in distinctive methods to unravel puzzles, like reaching a particular tower by making a makeshift ramp out of planks, crafting a fan-powered flying car with the assistance of Zonai followers and batteries, or floating by the sky in water droplets.
A lot of Tears of the Kingdom‘s improved sense of freedom is powered by Zonai gadgets alongside Hyperlink’s Ultrahand and Fuse talents. Zonai objects, that are normally barely misplaced on this planet of Zelda, embody ‘Followers,’ ‘Rockets,’ ‘Wheels,’ ‘Batteries,’ platforms and extra. They will let you resolve most puzzles precisely the way you need.
They’re not an infinite useful resource, although. You’ll want to make use of up Zonai Costs (that are gathered by taking out Zonai enemies) in gacha machine-like gadgets to unlock varied Zonai objects. This implies they must be used strategically and that they will run out, one thing I’ve encountered continuously throughout my 45+ hours with the sport to this point. You can also’t use them in dungeons except the Zonai objects are discovered on the bottom and utilized with Ultrahand.
For instance, if you wish to connect a Rocket to your defend to achieve that floating platform, that’s attainable. However perhaps it is best to cling on to your Rockets and save them for a harder puzzle as a result of two planks are leaning towards a close-by wall. As an alternative, use Ultrahand and fix them collectively to create a bridge. In almost all situations throughout my time with Tears of the Kingdom, any thought I got here up with was attainable, no matter how wacky.
For instance, as a substitute of discovering the right, easy manner round a mountain, I chopped down each tree in sight and used Hyperlink’s Ultrahand means to mix the trunks into one lengthy, awkward bridge that I then positioned on an angle on the cliffside to climb up it. Was this the simplest manner of undertaking this activity? No, however it gave me an immense sense of satisfaction that it truly labored.
I’ve additionally had numerous enjoyable with Fuse. Most will likely be stunned at how efficient a generic, low-level ‘Spear’ could be with a ‘Beam Emitter’ Zonai gadget connected to it or the hilarity of including a rock to a ‘Boomerang’ to create an aptly named “Rock Boomerang.’ Fuse generally is a little awkward as a result of it forces you to drop the merchandise you wish to add to the weapon Hyperlink is holding, however after the primary few situations of utilizing the power, it begins to really feel pure. Nonetheless, it could have been nice if Nintendo added a manner to make use of the power by the menu.
And eventually, Champion Skills return in a brand new kind in Tears of the Kingdom. I wish to keep away from spoilers, so I gained’t reveal a lot, however Tears of the Kingdom‘s Sage talents are very helpful, significantly Goron Yunobo’s rolling assault (it’s saved me a number of instances after I’ve been down to 1 Coronary heart whereas combating a bunch of enemies).
However Tears of the Kingdom isn’t good. Its voice appearing stays terrible for probably the most half, and whereas I’ve by no means been a fan of the sequence’ usually convoluted narrative, the sport’s story of Zelda mysteriously disappearing isn’t a lot of an enchancment over Breath of the Wild‘s largely nonexistent story (I briefly examined out the Japanese voice appearing and it’s nice, fortunately). That mentioned, I do discover myself truly curious concerning the havoc brought on throughout Hyrule by the mysterious Malice, which is greater than I can say for Tears of the Kingdom‘s predecessor. And to be honest, I haven’t completely accomplished the sport’s story but.
I additionally completely hate that you just nonetheless want to search out towers to unlock most of Tears of the Kingdom’s map, similar to in Breath of the Wild. If I’ve travelled by an space, it ought to simply seem on the map and never stay blacked out. In that very same vein, the sport’s fight can nonetheless be finicky and irritating, particularly in direction of the start when enemies really feel extra highly effective than Hyperlink in some areas of the map.
Total, Tears of the Kingdom is a much more polished tackle the open world path the Zelda sequence shifted in direction of with Breath of the Wild. Almost all the things concerning the recreation is an enchancment over its predecessor, and I’ve had a good time with it to this point.
With slightly over 45 hours spent in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I nonetheless really feel like I’ve solely simply scratched the floor of what Nintendo’s newest Zelda title has to supply, and I discover myself excited to dive again into it for the following a number of weeks.
In the event you personal a Nintendo Change, Tears of the Kingdom is an absolute must-buy, and as far the Zelda sequence goes, it’s among the best within the franchise, regardless of being its first true sequel.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases on Could twelfth on the Nintendo Switch for $89.99.
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