I am going to be honest and say that, since the sequel to the outstanding Breath of the Wild, I had doubts about what Eiji Aonuma’s team could achieve with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Not only because the franchise isn’t used to sequels, but also because the new game is basically set in “the same” open world as its predecessor.
The issue of sequels in video games, except in specific cases, does not usually go well. On the other hand, the development of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was surrounded by multiple inconveniences. The vast majority of them caused, of course, by the emergence of a pandemic. So, the reality is that I tried to moderate my expectations with this installment.
Today I can tell you, with total certainty, that I ate all my worries in the last two weeks. I had the chance to play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for dozens of hours and it’s time to share my impressions. From now on I can tell you that only a title taken from another world could snatch the game of the year to Nintendo’s most recent proposal.
A deeper story fueled by the return of an iconic villain
We have to admit that telling stories has never been Nintendo’s main forte. It is also true, however, that Legend of Zelda usually proposes a deeper narrative than other titles of the big N. With Tears of the Kingdom once again took the initiative to present an argument that, at least, surpassed that of Breath of the Wild. Fortunately, they serve their purpose.
Much has to do with what The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leaned on the return of the great villain of the franchise: Ganondorf. Yes, the Demon King is back, and with a lot of force. So, Nintendo could not pass up the opportunity to offer us a bigger, emotional and engaging story.
The foregoing, in fact, is evidenced by the appearance of a good number of very well done kinematics. These help fill out the story, detailing what is happening in Hyrule beyond Link’s own actions.
The cinematics also serve to keep our interest in moving forward with the main missions. This point is significant in an adventure that gives us too much freedom. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom It has so many things to enjoy that the story could be relegated to the background by the player’s own decision. Therefore the importance of having elements that retain your attention.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom open the gate to heaven of hyrule
One of my biggest concerns, as I already mentioned, was whether Nintendo could really make us feel a new experience considering that the open world is, after all, the same base that we met in Breath of the Wild. However, Eiji Aounuma and his followers knew how to make the necessary changes so that the stage even felt like a whole new place.
Yes, most of the locations are still there. But as my experience with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwalking towards new horizons in a free way, I was realizing that there are many elements that debut on the map. There are locations that, in fact, have completely changed. And if you have a good memory, you will remember that in the previous title they had a very different look and feel.
A criticism that was made to the Hyrule of Breath of the Wild it is that he could feel empty or, worse still, lifeless. With The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomThey have, however, resolved that situation. In general, the map is perceived as a place where things are constantly happening. Many previously desolate locations now have characters, allies or enemies, populating them and waiting for us to interact—or fight—with them.
But the main novelty as far as the map is concerned is the appearance of the Celestial Isles, those huge structures that are floating in the sky of Hyrule. This, by itself, changes everything in the gameplaythen add a verticality component. When you make your first visit to the heights, you will realize that what Nintendo showed, prior to launch, was nothing. The total expanse of terrain that you can explore up there is very, very large.
To the floating islands we must also add that there has been a notable effort to place a good number of caves and, above all, shrines to pass the hours These little temples always have a challenge waiting. The time you go to in them trying to solve puzzle it will be considerable, but always fun. Especially since there is no single method to find the ultimate solution.
You have to know, too, that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom it’s a game that reward exploration. Wherever you go there is always something to discover, with rewards waiting for those who spend enough time exploring all corners of Hyrule. You will see for yourself that the skills, weapons and health level increase because you were carrying out the infinity of secondary activities that are scattered —and some hidden— on the map.
Your creativity is the main novelty in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The freedom that exists in the map is also transferred to the gameplay. I have been completely amazed at what Nintendo has achieved in terms of gameplay. It seemed almost impossible to come up with a formula that would vary the experience offered by Breath of the Wildand not only have they found it, but we, as players, are a fundamental part of it.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom It has a couple of new features that it is mandatory to delve into. Although their objectives are similar, they have repercussions in different sections.
First is the ultrahand, an ability that allows you to move and combine objects to create vehicles of all kinds. Either to move through the immense landscapes of Hyrule, or to carry out a movement that Link, due to the limits of his own nature, cannot perform.
If you are familiar with RPGs, the classic game systems will come to mind. crafting. However, the proposal Tears of the Kingdom it is much more ambitious than any other I have seen in titles of the same genre. The reason? There are no limits. There is no manual, not even a catalog with a predetermined number of vehicles you can build. It all depends on your imagination.
On more than one occasion, to reach a certain area of the map, I came to wonder if it would be possible to build a crazy vehicle to achieve it. Surprise: of course it can be done. Of course, consider that the game does not allow you to defy the laws of physics.
The other ability is weapon fusion. The concept is essentially the same as Ultramano, although applied to the weapons Link will use to face the enemies and final bosses, which can be a headache if you’re not prepared. Many of the items and materials you pick up while exploring Hyrule can be combined to create almost any weapon you can imagine.
Each one, in addition, with its own damage effect depending on the design and objects used. Sure, you will have to study the attacks and abilities of the enemies to know how to approach them before creating your attack tools. Perhaps on the first try you will not succeed and you will have to come back with a better weapon.
Combat mechanics don’t change much from Breath of the Wild. Consequently, if you still remember how they work, there would be no need to spend time—again—on learning them. It is the creation of weapons that will take much of your attention.
The playable approach of total freedom causes that the way to face the challenges in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom vary from player to player. The idea I had will surely be very different from what you imagined. And that is precisely the magic of this title. Everyone will live something different depending on their creativity.
While those are the two features that influence your Hyrule experience the most, recoil is also worth mentioning. It is an extremely useful ability with which it is possible to rewind the movement of a specific object or structure to return it to its original position. I took advantage of it to reach the top of a mountain that fell off a rock and even to reach the floating islands more easily. Its applications are also very varied.
An admirable artistic section despite the Nintendo Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom It is sadly not an entirely perfect game. When Nintendo announced it in mid-2019, and as its development spread more and more due to the pandemic, I came to think that it could see the light of day on a next-generation console. For better and for worse, it was not.
Good because we are already enjoying it, and bad because it is evident that the Nintendo Switch, in the technical question, no longer gives for more. In my opinion, what Eiji Auonuma and his team have achieved with hardware that the years have already taken their toll should be applauded.
There is no graphical improvement in relation to Breath of the Wild, but still, it is an achievement that they have created a sequel with a far superior gameplay experience. First with the news displayed on the map, and then in the matter of gameplay thanks Link’s new abilities. Despite this, I must comment that at multiple times I noticed significant frame drops.
In the artistic part there can be no complaint on my part. Aware of the limits of the Nintendo Switch, it seems to me outstanding the work they have done again in the world of Hyrule. There is great care for visual details; so much that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom It can become, at times, a contemplative adventure.
The original soundtrack, meanwhile, is epic and fascinating. I’m not afraid to say that Tears of the Kingdom has the best music in franchise historywhich is not a minor issue if we reflect on the great musical legacy of Zelda along its history.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of the best experiences I have been able to enjoy in recent years as a player. The new from Nintendo raises the bar in the franchise and sets a quality standard for open worlds to come. To succeed in this genre, you don’t need to create a completely new scenario, but rather come up with innovative mechanics that really take advantage of it.