The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review
So, after countless delays, the long-awaited successor to the 2017 masterpiece "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" has finally been released - "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom." We've been waiting for this moment for quite a while, a whole six years since the release of Breath of The Wild. But perhaps it was necessary, as standing in the shadow of such a hugely successful predecessor, Nintendo couldn't afford to rush and deliver a half-baked product.
As an unwritten rule in the history of game development, when a predecessor has been overwhelmingly successful, it creates immense pressure on the developers. At that point, all eyes and expectations from fans are on them, forcing them to think about how to create a superior and worthwhile successor. So, after 6 years of anticipation, will "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" bring tears of disappointment or tears of joy to gamers? I believe this question is more of a philosophical one than a straightforward query.
Here's a quick question: What was it about Zelda Breath of the Wild that you found appealing? For me, it was the sense of true freedom. Of course, there are basic tutorials to go through at the start to grasp the game's mechanics. However, once you complete them, it's almost like opening up an entire sky for you to explore. You can follow the main storyline, take your time to seek out remote shrines, or simply roam and marvel at the vast and diverse landscapes of Hyrule. And it's fantastic to know that "Tears of the Kingdom" maintains that very spirit, even expanding upon it.
As a direct sequel taking place right after the events of the first game, "Tears of the Kingdom" clearly maintains the backdrop of the ancient land of Hyrule. However, to breathe new life into it, Nintendo took a remarkably unique approach. Instead of focusing on expanding the world horizontally, they decided to expand it vertically and depth-wise. Quite literally, "Tears of the Kingdom" offers players the opportunity to explore two new types of terrain: floating islands in the sky of Hyrule and mysterious underground caves. This is an incredibly clever and unexpected move, as it provides a fresh take on world-building while remaining fitting for the Hyrule landscape. The original Hyrule was already vast and almost bordering on being too expansive. If they were to make it even bigger, it would be a significant challenge and could risk losing the balance that's crucial in open-world game design.
Just like how the first installment captivated players from the very beginning, "Tears of the Kingdom" follows a similar formula with panoramic camera views or, more accurately, a flycam perspective at the start to give players a glimpse of how beautiful and grand the world they're about to explore is. Although we had a sense from the trailers and previews that the game would include skyward exploration, it's still a breathtaking experience when you get to see it firsthand. And that's not all; through trailers and gameplay previews, we weren't even aware of the existence of the underground areas of the Hyrule kingdom. I won't delve into too much detail about this to avoid spoiling your gameplay experience, but just imagine an expansive underground world beneath the entire kingdom of Hyrule, filled with mysteries waiting to be uncovered. However, remember to prepare thoroughly before exploring these areas, as you never know what dangers might await you.
Even if we set aside the two new areas in the sky and underground, exploring the land of Hyrule itself still offers a refreshing experience, even for those who played the first installment. As mentioned earlier, "Tears of the Kingdom" is set immediately after the events of the first game, where the malevolent force that plagued the kingdom for centuries has been defeated. The game presents Hyrule as a land in the process of rejuvenation, with numerous villages and architectural structures being rebuilt. The presence of more NPCs reduces the feeling of emptiness that the first game sometimes had. Players will also encounter characters from the previous installment, revealing how they have changed, with some staying the same and others evolving significantly. All of this creates a sense of familiarity with a hint of novelty. The addition of the two new regions surely makes the exploration of Hyrule much more challenging, but in a positive way.
There's a common jest in the gaming community that "Tears of the Kingdom" is a $70 DLC for "Breath of the Wild." Frankly, if you place the two gameplay experiences side by side and only look at surface-level elements, it's difficult to fault those with such a view. Candidly speaking, "Tears of the Kingdom" does reuse many elements from the first game. Simple examples include the way the story unfolds: Link once again awakens in a mysterious ruin, rushes outside, and experiences a 360-degree camera pan for a panoramic view of the in-game world. There are basic shrines where you acquire special abilities, followed by visiting the four different regions representing various races, gathering new powers to combat evil forces. Shrines still play a role in providing players with orbs to increase health and stamina (once again). You must still hunt for hundreds (or possibly even thousands) of Korok seeds to expand your inventory. And it's clear from the trailers that the graphical elements have remained largely unchanged, except for the addition of dynamic lighting, especially noticeable in scenes in the sky, making them more vibrant.
However, if you stop at the surface to evaluate, it would be unfair to "Tears of the Kingdom." The game has introduced plenty of new and innovative changes. As previously mentioned, the addition of two new areas in the sky and underground has elevated the player experience to new heights. To accommodate this exploration, the developers have replaced all the special abilities from the first game with ones that push players' creativity and intelligence to the max – and I'm not exaggerating when I say that.
Fuse allows you to combine weapons with various collected resources to enhance their power or create special effects. Recall lets you rewind the movement of objects, bringing them back to their previous positions. Ascend allows players to levitate to reach high platforms that would otherwise be inaccessible. And most notably, there's the Ultrahand ability, which allows players to manipulate and even attach objects together. These strange abilities, never seen in previous Zelda titles, add an intriguing and mesmerizing dimension to the gameplay, whether for movement, solving puzzles, or even combat. Among these four main abilities, Ultrahand is perhaps the most fascinating, as it encourages player creativity by enabling them to assemble objects as they see fit.
This feature enriches the gameplay of "Tears of The Kingdom" to an uncontrollable extent. Nintendo has granted players a level of freedom unprecedented in the history of game development. At times, I played this open-world game and questioned if it could be considered an immersive sim. With so many ways to tackle challenges and approach combat, there's no linear element that can hinder player creativity. You're allowed to create your own gameplay meta, truly embracing the openness of the open world. It seems that Nintendo doesn't care about enforcing a specific sequence.
With an upgraded engine that renders physics almost perfectly, each playthrough, using these abilities and interacting with objects in the environment, feels consistently fresh and dynamic. There are moments when I devised strategies like using the Ultrahand ability to assemble a wall-mounted fan to soar high and reach the endpoint of a shrine instead of following the linear path. Or sometimes, when I wanted to cross a river, I could use the Fuse ability to combine my weapon with the ice element and then slash the water to create an ice platform, forming a bridge to cross the river.
The inclusion of these abilities, coupled with the transformative aspect of the game, is what captivates players, often causing them to forget their princess-saving duties and instead immerse themselves in architectural creativity that can leave them and many others in awe.
Of course, the gameplay retains many core elements that may seem somewhat repetitive. However, it's fair to say that when a game's core mechanics are already highly refined, making changes can be quite challenging. Moreover, if not executed carefully, changes can risk alienating players who cherished the previous installment. Instead of overhauling the mechanics, the developers decided to enhance the addictive aspects, providing players with an enriched experience that keeps them engaged for hours without boredom. Nintendo has done an exceptional job of introducing new elements and addressing many of the complaints from players about the previous game.
Breath of the Wild was undoubtedly a great success, but like anything in life, nothing is perfect. The 2017 game had its share of issues, especially in terms of difficulty. In the first part of the game, most players, including long-time fans of the series, faced some difficulty early on due to a lack of resources. However, as the game progressed, it became relatively easy, and there were few challenges that could impede players' progress. Part of the problem was the limited variety of enemies. Excluding the bosses, there were only around 6-7 enemy types, and their different color variations made it easy for players to predict their movements. Tears of The Kingdom, however, addresses this issue to some extent by introducing entirely new enemy types and revamping the appearance and behavior of existing foes, making them more peculiar and challenging.
The boss battles in Tears of The Kingdom truly make an impressive mark, with a diverse range in terms of size, types, and movesets. Some of the boss encounters are so epic that I found myself awestruck, momentarily forgetting that my primary mission was to defeat the boss. This showcases just how much the combat system has been elevated in the game.
Another issue that many players had with Breath of The Wild was the perceived lack of traditional dungeons, which are a staple of the Zelda series. This aspect has been addressed in Tears of The Kingdom. Notably, there is a massive underground dungeon to explore. Additionally, the game world, both in the skies and on the ground, now features numerous caves, often hiding treasure chests containing special outfits or valuable resources, in keeping with the series' spirit of exploration. And let's not forget the return of Shrines. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that one of the key elements contributing to the success of the first game was the design of these puzzle-filled Shrines, which were both challenging and addictive. In Tears of The Kingdom, Shrines continue to serve this purpose, acting as mini-dungeons filled with intricate puzzles that demand players make clever use of their unique abilities to solve. With the introduction of these extraordinary abilities that I mentioned earlier, Shrine puzzles have reached new heights, presenting players with puzzles and challenges that are beyond imagination. Nintendo truly excels in this aspect.
Apart from these changes, the game introduces several minor improvements to enhance the player experience. For example, despite the map being significantly larger, loading times are even faster than in the first game. The weapon durability system remains but has been somewhat mitigated by the addition of the Fuse ability, allowing players to strengthen their weapons by attaching valuable resources to extend their durability. Additionally, for those who remember the frustration of trying to climb a treacherous mountain peak only to slip and fall when it suddenly rains, the game now provides items that can alleviate this annoyance. Nintendo should be commended for addressing and improving upon these minor issues from the first game, although it's essential to remember that nothing is truly perfect. While Tears of The Kingdom approaches perfection, there are still a few notable issues to discuss from my perspective.
Indeed, the most captivating aspect of Zelda Breath of The Wild, and now Tears of the Kingdom, lies in the exploration of a vast and mysterious open world. However, it's important to acknowledge that the way the story is presented might leave something to be desired. In the first game, while I appreciated the post-apocalyptic setting, I found the storytelling to be somewhat lacking, with some gaps in the narrative. Some of these gaps were later filled in the spin-off title Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which provided additional information about the characters and events leading up to the apocalypse. Nevertheless, Tears of The Kingdom introduces new elements to the story without much explanation, making players feel somewhat bewildered and unsure of what's happening, even from the very beginning of the game, even for those who have played the first installment.
In addition to the storytelling, the game's mechanics can also contribute to this sense of confusion, particularly due to the introduction of special abilities. While I wholeheartedly commend the creativity behind these unique abilities, they can be a double-edged sword for players. The mechanics of these abilities are innovative, demanding players to think creatively, whether it's solving puzzles or simply moving from point A to point B, which can make the game more challenging. For instance, even a player experienced in Breath of The Wild, like myself, encountered difficulties when initially navigating between the islands in the sky at the beginning of the game. While long-time fans of the Zelda series may relish the opportunity to experiment and think outside the box, I found that it added a level of stress to the gaming experience. In retrospect, I wish Nintendo had provided a more streamlined experience rather than leaving players to figure things out on their own. However, it's worth noting that this initial struggle is eventually overcome as players become more familiar with these abilities, making them a more integral part of their gameplay repertoire.
It's fair to mention a minor drawback of Tears of the Kingdom, which is related to its performance. However, it's important to be fair to the development team, as they did an impressive job creating a game of such grand scale and detail that still runs on relatively modest hardware like the Nintendo Switch. For most of my time playing Tears of the Kingdom, the game ran at a stable 30 FPS, which is quite acceptable for the platform. However, in segments where the Ultrahand power is used extensively or when there are numerous enemies with various effects on the screen, the game's frame rate may drop noticeably. Thankfully, these drops are not too frequent or severe and quickly return to the base 30 FPS, so they don't significantly impact the overall gaming experience.
As you mentioned, it's quite remarkable how the development team managed to squeeze a AAA-sized game onto a six-year-old platform while maintaining relatively smooth performance. However, it's somewhat regrettable that a game as excellent as Tears of the Kingdom couldn't consistently run at 60 FPS, providing an even smoother experience throughout. Everything that Tears of The Kingdom offers is truly exceptional, and it deserves a better platform to fully showcase its greatness.
Throughout my extensive exploration of the land of Hyrule, I've visited various landscapes, from lush green plains to breathtaking floating islands, eerie dungeons, scorching deserts, and more. It feels like Hyrule is a miniaturized Earth with a plethora of distinct terrains, avoiding monotony and offering exciting discoveries during exploration. Additionally, the game's music and sound effects are finely crafted and leave little room for complaint. The presence of secondary characters, while not always on-screen for extended periods, adds depth to the world of Hyrule and keeps players motivated to explore.
VERDICT
Tears of the Kingdom certainly appears to have met and exceeded your expectations for a successor to Breath of The Wild. The game offers a wide range of improvements and new features, making it a worthy continuation of the series. The increased diversity of monsters, the addition of more complex dungeons, and the introduction of creative mechanics that can keep players engaged for hundreds or even thousands of hours are all major highlights of the game.
While the storytelling and early-game mechanics may have their quirks and challenges, it seems that the sheer joy of exploring the mysteries of the kingdom of Hyrule overshadows these minor issues. The expanded world to explore, new and innovative skills, and the overall quality of the gameplay make Tears of the Kingdom a highly enjoyable and immersive experience.
Breath of The Wild set a high bar for the series, and Tears of the Kingdom appears to have successfully built upon that foundation, delivering an even more complete and captivating open-world experience. It's truly a special feeling to be moved to tears of happiness while embarking on a unique adventure in the fantastical land of Hyrule.