New `Zelda’ feels both familiar and new
Nintendo’s ‘Tears of the Kingdom’ is the most anticipated game of the year.
May 15, 2023
Nintendo’s most anticipated release of the year, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, surpasses its 2017 predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, with a new Hyrule, profound lore, and unique abilities.
Many fans worried that the sequel would just feel like an expansion pack for the original, but TOTK manages to feel familiar yet brand new. It still holds its initial mechanics: powers, shrines to solve, and the same map. Yet they have changed enough to give the players a unique experience.
The altered map in TOTK allows the player to experience an unknown worldview, since the ground isn’t the only thing to explore now. The map is tremendously larger, with the skies and underground ruins to set sights on.
As Link goes on another adventure to save Zelda, he discovers the robots of an ancient civilization: the Zonai. They offer an unexplored set of skills to the player. These are similar to rune powers seen in Breath Of The Wild. The most prominent mechanic of Tears of The Kingdom is the player’s ability to create wagons, planes, bridges, and more.
Some of these features, however, still seem a bit difficult and clunky to use, like the ultra hand. Given how long it takes to make a new machine, it sometimes feels better to just walk instead.
Players may find it tedious to get through the tutorial, but it becomes worth it after the full map unlocks. The sheer amount of content there is to offer compared to its original is shocking.
For many, the $70 cost of TOTK is a concern, since it is the most expensive Switch game to come out so far. Despite the price tag, the endless hours of content available make it worth it.
Tears of The Kingdom successfully challenges its players while retaining the familiarity of the initial game. It lives up to its expectations in every regard.
