This review contains spoilers for Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, however, major spoilers have been avoided for those who haven’t played it yet.
Like many of you, I have been eagerly awaiting the release of the latest installment in the Zelda franchise for many years now. Breath of the Wild was an amazing game, so when Nintendo announced that a sequel was in the works, I got very, very excited. When a release date was announced, I ran to my local GameStop and immediately locked down a copy on preorder. And now, the game is out in the wild for us to play!
Tears of the Kingdom definitely starts off with a bang. The opening scenes are visually stunning, and the music is haunting. This game is much darker and ominous than its predecessor. You begin the game under the kingdom of Hyrule, and as you travel further underground, the music gets louder and creepier. Link and Zelda discover ancient murals/writings on the walls underneath the castle which begin to tell our story. (For the sake of this just being a first impressions article, I will try to avoid any in-depth spoilers for those who haven’t had a chance to play yet.) Link and Zelda are separated after an incident, and you begin the main part of the game after Link wakes up in a cave (because how else would you start a Zelda game, right?) You emerge from the cave to learn you are in the sky above Hyrule, on Sky Islands, which we saw in the game’s trailers.
Most of the beginning of the game is exploring the Sky Islands you’ve woken up on. Shrines are present in this game like the first, and there are 3 shrines you must complete before you can make it to Hyrule below. We learn the reason for Links’ strange arm markings – they aren’t just markings, it’s a new arm! We also meet the original owner of said arm, and I won’t give too much information on him for the sake of spoilers – but he is very helpful and prominent in the game and storyline.
So many new abilities are introduced in this game, and they are easier to use and much more handy than the abilities in the first game. You unlock these abilities as you complete shrines. My favorite so far is called Ascend, and it’s what it sounds like – you can ascend through solid objects above you. No matter how far beneath something you are, you can ascend through any object to the surface above it.
Instead of a Sheikah Slate, you now have a Purah Pad, created by Purah herself (who no longer looks like a little kid, by the way.) You won’t run into Purah until you make it to Hyrule.
We meet the Zonai in this game and all of the inventions they created in ancient times. They’ve created robot-looking people that help you along the way – but be careful, there are also bad versions of them that are enemies. The Zonai are sky people, so you meet them up above. “Zonai charges” are a new important feature, and they help with your abilities. You can make fans that propel you, portable cooking pots, flame emitters, and probably more that I haven’t discovered yet.
Overall, my first impression of this game from just the few hours I’ve been able to play so far is that it is for sure an upgrade from the original. With a more mature tone, new features and abilities, and a cryptic storyline, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is sure to be a fan favorite.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is now available on Nintendo Switch.
