5 ways The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom evolves over predecessor and 5 things still missing from sequel
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom has been a successful step forward for Nintendo. It builds upon the foundation laid down by its 2017 prequel, The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. As a result, it delivers an experience that's bigger and better than ever. This is reflected in its universal acclaim from both critics and gamers alike. However, for all its additions and improvements, there are a few glaring omissions.
Both are valid observations for the latest entry in the Legend of Zelda series. Let us tackle both in their entirety.
5 ways The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom goes above and beyond Breath of the Wild
1) A massive open world that scales above and below
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild introduced a vast, seamless Hyrule to explore. Almost everything players could see in the distance can be reached and scaled. This sense of freedom has been expanded three times over. The familiar Hyrule surface has expectedly evolved in many ways.
However, there are also two more "open worlds" to explore. For one, the Sky Islands appeared after the Upheaval. This cataclysmic event also created chasms on the surface, leading to the underground Depths area where corrupted foes and strange structures are tucked away within inky black darkness. Exploring each is a vastly different experience, almost making for three games in one.
2) New abilities that introduce bespoke ways of solving problems
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom introduces four new abilities: Ascend, Recall, Ultrahand, and Fuse. Each is utilized in meaningful ways for exploring the open world. Ascend, for one, allows passing through overhead ceilings, emerging on the surface above. This allows for swift vertical traversal, often bypassing tedious climbing limitations. Meanwhile, Recall rewinds the path and state of an object, making for extremely clever use cases.
Ultrahand allows for crafting varied contraptions by connecting together parts like LEGO bricks. These have resulted in some mind-blowing creations from players. Finally, Fuse not just enhances a weapon's durability but also alters its properties through combinations with a material or item. This keeps skirmishes fresh and dynamic up until the credits roll.
3) Faster traversal
It is true that Ascend and returning horse-riding mechanics allow players to get across Hyrule faster, but there is more to it. Players can now use special Medallions by dropping them at any location in the game and then traveling to it using the map. This allows them to create custom fast travel points, saving their precious time and resources.
These are especially handy since it can be a bit tricky to reach certain Sky Islands or find an entrance that leads underground to the Depths. Though it should be noted it isn't a new feature, having been introduced in the DLC for Breath of the Wild. However, its inclusion is one of many quality-of-life additions that fans appreciate.
4) More side quests
Side quests are another feature that The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild introduced to the series. While it got the job done, the quantity, as well as quality, has massively increased in Tears of the Kingdom. Side quests are organically found throughout the game and remain optional. They also range from mundane to the incredibly bizarre.
However, they all reward players for their effort. Furthermore, a new Quest Log system allows tracking all obtained missions with detailed descriptions, improving the overall user experience over Breath of the Wild.
5) Greater player freedom thanks to Ultrahand crafting
While the game sees many changes over its predecessor, none are as significant as the Ultrahand ability. The ability to use items and parts to create fully functional contraptions adds a new layer of depth not often seen in open-world games.
Why not create an auto-targeting drone with mounted laser beams that will decimate it for you? Or perhaps a full-on cannon-mounted tank? The game's fascinating physics system also ties into Ultrahand, allowing one to craft actually working piston-powered devices. Tears of the Kingdom has only been out for a while now, so it remains to be seen how complex players can get over time.
These 5 things are missing from The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
1) Previous game's Sheikah abilities and technology
Thanks to the introduction of the Sheikah Slate, The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild featured some interesting powers. These include Stasis, for example, which stops an object in motion and allows players to change its momentum and force. These are all but gone and replaced by a new set of abilities.
Cryonis, for one, would have made navigating water bodies a cakewalk. By extension, this would also reduce the feasibility of Ultrahand creations, like boats. So some omissions are understandable. However, they would still have been nice inclusions on top of the existing ones.
2) Underwater exploration
The past Legend of Zelda games, such as Ocarina of Time, allowed protagonist Link to explore watery areas in 3D space. However, this is missing from Breath of the Wild and has not returned for Tears of the Kingdom either.
This is slightly disappointing due to the plethora of lakes and ponds across Hyrule. So far, players can only swim across the surface or create vehicles to travel across the water. In the case of the former, be wary of stamina management, as Link can drown if the gauge runs out while swimming.
3) More rechargeable weapons
The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild featured the Master Sword, the most powerful weapon in the game. This special sword has appeared time and again across the series. As such, it received special treatment despite the weapon durability system. In short, the Master Sword cannot break but rather needs to be recharged.
Unfortunately, there are no more of them in this game. While players will eventually be able to get their hands on the Master Sword here as well, expect the other weapons and items to break. This is baffling for something like the Hylian Shield, another staple of the series. Perhaps future DLC could fix this or introduce new picks.
4) Recall horse from anywhere
Horse-riding is another staple for 3D Legend of Zelda titles and is an obvious inclusion here, given the game's open-world nature. Players can tame wild horses and register them at the stable for future use. However, they are still unable to recall their horses from anywhere, as the latter must be in proximity for Link's whistle to count.
A realistic implementation for sure, but it can be very inconvenient. The DLC for Breath of the Wild fixed this with the inclusion of specific armor that allows recalling your horse anywhere. So it's surprising this was not turned into an actual feature for Tears of the Kingdom.
5) Petting dogs
Certainly a deal-breaker for many animal lovers in the Legend of Zelda fandom, dogs are still not pettable in the game. This was missing from Breath of the Wild as well. For all its size and scope, this sore omission is perhaps the most odd. Even more so considering players could pick up and cuddle pets in The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess - all the way back in 2006 on the Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii consoles.
The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is out right now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch console.
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Sijo Samuel Paul