Take to the Skies! The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review

On Friday 12th May, one of the most anticipated games of the last few years finally landed on the Nintendo Switch. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK) was released to critical acclaim and fans all over the world couldn’t wait to (literally) dive into the world of Hyrule once more. With fun new abilities, familiar friends and enemies, and an interesting story that expands Hyrule to all new levels, it’s a huge leap for Nintendo and their new, open-world direction for the series. Be warned that there are a few minor spoilers for the game ahead.

A Whole New Hyrule

One of the best things about Breath of the Wild (BOTW) was the the open-world map. Players had a huge area to explore, and the game was much more immersive. So, when we started to see teasers for TOTK, people were curious about the map. And we weren’t disappointed. The main part of Hyrule is familiar, but there’s been a few changes. New towns, different types of enemies and monster hoards. And then there was so much more!

When the gameplay really starts, we find ourselves in the sky. After finishing the tutorial, you jump to the earth below. And in that moment, you get to see the true beauty of the game. A huge collection of unique Sky Islands. There are new puzzles and challenges, and there’s nothing quite like plummeting through the sky and seeing just how much time and care has been put into this design.

But if you thought taking to the skies was all TOTK had to offer, then think again. When you’re done with falling to earth, why not keep going? Beneath Hyrule lies The Depths. Covered in darkness and infested with monsters, it’s a dangerous place to explore. But after brightening the place up a little, it’s a vast space that has its own series of quests, puzzles and mysteries.

Add to this the many caves and wells you can now explore, this game is HUGE! It might take a long time to complete and explore all of the space available. This all works so well because it gives you options if you’re feeling frustrated with any part of the game. Can’t beat the mini-boss? Let’s go and kill some Bubbulfrogs. Is Ganon getting you down? Hunt down some Yiga Clan hideouts! This truly feels like its own world that is almost endless.

Handy Abilities

While we already knew what Link’s new abilities were, I don’t think anyone fully anticipated just how much fun they would be! I will admit that a first, I didn’t think I would be able to adjust to them. They seemed less convenient than those in BOTW and I found myself missing the endless bombs. But the new abilities are incredibly useful, and now I don’t miss those bombs so much.

Fuse

Fuse is probably my least used of the abilities, but it’s still excellent. Being able to fuse any item to your sword, shield or arrow is not only useful but also a clever way to open up the gameplay. Now, when you bump into a monster hoard, it becomes a little bit of a puzzle. I have the choice between charging in there with reckless abandon, or cleverly working my way around, using different items for different effects.

Ascend

Then we have the ascend ability. Now, if you’re like me, you’ll have spent many hours in BOTW climbing up mountains. Yes, I know there’s a road right there that will get me to where I need to be in no time. But that’s a mountain. I want to explore. But ascend makes this so much easier. Being able to swim through ceilings and make your way out of a cave has saved my life more than I’d like to admit. The smart way they use this ability in some of the shrines is one of my favourite things. When you figure it out, it’s always a good feeling.

Recall

Recall is super handy for making it to the sky islands, taking out some monsters, or solving a shrine puzzle. This is the ability I thought I would use the least at first, but it is crucial in making your way through the game. I must also admit that I quite enjoy riding a fallen rock back up to the atmosphere. But this is also another ability that is used the best in the shrine quests. I’ve found that, while I only sometimes use it when exploring, I use it so much in the shrines and temples.

Ultrahand and Autobuild

I would personally like to thank all the Nintendo gods for ultrahand (and autobuild, to some extent). This is obviously an essential part of the game, and you couldn’t progress very far if you don’t become at least a little familiar with it. And, it’s just a lot of fun! After seeing some of the things people have been building online, this is another aspect of the game that will provide hours of entertainment. If you’re looking for a quick escape, the game will either give you a template to work with, or the materials to build. If you’ve got time to kill and want to build an elaborate flying machine, then there’s lots of stuff throughout the game to help with this. This is one of my favourite additions and adds a little more of a creative element throughout.

Sage Advice

BOTW had its champions and their abilities, and TOTK has the vows of the sages. This is the only thing that doesn’t quite gel with the game. The controls of the sages can be a bit clunky and take up a lot of time. During combat, it can be difficult to keep the sages with you, and it’s often a game of chase to get to the one you need. There’s no shortcut for each of the abilities they possess, and you use the same button for each one. If you have all of the sages out, this can cause a lot of problems in the game, and it makes it confusing at times. I’ve found that their ghostly figures often get in the way, and I’m sometimes tripping over them in fights.

But it’s not all bad. Their abilities are genuinely useful, and they make the gameplay so much more interesting. It’s also nice to have a few buddies while you’re roaming around, and they come in handy if you’re besieged by a load of enemies at once. They can and do help you fight, and they’ve saved me more than a few times. So while they are a bit inconvenient and difficult to use, it’s a fun addition. It might work better if they had their own shortcuts like the champions in BOTW.

Something Old

For this game, Nintendo brought back some of our favourite items and enemies. Familiar things that we haven’t seen for a little while, updated to fit in with the game perfectly. Finding bomb flowers and poes brought me back to being a kid. And while they have different appearances and uses, it’s a nice and simple way to bring back classic Zelda in an updated way.

Items aren’t the only things that have been brought back for TOTK. We have the reintroduction of some classic Zelda monsters, and they’re as terrifying now as they were then. Gibdos, Gleeoks and Like Likes are hiding around all sorts of corners. I still can’t bring myself to face King Gleeok, but at least the Gibdos don’t have paralysing screams this time.

Something New

Certain aspects of Zelda games change between each release. Enemies, bosses, maps, and abilities to name just a few. But in this game, we were introduced to a new lore and a new race. The Zonai were hinted at in BOTW, and those little hints now make much more sense. But their introduction has been merged with existing Zelda lore and they’re seamlessly integrated into the game. There are many theories about where these games fit into the Zelda timeline, and introducing these familiar elements adds to the mystery.

BOTW seems to take place in its own little bubble, but TOTK gives us a flashback to canon events from previous games. Is Nintendo branching out into another timeline for the series? Or will we find its placement sometime in the future? For now, this mixture of lore, old and new, expands and escalates an already incredible game.

A Hero’s Journey

Every time a new Zelda game is released, there’s bound to be a big hype around it. This is a classic game series that many people have grown up with. Nintendo knows how to perfectly balance an old story and a new format. They give us innovative challenges alongside familiar settings and characters. There may be a similar story to each game, but the creative ways it’s presented keep us hooked.

The latest instalment to the Zelda series is no exception to this. There may be some issues, such as the control of the sages, that could be improved. But overall, this has been an incredible game that has -and still does- offers almost endless gameplay. But most of all, it’s a fun game that people keep coming back to time and time again. If you’re looking to take a trip to Hyrule, then Tears of the Kingdom is definitely one I’d recommend.