Nintendo is known for having many games that have stood the test of time, and it seems like this company will not stop. One of the most popular game series is The Legend Of Zelda, where the silent chosen knight of the titular princess travels around Hyrule and beyond to protect her. We can see this in the latest Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom.
In every game iteration, the princess is trapped in an unreachable place (sometimes another castle) and needs her hero to rescue her. While that formula might seem boring to repeat decade after decade, Nintendo always adds a few new elements to a new game to keep fans returning year after year.
Tears of the Kingdom Celebrates its First Anniversary
Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved Breath of the Wild, released on the Nintendo Switch seven years ago. At the conclusion of that game, Zelda and the protagonist, Link, were celebrating their victory over Calamity Ganon, the villain who is said to be reborn every hundred years.
The more significant issue is yet to be discovered. Zelda and Link venture deep under Hyrule Castle, where they encounter a red mist that is said to have made people fall ill. They find a desiccated body with a glowing arm keeping him firmly in place. The arm falls, and a strange stone rolls over to Princess Zelda.
The body begins to twitch and reanimate as Ganondorf’s twisted form begins to lash out with an evil red tendril. Link jumps forward to protect Zelda with the Master Sword, a powerful artifact passed down for generations and claimed to be the kingdom’s purest form of good magic. To his surprise (and the audience, too), the sword shatters into pieces when the tendril touches it.
Ganondorf opens a fissure, and Zelda falls into the darkness. A glowing golden light surrounds her, and she disappears. Link, his right arm now blackened and injured, tries to jump after her, but the arm holding Ganon in place grabs him, and the screen goes white.
What’s New in Tears of the Kingdom?
Tears of the Kingdom is my favorite game of the Zelda franchise so far. With the game being one of the nominees for the Game of the Year 2023, this addition has many reasons to be considered by fans. Whether it be through the new mechanics added, the changes in how you can traverse the world, or even the two new areas that you can explore, there is so much that this game has to offer.
Link awakens in a dark cavern, his right arm replaced by a strange mechanical one. This arm gives him four new abilities, making the game an absolute joy to play.
Ultrahand lets him telekinetically pick up objects; Fuse lets him add strong materials to his weapons; Ascend lets him, you guessed it, rise through solid ceilings to the top of whatever he is climbing; and Time Manipulation lets him reverse the course of an object.
Along with riding a horse over the rolling hills of Hyrule, you can make vehicles that drive, fly, or attack enemies to the four corners of the universe. Some more helpful objects are a plane that can fly over the highest mountains to the top of the sky or a tank that will take on an army of bokoblins for you.
Deep chasms begin opening all over Hyrule, and you are tasked to dive down them to discover The Depths, a dark and dangerous place with Gloom and powerful enemies that can instantly kill Link without much effort. The player has to light up the entire map to get a sense of how widespread the infection is and watch out for some familiar faces who make a reappearance.
A Reflection from a Fan
As soon as some YouTubers I follow (GabSmolders and The Game Grumps mainly) started playing this, I immediately knew I had to get this game. I have spent hours trying to find and complete all of the quests and help every NPC I ran across, and there are still areas I did not explore.
This was my favorite game last year, and, to be honest, I don’t think Nintendo can top that. All the threads left loose were tied together in a glorious conclusion that brought tears to my eyes. If they were to make a sequel to this game, it might feel a little forced because we can defeat Ganon and save Zelda. Perhaps this will be one of the greatest game duologies out there.
If you want to play Tears of the Kingdom…
If you want to buy the game for yourself, here you go!
For other articles about The Legend of Zelda, read this recent article from Phillip Bentle. Here is an article about the Nintendo Switch. If you want more information about gaming from us, here is our main menu.
About the Author
Olivia Lee is a recent college graduate passionate about gaming, movies, reading, and art of all forms. She is seeking a career where she can build a positive community of gamers and game lovers on the internet so they can discuss the deeper meanings behind everything. She is excited to start experimenting with live streams for YouTube and Twitch.
