The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK) came out in 2023 and received both critical and fan praise. Though it ultimately fell short of the top prize, it still won a few accolades like many Zelda games before it. It is a triumph of game development and the result of almost four decades of a franchise’s growth. It also is and is likely to be Nintendo’s magnum opus for the rest of time.
Tears of the Kingdom Will Never Be Topped
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may not have won Game of the Year in 2023 thanks to Baldur’s Gate 3‘s dominance. However, it is still more than worthy of praise and is likely to remain the crowning achievement for Nintendo. After barely one calendar year, it is already the 31st-most bought game Nintendo has (19.50 million units). It was a commercial success.
Critically speaking, The Legend of Zelda: TOTK has a 96 score on Metacritic, one of the best marks ever. It also has an 8.4 average and most critical reviews gush about the title. IGN called it even better than one of the best games ever made (Breath of the Wild, its direct predecessor). By all accounts, including the awards it nearly won and did win, it was a critical success as well.
This sort of reaction is standard fare for Nintendo at this point. They have reached an almost impenetrable status. Everything they do is well-received. The same is generally true for the Zelda franchise, too. It was a formula set up for success, but that’s not why it’s Nintendo’s magnum opus.
What Sets The Legend of Zelda: TOTK Apart
The Nintendo Switch is not at all known for its console power. Yet, Tears of the Kingdom showcased incredible game mechanics that pushed the aging machinery to its limit and beyond. It should not be possible for a launch-day Switch (seven years old and counting at this point) to be able to do what TOTK does.
Climbing up through a cave ceiling, fusing any and all items together, adding random collectibles to weapons, shields, and more should all give that old and that weak of a console some real trouble. It doesn’t, though, and it doesn’t sacrifice anything graphical, either. The game isn’t running at 60 FPS and isn’t hyper-realistic, but the art is great.
The story and gameplay are the true shining aspects of this game, though. Without going too deep into spoilers, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom‘s story is nearly unrivaled in the Zelda franchise (which is saying something). Its tale of nobility across time and a lost princess really gets the tears flowing, which is perhaps what the development team expected with the game‘s name.
The gameplay is some of the most fun anyone can have on a Nintendo game right now. The creations that players have made are nearly endless and sometimes rather shocking. Players can spend countless hours just messing around without progressing the plot. It makes for some incredible replayability and extends the life of the game. Instead of taking 30 hours to do main quests and beat the boss, you can spend 30 hours alone doing some side quests and experimenting.
All of these aspects would alone make for a wonderful game. The fact that they’re all in one is a treat. As IGN said, Breath of the Wild is an all-time great. What’s better than an all-time great game? The magnum opus of a longtime developer with so many classics under their belt.
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