Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas a strong follow-up toBreath of the Wild, with both games breaking ground from series norms. WhileThe Legend of Zeldaas a whole is known for linear progression through puzzle-filled dungeons,Breath of the Wildbroke away by bringing the series into an open world format, with its sequel taking things one step further. InThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, everything is a puzzle.
The game is host to systems that players can mix and match in any way they please. While this may seem most present within dungeons, it is a principle that carries out into the open world itself.Tears of the Kingdomadded a few new items that made traversing Hyrule as engaging as any other puzzle.IfThe Legend of Zeldareturns to its more classic formula, addingTears of the Kingdom’sRocketcould be just the thing to spice up linear dungeons.
Classic Zelda Should Take a Lesson in Traversal from Tears of the Kingdom
WhileThe Legend of Zeldahas assumed many identities throughout its many eras, one of the most iconic among them originated withOcarina of Time. The scope of the series was limited for much of its early life by the technology of the time forcing the games into a 2D format.Everything changed withOcarina of Time, which allowed players to live the fantasy ofZeldain a much more open space than ever before.
WhileThe Legend of Zeldahad always been slaying monsterswhile dungeon-delving and puzzle-solving along the way, the series' jump to 3D allowed players to experience a whole new dimension of the world the series had always intended. With the addition of verticality, Nintendo had the option to present players with new challenges revolving around traversal.
The Hookshot Was Missing from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
One of the foremost tools inThe Legend of Zelda’s belt became the Hookshot. Though the item first appeared inA Link to the Past, a 2D game,Ocarina of Timeunleashed its full potential. With 3D dungeons, the Hookshot showed off its enormous utility for grappling to locations that would normally be out of reach. However, it could also retrieve items like Rupees, activate crucial switches within dungeons, and keep enemies at a healthy distance by stunning or killing them.
The immense versatility of the Hookshot quickly made it into a fan favorite of the series. In fact, many were confused when the Hookshot didn’t return inBreath of the Wild. However,Tears of the Kingdomresponded by providing players with more creative traversal than ever. Players could ride atop a ZonaiWingfor a smooth glide, or custom build flying machines with Ultrahand, and one item vital to both routes was the Rocket.
The Rocket Could Make a Return in Future Zelda Games
Rockets are a simple item with a widely complex application. They can be attached to shields for a very high lift into the airsimilarly to Revali’s Gale, or they can be fused into any vehicle the player can imagine. Ultimately, they boost the player’s ability to travel by an exceptional degree, no matter which direction they’re going in.
It may seem like an unusual item, especially given the uniquely technological focus ofTears of the Kingdomas opposed to the high fantasy aesthetic of previous games. However,The Legend of Zeldais no stranger to oddball items, with Link’s equipment ranging from theBeyblade-esque Spinner to the truly bizarre Eyeball Frog. Of course, there’s also nothing sayingZeldawon’t continue down its current sci-fi trajectory, withBreath of the Wild’s Master Cycle being a particular standout.
Tears of the Kingdom’s endingwas also the end for theBreath of the Wildera, since Nintendo has confirmed it isn’t making aTotKDLC or sequel. With that in mind, it’s possible the next game in the series could return to its roots and focus on progressing a linear story through a defined set of dungeons. However, leavingTears of the Kingdom’s open world doesn’t necessarily mean leaving behind the rich mechanics it had to offer.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
WHERE TO PLAY
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the sequel to the beloved open-world adventure, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This installment once again sees Link and Zelda battling to protect Hyrule from falling to Ganondorf. This new adventure takes place in the same land of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild but sees something called the Upheaval, which allows link to travel to Sky Islands, as well as deep into the Depths beneath Hyrule. Players can use special abilities to fuse together weapons, and build items to help them progress through the release.
