Every so often, you come across a series that continues to impress you. I can name off series that have been with me since my teenage years such as Prince of Persia, Devil May Cry, and Kingdom Hearts just to name a few. But my first gaming experience began on the Nintendo 64. Such you had such classics like Super Mario 64 and Donkey Kong 64 but my true first love was most likely The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I remember playing and restarting this game constantly when I was eight or nine years old. I would mainly play the first two dungeons and then restart (mainly because I could not get to the third dungeon: Jabu Jabu!). That game came out in 1998. Fast forward 25 years and you arrive at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK), the latest story out of this famous franchise. The previous game, Breath of the Wild (BOTW), came out over six years ago in March 2017 that provided us with an incredible open world experience that we would never forget. Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel to BOTW, something that is rare in this franchise as they usually create a whole new Kingdom of Hyrule to explore. Instead of giving us more of what we got with BOTW, TOTK expands on the familiar world by providing us with an epic story of good versus evil, a great combat system, and a need to rediscover the various landscapes of Hyrule Kingdom. Yes, BOTW was an amazing game (10 out of 10)...TOTK is better.
Story
Several years after the events of BOTW where Link destroyed Calamity Ganon and brought peace to the land, TOTK begins with Link and Zelda venturing into the depths of Hyrule Castle upon reports of a mysterious substance causing illness amongst the people across the land. As they venture through the depths of the castle, Link and Zelda come across a corpse that awakens and attacks our heroes, severely injuring Link while Zelda vanishes in a beacon of light. The awakened corpse seems to have incredible power that unleashes the substance, known as Gloom, across the land of Hyrule that includes levitating Hyrule Caste amongst the clouds. Link awakens and finds himself in a similar situation: regain your powers and rescue Princess Zelda.
If you are a customer to the Legend of Zelda series, this is pretty routine: Link needs to find Princess Zelda and save Hyrule. It was the story in Ocarina of Time and it holds true in TOTK. You will visit the usual sites, such as Death Mountain and Zora's Domain and you will even reconnect with some characters from BOTW. But what is different is the level of detail in this story compared to BOTW. This is where TOTK truly shines. In BOTW, it seemed like the player was given the synopsis of: Link must save Hyrule from Calamity Ganon...go forth and do it. You could complete the four main dungeons OR you go right to the end game is you wanted to. In TOTK, you can absolutely go straight to the end game, but the story is much more developed. This is partially because of the relationship you have built with characters from BOTW. You have been a part of their story before and you are almost inclined to support them in their needs as they fight against the gloom that is infecting the land.
Hyrule Kingdom
With TOTK being a direct sequel (something that is very rare in this series) to BOTW, I was a little hesitant about the game feeling too familiar. I had my doubts based on my previous experience with a game like this: God of War: Ragnarok. God of War 2018 was an incredible game that introduced gamers to a new world for Kratos to explore. While Ragnarok was a good game overall, I did feel like there was not a lot of new content in the world and it was more retracing steps taken previously...with snow on the ground. However, I am happy to say TOTK did not disappoint. While the Kingdom of Hyrule on the surface is very similar, there are now new locations to explore. There are islands that float in the sky that requires link to shoot out of towers across Hyrule to access. In addition, there is also an entire underground area, known as the Depths, that you can explore below Hyrule. However, the depths are pitch black so Link will need specific resources to illuminate his path to uncover hidden treasures and some formidable mini bosses. The Depths is not as detailed as the underground areas in Elden Ring but there are plenty of things to find to keep you busy.
Speaking of things to find and do...there is quite a lot because the world is unstructured and encourages exploration. Similar to BOTW, there are 152 shrines that act as mini puzzles where you collect items that can increase your stamina or health. There are also 120 light roots hidden in the Depths that illuminate the underground area. There are also a variety of armor sets with their own skills / abilities that can be found throughout your journey. These armor sets can also be upgraded at any of the four Great Fair Fountains hidden across the land. This does not even include the special weapons, shields, and horses you can find during your journey as well. TOTK also comes with a wide range of side quests that can lead to such rare items. I have played about 100 hours of the game and I have still not found all of the shrines (currently at 110), light roots, and all of the rare items.
Gameplay
TOTK's gameplay is very similar to its predecessor. Link has a stamina bar that allows him to climb, swim, run and glide amongst other abilities. If the stamina bar is depleted, Link will be unable to perform these abilities until the stamina bar is fully replenished (think of it as a cool down). Also similar to BOTW, Link will be able to collect weapons and shields that can be used in battle. However, over time weapons and shields will become damaged and break after extended use so it is crucial to keep collecting equipment as you progress through the game.
However, while TOTK also includes some special abilities similar to BOTW...they are completely different in comparison. One of key new abilities Link can use is called Ultrahand. This ability allows Link to use the world around him to build items that can support this adventure. For example, Link can chop down a few trees and use Ultrahand to combine them to make a raft, a bridge, or an incline to run up a mountain. This new ability, as well as the game's incredible physics, puts the imagination in the player's hands. If you want to build a car, you can definitely make one. If you want to build a hovercraft with some cannons and flamethrowers, you can absolutely build one. While you can use the envirnoment around you to build most of these items, there are also futuristic ones called Zonai Devices that can be used to provide additional abilities such as rockets, wheels, and lights among others. However, to using these items requires batteries to use.
There are also a couple of other abilities: one that allows Link to ascend into ceilings and reach higher cliffs and another that allows you to merge items with your weapons to make them stronger. Each has their own specific use that can be incredibly helpful to navigate around Hyrule and defeat the various enemies you come across.
Graphics & Audio
When playing TOTK, it is incredible that this game can play on hardware that is almost eight years old. The game looks absolutely stunning from the cinematic cutscenes to the way trees move against the breeze. The audio is also fantastic. Very similar to BOTW, the audio most of the time is minimal as if only a few keys are being played on a piano in the background. For the more cinematic set pieces, the orchestra is in full swing providing an amazing fantasy soundtrack. My personal favorite is the at the very beginning of the game as if a choir is singing an evil note. It's chilling...and it works.
However, being that the Nintendo Switch is an older console, everyone was skeptical about performance. TOTK does have its moments of slow down where the framerate drops. This mainly occurred when I was experimenting with Ultrahand as well as playing on my TV. However, when playing in handheld mode, I experienced little to no framerate drops.
Verdict
BOTW is a fantastic game that truly defined the term "Open World" in video games. Here, TOTK expands on what made BOTW great by providing a more engaging story and addicting gameplay. It is one of those rare treats where the sequel outshines the original. It is that good and one of the best games I have played in quite a while.
Score 10 out of 10