The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was produced because the creators had a lot of new material and mechanics they planned to give in the previous chapter, but it proved to be too lengthy to become the next paid expansion of Breath of the Wild. So we have a straight tale sequel, with the action taking place on a map we already know, but with the addition of bits of flying cities and massive subterranean regions. It was possible to escape the sense of playing the same game by learning new abilities and engaging with the surroundings. Even if it’s not a perfect production, the fun is amazing. Breath of the Wild has been commended several times for its open world, which is built in such a manner that there is never a lack of material, and at every turn there is a task to overcome or an adventure to uncover. It may appear that the return to the same gameplay model in the second portion will be secondary and boring. To my surprise, the new mechanics stimulate even more experimentation and discovery – and they play the first violin, not the fact that we have to seek for Princess Zelda again, and the planet is endangered by red-haired nasty Ganon.
Following the events of the first installment, Link and Princess Zelda explore the strange depths of the royal palace, only to revive Ganon and bring further calamity on the realm. The castle lifts into the air, Zelda vanishes, and an injured Link awakens among the ruins of a mythological flying city that has plummeted to a lower height due to the actions of unclean powers. Great holes have appeared throughout the realm, leading to dungeons from which animals have crept, and the hapless hero must retrace his travels in order to discover what happened to Zelda and fight the terrible Ganon. The approach efficiently saves the first repeat of the primary storyline. Many secrets are held by the sky culture, and some of them are now projecting into the regions below. We travel over the world, rescuing cities from various weather anomalies with the assistance of new and returning heroes. For the course of a certain thread, new partners join us and engage in battle or environmental challenges. Rito Tulin is no longer a young chick and actively aids us not only with his bow, but also by extending the flying distance of Link’s paraglider with his wing flaps. The gigantic Yunobo operates as a wrecking ball, while Makeela Riju of the Gerudo clan draws lightning, giving a significant edge over outmatched opponents. It’s a true fantasy adventure to solve the mysteries of the vanished Zonai civilisation with such a crew. Despite the fact that Hyrule is rich with notable geographical landmarks, the entire area does not appear to be the same. Ganon’s anomaly changed the landscape so much that we are happy to return to familiar places to see what has changed and if we can help in any way – the creatures were able to recapture entire villages, so we participate in actions to recapture entire villages with the militia, made up of citizens of the kingdom. Goblin rogues have taken over areas. Floating island cities and subterranean regions are both breathtaking. When we consider how much additional territory we may explore, we find that Tears of the Kingdom approximately doubles the area known from Breath of the Wild. However, you must dig deep to uncover everything. And this is where the new mechanics come in, which are a compelling reason to get to know this game, even if you spent so many hours in the last one that the prospect of returning makes you sick.
Link loses all of his prior talents and has to start over. However, he gains wholly new powers that partially replace the prior ones while providing completely distinct qualities. Link can now not only pick up larger things and move them in space, but he can also link them. Can’t we go across the chasm? It is sufficient to down a few trees and join them to form a lengthy bridge. Can’t you cross the huge, raging river? Construct a raft and go with the river. There are several alternatives, and the Zonai civilisation has also left behind various equipment that we may attach to our structures. I can fairly say that I spent half of the game exploring, whether it was combining a raft with wheels and windmills to build a multi-purpose rover or attempting to go from one sky land to another using a flying vehicle packed of balloons and rockets, half of which broke. Our horse can now be harnessed and hooked to items, so building a carriage is no longer a problem. Great entertainment that doesn’t stop there. Another new ability allows us to rewind time on a specific object. One of the more intriguing applications of this power is the usage of rocks that fall from the floating metropolis onto Hyrule’s surface. We leap on the stone, activate the power, and ascend into the skies like an elevator. Again, a lot depends on our imagination, because it took me a long time to realize that the spiked ball thrown by the Bokoblins may be pulled back and harm others who meant to ambush me, and that the bomb hurled can be “rejected in time.” Another intriguing device is the ability to teleport above the surface if we had a ceiling above us.
This is not the end however, because combining things also means combining equipment pieces. Each weapon or shield may be combined with all of the objects we find, giving the equipment new attributes and adding up their hit points. Your favorite spear becomes a blazing spear when combined with a fire horn, while a plain stick combined with a nearby stone becomes a hammer. The possibilities are unlimited, and the bizarre fusions don’t stop with a spear tipped with a two-handed sword or a fire-throwing shield while blocking. We also mix arrows with anything we can get our hands on, so bomb arrows or shells with a stun mushroom attached are bread and butter. Returning activities, on the other hand, have experienced certain adjustments that both newbies and BotW veterans will not notice. Collecting Korok Seeds is more than simply seeking for Koroks buried in unexpected locations; it’s also about assisting lost Leafmen. This is paired with basic environmental challenges such as getting a guy from A to B. But, with so many new tools, it’s simply plain fun to create amusing automobiles. It’s worthwhile to complete them since you’ll receive up to two grains, which will allow you to enlarge your inventory space.
All of this sounds fantastic, but the new Zelda is not without shortcomings, which do not overwhelm the game’s overall appeal. The core of the plot, despite being as simple as building a rake, benefits from interestingly conducted tasks, and side activities, while similar to those in the original, are different enough that they do not get bored as quickly, effectively extending the gameplay from 40 to an average of 100 hours of replaying. I admit that I was apprehensive about a sequel built from scrapped concepts, but the gameplay swayed me to Tears of the Kingdom. Hyrule has evolved into an even more exciting sandbox, where adventure and engaging riddles await you at every step, and technological shortcomings, while obvious, have little effect on the overall rating.