When The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was first set loose upon the world in 2017, it was something unlike anything we had ever seen. The open world was absolutely magical and completely unique, not just for a Zelda game, but for video games in general. An instant classic, and within a few months, people were claiming BoTW to be one of the best games to have ever been made. It changed a lot of the perspective on how an open-world adventure game should look in a market that was frankly a bit tired of open-world games. So, it was no surprise that the sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, has been one of the most anticipated titles of 2023.
Announced at the E3 in 2019, the game was conceived because the good people at Nintendo has way too many ideas for the game that they couldn’t fit into the DLC (What were they going to do, not have Link ride a motorcycle?). And while we have had a lot of information about the game, late March saw Nintendo release a gameplay demo that showcased some new features and abilities for Link that just blew our tiny little minds. The demo features the producer of The Legend of Zelda series, Eiji Aonuma, who takes control of Link and shows us what he can do.
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Link can travel back in time?
One of the first abilities showcased in the demo was the recall ability which rewinds any object’s movement. This allows Link to move objects, perhaps send projectiles back at enemies, and of course, use it on a rock falling from the sky to reach those magnificent sky islands.
Bringing things together
While Link and the Zelda series has always had the effect of bringing people together, this new Link has the ability to fuse objects together in creative ways. Aonuma San first demonstrates this ability by fusing two simple ingredients together — a stick and a rock, to form a rudimentary hammer. Then fusing a long stick with a pitchfork to create another new weapon. This ability immediately caught our eye for how creative it can be and how it can allow for some wacky weapons but also a freedom of choice in terms of how to approach the game which was a hallmark of the previous iteration.
Perhaps one of the most exciting uses of the fuse ability was fusing crafting materials to arrows to get different kinds of arrows with different uses. We particularly enjoyed how fusing monster eyes into an arrow turns it into a homing missile.
Staying afloat!
Demonstrating the new telekinesis ability, Ultrahand, with the use of the fuse, Aonuma San managed to build a makeshift boat with propellers. It was a fascinating insight into how the game can utilise amazing physics creatively to make unique and complex creations. We also got to see the kind of machines that one can build with the new abilities, like a hovercraft, a car-like vehicle and so much more. It really feels like these abilities have the potential to change crafting into something rooted in logic and experimentation.
Raise the roof
How many times, in a Zelda game no less, have you found yourself trapped in a dungeon or a similar location and all you want is to get out? Well, Tears of the Kingdom has come up with a unique traversal system with the Ascend ability. Using this ability you can ascend through any place with a ceiling and out to the other side. If you’re in a jail cell with a roof, you can get out of it. If you’re in a cave under a hill, you can get on top of the hill without using any stamina. It’s a fascinating mechanic that can be used to get out of all kinds of difficult situations.
The introduction of these features has gotten so many fans very very excited, mostly about how intuitive and creative these features are. As Aonuma San says in the video, “In this game, you can do a lot of things, just by thinking of what is even possible.” And that kind of creative freedom is what we all love about video games. Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released on the 12th of May 2023 on the Nintendo Switch.
