The new Zelda game is great, but there’s a problem

We are back in the kingdom of Hyrule and embark on a new epic journey that gives us all the freedom to play. As in the previous «Breath of the Wild», in the role of Link, we go in search of clues. Because many questions want to be answered in the immediate sequel.

Six years ago, the predecessor “Breath of the Wild” made a lasting impression on the video game landscape. The open game world kept us glued to the screen for hours and we kept discovering new things in the beautifully designed world that left us open-mouthed. The expectations of the successor were simply immense.

The situation escalates

After Link saved Hyrule again in the predecessor, peace finally returned. But of course this doesn’t last long, because in the “Zelda” cosmos one new threat hunts after another.

In the beginning we walk with Princess Zelda herself under the castle of Hyrule through ancient catacombs. Surprisingly, various statues and forest paintings tell us more about the past and the ancient inhabitants of the kingdom.

When the two unexpectedly discover a mummy-like creature after history class, the situation escalates. The absurdity causes the castle and its surroundings to rise with magical power, Zelda falls into a crevice in the ground, and Link is saved by a magical arm at the last moment.

Half naked in heaven

Is it all just a dream? No, because Link then wakes up on a sky island and discovers that not only the castle but also many other parts of the island are floating in the air. Half-naked, Link now makes his way. His mission is clear: save the princess and answer many questions.

Some burning questions are cleared up right at the start. Because Link gets to know the Sonau, that ancient civilization that we got to know during the last exploration under the castle.

The Sonau are said to be responsible for much of what happens above the clouds and with their advanced technology they even have… no, that’s all we want to say here.

Even though this “Zelda” adventure hasn’t become a big hit for eternity in terms of storytelling, the dramaturgy still has a multitude of twists, surprises, new and old characters and allusions that will make the eyes of “Zelda” fans water. will flow. drift.

Connect the builder

By the way, after his excursion underground, which almost cost him his life, all the utensils of the predecessor were completely taken away. So, just like in the beginning of “Breath of the Wild”, Link is naked and battered in terms of skills and health. But with the so-called Ultra-Hand, which not only saved him but immediately merged with him, he now has new talents.

Link can now levitate and spin objects in the air, linking them together to create a whole range of things. What is used in the beginning for very simple constructions, for example to cross an abyss with wooden planks glued together, is later used for the construction of complete vehicles and turns into the new main skill in this “Zelda” game. Over the course of the game, more and more new technologies are added, constantly expanding the building possibilities.

The great urge to try things out

Over the course of his adventure, as befits the series, Link gains additional abilities to fight his way through the sprawling kingdom. And all of them, in combination with the Ultra-Hand, arouse the desire to try many things.

For example, there is the possibility of combining different objects via synthesis, which is especially useful for imaginative weapon constructions.

As the name suggests, the time reversal allows him to rewind the movements of objects. This ability is mainly used in solving environmental puzzles, but can also be an advantage in combat.

The big advantage of jumping from the ceiling is that Link can quickly find his way up and save himself a long way back.

On, under and above the earth

The first hours we spend above the clouds on various islands in the sky. There we will become familiar with our hero’s basic skills before returning to the surface of Hyrule and embarking on the classic rescue of the princess.

The background is of course very familiar to us. After all, we researched them intensively in the predecessor. However, due to the event at the beginning of the story, not only is there a lot of destruction, but there are also many cave systems below the surface, i.e. entire sections that are connected to each other. And with the air islands there is an immensely large extra playground that invites you to go on a journey of discovery there again and again.

If die-hard Zelda fans missed the good old dungeons in the predecessor, they are now rewarded with large temple complexes where a boss awaits at the end. These sections can certainly be called dungeons. But the tasteless feeling does not want to go away completely, that in the end we are only dealing with very large puzzle shrines, of which there are many mini-editions.

The pure distraction

In “Tears of the Kingdom” we cover many things that we already know from “Breath of the Wild”: we cook our food to get a lot of energy, we ride our four-legged friends through picturesque landscapes, marvel at the detailed flora and fauna, experience, if we want, many side missions, meet mythical creatures that we will never forget and marvel at the variety and the playground that distracts us from the main story again and again.

Incidentally, the created world scores on places with incredibly funny characters that are unleashed on us. And the musical accompaniment has become so beautiful that you just listen to it without wanting to and stop all the actions on the screen for a heartfelt moment.

Not a huge wow effect

But despite the enthusiasm, this “Zelda” game also has to endure criticism: especially the huge wow effect is unfortunately missing here in direct comparison with the predecessor for long stretches. If at first we are still completely fascinated by the island world, disillusionment strikes the surface of the kingdom and we look at the whole thing with a slight shrug.

While some areas have changed and we’re now allowed to poke around and explore beneath the surface, Hyrule hasn’t changed much geographically. It is what it is: Nintendo has taken over the overworld from its predecessor and we’ll see a lot of places we already know.

Weapons and controls cost nerves

The thorny problem of frangible weapons is also still there. While we can now use our abilities to make them last longer, the fact remains that they are still fragile. Nintendo created a mechanical compromise here that will still irk many.

The controls will also take a lot of nerves. Not only is it overloaded at first, but it takes many, many hours before you can rely on it blindly. And even if you are already deep in the adventure, time and time again you make a typo and the problems become big. The building mechanics in particular are clumsy and it takes a lot of time and practice to get everything in your blood.

Relationship status is complicated

Conclusion: My relationship with “Breath of the Wild” was intimate and full of passion. I spent countless hours with the predecessor and couldn’t get enough of this “Zelda” game. The relationship with the follow-up “Tears of the Kingdom” is good and amicable. It definitely wasn’t love anymore.

Although the journey begins with an intense appeal and that sense of grandeur that only a “Zelda” game can create, but as soon as I landed on the surface of Hyrule and visited familiar places, the disillusionment was there. It wasn’t until I wandered below the surface and was able to discover new landscapes later in the game using learned skills and building structures that the fascination of the time flared up again, but it didn’t stop with me.

But that doesn’t mean this game didn’t fascinate me. Link’s new abilities have brought me immense joy and curiosity, and I’ve created and done things in this kingdom that I didn’t expect. The world with its incredible variety had me and sleep became an afterthought.

But “Tears of the Kingdom” didn’t become a new masterpiece for me personally, because that intense feeling from back then is no longer there. If you don’t know the predecessor and take your first steps into the open game world “Zelda” here, you will fall completely in love with this video game and have the time of your life.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch and is suitable for ages 12 and up.