It’s fair to say that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most highly-regarded—if not the best— video games in modern history. This month sees Nintendo release the long-awaited sequel to that very masterpiece, Tears of the Kingdom.
Nintendo, ever the master of mystery, has fiercely guarded the story arc saying that it “doesn’t want to give too much away.” All we know is that this adventure will take place in the clouds above the kingdom, introducing flying and floating as essential tools for the journey. Fans of the franchise can look forward to wielding familiar axes, swords, and shields, but with an innovative twist: fusing machines together to forge new paths of exploration.
However, don’t let your expectations soar too high for the graphics—the trusty Nintendo Switch has seen better days, and the visuals are unlikely to receive a significant upgrade. Thankfully, the enchanting art style of Zelda should compensate for any pixelated shortcomings.
Alas, the bittersweet news: weapon decay and breakage, the notorious nuisances from the first game, make their dreaded return. Though some might argue that these trials keep the gameplay fresh and dynamic, casual players may find it an unwelcome distraction in their quest for leisurely adventuring and monster-slaying.
Should you play Breath of the Wild before picking up Tears of the Kingdom? Diving headfirst into the prequel might not be mandatory, but it could prove advantageous—considering the sheer magnitude of Breath of the Wild, it would wise to familiarise yourself with that world sooner rather than later. With limited information about the sequel’s story, it’s unclear if newcomers will feel lost or thrown into the middle of an ongoing narrative (at
the very least, you should probably watch the odd story breakdown on YouTube).
Given the monumental success of the original it’s no surprise that the sequel comes with colossal expectations. However, as the hero of Hyrule prepares to take to the skies, we have high hopes (pun intended) that this sequel will soon become a legend in its own right.