Welcome back to the Icebox, where you can learn to stay cool. Last week, I presented to you the treasure known as “Breath of the Wild.” One would think that no game could possibly surpass the nature of such a creation or, at the very least, exceed the expectations that fans had for a sequel.
What if I told you that Nintendo managed to knock both of these goals out of the park? “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” is the long-anticipated sequel to “Breath of the Wild” that truly broke the barriers of gaming and outranked its predecessor.
If you read the previous issue of the Beacon, you would know that “Breath of the Wild” contains numerous abilities that enhance one’s experience in combat and adventuring. “Tears of the Kingdom” takes these mechanics to a whole new level and practically reinvents the game. Link is now able to upgrade his weapons with unique attachments, such as making a bouncy hammer with a Hylian shroom, a long whip with Lizalfos tails and even attaching pieces of technology called “Zonai devices.”
The building mechanics do not stop there. Link can grab hold of almost any object and build large contraptions, machines, vehicles, you name it. As if shield tricks and remote bombs weren’t already groundbreaking, Link can now build war machines and take on entire armies of enemies with the swipe of his hand.
Unfortunately for players who fear combat, the enemies in “Tears of the Kingdom” have also been boosted. You will notice that bokoblins and moblins look meaner and scarier and that they are harder to defeat. The monsters have found more industrial ways to take control of Hyrule, building large fortresses with deadly traps. Their weapons are upgraded with abilities, and their body parts are key ingredients in making a weapon more powerful. There are a handful of new enemies, such as the Boss Bokoblin, the cave-dwelling Horriblins and the Frox in the depths.
Of course, “Tears of the Kingdom” also has many changes to the map and the basic worldbuilding formula. This game still included the base area of Hyrule seen in the previous game, with changes caused by an event known as the Upheaval.
The map now includes three levels: the sky islands, Hyrule and the depths. The sky islands are the tutorial grounds of the game and are more concentrated on the new lore. The mainland of Hyrule still contains a majority of the familiar places. There are wells and caves spread throughout the mainland where Link can find rare treasures. Finally, the depths are very dark and rely on the activation of light roots in order to combat the gloom, which is malicious terrain created by the main enemy Ganon. The depths have unique enemies, such as (spoiler alert) the Yiga clan! Remember when you pushed Master Kohga down that mysterious hole in the Gerudo Desert? Well, guess where he ended up…
Finally, “Tears of the Kingdom” introduces a new plot that draws many players into the experience. After the fall of the Great Calamity in “Breath of the Wild,” Link and Zelda go to explore the ruined Hyrule Castle in an attempt to discover the source of Ganon’s power. The rest of the story is for you to find out when you play it. It would be a complete dishonor for me to reveal anything more and spoil the surprise. Mostly every player admits that “Tears of the Kingdom” has a better story than “Breath of the Wild” and that the former is basically the completed version of the latter.
One final note is that “Tears of the Kingdom,” though cohesive with its previous game, is actually standalone in plot. This means that a player does not even need to play “Breath of the Wild” in order to enjoy “Tears of the Kingdom.” The developers designed the game to signal continuity, but also included some retconning so that new players can understand the game all the way through. Personally, I did not agree with this decision as a “Breath of the Wild” player. However, I soon came to terms when I realized that the developers had consideration for their fans and just wanted everyone to enjoy their new masterpiece.