The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (NS / Switch)

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an action game and a direct sequel to 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It retains much of its predecessor’s gameplay style, setting, and mechanics while adding significant new content and abilities.

The game is set in Hyrule, a few years after the events of Breath of the Wild. Players control Link, a young warrior who must once again rescue Princess Zelda and thwart the plans of Ganondorf, the main antagonist. The story focuses on the upheaval of Hyrule following the reawakening of a powerful force beneath Hyrule Castle, an event called the “Upheaval” – which causes massive chasms to appear across the land and islands to rise into the sky.

Exploration plays a central role in Tears of the Kingdom. Players can travel across Hyrule’s surface, the Sky Islands above it, and the Depths below. The game’s world is vast and largely non-linear, allowing players to pursue quests, solve puzzles, and discover hidden locations at their own pace. The game introduces numerous new abilities for Link, such as Ultrahand, which lets him manipulate and combine objects; Fuse, which merges items to create powerful weapons and gear; Ascend, allowing him to pass upward through solid structures; and Recall, a power that reverses an object’s movement in time.

The game also expands upon the mechanics of its predecessor by adding extensive crafting and vehicle-building. Players can use materials and components to construct vehicles, gliders, and contraptions to navigate the world in creative ways. The map itself evolves from Breath of the Wild, featuring revamped locations alongside entirely new areas in the sky and underground.

The story is presented through a combination of cut-scenes, quests, and collectible memories, adding depth to the relationships between the main characters and the history of Hyrule. The main quest typically guides players toward key locations, but the game’s structure emphasizes exploration and freedom of approach.