There are some fans who are concerned thatThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwon’t live up to expectations, but if one looks at the history of theZeldafranchise, they have very little to worry about.2017’sThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildstands tall as one of the industry’s most critically-acclaimed games of all time, and so it’s no surprise there are many who are anxiously awaiting the sequel, set to launch on May 12.
In typical Nintendo fashion, the Big N has kept its cards close to its chest when it comes toThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, offering only a handful of trailers and gameplay reveals for the game since it was first announced in 2019. The latestZelda: Tears of the Kingdomgameplay video was one of its most comprehensive yet, giving fans a look at some of the new abilities Link will have access to on his next adventure.
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For the most part, the latestLegend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomgameplay videowas well-received by fans, with many now more hyped for the game than ever before. The Fuse ability seems to be of particular interest, as manyZelda: Tears of the Kingdomplayers are excited to push it to its limits and discover all the different kinds of weapon combinations the game will have to offer. However, others are less enthusiastic, with a growing worry thatZelda: Tears of the Kingdomwon’t live up to the hype and may even be a disappointment.
Zelda Reviews Show the Franchise’s Near-Spotless Track Record
If one looks at the history of themain seriesLegend of Zeldagames, it’s clear that fans have little legitimate reason to be worried about the quality ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Nearly every main seriesZeldagame has released to widespread critical acclaim, withThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timestill listed as the highest-rated video game ever made. In fact, every singleZeldagame has been one of the highest-rated games in its respective release year, with just one exception.
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroeson the Nintendo 3DSearned mixed reviews from critics, but it is the exception, not the rule. Every other main seriesZeldagame has earned acclaim from critics, and so chances are good thatThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomreviews will follow suit. Granted, reviews are subjective opinions, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still a strong indicator of something’s quality. Chances are good that if the majority of critics giveTears of the Kingdomhigh review scores that most fans will be impressed with the game as well. There are exceptions to this rule too, of course, but the odds are still inTears of the Kingdom’s favor.
Tears of the Kingdom is Not Just Breath of the Wild DLC
One common worry that fans have aboutThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis that it will feel like an expandedBreath of the WildDLC as opposed to a full-fledged adventure. The main reason for this seems to be that the game takes place in the same open world Hyrule as its predecessor, but this worry is likely overblown. While there may be some familiarity withTears of the Kingdom’s map, players are also taking to Hyrule’s skies and, if early trailers are any indication, its underground areas. There’s been some footage that suggestsTears of the Kingdomwill have underwater areasas well, which would give players even more areas to explore in the new game.
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While some fans are worried thatThe Legend of Zelda:Tears of the Kingdom’s mapwill feel too familiar, others are more concerned with the game’s graphics. It’s no secret that the Nintendo Switch is dated hardware. The Switch console is over six years old at this point, and so it’s being massively outmatched by other gaming systems on the market.Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomlikely looks as best as it possibly can on the Switch, but the game’s graphics aren’t going to be as important as the gameplay itself.Tears of the Kingdomis clearly making big advancements with gameplay, giving players even more freedom than they had inBreath of the Wildand greatly expanding Link’s capabilities when it comes to combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving.
Tears of the Kingdom’s $70 Price Tag
With some fans feeling as thoughThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomisn’t doing enough different to stand out fromBreath of the Wild’s shadow, there are those who aren’t happy about the game’s price tag.Tears of the Kingdomis Nintendo’s first $70 game, following a trend where the newer titles on more powerful hardware are being released at $10 more than the usual asking price. Since the Switch is outdated, it does seem like Nintendo can’t really justify the upcharge like other companies can.The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s $70 price is genuinely disappointing, but the game will still likely deliver more value and high quality content than most other games that are at the same price, assuming it’s anywhere near the quality ofBreath of the Wild.
Tears of the Kingdom Will Probably Live Up to the Hype
While fans do have somelegitimate concerns aboutThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, history shows that these concerns are likely misplaced. Most allZeldagames have released to widespread critical acclaim, and so chances are good thatTears of the Kingdomwill as well. The game may be set in the same Hyrule asBreath of the Wild, but it’s clear from the trailers and gameplay videos that it is greatly expanding the world in ways that should make it feel like a new experience. Accusations of it being an overpricedBreath of the WildDLC are completely unfounded, with new gameplay mechanics that should help it feel like a brand-new experience in many ways.
That being said, there will still be those who do playThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomand come away unimpressed or underwhelmed. Some people may feel like the game doesn’t matchBreath of the Wild’s quality, while others may be upset that theZeldafranchise is continuing in this open world direction as opposed to going back to the morelinearZeldaexperiencesthat they grew up with. But this is true of allZeldagames and all games in general - some people simply won’t like it no matter what. There’s also the possibility, however slim, that there are some unforeseen technical issues or something that plagueTears of the Kingdomat launch, but that seems unlikely.
Fans won’t know ifTears of the Kingdommeets their expectations until they get the chance to play it themselves. Luckily, thewait to playThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis nearly at an end. Come next month, Nintendo Switch owners will have the chance to play the highly-anticipated game for themselves and discover everything new thatTears of the Kingdomis bringing to the table. Time will tell ifThe Legend of Zelda:Tears of the Kingdomis as popular asBreath of the Wildwas back in its day, but considering Nintendo’s track record withThe Legend of Zeldafranchise, those who are worried about the game are likely worrying for nothing.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomlaunches May 12, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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