What We Learned (And Didn't Learn) From Tears of the Kingdom Gameplay - Article
by Evan Norris , posted on 30 March 2023 / 4,545 Views
Earlier this week, the world was treated to 10+ minutes of uninterrupted gameplay footage from the highly-anticipated Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom. While producer Eiji Aonuma was understandably reluctant to reveal all of the game's secrets, he did, in the course of his demonstration, confirm several interesting things about the upcoming adventure regarding new and returning mechanics. Some burning questions, however, remain unanswered.
So, what do we know — apart from the fact that many of us will have less money come May 12, thanks to an abundance of special edition Tears of the Kingdom merchandise?
Breaking Point
Well, for one thing, we know weapon durability will return. Perhaps the most polarizing feature of the game's predecessor Breath of the Wild, weapon durability means that the hero Link's weapons — swords, shields, bows, and the like — will decay over time from use, setting up tense combat situations where a favored weapon might shatter in the middle of fight, prompting players to think on their feet.
Many players understandably dislike weapon durability in The Legend of Zelda, but I'm not one of them. In fact, I kind of love it. When I saw Link's fragile tree branch weapon shatter during his first fight with a Construct — a new enemy type — I breathed a sigh of relief. To me, the transient nature of weaponry in Breath of the Wild, and now ostensibly in Tears of the Kingdom, is foundational to the unpredictability and versatility of combat.
Indeed, the combat framework is set up to allow players to start a fight according to a certain game plan, but then steer the encounter, via weapon durability, enemy artificial intelligence, and the physics engine of the game, into unknown and unforeseen places. As a result, players must expect the unexpected and improvise in real time. In the words of Mike Tyson, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."
Fusion Reactor
Providing extra texture to the concept of weapon durability is arguably the most thrilling addition to Tears of the Kingdom so far: the Fuse ability. I don't know about you, but when I saw Link merge a tree branch with a boulder to create an entirely new weapon from scratch, I got downright giddy. This really feels like a game-changer. Fuse allows players to combine two unrelated items to craft something with new, exciting properties.
During Aonuma's presentation, we witnessed Link attach a stick to a pitchfork to create the world's longest polearm, combine a mushroom with a shield to trigger a cloud of smoke in which to perform sneak attacks, and integrate an arrow with a Keese eye to invent a heat-seeking projectile. Yet these are only a handful of examples. With the wealth of weapons, objects, and crafting materials in the Zelda universe, the possibilities seem endless.
Helping Hand
In the same vein as Fuse is another new power — Ultrahand, apparently named after the Nintendo toy from the 1960s. Ultrahand grants Link fusion abilities outside of the context of weaponry, allowing him to pick up huge, heavy items and fit them together to create vehicles or other apparatuses. In the demo, Aonuma crafted a makeshift boat out of fallen logs and rotary fans, but, again, the possibilities seem infinite. Said Aonuma, "There are all sorts of objects you'll come across in this game, and depending on how you use your imagination you can do a lot with them."
Breath of the Wild was all about experimentation, improvisation, and pushing the physics of the game in weird, unanticipated directions, and thanks to Fuse and Ultrahand that looks to continue in Tears of the Kingdom.
Down Under
Thanks to the 10 minutes of footage Nintendo released this week, we know that the core mechanics and momentary gameplay of Breath of the Wild remains intact in Tears of the Kingdom, augmented with some spicy new twists in Fuse and Ultrahand. What we don't know, though, is the full list of places players will be able to leverage those mechanics and twists. Specifically, we don't know about the game's underground, or if there even is one.
I would be the first to argue that Breath of the Wild has the best overworld in any video game ever. At the same time, I'm more than willing to admit it contains a woefully undeveloped underworld. If there's one area where Tears of the Kingdom could improve upon the brilliant template of its predecessor, it's in the dark, dangerous spots beneath Hyrule. That means caves, mines, and, yes, dungeons. Not themed dungeons with lock-and-key design — although I feel there's still a place for these in the Zelda universe. No, what would elevate Tears of the Kingdom is a series of underground complexes filled with enemies and treasures. Places where it's dangerous to go alone.
Caves certainly exist in the upcoming game. Aonuma narrated his visit to one in the recent footage, and we saw Link fighting a Stone Talus and fleeing from a Hinox in caves in the game's second trailer. The question of dungeons remains unanswered.
Up, Up, and Away
While Nintendo has been cagey about underground locations, it's been downright boastful about its above-above-ground areas, namely the network of Sky Islands that fill the airspace above Hyrule. The potential for these islands is enormous, both for the narrative and for the game's sandbox. Since the overworld in Tears of the Kingdom appears to be more or less the same topographically as Breath of the Wild, I expect a lot of the newness of the latest Zelda game will come from these floating isles, some of which appear to be mammoth, with rivers, caves, and climates all their own.
One thing I find especially exciting about the game's new verticality is how seamless everything is. In the demo, Link rises without a hitch from the ground to the sky courtesy of the new Rewind power. Then, later on, we witness a rogue Construct knock our Hylian hero off an airborne island, after which he immediately enters a free fall, and ultimately lands safely on terra firma. The open-air connectedness of everything is intoxicating.
Still Water
While Link will have plenty of opportunities for skydiving in Tears of the Kingdom, I suspect there won't be a lot of scuba diving. Many fans, myself included, had fantasized about underwater exploration in the sequel to Breath of the Wild, but based on the demo it's not looking good. Aonuma made a point to let players know that a certain river was too wide to cross without a conveyance, and later on, when Link splashes down in another river, we see the old, familiar stamina gauge. I suspect in this game that bodies of water are impediments or ways to get from point A to point B, but not entry points to underwater areas of interest. It's possible that the new Ascend power, which allows Link to tunnel upward through stone and other impermeable elements, might be used to escape through water if a cave was beneath a lake, or something like that, but there has been no evidence so far of horizontal exploration under the waves.
Underwater exploration or not, Tears of the Kingdom is shaping up to be one of the most exciting, addictive games of 2023. I doubt it can achieve the stratospheric heights of its predecessor — Breath of the Wild was lightning in a bottle after all — but I remain incredibly optimistic about the final product. The wait for May 12 will be a long one.
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Great write up. I'm so excited for the game.
After seeing videos of all the crazy things people did with BotW's runes, I think Fuse, Rewind and Ultrahand will provide another set of fun possibilities for us to toy around with.
I do wonder if the Runes from BotW are still present, I sure hope so, more crazy shenanigans!
They are most likely not there anymore. The button you'd switch through them with now has that apple icon to probably switch through materials in your inventory for fusing.
well, great expectations for the sequel of the best game ever. (The Fuse ability indeed seems a game change; expect many videos showing unthinkable weapons over the years.)
