Intro:
The steady passage of time creates a rift, a divide from one generation to the next. Zelda games originally appearing on the market on February 21st, 1986, created a new culture of gamers, people who fell in love with a story and enriched characters. The passage of time and its divide created new Zelda games, new pieces of history to observe and consume. Time moves on, things get more advanced and so do the storylines of the games that were once a very basic, yet still ahead of their time.
Tears of the Kingdom brings back a sweetly missed nostalgia, filling the world with new puzzles, abilities, and a more focused storyline than Breath of the Wild. Unlike Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom greets players with entrancing cuts scenes, and a feel that I haven’t experianced since Wind Waker.
The Best I’ve Seen from Zelda:
With 5.3 hours so far in my playthrough, and with completing the introduction of the game, I can confirm that this Zelda title isn’t like Breath of the wild, or any other really, but better in that it gives you more for the money you’ve spent on the game. The game doesn’t feel empty, it feels full of life and greeted me with an amazing opening that made this Zelda title a more tangible, easier to enjoy one. The characters made me feel something, and instead of seeing Zelda as someone that the player needs to save, we see her as a multifaceted character with depth.
The beautifully done cutscenes took me back to the roots of what Zelda is, a rich story of balancing good and evil. Ganon is back, again, which is what I expected from any Zelda game. Ganon will always be involved somehow as the main evil that needs to be fought. There is a yin and yang balance that the world of Zelda tends to keep. In this game the story is vastly different however in that we are seeing an end, a deterioration of Link.
A Possible End:
Throughout my time playing Tears of the Kingdom I noticed something interesting. Links arm in the beginning of the game is very badly damaged and gets replaced by Rauru’s. Link is deteriorating, coming to an end. Link is supposed to be a representation of strength and beating the odds. Everything at some point comes to an end, every story has a point that the characters have lived out their journey to the extent that it was supposed/needed. The way the game is progressing so far leads me to believe that the Zelda games may be coming to a close at some point soon.
A More Organic Experience:
I did not expect to love Tears of the Kingdom as much as I do so far. My experience with Breath of The Wild was somewhat dull to go through with a sprinkling of memorable moments. Tears of the Kingdom has a more impactful experience that grew with every chapter, every bit further I got in the game. The shrines were a lot more fun with all the abilities that are added, my favorite being ascension. The ascension tool was one of the most beneficial tools I’ve ever seen in a game. Oh what I would have given to have had this in Breath of the Wild.
Things don’t feel rushed or forced. This instalment of Zelda and Links story feels more unified in its endeavors to bring something special to the players.
The Journey Continues:
My journey is far from done with Tears of the Kingdom, I feel this game is the final draft and Breath of the Wild was a rough copy. There will always be a Ganon, there will always be something that needs to be fought for. And for the first time in years, I feel a Zelda game beautifully captures a story of strength, persistence and well-timed hilarity.
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