The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is about half a year away, but the excitement is palpable. Fans have eaten up what little marketing there's been, and are hungry for more. It seems like those who enjoyed Breath of the Wild will feel the same about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, as no details on any major changes to the gameplay have come out yet. The only things that may be certain are that Link will start with a broken Master Sword, and the Sheikah Slate could be replaced by Link's glowing arm.
There's going to be a lot of developments in the lead-up to Tears of the Kingdom's release, but the Zelda community is already trying to build up a picture of the game with what they have. The base map seems to be intact, although Sheikah Shrines and Towers may have been replaced by new mystical attractions and cave entrances. There's also the matter of the sky islands, with various methods present to ascend and descend from them. Link’s latest adventure will take him from the very top of Hyrule to the absolute bottom, and tons of places in between. However, close examination of the Breath of the Wild Master Mode DLC indicates that some design considerations for the new game may be rather old.
Breath of the Wild’s DLC Had A Lot of Ideas for Content
The expansion pass for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild garnered mixed receptions, but it did give the game some extra content for players to chew on. Plenty of cosmetic items were included, and the second DLC pack even added a new major quest with unique content. The Champions’ Ballad had Link face new trials and a brand new boss fight, all while having more meetings with Kass and experiencing several new flashbacks. With improved Champion powers and the Master Cycle thrown on top, it was a fairly meaty package.
The first DLC pack, The Master Trials, mostly added remixed difficult content. The Trial of the Sword was a series of challenge rooms where Link needed to procure his own equipment, and the reward was a stronger Master Sword. As this was just the latest incarnation of The Wind Waker's combat-heavy Savage Labyrinth mixed with Eventide Island, many players didn't see much reason to go through it more than once, if at all. The other major addition in this pack was Master Mode, another Zelda staple that was essentially a hard mode. Enemies and bosses were made stronger, non-boss enemies increased one tier of power and new golden enemies became the biggest threat. However, closer inspection reveals that this is not merely a generic power imbalance, as Master Mode has more in common with the Second Quest of the original Legend of Zelda.
Master Mode May Have Been A Preview for Tears of the Kingdom
Not only did Master Mode power up enemies, but it rearranged them as well. Players beginning Master Mode on a new save file will notice that a black Lynel is now wandering the Great Plateau. Combined with the regenerating health that foes benefit from and a lack of the base game’s one-hit kill protection, Master Mode encourages players to use a cautious style of gameplay. The slow and stealthy approach is mandatory in the early game, and picking up more durable weapons is a must. Archery is not only important for the normal reasons, but also to deal with another threat currently exclusive to Master Mode.
Tears of the Kingdom won't be the first time that Hyrule’s skies have been filled with dangers and treasure. Breath of the Wild's Master Mode introduces Sky Octoroks, living versions of the Octo Balloons that Link can harvest in the base game. These creatures are exclusively used to propel small platforms across Hyrule’s skies, meaning that deadly arrows could rain down upon seemingly defensible areas if Link is spotted. Players are encouraged to bring these platforms down however they can, as they often contain treasure chests with much rarer items than what can be found on the surface. This adds a new dimension to Breath of the Wild's open gameplay, and the similarities to Tears of the Kingdom's sky islands are apparent.
How Sky Platforms Transitioned to Tears of the Kingdom’s Sky Islands
Tears of the Kingdom began its life as an excess of DLC ideas for Breath of the Wild. They coalesced and grew in scope until becoming their own game, but evidence of their roots remain. The biggest indicator of what Tears of the Kingdom was is its sky islands, which seem to be an expanded form of Master Mode’s sky platforms. While not much has been seen of these islands' contents, most will be more fleshed out than their Master Mode equivalents.
The most humble floating platforms in Breath of the Wild are single rafts with a lone Bokoblin onboard, and can sometimes be found directly over water. The “fleets” of floating platforms tend not to grow much larger than three rafts, and only stay more threatening than the average BotW Bokoblin ground encampment by hosting powerful ranged enemies. The rocky islands in Tears of the Kingdom all look to be larger, more significant, and much higher in the sky than their wooden equivalents.
Still, the spirit of these flying sentries is maintained in Tears of the Kingdom. Enemies now have access to mobile bases via Stone Talus, and there will probably be more aerial foes in the new game. The platforms themselves, Sky Octoroks and all, could easily make a return in Tears of the Kingdomnow that Link can consistently fly above them. The lowest floating chunks will be perfect for ranged enemies and lookouts, expanding the potential encampment layouts in TotK.
A mysterious flying bird platform that Link lands on in the most recent trailer could also make for the center point of a small Bokoblin patrol. Regardless of what form it takes, the floating platforms in Breath of the Wild's Master Mode gave Nintendo some valuable experience making aerial foes and skybound areas. The time spent outmaneuvering them should serve Tears of the Kingdom players just as well.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will release on May 12, 2023, for the Nintendo Switch.
