One of the highlights of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the wonderful world that Nintendo was able to craft. The massive fields of Hyrule are a pleasure to explore, and the open world feels like an actual sandbox filled with potential. It is pretty impressive what the studio was able to pull off with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and one NPC encounter makes it even better.
As players adventure through Hyrule, they will find a man named Addison who is desperately trying to place signs everywhere. Players can either interact with him for a unique scenario or ignore him altogether. While it may not be the most exciting side activity, this addition is one of the reasons why Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's gameplay loop shines, adding a unique flavor to this world that only increases its charm.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Addison is a Great Encounter
Players will encounter Addison throughout their Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom journey. He appears in many different areas of Hyrule struggling to hold up a sign advertising President Hudson of Hudson Construction, and there is always a pile of building materials close by. When players interact with him, they can learn all about these signs and hear about Addison's struggle. They can then tell him to let the sign go, and it will immediately drop to the floor. Addison will then pick it up angrily and continue to hold it until someone can help him keep it standing.
It is not clear what Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom players are supposed to do with Addison when they first encounter him, and many players may just pass him by until they run into him again. However, the side activity is actually pretty simple once players figure it out. They are supposed to use a nearby pile of building materials to construct something that will prevent the sign from falling over. This will give Addison enough time to bolt the sign down, at which point he will reward players with an assortment of goodies before he heads off to the next one.
Each sign is constructed differently and requires a different contraption to keep it standing after Addison lets go. Sometimes players can just build a box, other times they may need to construct a triangle, and sometimes they need to build something truly extravagant. As long as it keeps the sign standing, Addison is happy and can go about his day. Players can help him do this several different times throughout Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Hyrule, and they are nicely rewarded for their troubles every single time.
This small side activity in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is not the most advanced, but it is a unique addition to this world. It adds to the freeform and directionless design that Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's style of gameplay is known for and gives this version of Hyrule a bit more character. Players never know what they will encounter around every corner, and that discovery fuels the entire gameplay experience throughout the story.
Addison is just one of the many unique things that players will discover in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Nintendo has packed this world with secrets waiting to be discovered, and players will likely continue to find new things for years to come. This is what Zelda: Breath of the Wild did so well, and Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom seems to be taking this concept to the next level. It will be exciting to see how this game evolves as the years go by, and these unique elements will hopefully carry over to an eventual sequel.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Switch.
