A common theme of the action-adventure genre is that players are the only ones standing up against the villain. While NPCs throughout the world are supposedly helping, players spend most of their adventure alone. It has been an issue for years, and even Zelda: Breath of the Wild suffered from it. However, Nintendo seems to be changing its approach a bit with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom once again sees the Kingdom of Hyrule besieged by evil, and it is up to Link to save it. He is still the only one who can vanquish Ganon, but this time it does not feel like he is facing the danger by himself. It actually feels like the NPCs are there to help, and the new Sage Companion mechanic ensures that Link is not alone during much of his journey.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Sage Vows Are a Game-Changer
Just like with Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the beginning of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's story is split into four distinct chapters. While players chased after the Divine Beasts in Zelda: Breath of the Wild's chapters, they spend much of their time in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom working alongside the powerful Sages. These four Sages help them solve the problems of the various regions and lend their strength to Link throughout the story.
During each Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom chapter, players will fight evil alongside the Sages. Each Sage will assist Link in combat and has a special ability that can help players navigate the world. Link will grow closer to these characters as their specific chapter progresses, and they will vow to protect him once the chapter is complete. This unlocks that Sage's Vow and gives players a constant companion throughout the rest of their journey.
Each Sage's Vow is then placed in the key items tab so that players can call upon them when they want. A ghostly version of that Sage will appear next to them and continue to lend a hand in combat. When players want to take advantage of their special ability, all they must do is activate it when prompted. These abilities can help with all sorts of different situations, and these Sages make Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Link feel like he is not alone.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild had players slowly collect allies, but these came in the form of the Divine Beasts. Each chapter would see players fix one of the Beasts, and then that Beast would lend its power to the final fight against Calamity Ganon. No one would tag along with Link as he traveled through Hyrule, and that made the vast plains of the kingdom feel rather lonely. It also made it feel like it was just Link against the world, but that all changes with the Sages.
While Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Sages are not the most advanced video game companions, they do go a long way in making it feel like the player isn't alone. Players can now journey through Hyrule with a constant companion at their side, and each ability is also incredibly useful when navigating the open world, making them all a must-have during this incredible journey.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Sage Companions are a great addition to the franchise, and the other NPCs that litter the world also help to reinforce this idea. It feels like Link is fighting alongside a massive kingdom of people desperately searching for their princess. This concept will hopefully carry over to the next game because Link should not have to protect this kingdom by himself, especially after all these years of fighting.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available now on Switch.
