The wait is nearly over for patient fans of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as it approaches its upcoming release. From Nintendo's gorgeous trailer and gameplay demos to the leaks and data mines of the internet, fans have been up to their ears these past several weeks with information about Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The anticipated sequel is jam-packed with features both old and new for the beloved series.
Players return to the Hyrule they came to love in Breath of the Wild, but with a significant twist. The land has broken apart, and players are presented with a multitude of islands in the sky as well as several mysterious caverns below, all ripe for exploration. Link must unlock new abilities, master new mechanics, and battle through hordes of enemies to overcome the return of Ganondorf in Tears of the Kingdom and restore the land of Hyrule to its former glory. While most of this information has been outright confirmed by Nintendo, others were discovered in leaks and datamines. This means some of this information may not be entirely accurate, but it does all seem legit.
WARNING: POSSIBLE MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
All Confirmed Features for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Altered Overworld - Players will be able to explore some familiar areas, but large areas of Hyrule have changed.
- Players are also able to explore several sky islands and underground caverns as expansive as the overworld.
- Themed Dungeons/Temples make their return to the series.
- Ancient Shrines make their return with over 150 locations.
- Skyview Towers have replaced Sheikah Towers and serve to connect the overworld and the sky islands.
- Dungeon Bosses aren't all variations of Ganon like in Breath of the Wild.
- Several new and classic monsters populate Hyrule including Gleeoks and Like Likes.
- There are more variations of each enemy to be found.
- Link no longer has the Sheikah Slate, instead using new powers through his glowing arm.
- Link is able to build constructs out of objects in the world and ancient machinery called Zonai Devices.
- There is now a Battery Meter used to provide charge to Zonai Devices.
- HUD features such as temperature and noise make their return.
- Abilities are now accessed from a radial wheel instead of a scrolling menu.
- The Fuse ability allows Link to permanently fuse two items together, including weapons.
- The Ultrahand ability allows Link to move things in the overworld similar to the Magnesis Rune from Breath of the Wild but not limited to metal objects.
- The Recall allows Link to "rewind" an object in motion, returning it with the same force in direction from which it came.
- Ascend allows Link to rise in the air and pass through a platform above him within a certain range.
- Autobuild allows the player to save designs of their Zonai constructs and assemble them at will if they possess the materials.
- Cooking returns and players are now able to save recipes.
- Stamina mechanics behind Flurry Rush and other time-slowing skills have been updated.
- Link is able to gain new abilities by completing dungeons.
- The Travel Medallion returns from The Champions' Ballad DLC.
- The Paraglider can be customized with different designs.
- Amiibo support returns with most Amiibo providing Paraglider skins.
- Link is able to pull carts and other objects on horseback.
- Several armor sets will return such as the Snowquill and Flamebreaker Sets.
- Players will have access to new armor sets with various new abilities.
- Players will be able to dye their armor as they did in Breath of the Wild.
- Link's allies can join him in battle including the new Champions from Breath of the Wild.
- Horses in a player's stable will transfer to Tears of the Kingdom if they have saved data for Breath of the Wild on their Nintendo Switch.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's New Hyrule
When the sequel to Zelda: Breath of the Wild was first announced, some fans were concerned that they would find themselves in a carbon copy of the same overworld. Those fears were quickly put to rest when Nintendo dropped its final trailer for the game. Not only will players be able to explore a new, shaken-up version of Hyrule in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but they'll be able to explore sky islands above and winding caverns below that appear to be just as sprawling as the overworld. All of these areas will be inhabited by enemies old and new ready to give players a challenging new experience.
Players will still be able to find familiarity in several corners of Hyrule, including memorable ruins, mountains, and other major landmarks. Villages have progressed since players last visited them in Zelda: Breath of the Wild and might be found thriving with new energy or devastated by the changes to the landscape. New Ancient Shrines have appeared after the changes to Hyrule, and newly unearthed dungeons hold secrets waiting to be discovered.
Link's New Abilities in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
As if Hyrule hasn't been transformed enough, Link's new powers in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom allow players to interact with the environment in even more creative ways. Rocket cars, flamethrower effigies, and extra-long pitchforks are just a few of the ways fans have been able to experiment with their new abilities during a handful of preview events. Link can also saddle up his favorite horse from Zelda: Breath of the Wild and attach carts or any other mobile inventions.
Link no longer has access to the Sheikah Slate in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and now harnesses the power of his fancy new glowing arm. Players that enjoyed pushing the world's physics to their limits will enjoy their new abilities to fuse, move, and reverse the momentum of the many objects around them. Link will reportedly gain additional powers to help solve the game's new dungeons and can take them out into the world, too, upon defeating the dungeon's boss.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's QOL Updates
With all the exciting new content in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it's easy to miss some of the quality-of-life improvements to the player's experience in Hyrule after Breath of the Wild. Menus and item selection have been streamlined and become easier to access; a quick hold of the R Button brings up a wheel of all of Link's abilities instead of having to scroll left and right to find one. In what may come as a very welcome change for players, Flurry Rush and "Bullet Time" no longer drain stamina until the player has performed an action, giving them more time to make calculated decisions. Recipe cards come as an additional exciting update, allowing the player to save successful recipes without repeatedly opening the notes app on their phone.
Customization in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Link maintains his status as a fashion icon as several armor sets from Breath of the Wild return in Tears of the Kingdom including the Champion's Tunic, Hylian Hood, Soldier's Armor, Snowquill Set, and Flamebreaker Armor. The latest trailer also teased fans with glimpses of armor covered in ice spikes, a feathered paraglider suit, and armor matching the aesthetic of the mysterious Zonai characters. In addition, players will once again be able to create dye to color their armor. Amiibo functionality returns in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as well to provide players with special customization options for their armor and paraglider. However, the full extent of the Amiibo support won't be seen until the game is released.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases May 12 exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
