The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has an opportunity to incorporate an element from Pokemon Legends: Arceus to elevate one of its more underused mechanics. So far, a lot of new features for Tears of the Kingdom have already been shown off in trailers, making it clear that it will be a far different experience from Breath of the Wild even taking their shared traits into account. Since the game is already upgrading in several areas, that likely includes some that have not been shown off yet. That could include one of the game's more unusual tricks.
One of Link's new abilities in Tears of the Kingdom is called Fuse, and it allows him to meld items together into something new, creating new weapons in the process. In essence, this provides players with a weapon crafting mechanic that was missing in Breath of the Wild. In addition to creating brand-new weapons and shields, it can also augment existing combat tools. Such methods include coating an arrow with Chuchu jelly to change its properties or strapping a Puffshroom to a shield to create smokescreens. Fusing looks set to give Link a wide arsenal of new options in combat.
Tears Of The Kingdom's Fuse Can Give Thrown Weapons A Serious Upgrade
In Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the player could craft special Poke Balls. While catching Pokemon in Legends: Arceus was something every player would expect, making their own Poke Balls was a new twist for the game. In particular, there were two ways to modify Poke Balls beyond the usual catch rate increase. The Feather, Wing, and Jet Balls all flew far further than normal, while Heavy, Leaden, and Gigaton Balls had a shorter distance in exchange for better catch rates. This design could have a good argument to be adapted into Tears of the Kingdom with a few gameplay upgrades.
Although Breath of the Wild does feature enchanted weapons, players could not craft their own. With Fuse as one of Tears of the Kingdom's new features, that has changed, and Legends: Arceus' Feather and Heavy Balls could be a partial inspiration for that. In fact, the Long Throw enchantment from BotW makes it a more plausible inclusion. Similar to the Feather Balls, a weapon could be enchanted to fly far further, letting them deal its full damage from a distance. On the other hand, a weapon that is enchanted similar to a Heavy Ball, with a shorter throw distance but significantly more power, would be a situational yet fun addition.
It would be easy to figure out ways to use Tears of the Kingdom's Fuse to make these sorts of weapons. The way that Pokemon Legends: Arceus' ball crafting mechanic worked, using special ores, would be a viable option. In fact, a weapon's properties being affected by what it's made of makes more sense than any other option. Another way to handle this would be by applying monster parts, similar to other confirmed fusion options. Something like a Keese Wing would be good for the weapons that fly far, while parts from a heavy enemy like a Moblin or Darknut could do the opposite.
When it comes to ways that Fuse can improve Tears of the Kingdom's weapons, adjusting the way Link throws them may not be the first thing many would think of. However, among Link's new abilities in TotK, a few new tricks regarding thrown weapons could add a new dimension to combat, as well as make weapons that are about to break into far more useful resources. Not to mention, Link's weapons could use an upgrade regardless, so Legends: Arceus' unique balls are a fine influence. Ultimately, with Fuse available in Tears of The Kingdom, throwing weapons can become a much more viable strategy.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to release on May 12, 2023, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.