The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

 Switch
Metascore
96

Universal acclaim - based on 150 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 145 out of 150
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 150
  3. Negative: 0 out of 150
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  1. Gamereactor Finland
    May 23, 2023
    70
    Great game for fans, but not so much to anyone else.
  2. The Jimquisition
    May 21, 2023
    70
    The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is indeed a game with two faces - one welcoming and the other viciously hostile. While it features a wealth of content, brilliant innovation, and genuine incentives to play with its toys, the spectre of its predecessor’s pernicious encroachment on fun is dispiriting in its ubiquity. The neat new tricks this sequel pulls simply aren’t enough to make Hyrule’s realm of brittle weapons, slippery surfaces, and tedious chores any more welcoming.
  3. But Why Tho?
    May 16, 2023
    70
    For the right kind of player, someone who just wishes to explore and live in a gorgeously designed fantasy setting, this game will offer countless hours of enjoyment. However, if you are like me and when you are presented with a quest to undertake you simply wish to follow that quest in a way that feels fluid and rewarding, this game has some huge hurdles to overcome.
  5. Slant Magazine
    Jun 1, 2023
    60
    While Tears of the Kingdom isn’t even close to being the most disappointing game that’s ever donned the Legend of Zelda namesake, it often feels like the safest and least adventurous.
  6. Gfinity
    May 11, 2023
    60
    If you’ve yet to step foot into the open world of Hyrule, Tears of the Kingdom is the best way to experience it, with just enough new ground to keep things interesting. But if you didn’t gel with the 2017 release, the story alone might not be worth the second attempt.
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  1. 3DJuegos
    May 28, 2023
    Breath of the Wild is one of the best video games ever. Tears of the kingdom is even better. [Recommended]
  2. British GQ
    May 11, 2023
    Nintendo had the envious task of following up on the greatest game ever made, and rather than consider an entirely new destination it made us savour the journey all over again. As a result, the deja vu never quite fully goes away, but Tears feels like one of the most daring sequels ever made. A game that is better than the original – even more so if you’ve never touched the original. If you have, it helps that Hyrule remains one of the most cohesive and exciting open worlds ever designed. That we get the opportunity to go back, and with such an extensive, expansive and exciting set of new tools at our disposal, cannot be understated.
  3. CNET
    May 11, 2023
    Tears of the Kingdom is an amazing reminder of Nintendo's excellence in immersive design. Nintendo now has a real-life theme park in Super Nintendo World, but here is a tremendous, living, breathing, meticulously crafted world waiting to reveal its hidden stories and secrets. I feel like I've been granted an infinite ticket to Nintendo's Everlasting Gaming Gobstopper Part 2.
  5. Kotaku
    Jun 23, 2023
    There’s meaning in Tears of the Kingdom giving us a world that’s so full of life, where everyone’s and everything’s fate is interlinked, where you’re encouraged to play in the childlike sense, to use your imagination, to create and experiment and just see what happens.
  6. Polygon
    May 11, 2023
    These are moments where I’m gently reminded that true player freedom is, of course, a fallacy. Nintendo created this world, and I inhabit it. Weeks, months, or years from now, I may affect it in ways its creators didn’t intend, but still — I will be using the tools they provided. The brilliance of Tears of the Kingdom lies in how well it imparts the fantasy of player freedom. Sure, Nintendo shakes me out of the daydream every now and then, and in those moments, I see flashes of its old rigid self. But no matter: At some point, I’ll fully escape its watchful gaze. [Polygon Recommends]
  7. The Verge
    May 11, 2023
    When the first gameplay showcase for Tears was released, I wrote that the game, because of its sheer depth, was going to ruin lives. I still feel confident in that assessment, so clear your social calendars. But if you’re like me and were hoping for this game to, like Breath of the Wild, inspire a sorely needed feeling of wonder in our increasingly grim world, then the kingdom won’t be the only one shedding tears.

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Switch Game of 2023
1
#1 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2023

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9840 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7,514 out of 9840
  2. Mixed: 734 out of 9840
  3. Negative: 1,592 out of 9840
  1. Leviack
    May 13, 2023
    10
    The perfect game, loads of mechanics and incredible creativity Definitely the game of the year
  2. DullahansXMark
    May 13, 2023
    7
    No one's here to read a college thesis, so I'll knock this one out, good/bad/ugly style (ugly being things that I wasn't a fan of but thatNo one's here to read a college thesis, so I'll knock this one out, good/bad/ugly style (ugly being things that I wasn't a fan of but that don't affect the overall score).

    The Good:
    -if you liked BOTW, you'll be happy to know all of its mechanics have essentially returned.
    -the new runes are mostly pretty good and shake up exploration in inventive ways.
    -the remixed overworld isn't perfect, but I am willing to admit they did more than I expected them to.
    -the new areas are pretty cool. Spelunking is really fun.
    -the dungeons, as the game calls them, are generally a big improvement on the Divine Beasts.

    The Bad:
    -if there were aspects of BOTW you didn't like, you'll be disappointed to know that every single core mechanic has returned.
    -using Ultrahand for building (it has other uses, which are fine) sucks. Stray from what the game *wants* you to make and it will rarely ever work. Just make bridges. They're funny and they actually work.
    -while it doesn't come into play often, there are parts of the world where it's very clear the game wasn't built with your toolset in mind. (hint: because it was built for BOTW's toolset)
    -the story is almost laughably bad. Same minimalistic approach as BOTW but with a far worse script. Ganondorf deserved better.

    The Ugly:
    -no matter what the game calls them, these still aren't dungeons as Zelda fans know them. The Divine Beasts weren't terrible, but they left me feeling hungry for something better. Dungeons in this game are basically the Divine Beasts without the control mechanism. They are generally better, though.
    -they took whistle-sprinting out. While it was a glitch and did need to be removed, it was really handy for getting around quickly. Having nothing replace it is really unfortunate.

    Overall a fun game, but six years and $70 is a big ask for what we ultimately ended up getting, which largely does play like an DLC rather than a proper sequel. Not in terms of scope (the game definitely has scope), but in terms of what the game actually is.    … Full Review »
  3. Slimester
    May 13, 2023
    7
    My main concern prior to playing was that Tears would feel more like an expansion or DLC than a true sequel. The pre-existing overworldMy main concern prior to playing was that Tears would feel more like an expansion or DLC than a true sequel. The pre-existing overworld remained, and the visuals appeared mostly unaltered.

    These fears were (mostly) dispelled after a few hours of playtime. The game encourages you to think and improvise in a way that few others have done before, including BoTW. The world is truly vast, probably twice the size of the original and the sense of freedom is intoxicating. You won’t get more than a few minutes into a task or journey before becoming distracted with something new, and yet somehow the game never feels overwhelming.

    The Sky Islands are beautiful and awe-inspiring, The Depths are vast, despite having a repetitive procedurally-generated feel about them.
    Some of the new concept mechanics are ingenious in a way that only Nintendo could conceive, and must be experienced first-hand to fully appreciate their brilliance.

    I would point out however that the game has failed in doing what all great sequels are in fact required to do: and that is to address its predecessor’s shortcomings:-

    The clunky and banal combat system, the tedious cooking routine, overly brittle weapons, feeble voice acting and occasional FPS issues are a few examples of drawbacks which remain unrectified.

    It’s a very fun and inventive game, easily a top 5 Zelda title without question, but in my opinion has failed to show sufficient separation from an already imperfect first title to be considered an all-time great.    … Full Review »
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