The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

 Switch
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
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  1. s1l3ntsh4d0w89
    Aug 12, 2023
    4
    Breath of the Wild itself was a breath of fresh air. It in itself spawned an entirely new style of open world games that have been copied and iterated upon a countless number of times.

    Tears of the Kingdom, however, feels as if it's nothing more than an expansion we'd have previously gotten with other titles. 2 new half zones added, one above and one below and a new gimmick to play    Breath of the Wild itself was a breath of fresh air. It in itself spawned an entirely new style of open world games that have been copied and iterated upon a countless number of times.

    Tears of the Kingdom, however, feels as if it's nothing more than an expansion we'd have previously gotten with other titles. 2 new half zones added, one above and one below and a new gimmick to play around with, while fun, doesn't warrant a full price. Especially on hardware that can barely support the title.

    Is it fun? Yeah. Is it worth it for the price? Most definitely not.    … Expand
  2. gooderthanu
    May 25, 2023
    4
    I like it more than BOTW but barely… it’s really the same game with a lot more content. What happened with the Zelda I know and love. Skyward Sword started the downward trend but at least the dungeons were good. for a perspective… Majoras mask > Lttp > ocarina > twilight princess. All amazing dungeons.

    this games dungeons are a little atmospheric but good god they are terrible.    I like it more than BOTW but barely… it’s really the same game with a lot more content. What happened with the Zelda I know and love. Skyward Sword started the downward trend but at least the dungeons were good. for a perspective… Majoras mask > Lttp > ocarina > twilight princess. All amazing dungeons.

    this games dungeons are a little atmospheric but good god they are terrible. There’s too much going on in this game for it’s own good. besides that the stupid ridicolous “put this object back in its place correctly” just doesn’t vibe anymore as an adult.    … Expand
  3. BahamutxD
    May 13, 2023
    4
    They took 6 years to develop a game that its pretty much BotW with changes.

    Same gameplay, same core mechanics, same engine, same graphics... almost the same map too. I bet they just took the original file and made changes on top of it. Sorry but for a 70$ game from a AAA company from such an IP that is just not acceptable. Releasing a game on 2023 that dips to 20fps and can't    They took 6 years to develop a game that its pretty much BotW with changes.

    Same gameplay, same core mechanics, same engine, same graphics... almost the same map too. I bet they just took the original file and made changes on top of it.

    Sorry but for a 70$ game from a AAA company from such an IP that is just not acceptable.

    Releasing a game on 2023 that dips to 20fps and can't barely hold 30fps is just unacceptable no matter if its a hardware issue and not the actual game. The experience is getting ruined by the hardware.    … Expand
  4. sarisa
    May 17, 2023
    4
    Much has already been said. Nintendo believed in their own propaganda they paid for back then in 2017. And this is why this game is what it is. And now, after they bought reviews for TOTK again, Anouma promises more "open world Zelda games". And all this knowing the open world formula was already dead in 2017 and BoTW was just boring walking simulator.

    Whether you call BOTW or TOTK    Much has already been said. Nintendo believed in their own propaganda they paid for back then in 2017. And this is why this game is what it is. And now, after they bought reviews for TOTK again, Anouma promises more "open world Zelda games". And all this knowing the open world formula was already dead in 2017 and BoTW was just boring walking simulator.

    Whether you call BOTW or TOTK spinnofs, or DLC, fact is that we still don't have new Zelda since 2012. Therefore let's hope some indie studio will eventually fill this void.
    After so many years and seeing what they're doing, there is no point waiting for Nintendo. They clearly became clowns. Just let them live their Clown World.    … Expand
  5. Acrofilo
    May 14, 2023
    4
    Ok, It's Zelda but the visual department is very, very long in the tooth. This was fine in 2005, but it's 2023 now. It's time to demand more from Nintendo like we do from Playstation and Xbox.
  6. gusman
    May 15, 2023
    4
    How the heck this can have nearly 9 points? This game is BORING, even worse than BOTW. Since the beginning you are dropped in a dead world with barely nothing in it, sanctuaries are boring as hell, mechanics are terribly slow, butter-weapons mechanic is still there... Wasted 60€.
    If you want a real Zelda experience play Link's awakening, that at least feels like a real zelda and not this crap.
  7. Belafonte
    Jul 21, 2023
    4
    I have nothing against Zelda. I guess i am not the target audience. But I loved Ocarina of Time back in the days. why critics never say this game is for children. Story is very shallow. Ok, you can build crazy stuffs but i f personaly find the game quickly boring after few hours...
  8. Maugaran
    May 17, 2023
    4
    Simple Action Adventure. Nice building Item mechanic.
    Very bad Graphic, only 30fps, missing rpg mechanics, empty Open World, bad audio syncro, bad character design, missing good Quests
  9. Tysw2
    May 17, 2023
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An overrated sequel to an overrated game.

    For Fallout, Skyrim, and Ubisoft fans this The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will delight players. For fans of Zelda, Dark Souls, Castle Vania, Metroid, the story is different for some.

    To begin this game takes place on the same map assets wise as the previous game. It uses the same terrain just with some slight differences such as sky islands, and the depths. The overworld is mostly the same, the shrines are in similar, if not the same spots as the original game, and there is a new addition "Dungeons/Temples?".
    For those criticizing the trailers I'm sad to say you were mostly right that this game is pretty much a DLC in sheep's clothing.
    The game again ditches the traditional Zelda formula and lacks features from previous games and adds new mechanics that flat out break the puzzle solving aspects of Zelda as a whole. With the new building mechanic you are able to pass complex puzzles and problems with ease to the point where it feels like you are cheating and breaking the game. For me this breaks the immersion of puzzle solving and completely thwarts meaningful reward to gameplay which seems to be a common theme in this game.
    The dungeons are short, lack luster, and feel disjointed. They do not convey the feeling that someone spent months carefully crafting complex puzzles that require critical thinking, but rather a short 15 minute trial of "put square box in square hole". As you progress through these dungeons there is no progression. It is single puzzle, single boss, receive your upgrade and leave.
    The game is somewhat broken. The performance issues are glaring including crashes, low framerate, long loading screens, corrupted saves, and lost progress. Some small complaints that break the game too would be after acquiring the sages into your arsenal they constantly follow you with buggy AI at all times. You cannot put them away by force and as a result an accidental tap of the a button could break you from sneaking up on an enemy, to alerting the horde.
    Koraks are back, and more annoying than ever now that you have to complete long drawn out carry me to my objective missions that are just a plain waste of time.
    All weapons still break and further complicate the crafting mechanic so weapons that you grind to get feel less satisfying to have knowing that they are forfeit unlike any previous Zelda game.
    As for the story it came off as melodramatic and came off to me like the cutscenes from Metroid Other M or a Scene from Ninja Gaiden, honestly not really worth talking about. Ganon is the bad guy because he's a jerk and a meanie. Zelda time travels to stop him, and works with the previous rulers of Hyrule to do so. Doesn't get more complex than that.

    Overall this game feels like only a minor upgrade from Breath of the Wild, and the argument of DLC seems to reign true here. In the future I would like to have non-breakable weapons and have abilities rewarded to you as you play, rather than having them handed out to you right from the beginning without earning them. Gaining new abilities in games should reward the player by adding complexity to gameplay rather than aiding the playing by making the game less difficult.

    Another flop Zelda game for me, I rate 4/10 for still being a fun game minus the Zelda title.    … Expand
  10. titten
    Jun 21, 2023
    4
    BotW was 10/10 in my opinion. It brought on something new and fresh. Tears of the Kingdom is reusing the same world, music and most assets from BotW. It feels, as several others have pointed out, like a DLC for BotW. I would have given it a higher score if the game was priced reasonably, but it's not ($70 for a "DLC").
  11. BackProblems
    May 13, 2023
    4
    If you didn't like Breath of the Wild, you won't like this. Same map, 30 fps (maximum) with the game chugging hard in sections dropping below 20 fps, more so in combat. 720p graphics, which isn't everything but when you're used to at minimum 1440p in games, this looks really mid. Still no real dungeons in the game, still the same tired story about fighting yet another Ganon, charactersIf you didn't like Breath of the Wild, you won't like this. Same map, 30 fps (maximum) with the game chugging hard in sections dropping below 20 fps, more so in combat. 720p graphics, which isn't everything but when you're used to at minimum 1440p in games, this looks really mid. Still no real dungeons in the game, still the same tired story about fighting yet another Ganon, characters voices are wonky and feel out of place in this universe. This game, after God of War Ragnarok highlights that just because something is open world, does not make it good by any metrics. If this didn't have Zelda in the title, reviewers would have given this a 7/10, and that's just because it's Nintendo.… Expand
  12. Steff86
    May 14, 2023
    4
    This game has been mediocre so far! The open world is empty and lifeless and the side quests have been really dull. Navigated the open world is more of a chore than it is fun it's just been lackluster in every aspect
  13. ChrisJ8
    May 17, 2023
    4
    You wake up after a grave injury, and are given access to a futuristic tool. In order to unlock the powers of the tool, you must travel around a tutorial area (that you can't leave) and complete shrines. You are guided by the ghost of a regal figure of the past who had direct contact with the main villain. Before you can get what you need, you have to find a shrine on a cold mountain.. andYou wake up after a grave injury, and are given access to a futuristic tool. In order to unlock the powers of the tool, you must travel around a tutorial area (that you can't leave) and complete shrines. You are guided by the ghost of a regal figure of the past who had direct contact with the main villain. Before you can get what you need, you have to find a shrine on a cold mountain.. and in order to do so you must find cold resistant materials in order to survive.

    So.. am I reviewing Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom? You’ll never know.. because the first few hours of TotK gameplay are LAZILY identical.

    Korok seeds, shrines, towers for visibility? There's zero added structure/innovation to the game's functionality. Everyone is fawning over a reskin with some new tools/powers that are even less 'Zelda' than they were in BotW.

    Oh, and the framerate is absolutely deplorable.    … Expand
  14. Garamari
    May 14, 2023
    4
    This game makes me despise Nintendo. It's honestly the best Zelda game ever made but it runs so terribly on the Switch. It's clear to me that Nintendo is hindering the creativity of their own developers by refusing to make decent consoles. My advice is to steer clear and hope that Nintendo makes a console this game can actually run on. This is just downright insufferable performance andThis game makes me despise Nintendo. It's honestly the best Zelda game ever made but it runs so terribly on the Switch. It's clear to me that Nintendo is hindering the creativity of their own developers by refusing to make decent consoles. My advice is to steer clear and hope that Nintendo makes a console this game can actually run on. This is just downright insufferable performance and you can tell the developers really tried their hardest to deliver the best game they could but in the end couldn't do the impossible. This is just tragic.… Expand
  15. TheHonestMan
    May 13, 2023
    4
    This a game which actively punishes you for trying to have fun with it's cumbersome ultra hand controls, excessive menuing and the same weapon durability from BOTW. Even if you make something cool with the new ultra hand it will last a few seconds at most. Good for viral clips, but not an actual game.
    Overall, a VERY samey sequel that does nothing exciting nor addresses a single problem    This a game which actively punishes you for trying to have fun with it's cumbersome ultra hand controls, excessive menuing and the same weapon durability from BOTW. Even if you make something cool with the new ultra hand it will last a few seconds at most. Good for viral clips, but not an actual game.
    Overall, a VERY samey sequel that does nothing exciting nor addresses a single problem from the last one. Even the story is nothing special. It's laughable that this took 6 years.
    Aonuma probably made it to please his son who likes minecraft cause it sure isn't a Zelda experience.    … Expand
  16. NotoriousRPG
    May 25, 2023
    4
    As a Zelda fan since I was little and played from gameboy to BOTW, this game disappointed me and made me sad, we waited 6 years and we got a BOTW DLC with a lot of extra mechanics and forced length / difficulty, they didn’t improve on any of the critics of BOTW and they doubled down, we still have the annoying Kokok challenge, the paper breakable weapons, the same puzzle shrines, wastedAs a Zelda fan since I was little and played from gameboy to BOTW, this game disappointed me and made me sad, we waited 6 years and we got a BOTW DLC with a lot of extra mechanics and forced length / difficulty, they didn’t improve on any of the critics of BOTW and they doubled down, we still have the annoying Kokok challenge, the paper breakable weapons, the same puzzle shrines, wasted opportunity of using the assets which look super nice tbh, to do a classic Zelda game, instead they reused every asset and they just made the same game formula of BOTW, seriously 2 years and a 40 dll DLC would’ve been fine, this is just lazy and greedy.… Expand
  17. Eerokina
    May 13, 2023
    4
    Very disappointed. It's the same BOTW but WORSE. Still no real dungeons, tons of useless loot and weapons, repetitive gameplay. New mechanics aren't good, game became some weird monstrosity with all this building and fusion. It's simply unfun and feels really tedious. Don't forget about massive framedrops here and there and lack of story. This game's critics rating is another confirmationVery disappointed. It's the same BOTW but WORSE. Still no real dungeons, tons of useless loot and weapons, repetitive gameplay. New mechanics aren't good, game became some weird monstrosity with all this building and fusion. It's simply unfun and feels really tedious. Don't forget about massive framedrops here and there and lack of story. This game's critics rating is another confirmation of incompetence of game journalists. Play it only if you are a huge fan of BOTW and want to play the same game again, but a little bit different.… Expand
  18. Manson_fan25
    May 14, 2023
    4
    A glorified expansion of the first. Terrible graphics and performance leaves a lot to be desired. Empty world. Zelda has seriously lost its magic. I’m not sure how much Nintendo paid these reviews but damn there is some mass hysteria and delusion among the masses at the moment.
  19. PanchoRedFalcon
    Aug 31, 2023
    4
    It feels like I'm playing the previous game. The game is good but it looks a lot like the old one which for me makes it lose a little interest.
  20. Coolpen6
    May 18, 2023
    4
    Be warned this game is far more difficult than breath of the wild I’ve been stuck on one boss for hours with no food
  21. RJexter
    May 19, 2023
    4
    Boring, empty and lonely is a good description. Lacks any personality of the previous Zelda games. Basically no story. Runs **** Very choppy frame rates.
  22. zyshara
    May 13, 2023
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. BotW and TotK are good games, but not good Zelda games, and unfortunately for TotK, it feels like a clunkier, more disjointed version of BotW.

    Frame drops, clunky menuing and abilities, lack of meaningful storyline, and Zelda lore retconning drags the score of this game down substantially for me.

    If you’re a traditional Zelda fan then I’d recommend skipping this one in favor of playing through BotW again. $70 is way too much to ask for this glorified BotW reskin.    … Expand
  23. Alyena
    May 14, 2023
    4
    TOTK a des éléments de gameplay en or avec de nouveaux pouvoirs vraiment excitants. Mais tout est gâché par des îles célestes vides, des souterrains ennuyeux, du farm rébarbatif, des choses ultra répétitives (grottes, pancartes de Boulieh, etc) et un gros sentiment de déjà vu puisque beaucoup de choses ont été copiées collées de BOTW. Cependant les apports de TOTK (DA, sound design et OST)TOTK a des éléments de gameplay en or avec de nouveaux pouvoirs vraiment excitants. Mais tout est gâché par des îles célestes vides, des souterrains ennuyeux, du farm rébarbatif, des choses ultra répétitives (grottes, pancartes de Boulieh, etc) et un gros sentiment de déjà vu puisque beaucoup de choses ont été copiées collées de BOTW. Cependant les apports de TOTK (DA, sound design et OST) sont assez décevants sinon les compare à BOTW.… Expand
  24. edgarnier101193
    May 13, 2023
    4
    Common Nintendo, I understand that it comes the time when a game series runs out of ideas (gears of war), but why did you sold this copy and paste game for 70 dollars?

    Why not just close the game series for good? You obviously have no more good writers or directors. The voice acting is horrible, the music is not memorable at all. The cons are already mentioned, so I wont talk bad about    Common Nintendo, I understand that it comes the time when a game series runs out of ideas (gears of war), but why did you sold this copy and paste game for 70 dollars?

    Why not just close the game series for good? You obviously have no more good writers or directors. The voice acting is horrible, the music is not memorable at all. The cons are already mentioned, so I wont talk bad about it. If you liked botw, totk will be good. Else it wont.    … Expand
  25. DistantKingDumb
    May 13, 2023
    4
    The press and journalists doesn't say something very bad about the game and it is the immense amount of recycled material that it has and how mediocre it runs on the Switch (the amount of pop-in is impressive), it's very frustrating that for 70 dollars a large percentage of the game feels the same as the previous one except for some playable gimmicks that also don't change the gameThe press and journalists doesn't say something very bad about the game and it is the immense amount of recycled material that it has and how mediocre it runs on the Switch (the amount of pop-in is impressive), it's very frustrating that for 70 dollars a large percentage of the game feels the same as the previous one except for some playable gimmicks that also don't change the game experience for me.… Expand
  26. BenLight
    May 14, 2023
    4
    Primero que nada, crecí con los Juegos de Zelda, para mi son los mejores que haya jugado pero por hoy ya no pienso lo mismo, tengo más de 35 años y tengo obligaciones obligatorias como todos, recalco esto pues quiero ser lo mas objetivo posible. El juego de Tears of the Kingdom Tiene una historia floja, nada de que sorprenderse, hay mejores en la tv. Sus santuarios son un poquitoPrimero que nada, crecí con los Juegos de Zelda, para mi son los mejores que haya jugado pero por hoy ya no pienso lo mismo, tengo más de 35 años y tengo obligaciones obligatorias como todos, recalco esto pues quiero ser lo mas objetivo posible. El juego de Tears of the Kingdom Tiene una historia floja, nada de que sorprenderse, hay mejores en la tv. Sus santuarios son un poquito innovadores pero tenían que ser así por las nuevas mecánicas del brazo. Son tantas que aburren. La mecánica de armar esta bien, me gusto pero ya después aburre andar ayudando aún NPC con sus rótulos, honestamente esto me aburrió. Las semillas Kolog son cansadas, es tediosas, depender de esto en el 2023 para ampliar tu alforja ya es aburridisimo, honestamente esto de las semillas Kolog no era necesario y es lo que hace a este juego un copia y pega del Breath Of The Wild. Cambio el mapa y que bueno que lo hizo pero nada innovador. Lo que más odio es que las armas se rompan, algunas veces estaba en una batalla con algún jefe y cuando se rompían, me rompía la experiencia y luego el juego me obligaba a pensar en que arma apoyarme y cuando ya no tenía mejores y eso es frustrante, las armas que tenia ya ni daño le hacían. Faltaron Dungeons hechos y derechos, esos que tenían plantas altas con puertas cerradas con llaves y lugares con difícil acceso. Ítem legendarios con un arco único y cosas así que solo encontrábamos en Dungeons, faltaron jefes y sub jefes en los Dungeons pero como no están los Dungeons entonces me río mejor. El juego en gráficos me pareció hermoso, no tuve problemas con ellos pues también soy consciente del poder de la portátil. Los templos son repetitivos, activar 4 o 5 interruptores para luego pasar al jefe final y fin del templo, todo aquí es casi igual a su precuela. La verdad Tear of the Kingdom me pareció mucho corta y pega, ya parecía fifa en muchas cosas. El juego lo terminé sin hacer muchos santuarios, misiones de nps (aburridas para mi) no complete mi alforja, no quise buscar trajes para completarlos y aun así le invertí 100 al juego, de donde saqué fuerzas a mis más de 35 años de edad? No lo sé pero para mí ya es un juego que la prensa alaba y que yo olvidaré rápido.… Expand
  27. Infandus
    May 19, 2023
    4
    This game is a solid meh out of 10. All the puzzles and "temples" are pretty dull using the glue mechanic as a crutch. The boss fights are easier than some normal monster fights, the only hard part is your help that you need is constantly running away from you.... The cut scene at the end of every fight IS THE EXACT SAME, just told by a different person. I don't understand. Nintendo didn'tThis game is a solid meh out of 10. All the puzzles and "temples" are pretty dull using the glue mechanic as a crutch. The boss fights are easier than some normal monster fights, the only hard part is your help that you need is constantly running away from you.... The cut scene at the end of every fight IS THE EXACT SAME, just told by a different person. I don't understand. Nintendo didn't have to create a new engine, and the world was already mostly built from botw. I'm not even going to mention the stupid high price of 70 bucks and piss poor performance and graphic fidelity. For the price and how it runs I can't recommend anyone purchase this for use on a switch at its current price.… Expand
  28. Drash-Digimon
    May 18, 2023
    4
    Easily the worst Zelda to date in terms of disrespecting the conventions and traditions that defined the series.
    The temples remain boringly simple, the story remains fragmented, and the difficulty of the puzzles is nothing like previous prequels.
    Not to mention that the performance is horrible most of the time.
  29. Willmpdx
    May 26, 2023
    4
    I loved BOTW and while I did enjoy TOTK at first it's not as interesting as the original.
  30. mister7
    Jun 25, 2023
    4
    Games not bad, but it's really just breathe of the wild dlc. Game did not grip me the same way as the purification due to minecraft mechanics over traditional abilities that make you actually feel like a Zelda game. Also, let's be clear, three focus of this game is low. You'll be making your own fun, and if that's not for you, your like me. I don't want a game to hold my hand, just want anGames not bad, but it's really just breathe of the wild dlc. Game did not grip me the same way as the purification due to minecraft mechanics over traditional abilities that make you actually feel like a Zelda game. Also, let's be clear, three focus of this game is low. You'll be making your own fun, and if that's not for you, your like me. I don't want a game to hold my hand, just want an actual narrative in a game with a narrative ... and i even liked elden ring… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Mar 18, 2024
    100
    I wasn't sure how Nintendo would find a way to top their work in Breath of the Wild back when it came out, but I feel they have here – with years of more polish applied and refined exploration. [Issue #66 – July/August 2023, p. 71]
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 22, 2024
    100
    The good thing is that, thanks to the limited possibilities, the creators couldn't go crazy and swing for hundreds of game miles. Instead, they created what could be called Elden Ring in a travel pack. [Issue#328]
  3. Shacknews
    Dec 28, 2023
    100
    The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has lived up to the high expectations created by the success of Breath of the Wild with its exquisitely intertwined gameplay systems, outstanding music, and a legendary story culminating in a magnificent denouement. It's not every day that such a special video game like this comes around. Truly the stuff of legend.
    Read full review
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