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. Melle1000
    May 13, 2023
    7
    Zelda Totk is definitly a Great Game, but it have hard Problems with the Performance. Sometimes it feels like 10 FPS when u fight or build. I also have sometimes soundbugs.
  2. Steven_PF
    May 14, 2023
    6
    An almost complete retelling of BotW. Same prologue, same progress, same story for a 5 year old, almost identical map, ... TotK does not revolutionize anything.

    In addition, the game has many flaws: the narration still behind and far from current standards, the framerate which can drop to 20 FPS, many camera problems, heavy and unintuitive gameplay, and, the most serious in my opinion ,    An almost complete retelling of BotW. Same prologue, same progress, same story for a 5 year old, almost identical map, ... TotK does not revolutionize anything.

    In addition, the game has many flaws: the narration still behind and far from current standards, the framerate which can drop to 20 FPS, many camera problems, heavy and unintuitive gameplay, and, the most serious in my opinion , the game has no accessibility options.

    Impossible to adjust the size and color of subtitles, impossible to individually adjust the volume of sound tracks (music, voice, sound effects), ...

    Nintendo doesn't give a damn about the comfort of players, especially players with disabilities. It's an absolute shame in 2023. And it's even more shameful to see the media around the world saying nothing about this unconscionable lack.    … Expand
  3. Blompo
    May 13, 2023
    7
    This is gonna be one of those games where the user score will go down as time goes on.

    As someone who loved Breath of the Wild, I can't help but feel disappointed with Tears of the Kingdom. This really does feel like a $70 expansion to a BotW, or rather a different version of BotW, which is lame as half of the fun of the game was experiencing the world for the first time with all new    This is gonna be one of those games where the user score will go down as time goes on.

    As someone who loved Breath of the Wild, I can't help but feel disappointed with Tears of the Kingdom. This really does feel like a $70 expansion to a BotW, or rather a different version of BotW, which is lame as half of the fun of the game was experiencing the world for the first time with all new mechanics. I already feel like I've seen everything in TotK, the draw just isn't as strong. The gameplay is mostly unchanged, including all of its negatives. Cooking is still annoying, exploration can still feel pointless, durability is even more annoying, etc etc. Link does have new abilities this time around but I honestly think I prefer his old ones. TotK also has pretty bad performance issues, like way more than its predecessor. Dips, stutters, and moments of blurry picture quality are all too common.

    With all that being said, TotK is still a fun and (mechanically) polished experience, which is more than you can say for most AAA games being made these days. Just don't go in expecting something totally new and groundbreaking.    … Expand
  4. GreenMenace
    May 14, 2023
    7
    This is BOTW 2. As a long-term hardcore fan, I think there’s a lot more to be critical of than what I’ve seen from critics. Despite improvements to BOTW’s core formula, this game is not a masterpiece. It’s simply a sequel to a great game. Primarily because the puzzles did not deliver in this entry.

    Pros Story/Characters Improved Interface Greater Variety Cons Puzzling /    This is BOTW 2. As a long-term hardcore fan, I think there’s a lot more to be critical of than what I’ve seen from critics. Despite improvements to BOTW’s core formula, this game is not a masterpiece. It’s simply a sequel to a great game. Primarily because the puzzles did not deliver in this entry.

    Pros

    Story/Characters
    Improved Interface
    Greater Variety

    Cons

    Puzzling / Dungeons
    Music
    More Linear
    Safe

    TOTK improved upon monster variety. It’s much easier to switch items, the quests are passable, and the characters feel more likeable. Most importantly, the story in TOTK can go toe to toe with any other Zelda. The map feels significantly different from before, so I can confidently say it doesn’t feel “rehashed”.

    That said, this is BOTW. Even the tutorial is scarily close to BOTW. I’ve never been big on the futuristic theme. I can see why Nintendo’s given BOTW so much love considering its sales, but I think part of BOTW’s success was it’s fresh breath into the franchise, not the structure of the game. In other words, I don’t want 100+ hour long Zelda games. Especially considering how many of those hours are spent walking from place to place.

    Fusing is a large portion of the game. It’s helpful because it gives every item in your inventory a purpose. It’s somewhat annoying because most of the time, ALL of your items become ugly.

    I’m worried that Zelda is starting to lose its identity. The puzzles were heavily, heavily reliant on Ultrahand. It needed more materials to work with to allow a more diverse experience. Puzzles in TOTK revolve around machines. It didn’t feel like Zelda, and worse, it wasn’t satisfying to complete a puzzle—it was sweet relief I could stop using Ultrahand. Puzzling in TOTK feels much more linear than BOTW. Yes, linear. Machines are meant to be built one way to work. And that made shrines feel like an absolute drag.

    Of all the changes in the game, I feel like the music changed the least. I’m used to having beautiful Zelda music each game, but BOTW and TOTK have not delivered. The music was empty in BOTW, but the Sky Islands theme is nothing short of AWFUL. A good chunk of the score I can look you in the eye and say anybody, and I mean anybody, could write it.

    I don’t play Zelda to build modern technology. I play Zelda to play epic one on ones with exciting music, progress through a story, and complete dungeons. That’s what OOT was designed for in the first place. Link’s a knight, not an engineer. I like fast paced, satisfying puzzling that tests Link’s reflexes and skill. Not running around the map. Not taking thirty minutes as you fiddle around with Ultrahand to progress through three phases of a single shrine.

    It’s like TOTK was forced with the worst of two worlds. It avoided the influence of old school Zelda, and it couldn’t provide too much variety to work with since the open world game is already hard to design.

    All in all, I didn’t mind the “go here” “go there” attitude that TOTK developed to extend simple tasks like unlocking the Sky Towers. I’m satisfied with the BOTW formula, but it should place a much larger emphasis on puzzles. Not big lengthy physics puzzles, a simple chain of commands to get Link from A to D in five minutes. Time will tell whether vehicles in Zelda will be popular, but for me on a personal level, they’re a bust.    … Expand
  5. CoA
    May 16, 2023
    5
    As a long time Zelda fan, and someone who has played almost every game in the series(minus handheld), this is towards the bottom of my Zelda list. I feel like they said "Here's Breath of the Wild, and a bunch of cheap gimmicks... now make your own fun!". No music while running everywhere. No creative weapons when you fuse. It's just a floppy arm on the end of your Spear. You don't likeAs a long time Zelda fan, and someone who has played almost every game in the series(minus handheld), this is towards the bottom of my Zelda list. I feel like they said "Here's Breath of the Wild, and a bunch of cheap gimmicks... now make your own fun!". No music while running everywhere. No creative weapons when you fuse. It's just a floppy arm on the end of your Spear. You don't like backtracking? No worries! Just teleport through a ceiling. It's so boring... and tedious. I'm interested in the story, but not nearly enough to finish this black hole of fun. I would much rather play Breath of the Wild any day. If you think they were going to fix issues like weapon breaking from Breath of the Wild, think again. This is Breath of the Wild with cheap gimmicks for abilities. I kind of feel slapped in the face by Nintendo.… Expand
  6. 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 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    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 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.    … Expand
  7. smahlt
    Jul 20, 2023
    5
    BotW version 1.1 It gets 1 point less due to it being the same game released again, and another point off for killing the Zelda series. Zelda is no longer its own entity: it is a generic open world gathery-crafty with a Legend of Zelda skin slapped on.

    Update: I finished the game, and have no desire to change the number. Still overrated mediocrity.
  8. pawnmessiah
    May 14, 2023
    7
    Tears of the Kingdom is a wholesome, mostly enjoyable adventure game. But six years of development should've resulted in more innovation and refinement. TOTK feels like a sidegrade or reshuffle of its predecessor (BOTW), not a true sequel.

    TOTK carries most of BOTW's strengths but also some of its flaws. Korrok seeds instead of unique rewards, simplistic combat and story, usage of menus    Tears of the Kingdom is a wholesome, mostly enjoyable adventure game. But six years of development should've resulted in more innovation and refinement. TOTK feels like a sidegrade or reshuffle of its predecessor (BOTW), not a true sequel.

    TOTK carries most of BOTW's strengths but also some of its flaws. Korrok seeds instead of unique rewards, simplistic combat and story, usage of menus interrupting the gameplay flow, breakable equipment that lacks progression, these issues still persist.

    As for new features, the sky islands are an afterthought aside from the tutorial area, fusing does not fix breakable weapons, and the Ultrahand feature absolutely wrecks the framerate. Manipulating the game through crafting contraptions is the best new addition, but it feels more like a cool novelty than something well slotted into the core gameplay.

    Disappointingly, these games continue to be held back by their hardware - playing TOTK would undoubtedly be a better experience on any of the outdated Switch's competitor machines, just like with the previous game.

    Despite these issues, Tears of the Kindgom is a good game that I would recommend to those who seek a mellow but magical adventure. (If you're someone who seeks a gritty or fast-paced experience, look elsewhere.)

    If you observe Tears of the Kingdom in total isolation, it's a good game. As someone who played BOTW and waited six years for a sequel, I cannot help but feel short-changed, as if Nintendo started resting on their laurels after BotW's universal acclaim.    … Expand
  9. Celebis
    May 13, 2023
    6
    The creation tools and other new mechanics are fun to use, if you liked the first Breath of the Wild you will like this game. HOWEVER it is not acceptable to charge next-gen prices for a game that is not running on next-gen hardware in fact it only runs at 720p, to add insult to injury the game struggles to run this game at times dropping to 20 FPS. This is a legitimate concern, I can'tThe creation tools and other new mechanics are fun to use, if you liked the first Breath of the Wild you will like this game. HOWEVER it is not acceptable to charge next-gen prices for a game that is not running on next-gen hardware in fact it only runs at 720p, to add insult to injury the game struggles to run this game at times dropping to 20 FPS. This is a legitimate concern, I can't personally justify the upcharge because they are not offering you anything more than they previously were.… Expand
  10. RealDealMcKeel
    May 13, 2023
    7
    The game is just not fully there. I know people hate to hear this, but it’s just a DLC. The underground is boring with nothing going on, and the sky is hard to traverse with nothing going on. Also, why are so many characters (hestu, etc) acting like they don’t know who Link is? This is a sequel. My biggest problem is that the Fuse system is so annoying. Just let me collect weapons insteadThe game is just not fully there. I know people hate to hear this, but it’s just a DLC. The underground is boring with nothing going on, and the sky is hard to traverse with nothing going on. Also, why are so many characters (hestu, etc) acting like they don’t know who Link is? This is a sequel. My biggest problem is that the Fuse system is so annoying. Just let me collect weapons instead of fusing them to EVERYTHING. Stop adding more and more. Sometimes more simple is better.… Expand
  11. KumaWilson
    May 14, 2023
    6
    Tears of the Kingdom is a really tricky situation. Does it deserve a higher rating than BotW because there's clearly just more to do? Or does it deserve a lower rating because every criticism of BotW hasn't been addressed at all? (Weapons break, rain interrupts climbing, and ridiculous/nonexistent rewards for exploring)
    Due to the increased price, I'd go for the latter, which always    Tears of the Kingdom is a really tricky situation. Does it deserve a higher rating than BotW because there's clearly just more to do? Or does it deserve a lower rating because every criticism of BotW hasn't been addressed at all? (Weapons break, rain interrupts climbing, and ridiculous/nonexistent rewards for exploring)
    Due to the increased price, I'd go for the latter, which always deserves a lower rating if it doesn't come with a noteworthy increase in quality. This is just a standalone expansion after all. A decent one, but not $70 decent.    … Expand
  12. MungGames
    May 13, 2023
    7
    The Negatives

    No post game, 4 glorified divine beasts with 4-5 terminal unlocks, The underground is mostly empty and is a literally inverted copy of the over world in which the devs add 120 light roots to specifically make it harder to realize it. Sky islands are very sparse and do not have much to do in them other than some main story stuff, same old **** shrines and the gacha ****    The Negatives

    No post game, 4 glorified divine beasts with 4-5 terminal unlocks, The underground is mostly empty and is a literally inverted copy of the over world in which the devs add 120 light roots to specifically make it harder to realize it. Sky islands are very sparse and do not have much to do in them other than some main story stuff, same old **** shrines and the gacha **** Story is still told through garbage memory system rather than actually trying something different.

    The Positives

    Big open sandbox like botw, cool to build stuff, if you like puzzles then you will have a fun time. Its a solid 7/10 but im confused as to why its getting universal 10's this game does not do enough to justify it having nearly a PERFECT SCORE when it does nothing to evolve gaming like ocarina of time or other games of the past.    … Expand
  13. tsubakikasugano
    May 13, 2023
    6
    Just an above average open world game if you liked the botw IP you'll like this one. Whats disgusting is nintendo charging you 70 USD/90 CAD and 6 years for what is essentially a rom hack. 6-7/10 is a fair score without the inflation it gets for carrying the zelda name.
  14. beliatcho
    May 13, 2023
    5
    Unfortunately the game did not give me anything new Zelda needs a new world because throughout the game I felt that I was still in the previous part
  15. arumando21
    May 13, 2023
    5
    creating things and interacting in this game is something wonderful, music, gameplay, fun, adventure and discovery. Great game.
  16. crunkyam
    May 15, 2023
    5
    everyone has already discussed the positive attributes of this game extensively, so I'll mosly get into the negatives. still has motion controls.. ugh...the level before you get to hyrule is pretty boring and way too long. there's an insane amount of unskipable tutorials. the graphics on weather and lightning are really blurry. much harder to see than botw. I don't like the buildingeveryone has already discussed the positive attributes of this game extensively, so I'll mosly get into the negatives. still has motion controls.. ugh...the level before you get to hyrule is pretty boring and way too long. there's an insane amount of unskipable tutorials. the graphics on weather and lightning are really blurry. much harder to see than botw. I don't like the building mechanics or weapon fusion. it feels too goofy for a normal zelda game. like a rock too heavy to move, becomes light as a feather because i glued it to a sword? idk feels kind of cheesy. it's like i have to stop playing zelda to do a poorly functioning little big planet level every 10 minutes. also it works very poorly. the games physics cant keep up . things are constantly getting stuck to things they aren't supposed to. the fan boats seem to gravitate towards walls and ledges amd just get stuck there and need reset. i frequently have to kill myself to reset glitches on puzzles that aren't working. like once every 2 hours i have to do this..... that's just plain shamefully lazy game design. never once did a puzzle glitch out on breath of the wild (a substantially better game). this should have been a new windwaker game instead. would have been a better fit for this gimmicky building mechanic. huge drops in framerate anytime something happens. like just turning the camera too much makes the framerate drop. you can only sprint for 3 seconds early in the game and exploration is tedious. took far too long to unlock the glider. which absolutely never should have gotten taken away. this is probably a good game, but a very bad sequel in my opinion. if botw is like playing an expensive oil painting, then totk is like playing a looney tunes episode. it's more in your face and crazy, but lost all the artistic wonder i loved breath of the wild for. also $70 is uncalled for and undeserved for ANY Nintendo switch game. that just isn't right. its very obvious that this game was stuck in development limbo for 6 years. it's extremely dated, and messy. the more i play it, the more it feels like a chore. rather than a fun videogame i want to get home to play. the combat is ridiculously easy, and has no strategy whatsoever anymore because all the fused weapons are so overpowered. totk has completely lost the plot of what made link special. it's a pretty big "screw you" to every other zelda game and their developers. it's also a huge drag that the sheikah slate, and all it's fun abilities are gone. no explanation, its just gone. replacement with the "purah pad" which is literally a smartphone with no abilities like the sheikah slate. i just dont understand what makes this game deserve all the praise it's getting. totk just plain doesn't deserve it. middle of the road game. nobody seems to be calling it out for its horrible physics, unwieldy gameplay mashup, and having more glitches than any zelda game that has ever existed. possibly more glitches than any 1st party Nintendo game that has ever existed. polish is the thing Nintendo always prided itself on, so I don't understand why this was allowed to remain so sloppy upon release. it perplexes me. i don't have an epic amount of $ to spend on games, and I'm feeling buyers remorse... from a zelda game? those words together would have made my skin crawl one year ago, but here we are. i sincerely hope this is a one-off and doesn't influence the future of the series. sorry everyone. don't mean to ruin it for other people enjoying totk, but i just don't see it as a truly good game.… Expand
  17. Yourmomsucks445
    May 13, 2023
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dead and empty just like botw, reskinned enemies and unchanged issues. Don't trust the "critics" they're payed shills to get you to buy any game from a big company. Honestly saddens me that this is how games have become that IP alone can get you awards. Care into making a fun experience is all thrown out the window for pretty graphics. Open world games should tell a story in a non forced manor.

    That removal of dungeons for the arguably worse temples and shrines is something they didn't fix and addition of bigger floating landmass with the same map from 2017 with barely any changes is a **** joke for a non remake.

    The combat is still uninteresting and the game still as easy. Difficulty comes to "are a game journalist? no, the game is piss easy", "are you a game journalist? Yes, the game is normal difficulty"

    The new fusion mechanic is boring and barely helpful.

    The new powers are cool but again barely useful.

    The construction/engineering mechanic is interesting but needs to be fleshed out more.

    Only good things about the game is it's graphics(which looks worse than botw) and ganondorf.    … Expand
  18. 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 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,    My 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.    … Expand
  19. ND3G
    May 16, 2023
    7
    Meh. BotW while being technically impressive is far from my favorite Zelda game. Tears is just more of the same. I mean it is literally the same game 90% of the time.

    The building mechanic is interesting for a while but it gets old pretty quick. The crap cooking system is back as is the ridiculously low weapon durability. I thought after 6 years they could have figured out how to    Meh. BotW while being technically impressive is far from my favorite Zelda game. Tears is just more of the same. I mean it is literally the same game 90% of the time.

    The building mechanic is interesting for a while but it gets old pretty quick.

    The crap cooking system is back as is the ridiculously low weapon durability.

    I thought after 6 years they could have figured out how to use the engine to make some kick ass dungeons but no. This is divine breasts+.    … Expand
  20. LuisZepeda12
    May 13, 2023
    5
    Doesn’t capture the same magic as botw, real shame the FPSA being unplayable half the time..
  21. ALonelyOrphan
    May 16, 2023
    5
    I wanna love this game I really do but once again I can't find myself exploring this vast open world similarly to that of BOTW. The world is gigantic but so much is just empty space and wandering aimlissly. The main reason I can't fully enjoy this game is the absolute complete control to do anything you want... I mean this totally ruined the game for me. YOU LITERALLY CAN CHEESE ANYI wanna love this game I really do but once again I can't find myself exploring this vast open world similarly to that of BOTW. The world is gigantic but so much is just empty space and wandering aimlissly. The main reason I can't fully enjoy this game is the absolute complete control to do anything you want... I mean this totally ruined the game for me. YOU LITERALLY CAN CHEESE ANY DUNGEON ANY SHRINE and solving the "puzzles" hardly ever feel rewarding because they don't have one clear solution. The side quests are boring and the NPCs are so abundent they all just blend together and have very few memorable characters outside your teammates. To put it simply this game is to big for it's own good. They really should of just shrunk the map by like 10 times and filled it with much more interesting stuff to do. This is a prime example of quantity over quality. Comparing this to a Read Dead Redemption or Grand Theft Auto or any open world game in the last 5 years does not do it any favors.… Expand
  22. gpucci0
    May 14, 2023
    7
    A good game, with lots of Zelda vibes. A game every Nintendo/Zelda fan would rate a 10.

    Leaving fanaticism aside, it's a good game, but with outdated technology, shallow storyline, and with no real breakthrough in mechanics.
  23. CirilUnbrok
    May 14, 2023
    7
    It's not 10/10. If you like BOTW, you will like TOTK.

    The problem is BOTW was industry changing game. TOTK isn't. It wouldn't be so bad, if it came 2 years after BOTW, but 6 years? That's too long for amount of changes aplied to BOTW formula. If Elden Ring would come out this year, than Elden Ring would still be GOTY. Nintendo sells game without full voice acting and with horrible    It's not 10/10. If you like BOTW, you will like TOTK.

    The problem is BOTW was industry changing game. TOTK isn't. It wouldn't be so bad, if it came 2 years after BOTW, but 6 years? That's too long for amount of changes aplied to BOTW formula. If Elden Ring would come out this year, than Elden Ring would still be GOTY.

    Nintendo sells game without full voice acting and with horrible performance (drops to 15-20fps in cutscenes!) for 70$. This is a joke. I am not planning buying next Nintendo console, if they still gonna treat customers like that.

    In summary, people saying that TOTK is 10/10 are just simply lying.    … Expand
  24. Zkhzkhzkh
    May 15, 2023
    6
    Plays too much like previous one. Limited improvement and horrible console experience.
  25. Llanoco
    May 13, 2023
    7
    I’m enjoying the game, but I feel like playing BOTW again, like somebody said here, is the same game from a different time line, the story is basically the same, you have to do the same you did before with the sanctuaries to improve link, visit the same 4 regions to solve something, the big dungeons are being solve as you already know, etc. The new mechanics make you think, that’s true.I’m enjoying the game, but I feel like playing BOTW again, like somebody said here, is the same game from a different time line, the story is basically the same, you have to do the same you did before with the sanctuaries to improve link, visit the same 4 regions to solve something, the big dungeons are being solve as you already know, etc. The new mechanics make you think, that’s true. The puzzles keep being great, it’s a fun game, but it’s like they forgot about the existence of BOTW and made the same game with news tricks so it can feel “different”… Expand
  26. Mike_Rotch
    May 14, 2023
    5
    Just like with Breath of the Wild they lacked the true essence of a Zelda game. Completed the story in 2 days and the rest is just a scavenger hunt. There was always collecting in the games but it wasn’t 90% of the game. Found it very boring as I did with BOTW. Hopefully they will revamp the next one.
  27. rinneshisui
    May 14, 2023
    7
    i had a weird feeling about this sequel. While the trailers at first teased interesting twists in the story, game structure/progression & some aspects of the world, I just wondered how they were gonna refresh a game with essentially the same map, enemies & combat, without entering in redundancy & shallowness.

    And after putting the hours on this game, I can confirm that this weird    i had a weird feeling about this sequel. While the trailers at first teased interesting twists in the story, game structure/progression & some aspects of the world, I just wondered how they were gonna refresh a game with essentially the same map, enemies & combat, without entering in redundancy & shallowness.

    And after putting the hours on this game, I can confirm that this weird feeling developed to disappointment, as much as I wanted to love the game.

    For starters, if you didn't like BOTW, you probably won't like TOTK, and that's a huge let down for people who wanted something different, considering the years of development.

    Exploring the world hasn't changed that much, the feel is quite similar, & while the sky islands & the underground provide new areas for traveling, there isn't something really refreshing, & the reward for exploration feels unbalanced. You are just gonna find some shrines, some enemies (lots of recycling) or some weapon that you probably won't use, or be excited about. Nothing too transcendental.

    The story is there, but the open world shenanigans & the structure of the game progression makes it feel like it is far in the background in your gameplay experience, a problem that BOTW had.

    I had some hopes for the dungeons, & some leakers where claiming wild takes about them, but in reality, they are glorified divine beasts with little to zero difficulty. The lead ups where a bit more interesting though.

    The new abilities have their charm, but if you are not interested (like lots of people) in distracting yourself with infinite builds & fuses that don't provide any substance or meaning to your quest, you probably going to find it tedious & useless quickly. And there are TOO many options with various weapons anyway, so you won't find something really challenging that makes the difference in effectiveness.

    This is without even mentioning the graphics & performance issues that i think they are just unacceptable for any major franchise/major game development. Dips in fps & aged graphics.

    So here we are, with more questions than answers,

    Why is this game getting 10s almost everywhere, with no objective review in sight?
    Why is everyone assuming that an infinite sandbox & open world "experience" automatically gives a game a greatness status?
    What happened to the mystic & sense of transcendence that made past Zeldas so great?

    The thing is, this is a game that is perfect for streamers & people that make memes, because the potential of making jokes & crazy situations is very much there. But it seriously lacks the feel of something transcendental, of the experience of being a hero on a mission, a magical journey with high stakes & immersive places. The customization options are amazing, but they should not be the main point of the game, since i am not interested in minecraft zelda edition.

    Still, there are many moments of charm & there are many opportunities to express yourself & enjoy the ride. But in no way this is a perfect game.

    Reviewers & fans have to take a step back & really analyze this game better, because we are sending Nintendo the wrong message & there's a huge room for improvement.    … Expand
  28. plagioni
    May 13, 2023
    5
    Like BOTW, but removes the fun abilities and replaces them with a lot of time wasted with clunky controls and menus.
    'I found a new weapon - great now I have to fuse it with something to make it viable. Let's go through my fusion items.. ah who cares, it's gonna break in 5 minutes anyway, let's just choose a random one. Select it, drop it on the floor, change ability to fuse, aim, fuse    Like BOTW, but removes the fun abilities and replaces them with a lot of time wasted with clunky controls and menus.
    'I found a new weapon - great now I have to fuse it with something to make it viable. Let's go through my fusion items.. ah who cares, it's gonna break in 5 minutes anyway, let's just choose a random one. Select it, drop it on the floor, change ability to fuse, aim, fuse it'. One minute wasted for no reason. Why must something that should take 2 seconds within the menu itself take 30 seconds of awkward repetitive motions? Baffling. You can tell Miyamoto is not involved in the development of Nintendo games and busy with theme parks and movies these days, something like this would have never gotten past him.

    After a few hours, after the same repetitive enemy camp, the same cave with a million useless trinkets to collect, and yet another minute wasted attaching some piece of junk to a rusted sword, I dropped the game. I already work all week, playing a game that feels like work is not a fun way to pass the free time.

    No doubt this game can offer moments of absolute emergent brilliance, I'm just not willing to wade through hours of tedium to get to them.    … Expand
  29. ig0tfish
    May 13, 2023
    5
    Pretty fun game so far but it’s basically BOTW 1.5. If you like doing mindless open world content and liked BOTW you can expect a similar experience here
  30. Zquaranteneuf
    May 13, 2023
    6
    So far I can't shake the feeling that this game is literally just Breath of the Wild from a parallel dimension. SO MUCH of it is thematically, mechanically, or aesthetically the same, reskinned as a sequel.

    Some of the new stuff I like, some not so much.

    Fingers crossed that the story is better and more substantial this time around - too early to tell.
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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.
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