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. Sirlancer
    May 14, 2023
    9
    Tears of the kingdom is grand in scale, as I'm sure many have pointed out the vast sky islands and great depths add so much to the game in scale. This game is a massive improvement over breath of the wild, which for the longest time its flaws went unnoticed. But now, with the release of tears of the kingdom it is clear where BOTW lacked and where ToTK soared. I only have nitpicks of thisTears of the kingdom is grand in scale, as I'm sure many have pointed out the vast sky islands and great depths add so much to the game in scale. This game is a massive improvement over breath of the wild, which for the longest time its flaws went unnoticed. But now, with the release of tears of the kingdom it is clear where BOTW lacked and where ToTK soared. I only have nitpicks of this game, being very minimal as this game is otherwise, the closest you can get to a perfect game.… Expand
  2. Nerve3
    May 14, 2023
    10
    The least someone could say of Breath of the Wild is that it was a risky shot at a new Zelda engine which landed in many ways and missed in others. Tears of the Kingdom is a perfection of that risky engine with a polished sheen that (necessarily) outshines its brilliant predecessor in nearly every capacity. Odds are, if you played Breath of the Wild and enjoyed the adventure but had someThe least someone could say of Breath of the Wild is that it was a risky shot at a new Zelda engine which landed in many ways and missed in others. Tears of the Kingdom is a perfection of that risky engine with a polished sheen that (necessarily) outshines its brilliant predecessor in nearly every capacity. Odds are, if you played Breath of the Wild and enjoyed the adventure but had some qualms about it, Tears of the Kingdom addresses your misgivings innovatively and delivers more than is asked for. It has unique puzzle-solving mechanics, a gorgeous art direction, a fantastic soundtrack, and an enormous map that manages to stay thoroughly engaging despite its size.

    A central idea behind Breath of the Wild was that you, the player, have the freedom to avoid anything you don't personally find fun. If the game offers you something that doesn't tickle your fancy, it is almost certainly completely optional. Tears of the Kingdom also believes this philosophy and provides hundreds of hours of content for you to decide what it is you find fun and to jump all the way into that. Fan of exploration? This is your game. Prefer side quests? Plenty of those too. Rather spend your time fighting enemies? Combat is diverse, satisfying, and engaging. Want to enjoy a story that rewards fans of the series? It has that too. Pretty much anything you could ask for in a video game can be found in Tears of the Kingdom without looking too far.

    There are essentially 3 types of people who won't like this game: people who don't enjoy games with an encumbrance of freedom, classic Zelda fans who want the series to return to its roots, and people who find its admittedly unorthodox control scheme too tedious to adjust to. If you are one of these people, you probably will still find lots to enjoy during a playthrough, but you'll see the reviews and think it is undeserving of its inordinately high praise. To that end, I think an objective viewer of this game's merits would come to the same conclusion many of us have which is that Tears of the Kingdom delivers extreme quality despite personal preferences.

    It's worth mentioning that whether the game is worth $70 or required its full 6-year development time is irrelevant in terms of reviewing its quality. As a finished piece of art isolated from outside considerations, this game is as good as it gets.    … Expand
  3. Siosi
    May 14, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. God tier game. Not a single bad point.
    It the second game of Zelda as open-world, also it is a sequel so obviously it has some similar points to Breath of the Wild.    … Expand
  4. gleidsondf
    May 14, 2023
    10
    Spectacular game, very beautiful and addictive. It guarantees dozens of hours of gameplay. Worth every penny! I recommend!
  5. Arrows_of_Doom
    May 14, 2023
    10
    I would like to address somethings that have been said about the game.

    "It is just a DLC for BOTW". This would be a huge DLC, having about 50% more content in almost every respect, from weapons to food to enemies to areas to bosses. "Overpriced". A little.... But a fantastic game all the same. "Story is bad" Yeah... It's not great. Very good in most other respects though. "Runs    I would like to address somethings that have been said about the game.

    "It is just a DLC for BOTW". This would be a huge DLC, having about 50% more content in almost every respect, from weapons to food to enemies to areas to bosses.

    "Overpriced". A little.... But a fantastic game all the same.

    "Story is bad" Yeah... It's not great. Very good in most other respects though.

    "Runs badly" I don't know what these people did to their poor switch. Runs great for me, and most people I talk to. I haven't checked my FPS, but it isn't choppy, or slow.

    "Bad dungeons". It isn't really that kind of game, but the shrines are better than BOTW, and there are a lot of other good mini-dungeons. BOTW and TOTK are not really dungeon games like some other members of the franchise.    … Expand
  6. MrSandvich
    May 14, 2023
    10
    This game can easily be found for 60E on Amazon (including shipping, with Prime it's 55), so I think the ppl complaining about the price should do some better market research.

    Also, again, dunno what kind of DLCs some people play, but the amount of content here isn't even remotely comparable to that of a normal DLC. TOTK improves on its predecessor in almost every single way, it's    This game can easily be found for 60E on Amazon (including shipping, with Prime it's 55), so I think the ppl complaining about the price should do some better market research.

    Also, again, dunno what kind of DLCs some people play, but the amount of content here isn't even remotely comparable to that of a normal DLC.

    TOTK improves on its predecessor in almost every single way, it's brimming with creativity and innovation and it excels in both atmosphere and its quality as an open world game. It's impressive how a game that literally shares half its map with BOTW manages to be so different. Hell, even the performance is very close to its predecessor. Around the same resolution quality and fluctuations, and you can expect smooth 30FPS gameplay except in a few situations, even when a lot of stuff is happening on screen.

    All in all, TOTK is so far the top GOTY contender.    … Expand
  7. Unbiased_Critic
    May 14, 2023
    10
    I was immediately engrossed by the game. The atmosphere drew me right in and the circumstances around the intro makes you live in a very small dose the Link power fantasy, much like how Metroid games have often started. I won’t say more.

    If you enjoy Zelda titles and especially if you were a fan of Breath of the Wild you won’t be disappointed.
  8. BobJosh
    May 14, 2023
    0
    2000 graphics, awful gameplay, reused map from the last game. Overpriced dlc to an already terrible game, not unusal from nintendo to produce terrible games, reuse 20 years assets and sell the game for a huge markup.
    Story 0/10, gameplay 0/10, graphics 0/10.
  9. xellos81
    May 14, 2023
    7
    I need to write my review because I've just read another guy talking about TOTK as BOTW 2.0 which is exactly how I felt playing it.
    Gameplay is the same, combat is the same, music is the same, and also audio effect etc.
    For me, the biggest problem in this game is that feels completely disconnected in his different parts. Totally looks like a production with a certain direction but then    I need to write my review because I've just read another guy talking about TOTK as BOTW 2.0 which is exactly how I felt playing it.
    Gameplay is the same, combat is the same, music is the same, and also audio effect etc.
    For me, the biggest problem in this game is that feels completely disconnected in his different parts.
    Totally looks like a production with a certain direction but then they started adding stuff on top of it. Maybe Nintendo thought that adding everything together in an open world made sense but no, it didn't .
    Is still the same, but like a cheap copy of it. You already had the original in BOTW.
    The sages stories are the same, plus are shallow and totally not even comparable to the struggle that the characters had in Botw trying to help you because the failed in the first place. The real last chance. Nobody have the emotional strength of Mipha.
    Here the characters have minor emotional impact on Link, is mostly like that you help each other but without being interconnected.

    I also want to say that walking around Hyrule for the first time in Botw was astonishing.
    When in BOTW I arrived in the Zora's domain I was like: Wow... This place have his own poetry and I was honored to have the possibility to walk around and feel the magic of the artists that invented such a beautiful place.
    Now in totk instead, everything is empty, without a soul, because every place is well known and Nintendo also ruined the magic of the experience adding totally different game dynamics over a place that had a different purpose.
    As I said, they added on top, not in the mix.

    The demonstration is that the sky islands aren't actually connected with the game itself, is just something they added to have different panoramas for the marketing.
    And also the Zonai tech is almost skippable because it's not intertwined with the game itself and vehicles are more similar to a cheatcode in GTA than anything made with love for the Zelda's saga.

    Plus, we totally need new hardware.

    That said, I'm playing it
    But I'm not engaged    … Expand
  10. truthbetold1981
    May 14, 2023
    0
    Overrated Sequel. It's just BOTW with some minor additions. And breakable weapons still a thing in this gameRecycled Content: This game took 3 times more development time than Majora's Mask compared to Ocarina in its time, and even so, everything that has been superficial Hyrule is too blatantly recycled, while in Majora's the entire Termina region was newNot a Zelda game anymore but aOverrated Sequel. It's just BOTW with some minor additions. And breakable weapons still a thing in this gameRecycled Content: This game took 3 times more development time than Majora's Mask compared to Ocarina in its time, and even so, everything that has been superficial Hyrule is too blatantly recycled, while in Majora's the entire Termina region was newNot a Zelda game anymore but a sandbox game. Never in a million years would I imagine a zelda game where I rotate objects and stick them together like minecraft and its even worse controlling it with a controller… Expand
  11. BottleRum
    May 14, 2023
    10
    This is a more groundbreaking game, Nintendo has once again raised the ceiling of the open world, and it deserves credit
  12. Romahe93
    May 14, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Es un juego perfecto. Solo un zelda puede superar a otro zelda. Me la estoy pasando genial… Expand
  13. Notda004
    May 14, 2023
    2
    Absolutely dissapointed, it seems Nintendo did the bare minimum to appease classic Zelda players. They would even give us legit dungeons THE BIGGEST ASK and they didn't deliver. Sure the world is good but that's because it's BoTW world completely reused and BoTW world was good to begin with. I understand it's a sequel but the reuse of assests is crazy. It's quite easy to see NintendoAbsolutely dissapointed, it seems Nintendo did the bare minimum to appease classic Zelda players. They would even give us legit dungeons THE BIGGEST ASK and they didn't deliver. Sure the world is good but that's because it's BoTW world completely reused and BoTW world was good to begin with. I understand it's a sequel but the reuse of assests is crazy. It's quite easy to see Nintendo focused heavily on appeasing to minecraft players and want people addicted to building stuff in game instead of actually playing zelda. 1. If you don't like building stuff literally every 5 minutes to get everywhere this game isn't for you. 2. If you hate being in menus more then actually playing this game isn't for you. 3. If you're a classic zelda fan that's itching for classic dungeons you can spend hours in trying to figure them out this game isn't for you (slightly larger unique looking divine beast is about all we got). 3. If you hated the weapon breaking in botw this is even worse because it both has weapon breaking which wasted enough time but now you have to waste even more time to "fuse" stuff to weapons just to be effective at battle. ---- the world is great, the exploring is great, just like botw but the rest of it I'd lacking and really does feel like DLC. BoTW was a great one time departure from the Zelda franchise but many of us are ready for a real Zelda game not a Zelda skinned open world game. Not saying the next Zelda can't be open world but it actually needs to have Zelda gameplay in it... dungeons, items you actually need to work for, meaningful weapon and gear upgrades (that don't break), a higher sense of fantasy. The Zelda formula is timeless and has proven itself over and over again, I'm not against change but I am against upended an entire franchise people love for something "new" and completely forgoing homage to the past.… Expand
  14. Jauryman
    May 14, 2023
    10
    Great game! I'm enjoying it a lot. The new powers and the inclusion of some classics from the saga that weren't in the previous game delight veterans.
  15. Retrog4mer
    May 14, 2023
    10
    Once again Nintendo doing what they do best: art and entertainment.
    I'm a Zelda fan since 1987, I was there when Miyamoto and Nintendo gave birth to a legend. I still remember the last time I feel so excited about a Zelda game, November 1998... but now 2023 marks a new place in gaming history, again, with the astonishing talent and magic by the hands of Nintendo developers. The Legend of    Once again Nintendo doing what they do best: art and entertainment.
    I'm a Zelda fan since 1987, I was there when Miyamoto and Nintendo gave birth to a legend. I still remember the last time I feel so excited about a Zelda game, November 1998... but now 2023 marks a new place in gaming history, again, with the astonishing talent and magic by the hands of Nintendo developers. The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kindgom its an instant success, a remarkable glory in gaming and a superb achievement in art.    … Expand
  16. CesarCortez
    May 14, 2023
    10
    Es lo que se esperaría de una secuela y más, un juego que no necesita tener gráficos avanzados para ser de los mejores de todos los tiempos
  17. Guillerms
    May 14, 2023
    10
    I was a bit scared at first of having a game pretty similar to BOTW tbh. After watching all the trailers I still had my doubts, in spite of the fact that I've been a Zelda gamer since the early years of my life. Enjoying something does not mean that one has to be a fanatic nor an unconditional lover. Remaining unbiased, rational and always doubting about things in order the know the truthI was a bit scared at first of having a game pretty similar to BOTW tbh. After watching all the trailers I still had my doubts, in spite of the fact that I've been a Zelda gamer since the early years of my life. Enjoying something does not mean that one has to be a fanatic nor an unconditional lover. Remaining unbiased, rational and always doubting about things in order the know the truth and experiencing by yourself is part of being objective, is the basis of the scientific method and after having gone through this process, all my doubts have been cleared. Zelda TOTK has plenty of distinctive and innovative new implementations, mechanics, story changes and even philosophy reinterpretation in order to change the meta-vision of the game in a spiritual way (the zonai culture) rather than a technological way (the sheikah conception of the world) that make this game not just very different to BOTW but rather unique and even better, more complex and entertaining that its prequel.

    Congratulations to Nintendo and to all the gamers and developers, regardless of the platform, we should all be proud of achieving this level of narrative, game mechanics, game scale and uniqueness in experience as part of the human technical, philosophical and artistical way of expression. This game, together with some other great games, is a reason to be proud as gamers and as humans, this is not a competition, we as a race are every year pushing our boundaries in many areas with original works such as this one. We all should be happy. Go and grab a copy and celebrate with me!    … Expand
  18. Ssjcarlos
    May 14, 2023
    10
    Peak Zelda, there are references to old games and it is a bit more difficult and way more diverse than BoTW. Amazing experience overall.
  19. Huyjustin
    May 14, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's Zelda, so it is a masterpiece all the time and deserves 10 no matter what!… Expand
  20. FakeFenix
    May 14, 2023
    10
    the best sequel to a game that was already really amazing, they upgrade everything and the things that made botw perfect are upgraded in a very big way, giving you the chance to play with your imagination and do unimaginable things
  21. SuperZKE
    May 14, 2023
    10
    Tears of the kingdom is, without a doubt on of the best games I have ever played. Right out of the tutorial island Nintendo pets you go wild going anywhere and doing anything you can figure out how to do. Definitely game of the year contender.
  22. Swifty2733
    May 14, 2023
    10
    This game is absolutely incredible. Expanding vastly on what was already one of my most beloved titles in recent years. They really hit the nail on the head with this one.
  23. polter15
    May 14, 2023
    10
    Masterpiece. Somehow they did it again. The legend of zelda series must be the most consistent franchise in terms of quality
  24. LaryThSamich
    May 14, 2023
    9
    Sequel to the greatest game of all time. Not very far but the world feels very different and I love all the new mechanics. Minor visual issues mostly at fault of the switch.
  25. AxelLink
    May 14, 2023
    10
    Super increible, mejorando aspectos del priemro juego e introduciendo otros totalmente diferentes, mecanicas muy divertidas y una historia super atrapante
  26. 666Maju666
    May 14, 2023
    10
    Zelda TOTK n'a pas le DLSS !
    Zelda TOTK n'a pas le raytracing !
    Zelda TOTK n'a pas le 4k 60fps ! Zelda TOTK ne renouvèle pas le genre ! Mais quoi ALORS ! le jeu a plus que jamais une dimension poétique et une profondeur d'univers que beaucoup de triple A ne possède même pas ! Je me suis surpris à admiré un couché de soleil sur TOTK le dernier en date était sur BOTW, aucun autre jeu ma    Zelda TOTK n'a pas le DLSS !
    Zelda TOTK n'a pas le raytracing !
    Zelda TOTK n'a pas le 4k 60fps !
    Zelda TOTK ne renouvèle pas le genre !
    Mais quoi ALORS ! le jeu a plus que jamais une dimension poétique et une profondeur d'univers que beaucoup de triple A ne possède même pas ! Je me suis surpris à admiré un couché de soleil sur TOTK le dernier en date était sur BOTW, aucun autre jeu ma prodigué ce plaisir jusqu'à maintenant. Donc 10 car le jeu ne mérite pas cette "tempête de merde" !    … Expand
  27. kingddongo
    May 14, 2023
    10
    This Game is THE BEST ZELDA GAME AND THE BEST GAME OF ALL TIME, i mean this game has everything what other zeldas have COMBINED
  28. I_Play_Zelda
    May 14, 2023
    10
    This game is incredible, kind of like if Zelda BOTW played a bit more like Skyrim.
  29. VinceFranDr
    May 14, 2023
    9
    Le jeu est prenant, vaste et laisse une liberté de possibilité extraordinaire.
    Pour moi le jeu est une véritable réussite.
  30. ColinBerry
    May 14, 2023
    5
    A game well worth your time. If you liked Breath of the Wild, you’ll love this one. Not only are there significantly more areas to explore (or re-explore), pretty much every part of the previous game was improved and expanded.
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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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