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. heartsavior
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    I thought Nintendo can't beat BOTW forever since it was just crazy. I was just wrong when I get into TOTK. Have you looked into various shorts for crazily creative mechanics?
  2. Doreen1023
    Jun 27, 2023
    7
    No story, useless quest rewards, outrageously uninteresting boss dungeons and repetitive
  3. Akaza362
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game great mainly due to the bosses in the game another reason why is because of the interactions that the game has… Expand
  4. Daychiro0404
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Absolutamente hermoso el mejor juego del 2023 una historia completamente bella una jugabilidad igual de bella,mecánicas muy buenas… Expand
  5. jkvlnt
    Jun 27, 2023
    8
    A genuinely great follow up to BOTW. A game that does things better in almost every way, while also striking a new tone that doesn't render the last game redundant. While BOTW gave you a vast world devastated with this sort of quiet loneliness for you to explore in, TOTK feels like a world come back to life during crisis; around every bend there is another scene of conflict to involveA genuinely great follow up to BOTW. A game that does things better in almost every way, while also striking a new tone that doesn't render the last game redundant. While BOTW gave you a vast world devastated with this sort of quiet loneliness for you to explore in, TOTK feels like a world come back to life during crisis; around every bend there is another scene of conflict to involve yourself in should you choose to.
    The new abilities are an absolute triumph. Obvious standout being Ultrahand which allows you to construct anything from a simple log bridge to cross a ravine, to fully functional mechs or attack planes. Outside of that new tools like Fuse and Ascend also offer a ton of variety. The former offers an imperfect solution to the divisive weapon breaking (something I was not a fan of in BOTW) by giving you a way of making your own new weapons on the fly with all of the different sorts of materials you came across in the previous games. Ascend was a pleasant surprise for me in just how practical it was. So many new movement abilities suddenly become clear and you start to see new paths that you can jump up to using it.

    I will say that some of the praise I've read in regards to things like the games dungeons is perhaps a little liberal. Yes, TOTK's iteration of a dungeon is definitely improved over BOTW's Divine Beasts. But if we're being completely honest with ourselves, the bar set by those isn't even off the ground, so making something better than them wouldn't have been hard.
    Sadly there's a lot of shared DNA. The dungeons here amount to the same "press five buttons and fight a boss" as BOTW. At the very least the dungeons have their own bespoke designs and unique bosses in them.

    The story is a vast improvement over BOTW, in that there actually is one.
    I love the idea of what the last game was going for, but I think the slightly more guided experience of TOTK works much better for having a more complete feeling narrative as well as a more well designed sense of progression.
    There are some great character moments here, and a really thrilling build to the big finale of the game that feels genuinely epic.

    The elephant in the room perhaps being that the game does indeed reuse much of BOTW's map. There are new additions of course, in the shape of the sky islands that litter the clouds above Hyrule as well as the depths; a vast map that matches the size of the surface underground littered with valuable resources, new enemies and bosses and some hidden quests.
    The touched up surface map from BOTW is largely unchanged, however there are some new settlements as well as caves and wells that can feel like reason enough to re-explore the now six year old map.

    Overall, it's bonkers to call this a DLC. It has more than an enough to be two full new games. If you didn't vibe with BOTW because of the stark departure from older Zelda, it may be worth giving this a shot if you know someone who can put it down long enough to let you play it.
    If you loved BOTW and haven't picked it up through fear of it just being BOTW 1.5, fear not. This is a new game through and through and is definitely worth your time.    … Expand
  6. sabin16
    Jun 27, 2023
    7
    For me was a disappointment , this game seems DLC, same main map, same graphics, the combat has not improved, only the new fusion mechanics. I don't believe it worth all the hype. For sure it doesn't worth the full 70 dollars price.
  7. Myagaric
    Jun 27, 2023
    7
    I see a common trend with this game of the hypetrain getting the better of people. It’s a really great game for sure but the fact is that it mostly just feels like more of the same of botw with some minor gameplay changes. It is not different enough to really even have kept me interested all that much. I played botw over 100 hours a couple times. I played tears of the kingdom for like 50I see a common trend with this game of the hypetrain getting the better of people. It’s a really great game for sure but the fact is that it mostly just feels like more of the same of botw with some minor gameplay changes. It is not different enough to really even have kept me interested all that much. I played botw over 100 hours a couple times. I played tears of the kingdom for like 50 and I don’t wanna play it anymore. Take that as you may.… Expand
  8. SnowmanVIII
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    10/10 because it's one of the best games I've ever played. But not quite perfect. People like Hestu and Bolson not remembering Link was an objectify dumb decision and the story is bare bones. But the gameplay was literally the best game ever made. So it gets 10/10
  9. Minifoy
    Jun 27, 2023
    9
    Super jeu, on peut dire version 1,5 mais j’ai quand même joué 150h sans avoir vu le temps passe, dommage que les équipements ne donnent pas plus deffet et des collectives inutiles
  10. Sworishina
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    A true masterpiece that makes Breath of the Wild look like a tech demo. I have hundreds of hours already and I haven't even beaten the game. While Skyrim will always have a special place in my heart as my favorite game, Tears of the Kingdom is by far the best game I have ever played.

    The trailers really give nothing away, but I can assure you that Tears of the Kingdom is far from    A true masterpiece that makes Breath of the Wild look like a tech demo. I have hundreds of hours already and I haven't even beaten the game. While Skyrim will always have a special place in my heart as my favorite game, Tears of the Kingdom is by far the best game I have ever played.

    The trailers really give nothing away, but I can assure you that Tears of the Kingdom is far from "Breath of the Wild but again". The amount of content in this game is staggering; it's made me feel daunted in a way no game has before.

    This game gets closer to perfection than any game I've played before. Everyone should experience it.    … Expand
  11. DeWyntr
    Jun 27, 2023
    7
    Lightning didn't strike twice with the new formula, in my opinion.

    What Tears of the Kingdom did right, to begin with, was the story. TotK eludes to new concepts and characters that have a major impact on now only BotW but on Zelda lore as a whole, and while I don't think the delivery was necessarily the best, I do enjoy this aspect the most. Where TotK's narrative shines the most is    Lightning didn't strike twice with the new formula, in my opinion.

    What Tears of the Kingdom did right, to begin with, was the story. TotK eludes to new concepts and characters that have a major impact on now only BotW but on Zelda lore as a whole, and while I don't think the delivery was necessarily the best, I do enjoy this aspect the most. Where TotK's narrative shines the most is within what it doesn't strictly say outright, the Depths and it's shrouded history, the Zonai and their curious origins, the revelation of historical significance to the founding of Hyrule and so much more. There is significant features from the main cast, charmingly, albeit sometimes cheesily, voice acted and in many ways the presence, sacrifice and meaning behind them all is very much consistent.

    The new areas, of which there are criminally few, are very well done. The aforementioned Depths is an amazing addition despite becoming somewhat samey after the intial exploration, there is an atmosphere and tone within that area that hasn't quite been captured in Zelda for a very long time. The Sky Islands were far too few but the ones we did receive were immensely well designed and enjoyable, though I honestly thought there would have been far more than there were. I must say the one mechanic that left the most impression on me was the item fusion for weaponry and shields, put bluntly I enjoyed that aspect very much because of the ability to make materials collected mean so much more.

    There are some things, that plainly haven't changed of course, combat is largely unaffected if you happen to be looking at the execution of combat, as opposed to the preparation. Timed dodges, environmental effects and parries are all largely unchanged, Link does not move much differently. The world, while receiving some major cosmetic overhauls in certain areas, is also very much the same; this fact is one you begin to feel after a while in my case, given that the game seems to encourage you to skip most of it with the devices you construct.

    My gripes, and yes that's the best word I could come up with to refer to these issues with TotK, is I feel there wasn't enough new game here to facilitate the new title. If you take away all that was reused content from BotW, you're ultimately left with the narrative, depths, sky islands and ultrahand. On one hand, I love the freedom and creativity that can come from the Ultrahand and it's devices. The weapons are largely ineffective and inefficient and the use of them for navigation really robs the game of that original BotW element of exploration though perhaps that's because there's not much else to explore.

    TotK is a good game, please don't misconstrue the score to mean otherwise, it is well above average in every respect, but it doesn't come close to hitting that infamous mark that BotW did. Neither are my personal favorites for the Zelda franchise, but the developments in TotK seem to underline the flaws that weren't as obvious with BotW. TotK seems to keep much of what BotW did right, while not really doing anything to improve what it did wrong, such as the memories, or mismatched narrative pacing. The ending itself, and the completion cutscenes of the otherwise excellently developed Temples, are monuments to this issue.

    Worth getting, if you're a Zelda fan but I, personally, expected more.    … Expand
  12. drseven
    Jun 27, 2023
    9
    The first 20 hours are pure magic. As you play the game it reveals its flaws, such as the lack of history in the temples or the repetition of tasks. The new powers are impressive, in general it is an improved version of its predecessor, without taking big risks it tries to improve and perfect the formula that was breath of the wild. Has performance issues when lots of enemies gather orThe first 20 hours are pure magic. As you play the game it reveals its flaws, such as the lack of history in the temples or the repetition of tasks. The new powers are impressive, in general it is an improved version of its predecessor, without taking big risks it tries to improve and perfect the formula that was breath of the wild. Has performance issues when lots of enemies gather or when you activate the build ability. A unique game that despite its flaws is very enjoyable.… Expand
  13. itsmemile
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    Jogo absolutamente lindo, extremamente feliz por ter a oportunidade de jogar este game belíssimo, onde há uma criatividade infinita, história e referências marcantes, o carinho e apego que temos por cada personagem, isso tudo é muito lindo.
  14. Ratingss
    Jun 27, 2023
    8
    They did a good job establishing Link as a determined hard motherfuxxer from the get go by making you plunge head first from kilometers away, unlike the bs the woke army has been trying to do with the character. They also removed the stupid Ubisoft towers and made the enemies hit harder.
    But the game does feel rehashy with the same structure of temple hunting and minor side quests that    They did a good job establishing Link as a determined hard motherfuxxer from the get go by making you plunge head first from kilometers away, unlike the bs the woke army has been trying to do with the character. They also removed the stupid Ubisoft towers and made the enemies hit harder.
    But the game does feel rehashy with the same structure of temple hunting and minor side quests that repeat themselves through the whole game, and the despawn of animal and objects right on your face is really annoying and cheap.    … Expand
  15. Michi123
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Absolut geiles Game vor allem ist purah geil Gute Story und sonst alles top… Expand
  16. Rafarodfer
    Jun 27, 2023
    9
    Esse jogo conseguiu ser melhor que seu antecessor, novas habilidades, mapa maior com muitos segredos e novidades, narrativa maravilhosa e emocionante, jogabilidade precisa que combinada com as novas habilidades possibilitam uma infinidade de possibilidades recompensando os jogadores mais habilidosos e criativos. Visualmente o jogo é super competente artisticamente, mas queria muito poderEsse jogo conseguiu ser melhor que seu antecessor, novas habilidades, mapa maior com muitos segredos e novidades, narrativa maravilhosa e emocionante, jogabilidade precisa que combinada com as novas habilidades possibilitam uma infinidade de possibilidades recompensando os jogadores mais habilidosos e criativos. Visualmente o jogo é super competente artisticamente, mas queria muito poder jogar esse jogo com uma resolução mais alta e com uma taxa de quadros mais fixa. Em alguns momentos tive problemas com quedas na taxa de quadros, tirando a imersão no jogo, pois essas quedas me incomodam bastante. No geral esse jogo estrega uma experiência divertida, desperta a curiosidade, a criatividade e no final o jogador é recompensado com combates desafiadores e um desfecho épico e emocionante da narrativa. Imperdível!… Expand
  17. vampiredavid
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    Nintendo is the best game company of the world. And Zelda is the best game series of Nintendo.
  18. halsolo
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    I have also played the previous botw. I honestly thought that this totk would not surpass the previous one, but that expectation was wrong. It has been more than a month since its release and I am still discovering new things. It really is a great game.
  19. KesslerCOIL
    Jun 27, 2023
    7
    It's alright. It'd be a lot better if Nintendo's controllers didn't suck and the switch wasn't painfully weak.
  20. Ariskal
    Jun 27, 2023
    6
    dari segi gameplay, grafick dan open worldnya sama aja!! ini harusnya di jadikan DLC BOTW ga harus beda game!!!
  21. Yine
    Jun 27, 2023
    8
    Dobra gra, ale praktycznie taka sama jak poprzednio. Bardziej naciska na ronienie zadań w kolejności i ma ten sam wkurzyjący system psucia się broni.
  22. Kisuke467
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Has an amazing story,combat and gameplay. It keeps you intrigued throughout the entire game. They’ve added a lot more customization options as well.… Expand
  23. Aled29
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    De los mejores juegos que he probado. Es imposible aburrirme jugándolo, la historia es genial y me encanta lo mucho que se expandió la exploración a comparación de su predecesor.
  24. mazehdar
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    I have lost my passion for gaming. TOTK brought it back. This game is not perfect and still I can call it masterpiece. The amount of heart that the devs put in to this game is commendable. Looking forward for another excellent Legend of zelda in the future.
  25. Gbaby1991
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    This was one of the best sequels I've ever played. Felt like a very powerful entry with great storytelling, pacing, and it felt so powerful towards the end. I had chills and was tearing up because of how much I was loving this as I beat this; then thinking back to how fun breath of the wild was and just felt this intense awe/raw feeling after completing. Haven't felt this way butThis was one of the best sequels I've ever played. Felt like a very powerful entry with great storytelling, pacing, and it felt so powerful towards the end. I had chills and was tearing up because of how much I was loving this as I beat this; then thinking back to how fun breath of the wild was and just felt this intense awe/raw feeling after completing. Haven't felt this way but definitely always loved Zelda and will easily continue to do so if this is how they make their games. Spent like 90 hours playing and easily can still play a ton more.… Expand
  26. ArcZyon
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    This is Zelda at its peak. Great level design, side characters are lackluster but overall is amazing!
  27. Zwan
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    One of the best videogames I've played in my life, it's amazing that this is running on a switch, I love the new mechanics, but still miss the infinite sheikah bombs, the freedom this game gives you is another awesome thing, you can do what you want the way you want and the order you want
  28. Penna
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    Simplesmente uma ótima continuação. Pegaram um jogo incrível que é Breath of the Wild e conseguiram melhorar. É um milagre esse jogo rodar em um switch que tem muitas limitações.
  29. juice011
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    Tears of the Kingdom (2023 GOTY) is an absolute masterpiece; A must-play for every Nintendo Switch owner. With how amazing Breath of the Wild was, I didn't think that TOTK would be better. After completing TOTK, I was completely wrong. Tears of the Kingdom is better than Breath of the Wild in every single way possible. I've heard people say that TOTK is "just BOTW dlc" and they areTears of the Kingdom (2023 GOTY) is an absolute masterpiece; A must-play for every Nintendo Switch owner. With how amazing Breath of the Wild was, I didn't think that TOTK would be better. After completing TOTK, I was completely wrong. Tears of the Kingdom is better than Breath of the Wild in every single way possible. I've heard people say that TOTK is "just BOTW dlc" and they are COMPLETELY wrong.
    No spoilers, but the story was really good too. Tears of the Kingdom is proof that video games are works of art.    … Expand
  30. Lal0nganiza2006
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    Me encanto, al haber jugado anteriores juegos de LOZ venia ya con el hype,cuando alfin lo consegui no decepciono.
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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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