Kayla Dube · May 31, 2024 · 5 min read Nintendo announced the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild during their September 2022 Nintendo Direct. The new game is slated to release in 2023. During this Direct presentation, some gameplay footage was showcased, giving us a peek into what this new installation in the Legend of Zelda video game series will be like.
The new open-world adventure of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will bring lots of new life to an already excellent concept introduced in Breath of the Wild. There will be the ability to not only explore the land, but the journey will extend into the sky as well, with brand-new dungeons awaiting players. Besides this, new skills and many other added features will take this Breath of the Wild sequel to the next level.
Where Is Tears of the Kingdom Set?
Since this game is a sequel to Breath of the Wild, you can expect many similar locations, as the setting still takes place in the land of Hyrule. However, according to the released trailers from Nintendo, travel into the sky will play a big part in this game.
It’s unclear what these areas will entail, but it certainly indicates that there will be new dungeons to explore. The Legend of Zelda series also had a sky-related game, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, so there may also be some ties there. The same concept in that game looks to apply here, where Link can journey to and from the sky and the land of Hyrule.
What Is the Gameplay Like?
Just like the original game, Tears of the Kingdom is set to be an open-world adventure, meaning you can traverse the lands as you please and explore at your own pace. This also likely means that many of the gameplay features from Breath of the Wild will return.
The trailers show that the game will include many of the same weapons and items in Tears of the Kingdom. There is also new equipment that can be seen in the trailer, such as a new glider and some new items you can see on Link’s belt. The Sheikah slate abilities Link used in Breath of the Wild also seem to be making a return.
When Will It Be Released?
Initially, Tears of the Kingdom was set to be released in 2022. However, later, Nintendo announced they were delaying the game’s release. Now, the sequel is set to release on May 12th, 2023. Before that, there will hopefully be more trailers released and information added to the Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo page.
What Is the Plotline?
There isn’t an entire plotline available yet, but many clues throughout the trailers tell us a bit about what’s to come. Ganon is bound to return in Tears of the Kingdom, returning from the dead after his defeat in the previous game. You can also see that Hyrule has once again descended into chaos, likely due to Ganon’s return. Zelda also makes an appearance in the trailers, seeming to have a connection to whatever is going on with Hyrule, as in the previous game.
Further, the trailers also confirm that throughout the game, there will be seven items of some sort that Link will need to collect. From the title of the game, it’s possible this could be “Tears,” similar to the prominent objects in Twilight Princess.
What Platforms Will The Game Be On?
Nintendo has confirmed that Tears of the Kingdom will be a Nintendo Switch exclusive, including the Nintendo Switch Lite and the OLED model. Breath of the Wild was originally released on two consoles, the Wii U and the Switch, making it a cross-gen game, but this sequel doesn’t face the same situation.
Should You Play Breath of the Wild First?
If you haven’t already played the extraordinary Breath of the Wild game that precedes Tears of the Kingdom, the delayed release date gives you ample time to dive into the game. Will you need to play the game, though, to enjoy the sequel fully?
Tears of the Kingdom is a unique Zelda game in that it’s the first time there’s been a direct sequel of the main Zelda game in the series. Others in the franchise are tenuously connected, but none are deliberate sequels until now.
So, while you may be used to not playing Zelda games in order like this, the situation with Tears of the Kingdom is different. Of course, you can always pick up the game and try to enjoy it without playing Breath of the Wild, but doing so would enhance your experience of Tears of the Kingdom immensely.
The Newest Installment In the Legend of Zelda Franchise
So far, Tears of the Kingdom looks to be an exciting continuation of the Breath of the Wild game, considered by many to be one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch. Hopefully, Tears of the Kingdom can live up to its predecessor and possibly even make improvements to it.
Are you excited about Tears of the Kingdom? Let us know your thoughts below.
