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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the anticipated follow-up to Breath of the Wild, released in 2017. A rare occurrence in Zelda titles, Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel instead of loosely connected. In Tears of the Kingdom, Link will take to the skies and learn about a mysterious kingdom in the clouds.

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Your Rating

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
10/10
Top Critic Avg: 96/100 Critics Rec: 97%
Released
May 12, 2023
ESRB
Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
Developer(s)
Nintendo
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Engine
Havok

Franchise
The Legend of Zelda
Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch
How Long To Beat
59 Hours

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Wind Waker and BOTW link
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Art of Link holding a sword from Breath of the Wild next to art of Link pulling out the Master Sword in Tears of the Kingdom.
TOTK Couldn't Capture The BOTW Magic, But Its Sequel Can With One Simple Change

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Link from Breath of the Wild with his arms up with the Switch 2 boxes for TOTK and BOTW behind him.
Nintendo Has Already Made A Major Mistake With BOTW & TOTK Switch 2 Editions, & It Has Nothing To Do With Price

Nintendo can’t seem to get the Switch 2 versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom right as it makes yet another major mistake.

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Link holding a broken master sword in TOTK next to Link with the Master Sword in BOTW.
Nintendo Switch 2's BOTW & TOTK's Weapon Repair System Is Just Sad

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom’s most annoying feature just got fixed, except Nintendo’s implementation of it is just sad.

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Link from TOTK in front of gameplay of Hateno Village and the Zora Domain.
If TOTK's Sequel Keeps The Same Hyrule, It Must Change One Important Detail

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Link from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom sitting and thinking with his hand on his chin.
Zelda Switch 2 Editions Can Import Your Switch 1 Saves, But There's A Weird Catch

In what is a weird catch, the Switch 2 Editions of the Zelda games will Switch 1 saves, but they will not cloud saves for data backup.

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TOTK Link holding a switch 2 In front of BOTW Link on his Master Cycle Zero
I Can't Believe TOTK Is Wasting Its Game-Changing Switch 2 Opportunity

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is missing the opportunity to make the game bigger than ever with a buffed up launch version for the Switch 2.

Link from Totk shocked
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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom saw a lot of fan rumors come true that people forgot were only theories before the game released.

Zelda from Tears of the Kingdom in front of Hyrule Castle.
Tears Of The Kingdom's Direct Sequel Could Do Something No Zelda Game Has Done Before

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Princess Zelda with the Sheikah Slate and Breath of the Wild's Hyrule in the background.
Nintendo Confirms Pricing For Zelda Switch 2 Upgrade Packs, And It's What Everyone Expected

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Two images of Princess Zelda in front of Hyrule from TOTK.
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Princess Zelda and the ancient Hyrule Castle from Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment​​​​​​​.
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The newly announced Age of Imprisonment would be the perfect game to reveal the answers to some of Tears of the Kingdom’s lingering mysteries.

An official still of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition in handheld mode
Zelda: Breath Of The Wild & TOTK Are Getting Their Own Nintendo Switch 2 Games

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Link looking shocked
One Of Zelda: BOTW & TOTK’s Most Helpful NPCs Never Actually Appears

One Legend of Zelda character gives Link plenty of useful advice in both BOTW and TOTK despite the fact that he never actually appears on screen.

Link wielding the Master Sword in his knight's armour in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
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While many changes that BOTW & TOTK made were refreshing, there's one series staple that's severely downplayed, making its inclusion disappointing.

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Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Meeshy NPC who gives Locations for Misko's Treasure
Where To Find Misko’s Treasure (Powerful Outfit) In Zelda: TOTK

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Link from TOTK looking excited
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House-building was easily one of the most entertaining and rewarding side quests in both BOTW & TOTK, and it deserves to return in future Zelda games.

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Sad Link With Tears Of the Kingdom imagery
I've Played 13 Zelda Games, & This Is Why I'm Still Struggling To Connect With Tears Of the Kingdom

Despite giving Tears of the Kingdom everything I had, I couldn't connect with the game like I have with other titles, and I finally understand why.

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Purah from Tears of the Kingdom stands at the center as Riju and Tulin are in the background equipped with their signature weapons.
BOTW & Tears Of The Kingdom Wasted Some Of Their Best Characters - Could A Third Game Fix This?

The Champions and Sages were ultimately wasted in BOTW and TOTK, proving the need for a potential third game to improve with its own characters.

Link from TOTK looking shocked and angry
Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Made One Major Mistake With Its Story

Tears of the Kingdom raised the bar for The Legend of Zelda's storytelling, but it failed to set itself apart from BOTW in one major way.

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