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In ‘Tears of the Kingdom,’ the Depths Are Where the Action Is

HeliaGames2025-07-0372013

In the years since The Legend of Zelda’s 1986 release, director, producer, and co-designer Shigeru Miyamoto has described the game as an attempt to replicate what he felt during childhood explorations of the countryside outside of Kyoto, Japan, where he was raised. In making the first installment of what would go on to become one of Nintendo’s most beloved series, his foundational memories of inspecting foreboding caves or happening upon unexpected lakes provided a framework for what would become a global sensation.

Three decades later, when a team at Nintendo sought to rethink Zelda’s design ethos after years of working within an increasingly calcified format, its members returned to that first game and its sense of free-spirited exploration for inspiration. The result was 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which, more than any series entry before it, imparted a feeling that players were wandering an expansive fantasy world as awe-inspiring and invigoratingly dangerous as the mental landscape of a great childhood adventure.

Breath of the Wild tweaked the past games’ more confined environments and gauntlet of clockwork puzzle levels—dubbed “dungeons” by players—by offering a sprawling landscape dotted with smaller, discrete challenges broken up by long periods spent simply figuring out how to climb mountains or descend into far-off valleys. It replaced an unlockable, regularly expanding player tool set with ad hoc weapon collecting and the scrappy use of environmental dangers to defeat enemies. In short, it rethought what Zelda could be by returning to the spirit of its debut, tossing aside decades of design staples in favor of a more fluid, improvisational style of play that emphasized a sense of adventure over all else.  

The creation of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the follow-up to Breath of the Wild, must have presented a significant challenge, then. How does a studio make a direct sequel to a game whose success comes, in large part, from the novelty of exploring an uncharted world?

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Tears of the Kingdom solves this problem in familiar video game fashion. It offers more. More ways to interact with the virtual setting’s flora and fauna; more areas to explore across, above, and below the vast Kingdom of Hyrule; more side quests to discover when riding or jogging into a settlement populated with talkative, needy characters.

Link, the series’ mute elfin hero, is quickly granted a new suite of powers in Kingdom’s opening hours. He is able to pick up and manipulate objects with motions of his hand like a benign Carrie White, gluing them together to form a seemingly limitless number of contraptions and vehicles. He can also rewind time to, say, ride a recently descended meteor back up into the sky or reverse the direction of giant industrial gears to help him navigate labyrinths and puzzle-box “shrines.” He can fuse weapons and items together to make more deadly, elementally infused swords and arrows, and zip upward through solid surfaces to emerge again from a liquidy otherworld high above his starting point.

All of this works well in allowing players to enact staggeringly wide-ranging and creative methods of problem solving. It also makes journeying across Tears of the Kingdom’s Hyrule feel less like embarking on an adventure than engaging in a process of continuously stumbling upon the huge number of pieces required to complete an enormous, multifaceted puzzle.

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Kaden

In 'Tears of the Kingdom,' it's not just about reaching sky-reaching glory; depths reveal a truly immersive and mysterious world, where player action is both more perilous yet undeniably enchanting.

2025-07-05 09:53:05 reply
Ellis

In 'Tears of the Kingdom,' intimacy with its expansive and challenge-laden depths proves a uniquely engaging experience, taking players to hidden realms where adventure truly thrives.

2025-07-05 09:53:19 reply
Maxton

In 'Tears of the Kingdom,' it's not just a subdued sea that steeps hidden secrets; beneath its surface lies an immersive adventure where each dive reveals heart-pounding action and deep emotional tributaries.

2025-07-15 15:42:17 reply
Aziel

The immersive depths of 'Tears of the Kingdom' truly bring emotion and action to life, holding memorable gameplay experiences that test even seasoned players.

2025-07-15 15:42:23 reply
Alec

In 'Tears of the Kingdom,' spectacular underwater exploration unleashes an abundance
of hidden mysteries and thrilling treasures, making it clear that for true adventure-seekers in its vast world – depth truly is where action resides.

2025-07-15 15:42:37 reply
Simone

In 'Tears of the Kingdom,' fans will marvel at how seamlessly水下世界的 depth-plumbing turns from ordinary trek into thrilling adventures, filling our screens with a vibrant fathomless wonder.

2025-07-20 06:44:21 reply
Guillermo

In 'Tears of the Kingdom,' Zelda players expand their exploration horizon – The richly captivating depths become both a thrilling amalgamation and essential driving force behind engaging gameplay set to entice seasoned adventurers as well.

2025-07-20 06:44:36 reply
Vincent

Astute players of The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of the Kingdom will find that diving into its immersive depths reveals a level in gameplay complexity and emotional depth not previously achieved within this enduring series.

2025-07-24 11:06:16 reply
Grey

In Tears of the Kingdom, its immersive dive into Hyrule's forbidden waters offers players a thrilling journey through both perplexing puzzles and unparalleled action, showcasing that in this world: richest adventures lie within dark depths.

2025-07-24 11:06:30 reply
Orson

The immersive depths of 'Tears Of The Kingdom' prove to be the playground where unexpected adventures and essential plot twists reside, truly showcasing Zelda at its most enchanting.

2025-07-26 19:17:14 reply
Ursula

In 'Tears of the Kingdom,' Hyrule's Subterranean Realm Not Only Defies Eisenrian Adventure; It Challenges Our Exploration in Destruction and Reconstruction with Rapturous Thrills.

2025-07-26 19:17:29 reply
Maelys

In 'Tears of the Kingdom,' Zelda fans will appreciate that it's not just above ground adventures, but also deep in its intricate depths where true action and secrets await.

2025-07-27 01:28:39 reply
Azaria

For players of The Legend Of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, descending into Hyrule's treacherous depths reveals an intricate storyline deeply rooted in exploration and adventure. It redefines dungeon-diving as a thrilling blend between old school charm with modern technical prowess.

2025-07-27 01:28:55 reply

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