Meanwhile, Link faces the difficult task of freeing the Divine Beasts , aided in entering each by an invaluable ally and guided within by the spirit of the fallen Champion. Each Divine Beast is plagued by a Blight, a manifestation of Calamity Ganon specialized in tactics that allowed them to defeat their opposing Champion. By defeating these Blights, the spirits of the Champions are able to reassert control of their Divine Beasts, subsequently readying them to fire upon Calamity Ganon in the upcoming battle. They also grant Link a unique power that they wielded in life to aid him on his qu

Breath of the Wild wasn't a perfect game either, with the flimsiness of weapons and the lack of traditional Zelda dungeons both drawing some criticism from Redditors . That means the new title has some room to build on what made the previous game a success whilst telling its own story. If they want to please the Zelda fans of Reddit, they'll have to address some of those areas for improvement in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the King

The vivid cobalt blues in this design are brilliant, tying the moon into the blue from Majora's Mask 's iconic clock tower . Bright oranges then act as highlights, picking out the moon’s eyes, its flaring nostrils, and the top of the clock face. The moon’s terrifying grin and perfect spherical shape also take advantage of their position on the shoulder to make the curves of the model’s arms stand

Whenever nintendo switch 2 upgrades decides to provide an answer surrounding The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom , it hurls out dozens more questions and keeps the theory wheels turning in our brains. Yesterday’s Direct featured an extended glimpse at new gameplay mechanics, while also teasing a healthy dose of character and narrative details I am totally going to read too much into and come to conclusions that probably won’t end up happening.

For many, the Legend of Zelda series will always be associated with ancient dungeons and temples, usually each with its environmental theme and unique mechanics related to that theme. Breath of the Wild 's shrines were great in their way but fans' fondness for this traditional style has only grown as a result of the absence. That means Tears of the Kingdom presents the perfect opportunity to bring them back and satisfy f

Part of me wants to believe that it’s a past iteration of Link or a version of Ganon from before darkness corrupted him. Zelda is also seen with shorter hair and wielding the Sheikah Slate in new character art, convincing me further that she is not only saved by Link’s new power, but comes to play a far more prominent role in the full adventure. Whatever evil they face, she is convinced it can’t be stopped, but is now far more than a passive bystander holding off evil as her companion does all the work. Both characters are given more agency here, which should allow Tears of the Kingdom to breach narrative boundaries this series has never toyed with before.

An ancient evil has once again descended upon Hyrule, awakening a forgotten civilization in the sky and imbuing the land’s creatures with newfound power and aggression that will likely tear everything asunder. The stakes are high, with Hyrule Castle crumbling away into dust as red streaks of energy bubble and burst into the landscape. I’m not even sure if Ganon is the one talking in the trailer’s opening seconds, convinced Nintendo is throwing out a red herring as the previous calamity prepares to play a far more pivotal role in the upcoming story.

Spirits have always played a big role in the lore of the Zelda series, and in Breath of the Wild, similar floating orbs of energy can be seen hovering around the various deceased characters you meet, such as King Rhoam. Since nothing interacts with these particular spirits, it's hard to say what their purpose in this game may

The final moments of the new trailer has Zelda asking an unknown entity to lend Link their power, followed immediately by a shot of the Hero of Time reaching out for the Princess as the ground beneath her gives way and she falls into oblivion. This particular sequence likely takes place in the opening hours beneath the ruins of Hyrule Castle, with Link and Zelda seeking out the remains of Calamity Ganon following his defeat. Nintendo has not been shy about showing his decaying corpse, radiating mythical dark energy as its hollow eye sockets lock onto whatever poor soul it encounters. And yet his role remains a mystery.

Our heroes spent so long saving Hyrule only to plunge it into turmoil a second time, and their relationship will soon be tested through tough decisions and sacrifices we are yet to see unfold. Heavy is the head that wears the crown, and the limbs forced to adopt ancient powers to overcome unknown evil. The hopeful melancholy this land boasted in previous years has been torn away, replaced by an intense apocalyptic veneer that it will likely be our duty to wipe away. Zelda is a damsel in distress no more, and Link is no longer an untouchable hero who can hold the entire world on his shoulders. Tears of the Kingdom must confront these changing circumstances, and judging from everything we’ve seen, it likely will.