4.5/5 ★ – peacebrendanp's review of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

This game was a very long journey for me; there's a metaphor there somewhere, probably. I started the game in May of 2023, and completed the main quest of the game in December of 2023 after over 145 hours of playtime. It is easily the longest amount of time it has taken me to beat a game - I am talking in literal days, not in-game time. I think there are reasons for this that reflect some of my problems I have with the game, which ultimately reflect how my personal taste has changed over the years. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom doubles down on what The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild set out to do: create an ever-sprawling playground filled with fantasy, charm, and mystery. It wholly succeeds in doing this. The world is vast and dense. Which is why it took me so long to beat. This is probably why I picked it up and put it down so often between it's release and my completion of the game; it's an overwhelming game to an extent. And, I unfortunately wanted to get absorbed in the world. But, there were some things that didn't click with me, despite me finding them impressive. The game's combat is simple, and effective, but doesn't feel as good to me as other combat systems out there. That being said, it's always fun to try different fuse combinations out there, and watch as enemies can get hurled away after a successful flurry of hits. The Ultra Hand ability is the big power in the game, and while it is an easily impressive ability, I actually found myself annoyed to engage with the ability at times. I found it annoying that after fusing two items together, the ability would turn off, and then I would have to re-activate it to finish my creation. It's a very small gripe in the grand-scheme of the adventure, but one that I haven't seen too many other folks out there mention. Despite the Switch being a fairly limited console, the art style helps the game shine through, looking beautiful as ever. I can only imagine what a next-gen system from Nintendo could do to those load screens and environments. The vastness and density of the game is what has me feeling the most conflicted on my experience with my time spent. It's what originally enraptured me when I played Breath of the Wild, and they have expanded on the world greatly (maybe like 2.5x larger of a world). This time around, the additions are meaningful and substantial to the world. Whether it's the SkyIslands or the Depths, there is a ton of variety and lore to be explored. I also found this aspect of the game overwhelming this time around. This is more a reflection of my personal tastes, but I wanted to mention it, as it's how I felt at times throughout my time exploring Hyrule. Normally when I play a game, especially one I am excited for, I want to experience almost every facet the game offers. This game can be a challenging feat to do that with, if you want to accomplish it in a timely manner, or if you do not have large chunks of continuous time to do so. Despite the above pieces that didn't connect with me as much as others, the game is still a wonder. The story is extremely strong, and has some great twists and reveals. Certain world pieces that were just set-dressing in Breath of the Wild are given actual lore in Tears of the Kingdom (i.e. Dragons, though to more familiar players, this lore may already be established and explained. It was all new to me). The music is incredible, and while the voice acting is nothing groundbreaking as far as performances goes, it actually connected with me. There are two moments in particular that brought tears to my eyes, and gave me literal chills. The game is a must play, especially if you are a fan of Breath of the Wild. I think Breath of the Wild was an easier-to-digest game for me at the time, but I don't think it diminishes what Tears of the Kingdom has done. Despite some of the aspects that didn't connect with me in this game, I still think they are more-than-worthy additions, and I think this game accomplishes something quite grand. Tears of the Kingdom is a powder-keg of a game, one that offers some of the highest quality that games have to offer, with a level of quantity that is exceptional and hard to come-by. While the middle portion of my playthrough might have felt a bit like aimless meandering to me, the first and last third of my time with the game were exceptional and emotional. The ending of the game is most certainly one of the most epic endings in anime history. This is a ballad of a game. A grand odyssey. A legend of an experience (winky face). Console Played On: Nintendo Switch Game Played: 05/2023 - 12/2023. Review Written and Published: 12/18/2023.