This past Christmas season, I decided to take a little time and play a game that its predecessor left me with an odd feeling. Breath of the Wild was so overwhelming that I hurried through the game and never returned. I knew that I needed to play Tears of the Kingdom, but it wasn’t until right before Christmas that I purchased a copy.

Ever since then, I have been playing TotK for a few hours every week, and it has been one of the most fun experiences that I have had on my Switch. Let’s talk about it.

Pros:

• I don’t really get what’s happening or how much time has passed in the storyline, but I find it incredibly engaging.
  • Ganon has become this relentless apocalyptic entity that leaves such a lasting impression on the player.
  • I like that the NPCs around Hyrule know just a little more than you or nothing at all. It engages the player in focusing on each conversation that you have.
• I like how mysterious the Zonai, the underground, and the “local phenomenon” are.
  • You are fed little bits and pieces from the locals, but the game forces the players to investigate for themselves, which makes the discovery even more memorable.
• The returning characters are all so enjoyable to have around for those smaller dungeon sections.
• I do not have much to go on, but I feel like the gameplay (especially the abilities) is more simplified, which I thoroughly enjoy.
  • The abilities this go around are fun to use, especially Ascend.
  • The puzzles that incorporate the abilities are some of the most fun.
• Exploration feels natural. I literally can do whatever I want in any way that I want. It is so fun getting lost in this game.
  • The boss dungeons are really well thought out with thought-provoking puzzles that do not lean on frustration like what I felt in Breath of the Wild.
  • The world of Hyrule has opened up so much, and with the inclusion of the underground and sky islands, there is so much to do.
    • The traversal is so simple and easy.
    • The towers that shoot Link up into the sky are my favorite aspect.
• Combat is just as fun, if not more, than the original game.
  • The ability to fuse items makes for loads of fun experimenting with weapons and arrow types.
  • The boss fights are colossal in scale and exciting to participate in.
    • I fought that flying thing 4 or 5 times because I enjoy the gliding so much.
• Puzzles, both the shrines and dungeons, again are really engaging, and I don’t think I was stuck on anyone long enough to look up the answer.
• Lastly, I thought the building mechanic would be annoying, but I really enjoy it.
  • It is so freeing to build whatever I want to in any scenario, and with Ultrahand, everything is intuitive.
  • items that can be combined are littered everywhere, so there’s never a moment when you are left in the middle of nowhere with nothing.

Cons:

• I still hate weapon durability as a joke.
• I hate that the avatars can sometimes get in your way when in combat, which makes for really sour game-overs.

Tears of the Kingdom deserves every award it got in 2023. It is a shame that it took me this long to play it, but I am probably enjoying it just as much as I would have if I bought it the day it was released. It is a perfect video game in every regard. From the story and the exploration to the combat, scope, and puzzles, everything in this game feels well thought out and executed perfectly.

THAT’S A 10/10 FROM ME