Everything we know about Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

It has been a while since Nintendo revealed that it is working on a sequel to Breath of the Wild. Anyway, fans of the franchise have had to be patient. BotW, a launch title for the Switch console, is already six years old. Only a few more nights of sleep and then it’s finally time. Tears of the Kingdom will be released on May 12. In this article you can read what is already known about Zelda so far.

Same folder, but not quite

No time jump or other reality just yet. TotK takes place in BotW’s Hyrule and you play as the same Link. Still, there is plenty of news to discover. In addition to the familiar hills, trails and villages (and the same Hyrule Castle, which was the focus of the previous game), there are two additional layers to discover. Islands float above Hyrule, completely new areas to explore. These islands have a look and feel that is separate from the world below. But that world is also in a new light. Gamers who have had the opportunity to playtest TotK have been impressed with how far ahead you can see from these new heights. Hyrule seemed infinite.

There is also a lot of news hiding under the surface. All of Hyrule appears to be undercut with tunnels, caves and caverns. And it’s dark. Link will have to bring enough torches. A leaked map (spoilers) clearly indicates that it is not about a few separate areas, but a completely new world.

But my old Link had unlocked everything…

It is a logical question, if I play the same Link as in BotW, will I start the new game with all powers, hearts, weapons and stamina? About! Link starts TotK with 20 hearts, but that doesn’t last long. We won’t tell you what exactly happens, you have to find out for yourself. But something happened is certain, and after the introduction you start again from scratch (well, three hearts), but this time in the clouds.

Dungeons are (sort of) back!

BotW was great, we can all agree on that. Still, if you have to complain about something, it’s the absence of the classic dungeons. The ‘shrines’ partly filled this gap, but it was not as usual. In TotK, Nintendo is looking for a middle ground that is apparently more like the ‘shrines’ of BotW, but appearances can be deceiving. After an initially similar entrance, the player must solve puzzles until access to a boss is unlocked.

No direct path to Ganon this time

Speedrunners almost passed out when they heard that in BotW, after you’ve done the tutorial, you could basically go straight to Ganon and finish the game. Taking down a seemingly immortal demigod barefoot with a rusty sword and a few branches may not seem like the best option, but it’s doable! So this time none of those frills. All main quests will have to be tapped this time. Although speedrunners will still find a way to deviate from this.

Does Link have a thing for dogs?

“Can you pet the dog?” is a question that gamers jokingly ask just about every developer, and many have joined in. Hugging dogs is important, also in games. But Nintendo disagrees. Also in TotK it is unfortunately not possible to pet a dog on the head. Very sad.

Then count down!

On May 12th it’s finally time, then after 6 long years we have a new Zelda game to lose ourselves in. The game will of course only be released for the Switch, and is available as a digital download and as a physical version.