The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review (Nintendo Swicth OLED)

by Jim Smale · Published May 31, 2023 · Updated May 30, 2023

For this The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review, we embark on a perilous quest to unravel the truth behind a cataclysmic event that has sent the kingdom into turmoil. We have to decide our own path through the sprawling landscapes of Hyrule and the mysterious islands floating in the vast skies above.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review Pros:

Beautiful graphics.
16.3GB download size.
Action adventure gameplay.
Opening and ongoing tutorial pop-ups as you play.
Controller settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders, and swap jump buttons.
Amiibo support.
Gameplay settings – lock mini-map to North, Hud mode set to normal or pro (minimal info), and message window transparency.
Save and load when you want.
Gyro controls can be turned on and off.
In-game cutscenes.
Next-level lighting.
Familiar controls.
You can skip the cutscenes and fast-forward interactions.
Items that drop from enemies, found in cheats, or in the world will show as question marks until you pick them up for the first time.
Each weapon has a power score.
Stamina-based system for running, jumping, climbing, and swimming.
Handy quick dial menu for weapon and item selection.
Lock on button for combat and is optional.
Weapons will show a green or red arrow before you even pick them up.
Purah Pad – showing the map, adventure log, and album initially then you unlock more.
The map allows you to tag and mark it with many different icons.
Enchanting soundtrack.
Weapons can break.
Physics plays a huge part from your building to items rolling down the hill.
Day and night cycle.
Click on any food item and you get a list of recipes you have learned and their ingredients.
Cook at fires to make food better.
All new abilities – the first one you get allows you to grab and attach items together.
Puzzle elements throughout.
The Hud shows the current temperature and how much noise you are making.
Look through your Purah pad and lay down markers.
Fuse is a power where you can fuse items to weapons like attach a rock to a sword or add wood to a shield. Anything you do fuse-wise adjusts the power score.
Discoveries are hidden areas and are usually caves or Caverns.
Arrows can be messed with by attaching items and materials into them like bombs, fire, food even.
Discovered shrines can then be used as fast travel points.
Stealth and break in new horses to have a mount you can call.
The weather plays an effect from hot and cold to rain stopping you from climbing and thunder striking you if you have metal on you.
Menus are a lot more streamlined.
Korok seeds are back and they are hidden little beings you get and can get unique rewards.
Korok handler will get into predicaments where you have to reunite him with his friend.
Many ways to solve a puzzle or travel the land.
Enemies will alert more enemies to turn up if you don’t stop them in time.
Beautiful locations.
Familiar controls.
Set fire to the grass or trees and it will spread.
In combat, you can parry attacks, dodge, and backflip and if you time it right you get an opening and do a flurry attack.
Completing a trial (dungeon) heals you and gives you a pure light globe reward.
You can still cut the grass down and find things.
Boss battles can happen anywhere in the world.
Signposts. You will come across a guy holding up signs and if you build a stand to hold the sign still you get a load of rewards.
Magical white ghost-like rabbit Spirits inhabit the land and shooting it will drop rupees, they act like treasure goblins in Diablo.
Building deposits are all over the world to help.
All the building and creating is next level with an easy snap-to-attach system and you can build vehicles, build structures, bridges, etc.
The creature will fly around and have crates/chests on them which they drop upon death.
A lot of optional side quests/scenarios that you can stumble upon.
Build flying vehicles.
Enemies and bosses can just roam the world.
Buy and sell items for rupees.
The world feels alive with fights breaking out and random encounters, people traveling around, etc.
Pony Club is where you earn points for staying the night, a point for using the stables, and a point for first discovering the stable. You earn rewards for every X amount of points.
Customisation rewards from your horse and new additions like the ability to hook up carts and wagons to your horse.
Dogs – feed them and look after them and they will follow you and help point out treasure.
Blocks of stone can randomly drop from the sky.
You get rewarded for exploring.
Find and equip new clothing from trousers to tops to masks and hats. They can improve your armor or give hot/cold benefits.
Very addictive.
Everyone will have a different experience.
You can take in-game screenshots that show Co ordinates that you can then share with friends.
The game actively encourages you to build magnificent structures and vehicles however you see fit, Or not.
Parts like lasers, fire or fans require power so you have to find power fuses to use them.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review Cons:

Same location as last time.
Early on aside from a few new bits the game feels the same as before.
Managing pins and markers on the map is still a pain in the ass.
The loading screens are just ugly to look at.
A lot of loading screens.
Cooking is still a pain and overly fiddly.
So easy to kill yourself.
The whole sign Post events start to feel the same especially as you can use the same structure on each one.
Still annoying that you don’t talk.
It feels like it rains a lot.

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