Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis an advancement of a format that has breathed new life into the veteran Nintendo IP. It’s an impressive feat of game design, adding more layers to the mapBreath of the Wildcreated, and taking advantage of the space even more to craft memorable experiences in the now-aging land of Hyrule.
However, given Nintendo has said that a third game in the same vein isn’t happening asZeldalooks to the future, the winning formula needs a new way to be used again. A ‘half-sequel’ likeSpider-Man: Miles MoralesorGod of War Ragnarok: Valhallacould fitTears of the Kingdomlike a glove, using its world-building and gameplay mechanics once again to keep players entertained until the next entry in the series, whatever it may be.
A half-sequel toTears of the Kingdomcan’t be expected to deploy a whole new map, nor can it recycle the old one if it wants to be truly memorable as more than just a DLC update, so putting exploration further into the background and the story more in the forefront could be a welcome compromise before the nextZeldagame does something different.
Breath of the Wild’s Ideas Have Proven to be Reusable
Tears of the Kingdomborrows liberally from its predecessor, 2017’sBreath of the Wild. The art style, gameplay, and map design is similar, but amplified, and a half-sequel could take the same idea, albeit shrunken down. To use near-identical structures on a smaller, more tightly-compact map could put story, characters, and pacing ahead of exploration, instead of the opposite, which has been a critique levied at the most recentZeldaofferings.
Breath of the Wild’s Eventide Islandis a perfect example of the formula not needing a big, open area to be exciting, as the limitations of the space are that side quest’s real strength. A half-sequel toTears of the Kingdomcan’t be expected to deploy a whole new map, nor can it recycle the old one if it wants to be truly memorable as more than just a DLC update, so putting exploration further into the background and placing the story more at the forefront could be a welcome compromise before the nextZeldagame does something different.
Zelda’s Gameplay Offers Endless Freedom, But 2023 was Packed With Great Games
The mechanics inTears of the Kingdommanage to facilitate even more player-generated amusement thanks to the Zonai devices, but the sheer scope of quality titles releases in 2023 may have meant some players didn’t get as much time with the game as they intended. A half-sequel that deploys the same gameplay could help justify going back to the latestZeldagame to have more fun with the gameplay in a project that is entirely new and released in a year that isn’t as crowded with must-play experiences likeSpider-Man 2andBaldur’s Gate 3.
Tears of the Kingdom’s Story is Ripe for More
To complimentTears of the Kingdomwith something that takes advantage of the story and world-building potential of the series would help to not only give players a fun new experience, but could also make the game feel like a far better product. Digging intothe Zonai or seeing through the eyes of Princess Zeldain a cutscene-heavy, densely written side story could be a welcome contrast to the 2023 game, which would often have players roam the land of Hyrule, its sky islands and the depths for hours on end before another story moment is unlocked.
The story inBreath of the Wildis great, but only splinters of it are given to players through the memoriesthat have to be tracked down across Hyrule.Tears of the Kingdommakes the narrative more prominent, but undoubtedly leaves room for more. The latter game digs into the history of the setting, and its conclusion alludes to a brighter future, so a half-sequel (or prequel) has more than enough room to maneuver and can more than justify another chapter in the tale without it negatively affecting any kind of timeline.
