Skip to main content

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Tears of Kingdom could end up being one of the best games ever made, with unparalleled exploration that offers freedom and creativity on a scale never before seen.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Game Cover
93%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
character development, monetization
94% User Score Based on 130 reviews
Critic Score 96%Based on 66 reviews

Platforms

Nintendo Switch
Buy Nowfrom $60
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Game Cover

About

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a single player open world role playing game with fantasy, anime and science fiction themes. It was developed by Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 3 and was released on May 12, 2023. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

In "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" for Nintendo Switch, players embark on an epic adventure across Hyrule's landscapes and floating islands in the sky as they decide their own path. Following "Breath of the Wild," Link's new abilities must be harnessed to combat malevolent forces threatening the kingdom. This sequel encourages imagination and exploration, with players fighting against darkness in a vast world.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom screenshot
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom screenshot
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom screenshot
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom screenshot
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom screenshot
Skip User Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 130 reviews
story16 positive mentions
monetization3 negative mentions
  • Stunning graphics and immersive world design that brings Hyrule to life, encouraging exploration and discovery.
  • Captivating storytelling with well-developed characters and emotional depth, enhancing player engagement.
  • Innovative gameplay mechanics that balance accessibility and complexity, offering a variety of challenges and creative solutions.
  • Some players find the game mechanics limiting and frustrating, particularly regarding weapon durability and inventory management.
  • The game can feel too similar to its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, leading to mixed feelings about originality.
  • Initial difficulty spikes and slow progression can be off-putting for new players, making the early game feel challenging.
  • story
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" is widely praised for its emotional depth, captivating narrative, and immersive world-building, which expands significantly on the foundations laid by "Breath of the Wild." Players appreciate the unique quests and character development, although some note that certain story elements feel similar to its predecessor. Overall, the game delivers a rich and engaging experience that keeps players invested in the journey to save Hyrule.

    • “Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an absolute masterpiece that combines breathtaking visuals, captivating storytelling, and immersive gameplay to deliver an unforgettable gaming experience.”
    • “The storyline in Tears of the Kingdom is gripping and emotionally resonant.”
    • “With Tears of the Kingdom, they made the world so much more immersive with new storylines, quests, and NPC interactions.”
    • “Story is a bit worse.”
    • “But if you're here for a captivating story and a myriad of dungeons and what have you as a typical Zelda fan usually is, it's not really worth it.”
    • “There are some story elements I would have added or changed, but I'm not disappointed with the story as it is.”
  • gameplay
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" is praised for its polished and intuitive mechanics, offering a rich blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat that enhances the open-world experience. While the new crafting mechanics may present a learning curve, the game successfully expands upon its predecessor with innovative features and a vast world that encourages diverse play styles. Overall, players find the gameplay immersive and engaging, contributing to an unforgettable gaming experience.

    • “What sets Tears of the Kingdom apart is its gameplay mechanics, which strike the perfect balance between accessibility and depth.”
    • “The gameplay mechanics are polished and intuitive, offering a perfect blend of exploration, puzzle-solving, and epic battles.”
    • “It expands the open-world formula of Breath of the Wild with new features, mechanics, and surprises that will keep you hooked for hours.”
    • “Honestly, I cannot think of anything overwhelmingly negative about this game besides how limiting some of the game mechanics are, but that is more of a system issue than a game issue.”
    • “I will admit it definitely takes a while to get used to the new mechanics.”
    • “The new crafting mechanics have a learning curve (especially if you played a lot of Breath of the Wild), and there is so much to do it's difficult to focus on one task.”
  • graphics
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in "Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" are widely praised for their stunning quality and meticulous attention to detail, creating immersive environments that enhance the overall gaming experience. While some players note that the visuals are similar to its predecessor, "Breath of the Wild," they still feel fresh and engaging, contributing to the game's status as a masterpiece. Overall, the combination of great graphics and captivating storytelling has left a lasting impression on players.

    • “The graphics are nothing short of stunning, with each environment meticulously crafted to perfection.”
    • “The graphics in Tears of the Kingdom are stunning.”
    • “Excellent graphics, awesome game!”
    • “I continually get upset over how little Nintendo puts into graphics, but my gosh did they make this an incredibly fun game.”
    • “With each new game, we looked forward to new adventures and better graphics.”
  • emotional
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of "Tears of the Kingdom" is highlighted by its gripping storyline and emotionally resonant themes, particularly during the final boss fight, which adds to the overall satisfaction. Players find the narrative to be both captivating and evocative, centered around a compelling mystery that enhances the emotional experience.

    • “The storyline in Tears of the Kingdom is gripping and emotionally resonant.”
    • “The main story was emotional, and the final boss fight was incredibly satisfying.”
    • “An emotionally evocative story that revolves around a central, captivating mystery.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is highlighted as expansive and intricately crafted, particularly in comparison to previous titles in the series. While the lush landscapes and detailed character designs enhance the experience, the limited voice acting may detract from fully realizing the characters' depth.

    • “The story is the most expansive of any other Zelda title, focusing heavily on character development, much like Breath of the Wild.”
    • “From lush landscapes to intricate character designs, every detail is beautifully crafted, bringing the world of Hyrule to life.”
    • “The character arcs are deeply engaging, allowing players to form a strong connection with each character as they evolve throughout the game.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
    • “While the story is expansive, the limited voice acting detracts from the character development experience.”
    • “I expected more from the character arcs; they seem underdeveloped compared to other titles in the series.”
  • monetization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users appreciate that the monetization model does not rely heavily on ads from gaming companies, which enhances the overall experience.

    • “I thought it would be filled with ads from gaming companies before I received my product, but that wasn't the case!”
    • “The monetization model feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending extra money.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is generally solid, though players report experiencing occasional, brief performance hitches.

    • “There are occasional, very brief performance hitches that disrupt the gameplay experience.”
    • “The game suffers from inconsistent frame rates, making it hard to enjoy the action.”
    • “I frequently encounter long loading times that really break the immersion.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is noted for its seamless integration with emotional elements, enhancing the overall immersive experience. However, some players feel that the humor caters primarily to a younger audience, suggesting it may not resonate with all fans of the franchise.

    • “The game seamlessly blends moments of humor, heartache, and heroism, creating a truly immersive experience that tugs at your heartstrings.”
    • “Good game, you just need the mind of a 12-year-old Minecraft/Gmod player to make it funny and enjoyable.”
  • music
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised as a masterpiece, effectively enhancing the emotional depth of the gameplay and narrative. Players appreciate the fresh musical elements alongside new mechanics, highlighting the game's evolution from a DLC to a standalone title.

    • “The musical score is a masterpiece in its own right, evoking a range of emotions that perfectly complement the gameplay and story.”
    • “The music is wonderful, and the new mechanics are really fun. I can see why this game started as a DLC and was decided to be its own game.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users report a stable experience with no glitches encountered, and the presence of quality guides for quests and shrines enhances gameplay. However, there is a suggestion to prioritize official methods over shortcuts or unofficial tactics.

    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes.”
    • “I've experienced consistent performance throughout my playtime.”
    • “No glitches so far.”
    • “Guides are naturally present for all quests, shrines, etc., and are of decent quality, though perhaps sticking with the official way rather than shortcuts, glitches, or similar 'unofficial' ways to play.”
  • replayability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users generally feel that "Tears of the Kingdom" (TotK) lacks significant replayability, with many expressing that they are unlikely to start a new game from scratch, especially in comparison to "Breath of the Wild" (BotW).

    • “The last thing I'll say is I don't think 'Tears of the Kingdom' has a lot of replay value, meaning I won't start a new game from scratch like I have with 'Breath of the Wild'.”
Skip Critic Reviews

96%Critics’ scoreBased on 66 critic reviews
Skip Game Offers

Buy The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Games Like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Ori and the Will of the Wisps Image
93%55kreviews

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

2020Platformer
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+9
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC Image
96%3kreviews

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC

2015Role Playing
Playstation 3PCWindows+3
ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights Image
91%11.4kreviews

ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights

2021Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchXbox Series X|SPC+8
Octopath Traveler 2 Image
90%7kreviews

Octopath Traveler 2

2023Open World Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchPlaystation 5Playstation 4+10
Octopath Traveler Image
85%8.3kreviews

Octopath Traveler

2019Role Playing
Nintendo SwitchEpic GamesPlaystation 5+13
More games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Skip Game News

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Story Was “Held Back” for Age of Imprisonment

January 5 on gamingbolt.com
Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a open world role playing game with fantasy, anime and science fiction themes.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available on Nintendo Switch.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released on May 12, 2023.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was developed by Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 3.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players and overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its character development.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a single player game.

Similar games include Ori and the Will of the Wisps, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC, ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights, Octopath Traveler 2, Octopath Traveler and others.