The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Download) (Switch)

“Tears of the Kingdom” (TotK) ist eine der konsequentesten Weiterentwicklungen der Zelda Serie – und richtungsweisend für die Zukunft.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom zelebriert eine Serie, der Tradition genauso wichtig ist wie Lernfähigkeit. Das Ergebnis? Dass "Zelda" mehr ist als nur ein weiterer Franchise-Name.

Link ist zurück, und das besser als je zuvor! The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom nimmt das exzellente Grundgerüst des Vorgängers und setzt noch eins drauf: die neuen Fähigkeiten lassen noch viel mehr Möglichkeiten zum Experimentieren und Lösungswege für Rätsel, zusätzlich bieten die Inseln im Himmel Abwechslung zu der erdgebundenen Welt von Hyrule und laden damit ein, noch viel mehr zu erkunden. Nintendo hat es geschafft, sich nach Breath of the Wild wirklich noch einmal selbst zu übertreffen.

The temple puzzles may not reach the heights of older Zelda games and the complex controls require a learning curve, these minor setbacks pale in comparison to the grandeur and excitement that Tears of the Kingdom has to offer. It is a testament to the prowess of the developers and a must-play title for any fan of the Zelda franchise.

A terrific Breath of the Wild follow-up with some brilliant new systems, amazing views and more dungeon-type spaces, plus a slightly deadening emphasis on gathering resources.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is evocative, exhilarating, and a masterclass in open-world design.

I didn’t get the same goosebumps exploring Hyrule as I did in the past, but I did experience new emotions both on a granular level from solving individual puzzles and on a larger scale by going back to one of my favorite video game locations. They say you can never go home again, but I adored returning to Hyrule with all new tools.

As if it was really in doubt, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is another sublime entry in this series. It's not as thoroughly refreshing as Breath of the Wild was six years ago, but as a direct sequel, it takes the same world and manages to transform it with a new over and under world, while Link’s powerful new abilities foster ever-more creative play, and a new epic tragedy unfolds before you. As we head into the Nintendo Switch's twilight years, this is practically essential.

But the real kicker that helps separate Tears from Breath of the Wild is its big swing power set. I felt like I was in control at all times, and had the ability to create my own path. For a series known for sequence-breaking that’s not just a perk; it’s a strong argument for why Tears of the Kingdom will be talked about for years on end, and may even top some favorite Zelda lists.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a canvas for your own creativity, a book to write your own stories, a world to create your own legends. It gives you back as much as you put into it, and beckons you to soar, burrow, engineer, solve, adventure, and explore.