Revolutionizing Gameplay: The Purah Pad Takes Over Sheikah Slate in Zelda

The release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom introduces a new gameplay mechanic, the Purah Pad, which replaces the Sheikah Slate from its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Fans of the series wondered if the Sheikah Slate would make a comeback in the sequel, but Nintendo has managed to balance the necessary mechanics resulting in the introduction of the Purah Pad.

The Purah Pad appears to be a reverse-engineered version of the Sheikah Slate, and given that Tears of the Kingdom is set after the events of Breath of the Wild and focuses on the Zonai instead of the Sheikah, it seems like an appropriate replacement. The Purah Pad retains most of the Sheikah Slate's functions, such as accessing the world map, taking pictures, and recording in-game lore. However, the Purah Pad is slightly limited in comparison to the Sheikah Slate, which works well with the new mechanics of Tears of the Kingdom.

Link's Gear and Abilities Kept Pace With Gameplay in Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Prior to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Link's abilities were solely granted by the Sheikah Slate, providing a stark contrast to the focus on ancient technology gone wrong in Zelda: Breath of the Wild. However, with the defeat of Calamity Ganon and the return of Hyrule to some semblance of normality, Link no longer required the Sheikah Slate or its abilities.

Yet, a sequel would require these abilities and functions integral to the player's experience of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Reintroducing and expanding upon them would prove technically and narratively challenging. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom faced a dilemma of needing the Sheikah Slate but being unable to add it. Instead, the solution was to create a lite version of the Sheikah Slate, with its most advanced features removed, allowing Link's new arm to take up the slack.

Tied to the Zonai and Gloom narratives in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the absence of the Sheikah Slate presented a greater challenge for players. However, new abilities were introduced that not only sidestepped the need for the Slate but also gave Link more power at the palm of his hand. The Purah Pad made up for any remaining essential mechanics between the two games, ensuring a seamless gameplay experience.

The absence of the Sheikah Slate and the introduction of Link's arm in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has brought about a significant change in gameplay. It has posed new challenges in solving problems such as crossing large bodies of water with Cryonis and utilizing infinite bombs. The Purah Pad now takes over key mechanics, requiring players to adapt to Link's new abilities by fully utilizing Fuse for weapons and vehicles, collecting resources, and mastering the art of rewinding time.

However, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom delivers a fresh gameplay experience while retaining enough of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's design to feel like a natural progression. For example, Link's Ultrahand ability is an upgrade to the former Magnesis. The Purah Pad also helps with this, serving as a one-to-one parallel to the Sheikah Slate in all aspects except for Link's abilities. Ultimately, the Purah Pad strikes the perfect balance of accommodating Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's mechanics alongside Link's new arm and blending into the game's lore as it moves away from the Sheikah and onto the Zonai. You can now play The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Nintendo Switch.