The Legend of Zelda: Unveiling the Mystical Tears of the Kingdom's Sages - A Groundbreaking Leap into a Promising Future

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom takes the series to new heights by building upon the successful elements of Breath of the Wild. While the game seamlessly integrates mechanics from its predecessor, one aspect that could be improved upon in future entries is the utilization of the Sages. Although the Sages play a crucial role in the story, their limited presence on screen and lack of interactivity may not convey their significance.

The main objective in Tears of the Kingdom revolves around assembling the Sages scattered throughout Hyrule. This entails conquering each temple and vanquishing the Demon King's minions, who are responsible for causing hazardous phenomena in various regions. Each Sage possesses a unique ability that aids Link in completing their respective dungeons. However, the time spent with these Sages is brief, missing an opportunity to create Link's first true adventuring party. Nonetheless, this could be a focal point in a future installment.

Tears of the Kingdom's Sages Demonstrate the Need for a True Party of Heroes

In Tears of the Kingdom, the experience of exploring each main temple with the respective Sage is truly unique. However, the game falls short by limiting their companionship to these missions. Instead of allowing players to travel with the Sages after resolving the issues in their regions, Link can only summon an avatar of the Sage with their specific ability, lacking any trace of their personality. It would have been better if these characters joined Link on his adventure to gather the rest of the Sages, rather than mysteriously reappearing at the climax of the game.

The exception to this is the fifth Sage, Mineru. In order to recruit her, players must first construct a body for her at the Construct Factory. Afterward, Mineru's spirit, now inhabiting the construct, accompanies Link like the other Sages' avatars when summoned. This time, however, it is Mineru herself in spirit form who joins Link. While it makes sense that Breath of the Wild, a game that cultivates an atmosphere of isolation, features Link traveling alone, Tears of the Kingdom's emphasis on restoring Hyrule warrants more interaction with companions than it currently offers.

To enhance the gameplay experience in a future Zelda installment, building upon the Sage mechanics of Tears of the Kingdom could involve allowing Link to recruit companions who remain with him throughout the entire game. These companions would possess abilities similar to the Sages and their avatars, but there should also be an extensive social system in place, enabling players to interact with these characters and gain insight into their perspectives on the journey. Drawing inspiration from Persona, incorporating Social Links would provide an opportunity for players to strengthen their bonds with party members by engaging in specific activities together.

Following in the footsteps of Breath of the Wild's groundbreaking approach to open-world exploration, Tears of the Kingdom's contributions to crafting and sandbox physics, the next Zelda game could further refine the gameplay by introducing a unique party system. With voice acting already introduced in Breath of the Wild, it appears inevitable that social elements will eventually become a vital component of a Zelda game.

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