The Untold Epic: Unveiling the Untapped Potential in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda takes an exciting turn towards an unstructured format, but missed a golden opportunity with Tears of the Kingdom inclusion Link's sacrifice of newfound powers and the boundless potential of Rauru's Hand could have been game-changing
Highlights
Nintendo's Tears of the Kingdom is a monumental achievement with a beautiful open world and refined gameplay, making it one of the Switch's best games.
Removing Link's fused arm in Tears of the Kingdom seems like a missed opportunity. It had the potential to contribute to future installments and enhance the game's open-ended philosophy. The presence of Rauru's arm opens up limitless possibilities and could have served as a gateway to introducing new abilities for Link, thus further developing the franchise's direction and maintaining its innovative nature.
Despite the many successful and popular titles in The Legend of Zelda series, Tears of the Kingdom by Nintendo stands out as a remarkable achievement. With its breathtaking open world, polished gameplay, and limitless potential for new ideas, it is undoubtedly one of the top games for the Switch platform. It is expected to endure the test of time, remaining relevant in the years and decades to come.
While the Sheikah Slate served as the driving force behind the tools and abilities in Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom takes a different approach. In this game, Link merges with Rauru's arm to acquire the abilities of a Zonai. This addition adds great value both in terms of mechanics and storytelling. However, the decision to ultimately remove this feature from Link's possession feels like a missed opportunity, as it held significant potential for future installments.
Link Sacrifices His Newfound Powers
In The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a notable element of the captivating storyline is the introduction of Link's new arm. This special arm is a gift from Rauru, the esteemed first king of Hyrule and leader of the Zonai tribe. With this arm, Link gains extraordinary abilities such as Fuse, Ascend, and Ultrahand, enhancing his navigation and enabling him to conquer various obstacles effortlessly. Nonetheless, as Tears of the Kingdom concludes, the characters bid farewell as they embark on their next inevitable adventure, with Link's arm returning to its original state.
It is not unexpected, considering that most Zelda games are not intricately interconnected, making it more convenient for Link to relinquish these powers to pave the way for fresh concepts in future installments. The series is renowned for its constant innovation and reluctance to adhere to a specific style or format for an extended period of time. However, with Zelda seemingly embracing a more open-ended approach going forward, it would have been logical for these abilities, or even some new ones, to reappear. Navigating through the vast expanse of Hyrule without these abilities would now feel immensely restrictive, given the newfound freedom they provide to players.
Rauru's Hand Granted Endless Possibilities
The abilities granted to Link at the start of Tears of the Kingdom are incredibly useful, serving to enhance traversal and exploration. However, they are more of a requirement than a luxury, meaning future iterations of the 2023 masterpiece must either include them or find suitable substitutes. One potential option is Rauru's arm, which could introduce new abilities in line with the setting of the next title and provide Link with greater strength beyond his traditional sword and shield. Throughout the franchise, Link has maintained the same skill set since the original game in 1986. As the series takes a new direction, now is the perfect opportunity to expand on Link's capabilities.
Moreover, Rauru's hand helps create a stronger connection between players and the rich history of Hyrule. While various incarnations of Link have traversed the land's storied past, none have been as deeply rooted in heritage as Rauru. Instead of returning the arm at the end of Tears of the Kingdom, it could have been an engaging and progressive choice to have Link retain it for a while and incorporate it into his character. Similar to Nero in Devil May Cry, a celestial arm presents interesting possibilities and gameplay advantages, ensuring that The Legend of Zelda remains fresh and exciting for years to come.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch.
