The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom feels like a giant playpen where players can run around like a bunch of kids and cause mayhem in the best way possible. A new set of powers and items allow Link to build everything from skateboards to twisted devices that torture Koroks. Combine that with a vast world, and Tears of the Kingdom gives players ample opportunity to experience the world in different ways. However, this freedom comes with certain obligations: players must complete dungeon-like shrines to upgrade Link, and it limits the way people play the game – for better or for worse.
Link has two main stats Tears of the Kingdom: hearts (which determine how much damage he can take) and Stamina (which determines how long Link can run, climb, swim, or slide). Together, these two stats play an integral role in how each person experiences the game. More hearts or a larger stamina wheel make routine activities like combat and exploration more manageable. It can make the difference between being killed in one hit or surviving, or allowing you to glide or climb enough to reach a destination. While there are ways around these limitations – enhanced armor can improve Link’s defenses and Zonai devices can help Link scout – in general these two stats have a major impact on a player’s ability to ascend and circumnavigate Hyrule .
Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon
With the exception of some hearts that you can get by playing the main series, you can only upgrade these traits by completing miniature dungeons called sanctuaries. Defeating a shrine will reward you with a Light of Blessing, and you can spend four on a heart container or part of the stamina wheel. Each shrine functions as a small dungeon with a small puzzle – or series of puzzles – to solve. While some shrines may have tricky puzzle solutions, none of them extend the length of a temple.
There’s a lot to love about this particular system. Some shrines act as tutorials that teach players how to interact with the world. Instead of dumping information on how to use each individual Zonai device at the start of the game, players gradually integrate knowledge after completing dozens of shrines. This is especially important in Tears of the Kingdom because in the beginning you don’t know how to use all the items or make complicated machines with Zonai devices. In addition to its functionality, it is also flexible. If you’re struggling with a particular shrine, you can just skip it. There are so many sanctuaries that skipping a bit here and there won’t break your stats.
But since you’re not a cheated speedrunner, this system also limits how you can play this adventure in the open world. Two of Link’s vital stats are tied to completing shrines, which can feel inflexible for players more motivated by exploration. When starting Tears of the Kingdom, the cavernous darkness of the Depths area absolutely captivated me. I liked how challenging the exploration was and I felt the excitement of big, evil creatures looming in the dark. And while I found myself just really loving my time there, I eventually had to discipline myself and force myself to do shrines. Link’s health just wasn’t up to par, especially considering that the gloom in the depths can temporarily steal hearts.
I don’t think the developers should remove sanctuaries, or that sanctuaries are bad. But the current shrine system limits how people can enjoy the game, as it’s a de facto requirement for anyone looking to add to Link’s hearts or stamina. When players don’t get the same types of rewards for activities like exploring the overworld, it becomes more difficult to play the game with only exploration in mind. Likewise, if someone is more interested in building cool Zonai machines or just turning Hyrule into a horse simulator game – or isn’t interested in sanctuaries for any other reason – they’re out of luck.
Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo
Previous Zelda games rewarded additional exploration by allowing players to collect heart pieces in chests around the world – a feature that was absent in previous Zelda games. Tears of the Kingdom. Other adventure games also offer no-die or no-damage modes where players can purely run around the world. On the other hand, Nintendo developers seem determined to let all its players go ahead and solve the shrines.
Critics of this idea might rightly point out that dungeons are a defining feature of the Legend of Zelda games. This only problem is that the vastness and openness of Tears of the Kingdom has already eclipsed this idea. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and now Tears of the Kingdom and its new sandbox mechanics, dramatically grew what Zelda could be. Zelda is exploring. Zelda builds ridiculous robots. Zelda collects and cooks. It’s dress up Link in cute outfits and take pictures. And for some, Zelda may not complete dozens of shrines.