The launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom it’s been a memorable time for all Zelda fans, and I’ve loved seeing the fan base at work – whether they’re roasting koroks alive or building a tank in a cave with a box of leftovers. But when I picked up the Switch, I found that Tears of the Kingdom just didn’t do it for me. Instead, I played and thoroughly enjoyed an older game – Breath of the Wild.
Tears of the Kingdom begins on a series of air islands, similar to the Great Plateau in BOTW. Players learn how to navigate Link, earn skills like Fuse and Ultrahand, and finally enter the temple for a quick spiritual Skype session with Zelda. Unlike when I started getting used to the Great Plateau, I’ve been banging my head against the tutorial section for far too long Tears of the Kingdom. The vertical nature of the world, combined with the ambition of the game’s new tools, left me constantly lost.
This is largely due to my own personal weaknesses in spatial awareness and physics puzzles, sure, but it’s still aggravating. I had to go back to basics and do something like the famous Rocky training montage. Breath of the Wild was the perfect arena for that. While you absolutely do not have to play Breath of the Wild to jump in TearsI thought it would be a good way to refocus myself.
Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon
Instead of playing for a few hours Breath of the Wild and then back to Tears, as I meant, I’ve fallen in love with the older game all over again. While I spent my first few hours indoors Tears of the Kingdom struggling to make a car, in Breath of the Wild, I rolled a big rock down a hill and smashed some mischievous bokoblins. Sure, it’s simple, but it’s also really good to see a bokoblin get smeared by an unexpected boulder.
You can also roll a stone down a hill Tears of the Kingdom — but that’s just one of many options. You can also tie a missile to it, or use the stone as part of an intricate trebuchet device. The possibilities are so endless that they are distracting, especially since I have no technical skills.
Within a few hours Breath of the Wild, I had a blast of shield surfing and solving sanctuaries. I needed that 101 course before I could really appreciate the bullshit you can start with Tears of the Kingdom. I’ll be back to TOTK soon – I’m excited to combine my stronger fundamentals with the really ridiculous tools Tears offers its players. But for now, I’m enjoying my fun, easy journey through Hyrule. I never beat Calamity Ganon my first time. Maybe this is the playthrough where I finally save the kingdom.