Daily Debate: How Does Tears of the Kingdom Measure Up to the Rest of the Zelda Series?
Posted on June 01 2023 by Chakell Herbert
Spoiler Warning: The comments section in this article may contain spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Having put hours and hours into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, with still so many unknowns to discover, I have been wondering, does it measure up to the rest of the series — to my favorite Zelda games in the past?
As I have traversed Hyrule’s mainland, skies, and depths, with still so much to unveil, I have been awed at how much turf there is to discover in this game. Although I enjoyed Breath of the Wild so much, there were times when the fresh take on open-world Zelda didn’t quite connect me to the spirit of past games in the series. But I feel like Tears of the Kingdom has taken the new elements Breath of the Wild brought to the table and perfected it into one massive, phenomenal Zelda adventure that has brought me back to what I love about the series.
From the new take on dungeons (which are different than classic ones, yes, but have so many elements of old and new that they work perfectly), to the wholesome characters, from the small increments of classic Zelda tunes that Link hums while cooking, to the deep, moving story, I think Tears of the Kingdom is already crushing its place in the Zelda universe (in the best way).
Sure, sometimes I do miss the classic linear plots of some of my favorite games like Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker. But I believe Tears of the Kingdom takes all we love about this series and fits it into the modern world. I can’t wait to see even more of this expanded Hyrule in my first play-through (it never ends!), and where Nintendo decides to take the series after this masterpiece. This game is top notch for me.
What about you? Is Tears of the Kingdom measuring up to your standards of Zelda? Let me know in the comments!
Chakell (pronounced shuh-kell) is an associate editor for Zelda Dungeon! She has loved The Legend of Zelda series since she was a little girl because of its equal mix of princesses, besting bad guys, and heartfelt stories. Chakell lives in the overall tame state of Utah, but holds onto her childhood hopes to find an adventure in her backyard one day. She has a degree in English and is a full-time editor for a magazine. You can usually find her gaming (obviously), laughing with her husband, taking a long time to tell stories because she keeps getting distracted; getting sucked into books and podcasts; or snuggling her cute Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
