Daily Debate: How Should Runes Be Handled In Tears Of The Kingdom?

It’s no secret by now that the Sheikah Slate runes will be making a triumphant return in Tears of the Kingdom this May, thanks to clips we’ve seen in the trailers released so far. It seems that for the foreseeable future, runes have become the primary method of progressing and solving puzzles, replacing items such as the hookshot from earlier titles.

The question is: how will they be handled going forward? Unlike traditional games, where items are unlocked throughout the story or midway through a dungeon, Breath of the Wild gave players access to nearly every rune right off the bat (not including the camera, which doesn’t help much with puzzles). They required very little effort to find, and personally, I feel it would have been more rewarding to unlock each rune as you progress through the game. For example, the game could have given players one of each of the four runes somewhere within each of the four Divine Beasts. This would allow players to familiarize themselves with the runes through puzzles within the Divine Beasts, and after completing them, it would reward players with new tools to use in the overworld, much like the older games whenever a new item is unlocked.

Do you think runes should be unlocked more gradually in Tears of the Kingdom? Or do you prefer having ever tool available right from the start? Let us know in the comments below!