Warning: This article contains spoilers for Tears of the Kingdom‘s opening area/tutorials…

Tears of the Kingdom is finally here! Many fans have spent the weekend entrenched in the new game, and the opening hours of the game are fascinating. Overall, the first hours of a game are very important; the opening areas of a game have to teach players the mechanics and design philosophies behind a game. A poor introduction can set a game up for failure, while a competent introduction hooks the player and prepares them for the challenges ahead.

With this in mind, what are your thoughts on the opening area/tutorials in Tears of the Kingdom? After a story-heavy prelude focused on Link and Zelda exploring beneath Hyrule Castle, the players is thrown into a tutorial area in the sky. The opening section of Tears of the Kingdom appears to be heavily influence by Breath of the Wild, with the initial sky area being extremely similar to the Great Plateau. Both areas are self-contained sections of the larger game world that teach the player new abilities. Both areas require the player to visit four shrines in order to progress. Finally, both areas features a spirit or ghost guiding Link through the tutorial area (King Rhoam in Breath of the Wild and Rauru in Tears of the Kingdom).

Overall, I think the opening area for Tears of the Kingdom is a solid introduction for the game, though I do think it is a little too long for my tastes. The game’s opening area gives the player plenty of opportunities to practice with the new abilities. I am particularly grateful for the opportunities to practice with the Ultrahand mechanic, which I found very challenging to use in the first few hours of my playthrough. I also enjoyed the aesthetics of the Sky Islands; the crumbling buildings and new Constructs give the area a palpable sense of mystery. One criticism I have for the tutorial area is how spread out the different shrines are. I understand that the developers want the player to explore this space gradually with their new abilities, but I felt that the developers could have have made it easier for players to get back to the open world by putting all of the shrines in the same place or closer together.

What did you think of the opening area/tutorial section of Tears of the Kingdom? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Sean Gadus

Sean Gadus is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon. His first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and he loves all of the 3D Zelda games from 1998-2011. The final battle of Tears of the Kingdom is one of his favorite final battles in the entire series. He wants to help build a kinder, more compassionate world.  You can check out his other written work at The-Artifice.com.