A recently recurring puzzle motif in The Legend of Zelda series is collecting various “Tears.” This collection style puzzle first appeared in Twilight Princess as the Tears of Light, a quest in which you had to scour a brand new area of the dark and gritty Twilight Realm, hunting down Twilit Insects for their Tears. This puzzle mechanic returned in Spirit Tracks in the Tower of Spirits, though there were less tears, to aid you against battling the various Phantoms during your ascent. Collecting tears again makes an appearance as the Sacred Tears in Skyward Sword’s Silent Realms, and this version focuses heavily on stealth to avoid the ever watchful guardians and rewards Link with a new ability. The Tears of Light also make a cameo appearance in Hyrule Warriors as item cards, along with their counterpart, Tears of Twilight, and are used to interact with the DLC Twilight Princess adventure map.

I love sneaking through the Silent Realm in Skyward Sword and trying my best not to get caught by the oppressive guardians therein, but, for me, there is just nothing quite like hunting down and gnawing on parasitic bugs using your animalistic senses in Twilight Princess. Which of these quests was your favorite? Which puzzle did you find challenging or too easy? Should this style of puzzle come back in future Zelda games? Let us know what you think in the comments!

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