Multiple Media Outlets Go Hands-On With Tears of the Kingdom, New Gameplay Footage Released
Posted on April 26 2023 by Rod Lloyd
A few weeks ago, various video game media outlets and online influencers received the opportunity to go hands-on with Tears of the Kingdom. These gameplay demos took players from the surface we know from Breath of the Wild and into the skies above, as they explored the mysterious Sky Islands and experimented with the game’s new mechanics like Fuse and Unltrahand.
These gameplay demos largely take place in the same areas showcased during Eiji Aonuma’s gameplay demonstration from last month and involve a few of the same challenges from that showcase, such as players tasked to build a boat with Ultrahand to get across a body of water. But with so many different players finding their own unique ways to overcome the same challenge, we’re really starting to realize how much Tears of the Kingdom‘s systems will foster creativity and innovation. There seem to be many, many ways to complete the same task.
For example, during an early combat section where players were asked to storm a Bokoblin base to reach a goal, Game Informer opted to fight baddies with fused weapons and explosives, while GameSpot used a hot air balloon device to fly over the enemies completely.
IGN’s demo video features a few mechanics not seen in the others. For example, they demonstrate the return of the Travel Medallion (a DLC item from Breath of the Wild), which can serve as a mobile teleportation point that can be dropped anywhere and teleported to at any time.
There are quite a few noteworthy details coming out of these demos that I’m excited about. The demos introduce a so-called “Gum Ball Machine,” a gacha-like device that dispenses randomized Zonai parts when fed collected charges. Players will be able to save and summon created vehicles if they have the right materials. Cooking returns, this time with a handy recipe book and mobile cooking pots. Most items in a player’s inventory, like Chuchu Jellies, can be thrown directly at enemies. And while Breath of the Wild‘s Runes are yet to be seen, Bomb Flowers are shown to be in Tears of the Kingdom for all your exploding needs.
These gameplay demos also hint at new content not yet shown to the public. For example, Game Informer’s demo mentions that Tears of the Kingdom features a “streamlined way to build with Ultrahand,” but they could not go into detail. IGN meanwhile discussed a puzzle not shown in the gameplay footage in which players need to reunite a Korok with his friend across a gap — yes, Koroks and their seeds are back in Tears of the Kingdom.
Game Informer, when briefly mentioning a key item they collected to unlock new area, says that “there’s a lot about Tears of the Kingdom that we still don’t know.” Are traditional dungeons in Tears of the Kingdom being teased, as suggested by some outlets?
Dungeons in Zelda? i solved a puzzled and opened the entrance to one in the sky. Nintendo said “do not enter.” i can see inside and it looks mysterious and unlike anything in botw. but the true nature of dungeon design is still unknown to us. https://t.co/qPx3PIJH60
— Gene Park (@GenePark) April 26, 2023
There was so much shown and discussed in these gameplay demos that we’ll probably have enough to chew on until Tears of the Kingdom‘s release on May 12th. What did you think of the new gameplay footage? Did you spot any interesting details? What are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: Game Informer, GameSpot, IGN, GameXplain
Rod Lloyd is the Editor-In-Chief at Zelda Dungeon, overseeing the news and feature content for the site. Rod is considered the veteran of the writing team, having started writing for Zelda Informer in 2014 as a Junior Editor. After ZD and ZI officially merged in 2017, he stepped into the Managing Editor role and has helped steer the ship ever since. He stepped up to lead the writing team as Editor-In-Chief in 2023.
You can reach Rod at: rod.lloyd@zeldadungeon.net
