Jump to content

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Breath of the Wild 2)

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Developer(s)Nintendo EPD[a]
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Hidemaro Fujibayashi
Producer(s)Eiji Aonuma
Designer(s)
  • Yohei Fujino
  • Yasutaka Takeuchi
  • Mari Shirakawa
Programmer(s)Takahiro Okuda
Artist(s)Satoru Takizawa
Writer(s)
  • Akihito Toda
  • Naoki Mori
Composer(s)
  • Manaka Kataoka
  • Maasa Miyoshi
  • Masato Ohashi
  • Tsukasa Usui
  • Hajime Wakai
SeriesThe Legend of Zelda
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch
ReleaseMay 12, 2023
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom[b] is a 2023 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The player controls Link as he searches for Princess Zelda and fights to prevent Ganondorf from destroying Hyrule. Tears of the Kingdom retains the open-world gameplay and setting of its predecessor, Breath of the Wild (2017), and features new environments, including an area composed of floating islands in the sky and an underground area beneath Hyrule known as the Depths. The player has access to various devices that aid in combat or exploration and can be used to construct vehicles.

Tears of the Kingdom was conceived after ideas for Breath of the Wild downloadable content had exceeded its scope. Development was led by Nintendo's Entertainment Planning & Development division, with Breath of the Wild director Hidemaro Fujibayashi and producer Eiji Aonuma reprising their roles. The developers were inspired by social media posts to create gameplay mechanics that encouraged experimentation and sometimes struggled to differentiate the sequel from its predecessor. A teaser was shown at E3 2019, while a full reveal featuring gameplay was shown at E3 2021. Tears of the Kingdom was originally planned for release in 2022, but was delayed until May 2023 to allow the developers to refine it.

Like its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom received universal acclaim, with critics praising the expanded world, new powers, scale, and story, with minor criticism for its technical performance. It sold more than 10 million copies in its first three days of release and over 20.80 million copies by June 2024, making it the ninth-best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch.

Gameplay

[edit]
The player can build various contraptions to explore the in-game world or solve puzzles.

Tears of the Kingdom retains the open-world action-adventure gameplay of Breath of the Wild (2017).[1][2] As Link, the player explores the main setting of Hyrule and two new areas: the sky, which has several floating islands, and the Depths, a vast underground area beneath Hyrule. Link can climb, ride horses, or use a paraglider to soar through the air.[3][4] Characters and locations from Breath of the Wild were kept and modified to fit the game's story.[5]

The sky is an area composed of several floating islands that contain puzzles, treasure, and enemies and bosses.[1][2] The Depths is a dark region that requires items to illuminate and contains treasures as well as hazards such as lava and gloom, a harmful substance that reduces Link's maximum hearts until the player removes this effect by returning to the surface of Hyrule.[3] Tears of the Kingdom features several dungeons that contain puzzles and bosses, similar to previous entries in the Zelda franchise.[2][5] The four main dungeons, the Water Temple, Wind Temple, Fire Temple, and Lightning Temple,[6] must be completed to advance the story.[3]

Tears of the Kingdom introduces Zonai devices, which can be used for combat, exploration, or solving puzzles as well as to construct vehicles, such as rockets, sleds, and fans. Breath of the Wild's Sheikah Slate-based abilities have been replaced with five new powers: Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend, Recall, and Autobuild.[3][7] Ultrahand allows the player to pick up and move different objects or attach them together, which can be used with Zonai devices to create vehicles and constructs.[7] Fuse allows the player to combine materials, equipment, or other objects in the world to a shield or weapon. For example, fusing a rocket to Link's shield allows him to fly through the air.[4][5] Recall can be used on an object to rewind its movement, such as by rewinding a falling rock in an upwards direction.[4][7] Ascend allows the player to move upwards through solid surfaces, granting them access to previously inaccessible areas. Autobuild instantly recreates a device crafted with Ultrahand, automatically using nearby devices and objects if available, or if parts are missing, creating replacements at the cost of a material called zonaite.[7][8]

Shrines and Korok seeds return from Breath of the Wild.[3] Shrines are located across Hyrule and grant Lights of Blessing when cleared. Once the player obtains four Lights of Blessing, they can spend them at a Goddess Statue to increase Link's maximum hearts or stamina.[9] Korok seeds can be traded to increase his inventory capacity, allowing him to hold more melee weapons, shields, or bows.[10] The new recipe system allows the player to keep track of ingredients needed to make meals or elixirs.[11]

Plot

[edit]

Tears of the Kingdom takes place years after Breath of the Wild, at the end of the Zelda timeline.[12] Link and Zelda set out to explore the cavern beneath Hyrule Castle, from which a poisonous substance called gloom has been seeping out and causing people to fall ill. There, they find murals depicting the founding of Hyrule and a subsequent conflict known as the Imprisoning War—an ancient battle against a being referred to as the "Demon King"—which Zelda believes to be related to the mysterious Zonai race. Upon venturing deeper, they discover a mummy being restrained by a disembodied arm. The mummy awakens and attacks Link and Zelda; in the aftermath, Link's right arm is wounded and the Master Sword is shattered. Hyrule Castle is raised into the sky, and Zelda falls into the depths below; as Link tries to catch her, she vanishes along with a mysterious artifact. Link is rescued by the arm and awakens on the Great Sky Island to find that it has replaced his damaged limb. He meets the spirit of Rauru, a Zonai and the source of his new arm, who helps him traverse the Great Sky Island. Once Link reaches his destination, the shattered Master Sword vanishes and he returns to the surface below.

There, he learns that the event in the cavern, known as the Upheaval, has wrought chaos upon Hyrule, and he sets out to investigate reports of strange phenomena throughout the kingdom. Link ventures into ancient Zonai temples alongside his allies; Sidon, the prince and later king of the Zora; Tulin, a young Rito archer and son of Teba, a past ally of Link's; Yunobo, a Goron and now president of the YunoboCo mining company; and Riju, the chief of the Gerudo. After defeating the monsters that have taken over the temples, they find artifacts called secret stones that contain the spirits of sages from ancient times, who appoint Link's allies as their successors and grant them their secret stones. After numerous sightings of Zelda throughout Hyrule, Link finds her at Hyrule Castle, where she reveals herself to be Phantom Ganon, a servant of the Demon King, Ganondorf, who disguised itself as her. After defeating Phantom Ganon, he sets out to find Mineru, the last of the ancient sages, who remains in the physical world via spiritual projection, and helps create a mechanical body for her spirit to inhabit.

Through Mineru and the ancient sages, as well as from items called Dragon's Tears scattered across Hyrule, Link learns of Zelda's fate. The artifact she encountered was a secret stone that transported her to the distant past, where she met Rauru, Hyrule's first king, and Sonia, its first queen. After Ganondorf killed Sonia and used her secret stone to become the Demon King, Rauru appointed his older sister Mineru, Zelda, and the leaders of the Zora, Rito, Gorons, and Gerudo as sages. With their help, Rauru fought the Demon King and sacrificed himself to seal him away. Later, Zelda received the shattered Master Sword from the future and tasked the sages with aiding Link once Ganondorf reawakened. In order to repair the Master Sword, she swallowed her secret stone and underwent the process of draconification, becoming the immortal Light Dragon.

In the present, after ridding the Great Deku Tree from gloom in Korok Forest, Link retrieves the Master Sword from the Light Dragon and heads to Hyrule Castle to confront Ganondorf. With help from Sidon, Tulin, Yunobo, Riju, and Mineru, Link battles an army of monsters before engaging in combat with Ganondorf himself. Nearing defeat, Ganondorf swallows his secret stone and becomes the Demon Dragon in a final attempt to kill Link. With help from the Light Dragon, Link uses the Master Sword to shatter the Demon Dragon's secret stone, killing it. The spirits of Rauru and Sonia help Link return Zelda to normal and restore his right arm before fading away as he and Zelda fall to the surface. Some time later, on the Great Sky Island, Mineru bids farewell to Zelda and Link before fading away, while the new sages vow to protect Hyrule.

Development

[edit]
Like Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom was produced by Eiji Aonuma.

Development of Tears of the Kingdom began after the completion of Breath of the Wild. The developers had thought of several features to include as downloadable content (DLC) for Breath of the Wild, but the sheer number of ideas inspired them to create a new game instead.[13][14] As with its predecessor, Tears of the Kingdom was developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Planning & Development (EPD) division, Production Group Number 3, and was directed by Hidemaro Fujibayashi and produced by Eiji Aonuma.[15][16] While he was shown early demos, the role of Zelda creator Shigeru Miyamoto was minimized due to scheduling conflicts as he was producing The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023). He was credited as "general producer", the same position he had held in the series since the late 2000s.[17]

Aonuma stated that the development team sought to create something new while retaining the overall concept, but realized that some aspects were "already as they should be". Technical director Takuhiro Dohta cited Wii Sports Resort as an inspiration when adding new mechanics, also noting that using familiar locations is useful for players when skydiving.[18] Aonuma also cited the open world games Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.[19][20][21] The team also expanded the world to include the sky and underground. Aonuma referred to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, noting that its hardware limitations prevented a seamless descent from the sky to the surface; instead, Link was limited to diving from specific points. With the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch, Tears of the Kingdom allowed players to traverse a world connected both horizontally and vertically.[17]

Due to its similarity to Breath of the Wild, the developers experienced "strong déjà vu". Aonuma reiterated that the development team wanted to create something original while also being similar to the previous game, realizing some aspects "were already as they should be". Fujibayashi added the team would occasionally struggle to differentiate between the games.[22] Tears of the Kingdom reintroduced dungeons to the series, which are connected to Hyrule's surface and can be tackled in any order the player chooses. According to Dohta, the dungeons were designed with regional characteristics to make them unique to their respective environments, similar to previous games in The Legend of Zelda franchise.[23] The dungeons were primarily created to maximize the gameplay by showcasing the range of Link's powers and gadgets. Additionally, they were designed to be accessed seamlessly rather than being closed off, allowing the player to descend from the sky into the dungeon and conveniently enter and exit.[24]

One of the core concepts of gameplay is the ability to build new items. As such, the development team created more tools in Tears of the Kingdom to give players a unique gameplay experience, inspired by videos of their accomplishments and activities posted on social media after the release of Breath of the Wild. Zonai devices were introduced to inspire additional creativity, but this required a balance between the player's creativity and setting limits to prevent them from exploiting the game.[25]

A theme of hands was introduced as a way to express the concept of connecting, which is present in the mechanics, story, visuals, and sound; Aonuma stated that the theme was present in the story, which involves connecting to Hyrule's history.[26] Dohta explained that joining hands and cooperating with other characters is a major element, along with Link's ability to create items with his hands, with his right arm being a way to distinguish him from previous iterations of the character. The Ascend ability was developed from a debug feature that Aonuma and Fujibayashi used to exit the Depths, which they implemented as a feature because they wanted a quick way to get to the surface. Its implementation presented several challenges, such as ensuring that a player would not land on an empty space due to loading issues.[27]

Tears of the Kingdom was first announced at E3 2019 as an untitled sequel to Breath of the Wild.[28][29] Nintendo debuted a trailer revealing gameplay, story elements, and a 2022 release window at E3 2021.[30] By March 2022, Tears of the Kingdom was completed, but Nintendo delayed the release for a year to refine it.[31] Nintendo later changed the release window to Q2 2023.[32][33] More information was revealed in the Nintendo Direct presentation held in September 2022, including the title Tears of the Kingdom and a release date of May 12, 2023.[34][35] A later Nintendo Direct in February 2023 teased more gameplay elements.[36] Two weeks before release, a playable version of the game leaked online as a disk image.[37][38]

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

According to the review aggregator website Metacritic, Tears of the Kingdom received "universal acclaim".[39] On OpenCritic, it received a 97% approval rating.[45] Numerous critics found it to be of similar quality to or an improvement upon Breath of the Wild.[1][2][7] Reviewers praised the additions of the sky islands, Depths, and caves, saying that the areas expanded the open world introduced in its predecessor.[2][5]

IGN said that Tears of the Kingdom was better than Breath of the Wild for its story and mechanics, while GameSpot lauded it for building upon its predecessor.[7] Furthermore, IGN also praised the Depths and said that the areas fit well alongside the surface of Hyrule.[2] VG247 said it was separate experience from Breath of the Wild, calling its scale immense and its mechanics creative.[46] While feeling that it did not replicate the experience of playing through its predecessor, Game Informer wrote that Tears of the Kingdom evoked a compelling response by how it revisited previous locations.[5] Nintendo Life wrote that the three settings were well-connected to each other despite their different mechanics and themes.[1] Eurogamer felt that the player could spend their entire time exploring the Depths, but would need to return to the surface for useful tools, helping create a compelling gameplay loop. The reviewer contended that the skies were more fun to explore than the Depths, praising their designs and comparing them to environs from Skyward Sword and The Wind Waker.[3] On the other hand, Video Games Chronicle considered the Depths more interesting than the sky sections, finding them to be difficult and fun in contrast to the sky's focus on the story.[47]

The new powers received praise. GamesRadar+ called these abilities well-designed, saying that they offered creative solutions to problems and highlighting Ultrahand in particular. The reviewer mentioned that some of the abilities felt like gaming the system, and would make the game less enticing when the player could use them to break its rules.[44] Polygon said that learning how to use the powers was one of the main appeals of the experience, and likened Ascend to a noclip mode and the rest to cheat codes.[48] The Guardian felt that the powers allowed for the player to circumvent every object in multiple potential ways, writing that this freedom to progress was novel and fun.[4] GameSpot described the powers as superior to those featured in Breath of the Wild, and contributed to an experience that the reviewer considered creative and distinct.[7]

The story was considered a highlight. GameSpot praised the story as one of the best in the series, calling it a standout element.[7] Nintendo Life said that the narrative was more compelling than that of its predecessor, adding that the characters featured in the story and related side quests were more engaging.[1] Destructoid found the story to be overall better to its predecessor's, calling its pacing faster and more enticing despite criticizing some of its components.[40] In contrast, VG247 found the narrative less important compared to the gameplay and that it contained some repetition due to the open-ended nature.[46] Polygon felt that the dungeons featured alongside the story were among the weaknesses, feeling these areas infringed upon player freedom and that Link's allies were too verbose.[48] Some reviewers criticized the voice acting.[46][44] GamesRadar+ said that the characters sounded disconnected from their roles and depleted the quality of the cutscenes.[44] VG247 echoed this opinion, but said that the cutscenes made up for this with their music and atmosphere.[46]

Criticism focused on the performance.[1][7][41] Nintendo Life wrote that Tears of the Kingdom highlighted the Switch's limited capabilities, mentioning the falling frame rate while saying that it was only a minor problem.[1] Polygon agreed, writing of a poor frame rate and load times in some areas similar to Breath of the Wild.[48] IGN noted the lack of improved performance, but found it irrelevant after comparing its quality to the rest of the game.[7] GameSpot found the frame rate satisfactory and performance problems rare, noting that the art obscured the loss of quality. It applauded the developers for having the game work effectively on an old console.[7]

Sales

[edit]

Tears of the Kingdom was the first Nintendo-developed game to be priced at US$70.[49] More than 10 million copies of Tears of the Kingdom were sold in its first three days of release, making it the fastest-selling game in The Legend of Zelda franchise, as well as the fastest selling Nintendo game in the Americas with over four million copies sold in the US alone.[50][51] Tears of the Kingdom sold over 2.24 million copies within its first three days of release in Japan, 1.1 million being physical copies.[52][53] By March 2024, it had sold 20.61 million copies worldwide.[54] In August 2023, it was reported that the sales of Tears of the Kingdom may have boosted the gross domestic product of Japan, with a 2.8% increase in consumer spending in the semi-durable goods sector during April to August 2023, which included video games.[55]

Accolades

[edit]

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was selected by Famitsu,[56] IGN,[57] Edge, Game Informer,[58] Giant Bomb,[59] Destructoid,[60] ComicBook.com,[61] Polygon,[62] Shacknews,[63] and Siliconera[64] as their Game of the Year.

Awards and nominations
Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2020 The Game Awards 2020 Most Anticipated Game Nominated [65]
2021 Golden Joystick Awards Most Wanted Game Nominated [66]
The Game Awards 2021 Most Anticipated Game Nominated [67]
2022 Golden Joystick Awards Most Wanted Game Won [68]
The Game Awards 2022 Most Anticipated Game Won [69]
2023 Gamescom Best Nintendo Switch Game Won [70]
Best Audio Won
Best Gameplay Won
Most Epic Won
CEDEC Awards Special Award Won [71]
Golden Joystick Awards Ultimate Game of the Year Runner-up [72][73]
Best Supporting Performer (Patricia Summersett as Princess Zelda) Nominated
Best Audio Nominated
Best Game Community Nominated
Nintendo Game of the Year Won
Best Game Trailer (Official Trailer #3) Nominated
The Game Awards 2023 Game of the Year Nominated [74]
Best Game Direction Nominated
Best Art Direction Nominated
Best Score and Music Nominated
Best Action/Adventure Game Won
Player's Voice Nominated
2024 13th New York Game Awards Big Apple Award for Game of the Year Nominated [75][76]
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game Nominated
Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game Nominated
27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Game of the Year Nominated [77][78]
Adventure Game of the Year Won
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design Nominated
Outstanding Technical Achievement Nominated
24th Game Developers Choice Awards Game of the Year Nominated [79][80]
Best Audio Nominated
Best Design Nominated
Innovation Award Won
Best Narrative Nominated
Best Technology Won
Best Visual Art Nominated
Audience Award Nominated
20th British Academy Games Awards Best Game Nominated [81][82]
Audio Achievement Nominated
Game Design Nominated
Music Nominated
Narrative Nominated
Technical Achievement Won
EE Game of the Year Nominated
Animation Longlisted [83]
Artistic Achievement Longlisted
2024 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Video Game Nominated [84]
Hugo Awards Best Game or Interactive Work Nominated [85]
Japan Game Awards 2024 Grand Award Won [86]
Award for Excellence Won
Best Sales Award Won

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Additional work by Monolith Soft
  2. ^ Japanese: ゼルダの伝説 ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム, Hepburn: Zeruda no Densetsu: Tiāzu obu za Kingudamu
  3. ^ Based on 139 reviews

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Hagues, Alana (May 11, 2023). "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Marks, Tom (May 11, 2023). "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review". IGN. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Evans-Thirlwell, Evan (May 11, 2023). "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review - Hyrule reborn bigger and busier". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d MacDonald, Keza (May 11, 2023). "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review – pure magic". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Hilliard, Kyle (May 11, 2023). "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review - Such Great Heights". Game Informer. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  6. ^ Lab, Jesse (May 23, 2023). "How Many Dungeons Are There In Tears of the Kingdom (TotK)?". The Escapist. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Watts, Steve (May 11, 2023). "The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  8. ^ Rodriguez, Jason (May 12, 2023). "Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - Autobuild Tips Guide". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  9. ^ Yu, Johnny (May 12, 2023). "Where to find Goddess Statues in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 26, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  10. ^ Argüello, Diego Nicolás (May 12, 2023). "Where to find Hestu in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 8, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  11. ^ Castello, Jay (May 30, 2023). "All recipes in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  12. ^ Arif, Shabana (August 6, 2018). "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Now Has an Official Place in the Series' Timeline... Sort Of". IGN. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  13. ^ Schreier, Jason (June 18, 2019). "Breath Of The Wild Is Getting A Sequel Because The Team Had Too Many DLC Ideas (And Other Info From Zelda's Producer)". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  14. ^ Shea, Brian (May 12, 2023). "Interview: Tears Of The Kingdom And The State Of Zelda With Aonuma And Fujibayashi". Game Informer. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  15. ^ "Ask the Developer Vol. 9, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom—Part 1 - News - Nintendo Official Site". www.nintendo.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  16. ^ Shea, Brian (June 11, 2019). "Breath Of The Wild's Director Is Returning For The Sequel". Game Informer. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Hogan, Mike (May 12, 2023). "How Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Creators Opened Up a New 'Realm of Possibility'". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  18. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (May 9, 2023). "Tears of the Kingdom: Nintendo Always Planned to Use Breath of the Wild's Hyrule for the Sequel". IGN Nordic. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  19. ^ Stevens, Colin; Claiborn, Samuel (June 21, 2019). "Breath of the Wild Sequel Team Drew Inspiration From Red Dead Redemption 2 - E3 2019". IGN. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  20. ^ Ivan, Tom (June 12, 2019). "Breath of the Wild sequel developers 'inspired by Red Dead'". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  21. ^ Reyes, Jessica; Burton, Corinna; Alice, Holly; Harrison, Mark (February 10, 2023). "Tears of the Kingdom: Everything we know about BOTW 2". VG247. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  22. ^ Bellingham, Hope (May 9, 2023). "Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom devs 'experienced strong deja vu' because the sequel is so similar to Breath of the Wild". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  23. ^ Friscia, John (May 10, 2023). "Tears of the Kingdom Dungeons Are Finally Explained by the Developers". The Escapist. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  24. ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (May 12, 2023). "Tears of the Kingdom's dungeons were designed with seamlessness in mind". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  25. ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (May 12, 2023). "A conversation with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's creative leads". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  26. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (May 9, 2023). "Zelda Developers Reveal Key Theme of Tears of the Kingdom: Hands". IGN. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  27. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (May 12, 2023). "Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Ascend ability started as a cheat code". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  28. ^ Dayus, Oscar (June 25, 2019). "The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 Confirmed For Nintendo Switch". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  29. ^ Walker, John (September 23, 2022). "Sorry, Nintendo, Everyone's Having A Hard Time Remembering It's Tears Of The Kingdom, Not BOTW 2". Kotaku. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  30. ^ Phillips, Tom (June 15, 2021). "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel launches 2022". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  31. ^ Cryer, Hirun (May 22, 2023). "Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was basically finished before its year-long delay". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  32. ^ Lane, Gavin (March 29, 2022). "The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 Delayed To Spring 2023". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  33. ^ McWhertor, Michael (March 29, 2022). "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 delayed to 2023". Polygon. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  34. ^ Skrebels, Joe (September 13, 2022). "Breath of the Wild Sequel Is Officially Titled The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Out in May". IGN. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  35. ^ Robinson, Andy (September 13, 2022). "Zelda: BoTW's sequel is officially releasing in May 2023 as Tears of the Kingdom". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  36. ^ Franzese, Tomas (February 8, 2023). "Everything announced at the February 2023 Nintendo Direct". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  37. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (May 1, 2023). "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leaks early". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  38. ^ Fenlon, Wes (May 1, 2023). "Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has leaked on piracy sites, and Nintendo's now in a whack-a-mole war with streamers". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  39. ^ a b "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  40. ^ a b Carter, Chris (May 11, 2023). "Review: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom". Destructoid. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  41. ^ a b Colantonio, Giovanni (May 11, 2023). "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review: limitless creativity". Digital Trends. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  42. ^ "EDGE awards Zelda: Tears of Kingdom 10/10 and other scores from Issue 385". May 15, 2023. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  43. ^ Romano, Sal (May 17, 2023). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1798". Gematsu. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  44. ^ a b c d Franey, Joel (May 11, 2023). "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review – 'A rich, robust experience that builds on what came before'". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  45. ^ a b "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom". OpenCritic. May 11, 2023. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  46. ^ a b c d Billcliffe, James (May 11, 2023). "Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review – Nintendo hasn't blown its Fuse". VG247. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  47. ^ Middler, Jordan (May 11, 2023). "Review: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom lets your imagination run wild". Video Games Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  48. ^ a b c Mahardy, Mike (May 11, 2023). "The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom changes the conversation". Polygon. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
  49. ^ Peters, Jay (February 8, 2023). "Nintendo's first $70 game is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom". The Verge. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  50. ^ Yang, George (May 17, 2023). "The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Sold Over 10 Million Copies In First Three Days". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  51. ^ Morris, Chris (May 17, 2023). "Nintendo has another smash hit on its hands with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom". Fortune. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  52. ^ "【ソフト&ハード週間販売数】『ゼルダの伝説 ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム』が記録的売上で首位に! 前作『ブレス オブ ワイルド』もトップ10に再浮上【5/8~5/14】 | ゲーム・エンタメ最新情報のファミ通.com". Famitsu (in Japanese). May 18, 2023. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  53. ^ "任天堂株式会社 ニュースリリース :2023年5月17日 - Nintendo Switch向けソフト『ゼルダの伝説 ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム』の世界販売本数が発売後3日間で1,000万本を突破|任天堂". 任天堂ホームページ. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  54. ^ "IR Information : Sales Data - Top Selling Title Sales Units". Nintendo. May 7, 2023. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  55. ^ "Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Has Reportedly Helped Boost Japan's GDP". Nintendo Life. August 16, 2023. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  56. ^ ""ファミ通・電撃ゲームアワード2023"受賞まとめ。『ゼルダの伝説 ティアキン』がゲームオブザイヤーを含む3冠。『FF16』5冠、『パラノマサイト』3冠" [Famitsu Dengeki Game Award 2023 award summary: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom won three awards, including Game of the Year. FF16 5 wins, Paranoma Site 3 wins]. Famitsu (in Japanese). March 17, 2024. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  57. ^ "The Best Game of 2023". IGN. December 15, 2023. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  58. ^ "Game Informer's Best Of 2023: Category Winners". Game Informer. December 26, 2023. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  59. ^ "Giant Bomb Game of the Year 2023 (Concept)". Giant Bomb. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
  60. ^ Carter, Chris (December 22, 2023). "Destructoid's award for Best Overall Game of 2023 goes to…". Destructoid. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
  61. ^ "The 2023 ComicBook.com Golden Issue Award for Game of the Year". Gaming. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  62. ^ Frushtick, Russ (December 5, 2023). "Polygon's Best of the Year 2023". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  63. ^ Khan, Asif (December 31, 2023). "Shacknews Game of the Year 2023 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom". Shacknews. Archived from the original on January 21, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  64. ^ Russell, Graham (December 29, 2023). "Siliconera's Overall Game of the Year 2023". Siliconera. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  65. ^ Stedman, Alex (December 10, 2020). "The Game Awards 2020: Complete Winners List". Variety. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  66. ^ Moyse, Chris (October 22, 2021). "Golden Joystick 2021 nominees include Deathloop, Resident Evil, Returnal, and more". Destructoid. Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  67. ^ Good, Owen (December 3, 2021). "The Game Awards 2021: Everything you need to know". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  68. ^ Jones, Ali (October 20, 2022). "Time is running out to cast your vote in the Golden Joystick Awards 2022". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  69. ^ Plant, Logan (December 8, 2022). "The Game Awards 2022 Winners: The Full List". IGN. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  70. ^ Lyles, Taylor (August 25, 2023). "gamescom Award Winners Announced, Little Nightmares 3 Takes Top Award". IGN. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  71. ^ Stenbuck, Kite (August 25, 2023). "Nintendo Affiliated Entities Dominated CEDEC Awards 2023". Siliconera. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  72. ^ Harris, Iain (September 29, 2023). "Just one week left to vote for The Golden Joystick Awards 2023 – here are the nominees in full". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  73. ^ England, Jason (October 23, 2023). "Golden Joystick Awards 2023 — vote now for Ultimate Game of the Year". Tom's Guide. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  74. ^ Stephan, Katcy (December 8, 2023). "The Game Awards 2023: Complete Winners List". Variety. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  75. ^ McEvoy, Sophie (January 5, 2024). "Baldur's Gate 3 leads New York Games Awards 2024 nominations". Gameindustry.biz. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
  76. ^ McEvoy, Sophie (January 24, 2024). "Baldur's Gate 3 wins big at New York Game Awards 2024". Games Industry.biz. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  77. ^ McEvoy, Sophie (January 11, 2024). "Spider-Man 2 receives most nominations for 2024 DICE Awards". Gameindustry.biz. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  78. ^ Chandler, Sam (February 15, 2024). "The D.I.C.E. Awards 2024 winners & finalists". Shacknews. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  79. ^ Sinclair, Brendan (January 16, 2024). "Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3 top GDC Award nominations". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024.
  80. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (March 20, 2024). "Game Developers Choice Awards 2024 Winners: The Full List". IGN. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  81. ^ "Bafta Games Awards 2024: Baldur's Gate 3 and Spider-Man lead nods". BBC News. March 7, 2024. Archived from the original on March 23, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  82. ^ "20th BAFTA Games Awards: The Nominations". BAFTA. March 7, 2024. Archived from the original on April 12, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  83. ^ "The 60 Best Video Games of 2023". BAFTA. December 14, 2023. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  84. ^ Petski, Denise (June 4, 2024). "Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Beyoncé, Timothée Chalamet, Ayo Edebiri Among 2024 Kids' Choice Awards Nominees – Full List". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  85. ^ "2024 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. March 29, 2024. Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  86. ^ "【日本ゲーム大賞2024】年間作品部門大賞は 「ゼルダの伝説 ティアーズ オブ ザ キングダム」 (任天堂株式会社)". PR Times (in Japanese). September 26, 2024.