Tears of the Kingdom, the latest game from Nintendo, takes place in the same world as Breath of the Wild and utilizes the same visual style and general gameplay mechanics. However, Nintendo has made several remarkable improvements that make Tears of the Kingdom an improvement on Breath of the Wild. In this article, we will explore some of these improvements.
One of the most significant improvements is the inclusion of a log tool that allows you to go back and read through entire dialogue threads. This tool is handy when you get distracted by something in the real world and forget what has been said.
Another improvement is the display of each item’s value in the grid when you want to sell a bunch of items to a shopkeeper. Before, you had to hover over each item individually to see their respective prices. This overall view is now much more convenient.
In Breath of the Wild, when you slipped down from a cliff due to your diminished stamina and fell into water, you would simply drown. However, in Tears of the Kingdom, if you run out of stamina and happen to fall into water, the game will give you a little stamina boost, giving you an opportunity to reach dry land before you drown.
The cooking system has also been improved. When you wanted to select ingredients to create your recipes in Breath of the Wild, you would see an image of Link holding each item, and that was it. This time, there’s a little sub-menu that indicates exactly which of the five ingredients you’ve selected. You can also now store recipes, making cooking more convenient.
In addition, you can now pick any item from your inventory and throw it. Got a Bomb Flower? Chuck it! How about a Fire Fruit? Yep, chuck it! You can even replicate the Cryonis rune from Breath of the Wild by throwing Ice Fruit onto a body of water. The fruit will freeze a section of the water, allowing you to cross with ease.
Tears of the Kingdom also gives you the option to swap weapons immediately upon discovering a new one. It’s a small change, but a very welcome one, nonetheless.
Most of the shrines in Tears of the Kingdom now just let you get on with things, without an ominous voice ringing out to accompany an on-screen message.
The loading screens now show the map of Hyrule, allowing you to at least scope out areas of interest while the game loads.
At the start of Tears of the Kingdom, your in-game map is completely bare and will remain so until you unlock each of the Skytowers. However, the new game at least gives you a bit of information to go on. Namely, the outlines of the map itself. Even without unlocking the Skytowers, you’ll be able to recognize places like Tarrey Town and Zora’s Domains purely from their outline.
The pin tool in Tears of the Kingdom is still limited to a certain number of pins, but an extra one has been added, making it easier to highlight distractions and key items. Map coordinates have also been added, so certain locations can be pinpointed by heading to a specific map coordinate.
Lastly, many bodies of water now contain large lily pads, allowing Link to rest and regain his stamina. Swimming can be hard on poor Link, and this addition is a welcome relief.
In conclusion, Tears of the Kingdom is a breath of fresh air. While it takes place in the same world as Breath of the Wild and utilizes the same visual style and general gameplay mechanics, Nintendo has made several remarkable improvements that make Tears of the Kingdom stand out. These improvements include the log tool, the immediate weapon swapping option, the cooking system, the addition of an extra pin, and the inclusion of map coordinates. Tears of the Kingdom is a must-play for fans of Breath of the Wild and newcomers alike.
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