No matter how you look at it, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an incredible game that has continued to push the envelope for the action-adventure RPG genre in ways that fans never expect. It’s a testament to Nintendo’s magic; how they are able to blend innovation with classic charm, and although they’re not always 100% successful, it’s the very reason why a world of gaming without Nintendo should never exist. This sequel to Breath of the Wild vastly improves upon its predecessor but remains familiar and true to the series. That being said, there are ways in which even TotK can be improved, so let’s take a look at 5 ways Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could have been better.
Customizable Controls
This should seem like a no-brainer, but after all this time, there are very limited, and we mean very limited options, when it comes to altering your controls. From a developer’s standpoint, it’s understandable that certain powers and functions will be easier to program and prevent glitching when permanently assigned.
And fortunately, most of the controls are readily intuitive, such as the new arm powers, menus, and combat. However, there is one glaring issue that teeters on the brink of frustration– the run and jump buttons. By default, these two functions are horribly assigned and go against the very foundation of Nintendo’s design, namely the Super Mario Brothers franchise. Instead of being next to each other like the original A and B buttons on the previous systems, making it easy to hold down the run button and then simultaneously press the jump button, the Switch’s button assignments are instead in the middle of the Switch’s 4-button layout.
The only option you have is to switch the two functions, but you cannot assign them where you want to. What this means is that it’s difficult to hold down the run button and simultaneously press the jump button, the same way you’d do it in other Nintendo games. It is possible, but you’ll have to form a claw with your hand or stretch your fingers uncomfortably. Come on Nintendo, give us custom controls already!
More Enemy Variety
Satisfactorily, there are a plethora of enemies in TotK, most of which have been seen in Breath of the Wild, and have been powered up and evolved from their predecessors. The variety has a nice balance with the standard bokoblins, chuchu jellies, flying keese, moblins, lizalfos, lynels, and Oktoroks. But since these are all familiar enemies, the series would have benefitted from several more brand-new enemies.
One of the most radical enemies to enter a Zelda series, the Guardian, and their smaller scout counterparts, are no longer in Tears of the Kingdom, and have been replaced by the new and similar Constructs. As neat as Constructs are, they are not as impressive and challenging as the Guardians.
Whether TotK will introduce new enemies in future DLCs, any new future Zelda games (especially if they choose to continue BothW and TotK) will need to expand their roster of enemies. For example, how fantastic would it be to see plant enemies that could swallow Link and pull him off his path? Or maybe enemies that could steal your items or damage your weapons?
More Difficult Enemies
In continuing with the concept of new enemies being introduced to the Zelda series, the game and franchise overall would also benefit from more difficult enemies, and even more mini-bosses.
The closest TotK has to this are the evolved and more powerful lynels (they were so cute in the Zelda: Link Between Worlds), and encountering them feels like an epic battle. However, since they’ve been around since BotW, even their different colored counterparts can become easy to defeat once players have mastered their attack patterns and reactions.
Breath of the Wild had a good difficulty level to it, and some feel that Tears of the Kingdom has only gotten easier, partly due to all the new powers, and more likely due to the lack of difficult and dangerous enemies.
More Sky Islands
At the beginning of Tears of the Kingdom, players are introduced to the concept of Sky Islands after the opening movie scene and the beginning of the Upheaval. A grand spectacle and interesting concept, players were treated to three layers in the world of Hyrule; the skies above, the ground below, and the depths underneath.
Unfortunately, this concept still has more unexplored potential. There are currently only 12 of them scattered throughout Link’s world, and they can be visited and completed with players still wanting more.
Tears of the Kingdom would last longer and feel even more epic if there were more sky islands, and they were higher above the current ones. Nintendo could have also added new enemies there, unique puzzles and rewards, along with other fun surprises that are exclusive to sky islands.
Zelda As A Playable Character
Ever since Tears of the Kingdom was announced, players were wondering about a couch co-op multiplayer experience and the possibility of Zelda being a playable character. Having the opportunity to select Zelda and enter the world of Hyrule would be an awesome experience that brings a whole new perspective. Developers can also enhance combat by allowing Zelda to have magical powers and other abilities that Link doesn’t have.
After all, Zelda is in Hyrule Warriors, Princess Peach is playable in Super Mario Brothers 2, and both Peach and Zelda are playable characters in Smash Brothers, yes? Although Link will always be the true mythical hero in this franchise, it’s about time Zelda gets her own game or an alternative story mode to play alongside Link’s.
Whether Zelda is implemented as a main character or coop character, the game design would have to accommodate the character selection to the same story, or possibly have another story or different mode built in. It’s tricky since it would not make sense for Nintendo two develop and present two games in one. But if done correctly, might elevate the Zelda franchise to new heights.
Conclusion and Criticisms
Overall, the Tears of the Kingdom is truly awesome and offers a harmonious balance between the same formula of Breath of the Wild with new, fun mechanics to keep things fresh. But here are some final things to consider:
- With all the added fusing materials, Amiibo drops, and increased durability, do weapons still need to break at this point?
- In comparison to BotW, most shrines in TotK seem easier and less involved.
- Being able to stuff Link’s mouth with food at any time means you’re basically invincible as long as you don’t get one-shotted and have enough food.
- Horses didn’t get any quality of life improvements to their AI and issues.
- Combat has the added depth of BotW, but hasn’t made any other significant advancements and feels a bit lacking compared to newer 3rd-person action games.
That concludes our feature on the 5 ways Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could have been better. If you’re just get started playing the game, make sure to check out some our guides to help ease you in. We look forward to another Zelda game in the future, and how it can keep the franchise going! More importantly, what are your thoughts?
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