Just under a month away from the highly anticipated release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom _ , a new trailer has shown off more of the game's story than any previous material, including several returning characters from _Breath of the Wild . A rare direct sequel in the Zelda series, Tears of the Kingdom continues the story of its predecessor, placing Link back in the same open-world, post-apocalyptic Hyrule, with what looks like a bevvy of major changes to keep the game fresh. First revealed in 2019, Tears of the Kingdom is shaping up to be a massively ambitious game, well worth the w

The Wind Waker takes place in the Great Sea, which Link sails across in his adventure to save his sister and defeat the resurrected Ganondorf, whose destruction of Greatfish Isle in Wind Waker shows him to have similar destructive power to Calamity Ganon. Late in the game, it's revealed that the Great Sea is on top of Hyrule, which flooded ages ago in that timeline. It was frozen in time in the last moments before the water overtook it, and at Wind Waker 's climax it disappears under the waves for good, with the memories of the kingdom and Ganondorf consigned to memory and legend for the rest of t

While there aren't any traditional BOTW -style __ puzzles in Shadow of the Colossus , the Colossi scratch the same itch. It's never enough just to slash away at a Colossus’ feet; each one has a unique mechanic that players must exploit to beat them. Some of the Colossi have weak points on their heads, and the player must find an opportunity to climb up; others lurk near slippery slopes, and the player must goad them into falling off. While it doesn't promise the same freedom as Tears of the Kingdom , Shadow of the Colossus has a similar focus on exploration and puzzle-like combat. Its remake is available only on PS4 and PS5, with the original PS2 version also receiving a port to the

Like the Master Sword, a bow and arrows show up frequently in Zelda games, and often with different types of arrows that can be earned or found. The typical magic arrow types: fire, ice, and light, all have their own uses, bomb flower locations making the bow a more versatile weapon, and it's even occasionally necessary for solving puzzles. How strong different arrows are can vary in Zelda games, especially with Light Arrows' magic powers . But given the possibility that Zelda is indisposed during at least a portion of TOTK , the Light Arrows could be an iconic addition as well as useful for Link as he fights against evil forces without the help of Zelda's divine powers, which were crucial against Calamity Ga

For The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to please die-hard fans of its predecessor, it might have to present a challenge of a more appropriate difficulty for experienced players. Whilst Breath of the Wild had some difficult shrines , Redditor FroakieUnlimited was mainly disappointed by the game's conclusion and the fact that "the second stage of the final fight was so trivi

Despite the defeat of Calamity Ganon in Breath of the Wild , the latest trailer for Tears of the Kingdom finally confirms that its mysterious villain is in fact Ganondorf. Contrasting the explicitly monstrous and (for most of the game) mostly formless Calamity Ganon of BOTW , TOTK 's Ganondorf takes the form of a more humanoid Gerudo, mirroring the villains past appearances in previous Zelda games like Ocarina of Time . Interestingly, promotional art for the game shows TOTK 's Ganondorf as taking somewhat of a departure from past Gerudo designs, with an exposed chest, ponytail, and a large kat

As one of Breath of the Wild 's most popular side characters, it's not surprising to see the return of Prince Sidon. Perhaps more surprising, though, is what seems to be his new role in gameplay, as TOTK 's last trailer shows him fighting an enemy alongside Link as a companion character - a major expansion on his relatively minor role helping against the Divine Beast Vah Rutah in BOTW . Keen-eyed viewers may also be able to spot a crown on his head, as well as a mysterious "tear" on the back of his hand, suggesting that he may have a significant role to play in TOTK 's st

To no surprise, Link returns as the protagonist and main playable character of Tears of the Kingdom , and while his combat and exploration mechanics remain similar to BOTW , TOTK also gives Link plenty of new abilities , seemingly courtesy of his new mechanical arm. Expanding on Link's climbing and gliding, Tears of the Kingdom will give him the ability to fuse objects together to craft new weapons, arrows, shields, and even entire vehicles for traversing through water or air, perfectly suiting the game's floating sky islands and greatly expanding the options for both exploration and combat. Moreover, unlike in BOTW , Link seems to get to keep his memories this time aro

A new version of the great flood would be sure to become a famous moment in the series. Such a dramatic change in Hyrule is rare to see in The Legend of Zelda , especially over the course of a single game. If TOTK is part of a new Zelda timeline , then seeing Hyrule go through such a transformative event would be a good way to establish the game's importance in said timel