Tears of the Kingdom is arguably the hottest game right now, and it’s incredibly huge in both scope, scale, and sales numbers. With so much to see and plenty of options at your fingertips for all players, the opportunities for great moments are endless. Ask a dozen people how they resolved a particular shrine and you’ll get a dozen different answers. But for each of us, there is at least one moment where Tears of the Kingdom stands above the rest. Whether it’s a crazy piece of work, solving a puzzle you thought couldn’t work, or a shocking story beat.
NVC staffers share their favorite moments below, but be warned this is spoiler territory. What if you haven’t played yet? The rules of this game are!
Also: Of course, the following contains spoilers for the game The Legend of Zelda: Kingdom of Tears. Be warned if you don’t want to be spoiled.
Kat Bailey
As fans build everything from murderous mechs to podracers, Ultra Hands understandably grabs Lynel’s attention, but Tears of the Kingdom’s lesser-known abilities are also my Hyrule moment-to-moment. Equally helpful in enhancing exploration.
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In short, the ability to ascend is pure joy and forces you to think in terms of three dimensions as you examine ceilings and pillars looking for entrances. It’s an ability that ties in well with Tears of the Kingdom’s overall design philosophy, which insists on introducing his Z axis whenever possible. I especially love the visuals of Link swimming through the wall and coming out with a whooshing sound before being lifted off the floor.
Tears of the Kingdom’s puzzles were designed to encourage the use of these abilities whenever possible, and they quickly became a second habit. As Seth hints at in her own answer, the Temple of the Winds almost feels like the final test, encouraging her to reach her full potential as she ascends to the heavens. It was this sequence in particular that really made me realize the scale of Tears of the Kingdom and has become my favorite so far. It’s all thanks to Tears of the Kingdom’s well-designed abilities.
Pier Schneider
What I love most about this game so far isn’t any particular moment. However, falling from the sky into the “Mine of Moria” is very special. It is the moment when you feel that you are the only one. To solve a puzzle in some way.wrote an article about a person build a long bridge, So I know I’m not special. But my sons who watched me play were stunned to see me glue an incredible amount of tree trunks just to cross the gorge to Rito village. bottom. “Speak to that NPC and he’ll tell you an easy way to get there,” they said. “I don’t take orders from NPCs,” I said.
We’re still used to the limitations of the game, so when something like this works, it can’t help but impress. Someone programmed this, someone made the game system flexible enough for it to work. Open World It wasn’t too long ago that a character in his game was killed after being stopped by a small fence. Or maybe you failed a puzzle not because you didn’t understand it, but because you weren’t standing exactly in the right place when pressing the button.
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There’s nothing better than removing these age-old restrictions and just playing a game that lets you go wild. My favorite moments in Tears of the Kingdom are the sense of freedom and the moments when it invites the player to experiment. Side quests and diversions quickly become an integral part of the experience, and the player becomes the story rather than just witnessing it.
Brendan Graber
I’ve been relentlessly bombarded with my favorite moments for over 100 hours so far, but let’s get back to one of the first moments: “The Depths.” Every time Nintendo glanced at Hyrule or teased some sky islands, I knew they had something on their minds, but I can only guess what it might be. bottom. When I finally got a few glimpses of the dark underground area in an early leaked commercial, I thought I figured it all out. I wasn’t ready yet.
This place has a lot of wild things for me. The fact that something this big is introduced as a bit of a side plot to the main quest. The fact that they just ask you to jump down into a hole, without even a hint or warning of how huge and foreboding this literally dark world is. The fact that even now, hours later, I still get chills down my spine every time I hear the blaring horn announcing my arrival.
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I was able to deal with the altered terrain of Hyrule’s surface, as well as a bunch of strange floating islands. But when I first saw The Depths, I really wanted Nintendo to stop focusing on what was carried over from Breath of the Wild and start focusing on how much the rules had changed.
Seth G. Macy
The wait for Tears of the Kingdom was almost unbearable for me, a grown man with a normal life. When I finally booted it up and set off on my new journey, I was beyond excited, but a problem arose. Breath of the Wild has been my favorite game ever since its release, but Tears of the Kingdom only lived up to my love for its predecessor, not surpassing it.
That is, until you reach the first dungeon.
I had read and heard that the dungeon everyone had been wanting for years was back in Tears of the Kingdom. But I’ve also heard that they’re not “Zelda” dungeons in the traditional sense. The secret item that must first be revealed before solving the puzzle isn’t locked in, nor is the iron boot for Link to sink to the bottom of a water hazard or for Hookshot to swing through an open gap. was.
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That’s true, I would argue that the dungeons are as ‘Zelda’ as they ever were, but with Tears of the Kingdom’s vocabulary and all of its various powers and abilities, you’ll feel completely familiar without getting bored. I use it wisely in a way that makes me feel. Using Ultra Hand and Ascend & Rewind powers to progress through the first dungeon, I found a puzzle that required me to use my companion’s special powers. After all, that’s what makes these classic dungeons. “How do you get there?” This was a question I often asked, but the solution was always within my reach. However, it was not immediately understood in my head.
When I completed the first dungeon (I won’t say which one was first, but it was a struggle), I felt a level of satisfaction I didn’t think my life needed, and spent my time in Breath. I looked back. Wild with just a touch of sadness. It was a bittersweet realization that Tears of the Kingdom is now my all-time favorite game, but I’m not sure there’s any reason to return to Hyrule after the Breath of the Wild disaster. yeah.
rev valentine
When I first played Breath of the Wild, I instantly fell in love with the game.but didn’t Love Breath of the Wild, until that magical moment at the beginning, with just a few hearts, a few sticks and a rusty weapon, I followed a series of quests and landmarks to reach the top of the mountain, There I met the dragon Neidra. She was cloaked in malice, and though I could barely bear the cold of her icy figure, with her mouth full of her peppers, I repelled her malice. saved her.
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When she was released, I flew with her across the plains below on an icy updraft, surrounded by cold magic and wonder. Entirely natural and born out of my own curiosity, my encounter with Neidra was the first moment of pure magic I had in Breath of the Wild and colored my experience for the entire game from then on. .
A few nights ago in Tears of the Kingdom, I was trying to sneak around a man who wouldn’t let me explore the ruins of Kakariko Village when I suddenly saw her: Naydra. She fell into a nearby chasm. I quickly dove off the cliffs very close to her, riding the wind with her snake-like body to reach the depths of the sea. Her blue glow was the only light around.
I drifted over her nose, sat there pinned, drifted in near pitch darkness for a few minutes, and eventually made my way straight up another chasm to patrol around eastern Hyrule. . After a while she came back to Kakariko Village and I said goodbye.
The puzzle design, open world, witty NPC lighting, music, and anything else Tears of the Kingdom has to offer can be complimented all day long. But nothing about this game is more memorable to me than the sudden, unexpected moments of pure magic born out of curiosity alone, and the world moving on its own with or without my input. Thanks for the ride, Neidra.
Brian Altano
Diamonds are one of the rarest and most valuable resources in Tears of the Kingdom, and while selling diamonds to buy armor sets and upgrades for Link’s home is certainly a good option, diamonds can be used in certain ways. When fused into a weapon, it can produce extremely powerful and durable results. Unless you’re an idiot like me. Early in my adventure across (and above) Hyrule, I got the Royal Shield. This is a fairly sturdy shield with good defense.
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At this point, I had already experimented with many creative weapon fusions and was mostly lucky with the results. So, thinking I could make an incredibly shiny, beautiful, and very strong shield, I confidently stuck the only diamond on it. I could withstand hordes of Bokoblins and even a stone talus or two for hours. Instead I got a shield with a big butt diamond stuck to the front. It didn’t make sense, but it made perfect sense at the same time, and it’s stupid to let go or destroy, so it’s not all fusions created equal and it’s never saucy. I saved it after 90 hours as a reminder to never become arrogant or confident. Because there is always the chance that your really great idea turns out to be a really stupid idea.
Here are some of our favorite moments so far. Feel free to share in the comments. read. seriously!
