Game reviews / The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
2023 · Nintendo Switch · Nintendo Switch 2 · Action-adventure · Open world · Puzzle · Role-playing
3 scored sources · 2 countries contributing scores
Review consensus
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a highly ambitious sequel that expands Breath of the Wild’s open-world foundation into a three-layered playground spanning the Surface, Sky, and Depths. Critics consistently praised its exceptional freedom, inventive Ultrahand and Fuse systems, stronger storytelling, varied exploration, and improved temples. The game’s greatest strength is how naturally its physics and construction mechanics encourage experimentation, letting players solve problems in remarkably different ways. Recurring reservations include inconsistent performance on the original Switch, occasional friction around weapon durability and fusion, and a world that can feel familiar beneath its extensive additions. Overall, it is an extraordinary creative achievement.
Limited geographic coverage. Treat this score as an early indication.
Last researched: 2026-09-17
Pros
- Exceptional open-world exploration across the Surface, Sky, and Depths
- Ultrahand, Fuse, Recall, and Ascend enable unusually creative solutions
- More involved story, characters, temples, and side quests
- Strong sense of discovery with extensive content and secrets
Cons
- Performance dips and technical limitations on the original Nintendo Switch
- Weapon durability and frequent fusion remain divisive
- Some areas reuse the previous game’s map and core structure
Review sources
3 sources found across 2 countries. This is not exhaustive worldwide coverage.
- Nintendo Life · United Kingdom · 100/100
- Destructoid · United States · 100/100
- GameSpot · United States · 100/100