The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: Nintendo Switch review

Developed by Nintendo
Published by Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch

The Zelda gaming world if a phenomenon, beloved by those who've fallen under its spell.

Breath of the Wild became one of Nintendo's biggest and brightest hopes when it released back in 2017, showing what the console was capable of - and retaining accolades as one of the best open world games ever.

So its sequel, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom had a lot to live up to - both in terms of narrative and gameplay. But it delivers and proves accessible enough to those who've not even put any time into Breath of the Wild.

In this latest, you get to once again explore Hyrule but this time you can also head to two new areas, the Sky Islands and the Depths, to find weapons, resources, and complete quests as the adventure unfurls.

With new powers and a revamped Hyrule to discover, there's plenty in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that creates a gaming experience that's both rich and rewarding as you head deeper into the Zelda world.

From its opening magical moments and its sense of mystery, it all goes wrong for Link and Zelda when exploration brings them into danger. But while the opening hints at disaster, the unfolding world makes a brilliant sandbox exploration and story for gamers of all ages.

It may be that the game works better if you've indulged in Breath of the Wild's world, but much of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is about discovering the characters and the story yourself. There occasionally is an over-reliance on exposition, but most of what plays out is easy enough to pick up and get into, or leave to play in bitesize pieces as the handheld console dictates.

With plenty to explore around Hyrule, and many a chance of diversion, there's so much in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that it can at times feel overwhelming. But creativity is the key here and Nintendo's more than poured its heart and hope into this title to ensure that players don't feel like they have to do everything - more that they want to do it.

It's an important distinction for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and a key one to understanding why this open-world title more than delivers multiple hours of fascinating fantasy gaming.

It may be one of the Nintendo Switch's most iconic titles, but it shows that whatever the hardware, if the game is done properly and well enough, it'll satiate all those serious about gaming.