So, reasonably than dive into the nitty gritty of favorite quests and characters and story beats simply but, we have determined to debate our preliminary impressions and standout moments from the opening hours of the sport. There is a ballot on the backside, so be at liberty to tell us what you loved most about TOTK in its introductory areas, and head to the feedback to debate something we have uncared for beneath — however solely from the opening couple of hours, please!
The very starting, ‘coming dwelling’, and the Shrine doorways
Black display. In sluggish succession, the next phrases fade up in small white textual content…
Nintendo presents
The Legend of Zelda
Tears of the Kingdom
Oof! The sheer class and confidence of that opening was masterful. No spinning logos, no tips, no bullpoopery. Simply right here you go.
Past that elegant opening, the factor that struck me most was a sense of coming dwelling. I spent a superb whereas on the Nice Sky Island simply pottering round, admiring the luscious golden grass and foliage and the final pleasantness of all of it. I listened to the birds, did some cooking, and simply relaxed for some time.
Having heard how monumental the sport was from Alana whereas she was engaged on her good assessment, I had some concept of the immensity of the journey that awaited. However that second on the very starting — the second of anticipation — was one thing I cherished so long as I may. Oh, look! A pigeon. Yep, we’re dwelling.
Oh, and the Tardis-style impact by way of the shrine entrances. I can’t get sufficient of that. – Gavin Lane
Voice appearing and Hyrule’s transformation
The very first thing I actually seen with Tears of the Kingdom was the sheer manufacturing worth demonstrated throughout the opening sequence. Positive, there was voiceover work in Breath of the Wild, however for essentially the most half, it felt prefer it was earmarked for moments during which a little bit of exposition was required.
When Zelda and Hyperlink got here throughout that mummy within the opening for TotK (and we’re fairly assured we all know who that’s), the raspy voice that emanated from the residing corpse despatched chills down my backbone. In a single swoop, TotK all of the sudden felt like essentially the most dramatic the Zelda sequence has ever gotten. It was nice stuff.
If that wasn’t sufficient, I used to be blown away at how Nintendo so efficiently managed to make the land of Hyrule really feel so alien to me. Once I fell by way of the sky towards the floor for the primary time, I assumed “Yeah no drawback, I’ll know precisely the place I’m and the place to go”, however once I landed, I genuinely felt utterly disorientated.
I’m undecided if it’s the truth that I used to be dropped in a spot I not often ventured in Breath of the Wild, that sure landmarks had been altered by The Upheaval, or some mixture of each. For sure, I wanted to have a superb go searching earlier than I managed to get my bearings. – Ollie Reynolds
The Constructs
The primary time you meet a Assemble in Tears of the Kingdom, it is making an attempt to harm you. The subsequent time you meet a Assemble, you awaken it from an extended slumber, and in contrast to the earlier robotic creature, it makes some pleasant bleeps and bloops and presents that will help you.
Yep, I really like the Assemble Stewards. I am unable to assist it. With the Nice Sky Island’s heat palette of yellows, golds, whites, and pastels, and the combination of pleasant and fearsome robots, these Studio Ghibli vibes are again in full drive. The pleasant Constructs made me smile from the minute I met the primary one, after which each subsequent one — with its routines, position, and its terrified response everytime you try and Ultrahand one thing subsequent to it — endeared me to them extra.
Constructs are fairly widespread all through TOTK — each the nice and the dangerous — however all of them function a reminder of the previous. They’re relics of a misplaced time, solely simply reawakening for the primary time shortly. My favorite on the tutorial island is the one which’s cooking mushrooms, although it admits it would not have a digestive system. Is it doing it for the enjoyable of cooking? Or is it there simply to offer Hyperlink recommendation? I wish to suppose it is doing it as a reminder of its previous life, of its objective again earlier than the occasions of TOTK. Their presence makes the world really feel extra lived in, and it is an utter pleasure coming throughout them and interacting with them every time. – Alana Hagues
Leap of religion
Bear in mind the primary time that we noticed the Breath of the Wild footage the place Hyperlink runs out of the Shrine of Resurrection and onto the Nice Plateau? The title card seems, the music swells, the tears effectively up in your eyes (wait, not everybody? Okay then…), there is a motive why it has gone down as one of many sport’s most iconic moments. Nicely, Tears of the Kingdom does it once more.
Leaving the room of awakening with nothing however a gnarly Grasp Sword and a few ill-fitting sandals, Hyperlink’s first leap from the opening sky island has the entire marvel of its BOTW predecessor, however with the added smirk of “and also you thought this was simply going to be DLC“. As soon as once more, because the title appeared onscreen I caught myself with slightly tear in my eye and a beaming smile from cheek to cheek — really fantastic stuff.
I’m solely round 5 hours into the sport in the mean time, however to date each diving animation has elicited the identical response from me. Appears like we’re in for a lot of, many hours of glad Jim to come back. – Jim Norman
These are a handful of moments and parts that caught out to us, however tell us which of these has impressed you most within the sport’s preliminary hour or two — or if one thing else fully had you grinning from ear to ear.