This is the game! The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom 80 Hour Play Review A masterpiece that allows you to explore the vast expanses of sky, ground and underground in your own way!

In this article, we provide a review of the game after playing it for about 80 hours. The review will cover the new abilities such as "Scrabble Build," the many neat elements that teach you how to use them naturally, and the exploration of the sky, the ground, and the depths of the earth.

Free to explore the sky, the ground, and the depths of the earth

The setting of this title is a vast world called Hyrule. Link and Princess Zelda investigate the ruins beneath Hyrule Castle. However, a mummy at the bottom of the ruins suddenly seems to resurrect and attacks them, separating Link and Zelda.

Link wakes up on the "Sky Island" far above Hyrule, and using the new powers in his right arm, he travels around the world to find the missing Zelda. This is the synopsis of the story of this title.

The first thing that will surprise you when you play this title is the size of the adventure field. In addition to the Hyrule lands of the previous title, "TotK" adds an island in the sky and a subterranean region to the mix. However, the player does not immediately explore all three fields, but rather, in the early stages of the story, the player begins with a portion of the Sky Island. The player will begin with basic operations such as moving and dashing, and learn how to use the four abilities of "Scrabble", "Ultra Hand", "Toreroof", and "Modoreco", as well as "Zonaugear". Each of these abilities and Zonau gear will be explained later.

Once certain goals are achieved on the island, the participants will finally be able to go to the ground.
From here, you are free to do whatever you want: you can continue with the story, go to the various towns and villages to fulfill requests, or just wander around as you please. You will have to figure out how to get there, but all the areas of the field are open to you, so you can go anywhere you want. In the previous game, you could go straight to the final boss after the tutorial, so you may be able to do the same in "TotK".

While advancing the story, I accepted a request from a person I met out of curiosity, but on the way to the destination of the request, I stopped at a new village I found, worked hard to earn rupees to buy equipment from the store there, and while wandering around looking for a treasure chest, found a big hole and went to the depths of the earth.
While adventuring in the depths of the earth, he suddenly remembered his original purpose and resumed his interrupted story. In this game, where there are many bases, dungeons, and enemy strongholds to stop by, these kinds of detours occur frequently.

And since they are crammed into three areas (the sky, the ground, and the depths of the earth), there is never enough time to do everything. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I have now played about 80 hours of the game, and I have only finished the second of the four bases in the main story, which is surprisingly large.

Also, the structure and things you can do on the Sky Island, on the ground, and underground are completely different from each other. On the Sky Island, you can explore floating ruins in the air. There are golems and other enemies, but the main focus is basically on exploration and solving puzzles. The unique feature of this three-dimensional adventure is that you can glide using an item called a parasail, or dive from an island in a high place to an island below.

On the ground, there are various places such as settlements, villages, traveling lodges, caves, and enemy bases. The main story is packed with elements such as the " Dragon's Incapacitating Incapacitation " where you can catch a glimpse of what happened to Zelda after she went missing, investigations of anomalies that occurred in various locations, sub-quests from people, and the " bird's-eye view platform " that allows you to draw detailed topographical information on the map. The game is packed with elements.

The game offers a different style of play from that on the ground, where players explore in pitch-darkness. The player progresses little by little, using lights such as " akaribana seeds," but just when he or she thinks he or she has found a mineral deposit, he or she may run into an enemy base, creating a fun sense of groping without being able to see what lies ahead.

Furthermore, the area is infested with a miasma that decreases the maximum value of Link's " heart" when touched, and enemies infected by the miasma itself appear. The enemies in the depths of the earth are much stronger than those on the sky islands or on the ground, and it was my impression that it was essential to prepare lights such as akaribana seeds and food for recovery, as well as to strengthen one's armor.

Four abilities and zonau gear that broaden the scope of the strategy

At the core of this work are four abilities and zonau gear:Ultra Hand,Scrabild, Toreroof, andModreco. These abilities and zonau gear are at the heart of the main storyline, sub-quests, field exploration, and all other elements of the game.

Ultra Hand is the ability to lift and attach certain objects. Although simple, it has a wide range of applications. Multiple boards can be connected to form a bridge, or two supports can be attached to form a roof to instantly create a place to shelter from the rain. Depending on how it is shaped, a single object can be used for a variety of purposes, making it the most versatile of the four abilities introduced in this report.

Scrabble build is the ability to combine a weapon with another item to strengthen the original weapon. A simple tree branch can be turned into a hammer by attaching a stone to it with Sucrabuild, or a sword can be made numb to a person it strikes by using a material with an electrical property. Furthermore, the materials increase the power of the weapon itself, which is an indispensable ability in combat with enemies.

Of particular importance is the ability to use the materials obtained from demons for scrabble building. Since the more you fight enemies, the more materials you can gather, you will basically have no trouble finding a combination of scrabble builds. The base weapons and materials have a durability value, and although they are mostly consumable, there is no need to be stingy with them because materials can be obtained one after another. The tempo was also good, as each time a weapon was broken, a new weapon could be generated with a scrabble build to fight.

Modoreco is the ability to rewind time for a chosen target. Although it can only be used on one object at a time, the range of the ability itself is quite large, and it can be used over a distance of about ten meters.

Furthermore, while there is a limit to how long it can be rewound, the effect can be interrupted at any time during that time, allowing for fine-tuning. Although it is not used as often as the Ultra Hand or Scrabild, it is a useful power that can be used for both combat and exploration.

Tor Roof is the ability to pass through ceilings. It allows the user to slip through the roofs of private homes and cave rock formations and directly exit to the upper levels. This is ideal when returning from a dungeon is a hassle, or when you don't know where the stairs are, but want to get to the upper floors quickly. It doesn't matter how thick or tall the part you slip through is, as long as you can use your ability. It can also be used to get to the top by slipping through certain enemies, making it a simple yet useful tool in many situations.

In addition to the four abilities, there is another element called Zonau gear. This is not a power that resides in Link, but a type of item, and there are many variations, such as a "fan" that generates wind, bird-shaped "wings," and a "tracking cart" that moves toward the enemy.

The Zonau Gear can be combined with other Zonau Gears, objects, and weapons to create a boat with power if a fan is attached to the board, a car if four tires are attached instead, a motorcycle if two wheels are attached, or a six-wheeled vehicle to easily navigate uneven terrain.

By combining a "cannon" that fires bullets and a "golem head" that detects enemies, a drone-like device can be created that can locate and attack nearby enemies. Both types of zonau gear are activated when a specific zonau gear is used in combination or when the player is hit by an attack. They consume battery power while in use. The battery limit can be increased by exchanging "Zonau Energy Crystals" and other items.

In addition, the item "Zonau Energy" is indispensable to obtain Zonau Gear. Although it must be prepared each time it is manufactured, "zonanium," which can be exchanged for zonau energy, can be obtained in large quantities from underground deposits, so it is unlikely that you will run out of energy if you explore the depths of the earth.

The four abilities and Zonaware are not meant to force you to play in a particular way, but rather to inspire you to play in a different way. In other words, the more you play with them and get used to them, the more ways you can use them, leading to new ways to play.

Learn how to handle them in a world built around their abilities

The four abilities and Zonau gear are useful, but there are so many ways to use them that you may not be able to use them until you get used to them. However, these concerns are well compensated for. This is because adventuring in Hyrule, the setting of the game, is both a tutorial and a practical exercise.

There are shrines on the ground and in the sky islands, where certain gimmicks can be exploited. The basic structure of each type is to use Ultra Hand, Scrabild, Modreco, and Toreroof, and some Zonau gear is attached to them. The content of each type of shrine is different, but they all start out with basic tasks that can be completed using a single ability, and then gradually become more difficult, so you are never suddenly confronted with an impossible task.

Shrines are ideal for training in the use of abilities, but they also serve other purposes. One is a warp point. The second is that you can obtain "Blessed Lights. If you collect four Blessing Lights, you can exchange them for either a "vessel of hearts," which increases the maximum value of hearts of physical strength at the goddess statue, or a "vessel of effort," which increases the maximum value of the "effort gauge" required for various actions such as dashing. So, just by clearing the shrines, there are three benefits: gaining the skill to manipulate abilities, releasing warp points, and obtaining the blessed light.

There is also the element of bringing together Korog people from different parts of the country. If you take one of the separated Korog to the other, you will be rewarded with a " Korog fruit" that can be used to expand your pouch. It is up to the player to decide how to bring the two together, whether by building a boat or plane using a nearby zonau gear, or by grabbing them with an ultra hand and bringing them back. This is easy if you just follow the road, but if the destination is on the other side of a river or over a steep hill, it can be a bit of a headache.

Another unique feature is a character named Cabanda. He is a member of the famous Enochida Construction Company in Hyrule, and he works all over to erect signs depicting Enochida as president. However, the billboards he is supporting lack support, and when Kabanda lets go of his hand, they instantly fall over. So, the player builds the support for the billboard.

Since there are often materials provided by Enochida's construction company near Cabanda, it is common practice to borrow some of the materials from them. The method of supporting the sign is up to the player, such as placing a square timber directly under the sign to support it against the direction in which it will fall, or placing a board on the opposite side. In terms of combining multiple materials, the Kabanda event is an element specific to Ultra Hand.

Although the main story is the investigation of anomalies in various locations and the search for the missing Zelda, Hyrule itself is built on the premise of Ultra Hand and other abilities and Zonau gear, so every time the player touches elements such as the shrine, Korog and Cabanda mentioned above, he is tested on the basics and application of his abilities. There are tutorials and practices everywhere, so to speak, and it does not matter if you cannot handle the abilities in the empty islands early in the story. In addition, you will receive many rewards including blessed lights at various events, which will motivate you.

Once you are able to use your powers, battles with enemies will become easier and exploration of the field will become smoother. Thanks to the system of using the abilities available at the beginning of the game in all kinds of places, I was able to take the time to learn both the basics and the applications.

Excitement to unravel my thinking and come back to it little by little.

After playing this title for about 80 hours, I realized the difference in the way I think before and after playing. When I was playing the tutorial on the empty island, I was stuck in my rigid thinking as most adults are, pulled by the common sense of reality and unable to take the next step forward, but as I came into contact with the shrine and other elements related to abilities, I felt like an idiot, and now I can pursue any combination of the four abilities and Zonau gear. I can now pursue the combination of the four abilities and Zonau gear at will.

To put it more concretely, I think that I have come to enjoy, not only sparingly but willingly, the enormous waste that it takes to discover new facts. It is the same feeling I had when I was a child, when I was excited to experiment at random to see what would happen if I put this and that together. I had to go to the bottom of the earth many times to supplement the Zonau energy I wasted, and sometimes the robot-like device I built with my ultra-hand for an hour was rejected, but I enjoyed the process of making it.

The ability to present countless methods gives you a sense of accomplishment, knowing that you are conquering the game on your own. The game design only shows you how to do it, but does not force you to do it. As you start to enjoy the process as much as the result, your immersion in TotK will increase. The elaborate world built on the premise of abilities and scrabble builds, coupled with the endless number of challenging elements, makes the more you play, the deeper you get into the game, and the more you lose track of time.

In a world built around four abilities and Zonau gear, players can create their own strategies from a variety of combinations. The game's high degree of freedom, as well as the exploration of buildings and dungeons in various locations and the numerous requests received from people, make it a game of tremendous size and appeal. This is a work that does not force the player to follow a single predetermined path, but only to show the many elements in place, and it is a work that fully brings out the strengths of a game that allows the player to play by himself.

(Text by Yoshiyoshi Natsumunouchi)

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

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• Title Information
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Price: 7,920 yen (including tax) for package version / 7,900 yen (including tax) for download version
• Release date: May 12, 2023
• Platform: Nintendo Switch
• Manufacturer：Nintendo