Tears of the Kingdom is less than a month from its release on May 12, 2023. There’s still so much about the new sequel that fans question, including the game’s uniqueness. To cleanse any more doubtful malice, Nintendo released another trailer that takes a much closer look at Link’s new journey.

More Expansive Kingdom

Breath of the Wild was designed to introduce players to the new Hyrule Kingdom. A lot of its story was explained by showing the world rather than telling it. This allows players to use their imagination to visualize what happened, though this occurred too frequently and had very few cinematics. In the recent trailer of TOTK, more story and interactions are told through dramatic cutscenes. The upcoming sequel may give players a closer look at character interactions and events in the kingdom.

More malice is roaming over the lands of Hyrule, including terrors lurking underground. This requires Link to explore more environments in many different elevations. He’ll have to freefall in the sky, ride the rails, swim underwater, and much more to cleanse away Ganon’s corruption.

Ancient magic has released an abundance of fused items all across Hyrule Kingdom. Link isn’t the only character that can use fused equipment as enemies can also wield such creations. He’ll need to be cautious when treading through the land and sky.

Bigger Battles Amongst Hyrule

The battles are much grander in scale compared to its predecessor. Link won’t have to use only his acquired weapons and runes. With his new powers, he can now control many environmental utensils to his advantage. He can repel hostile attacks back at the enemies or challenge them in battles with makeshift stone tanks.

Link won’t be alone in facing Ganon’s malice as more allies have built up the courage to fight alongside the chosen warrior. Due to the tragic loss of the original four champions, the successors have stepped in to fulfill their roles, including Riju, Sidon, and Tulin (Teba’s son). This allows Link to re-witness the growing potential of a new generation of champions.

Villain of Ruined Hyrule

Despite being defeated in BOTW, Ganon returns once again, but this time in his Gerudo form. Ganon has never walked on the lands of Hyrule as a human for 17 years.

The last canon Zelda game that had Ganondorf take on his human form was Twilight Princess, released in 2006. Since then, he used his bestial forms to challenge the chosen hero and princess.

Ganondorf’s new appearance in Tears of the Kingdom resembles a samurai. This look fits his outstanding power and confidence to face opponents head-on. With his Gerudo accessories and dark-sheathed sword, he yearns to destroy Hyrule and shape it into his own image. How Ganon will acquire his ideal world is still unknown, but he will do anything to achieve his goal. 

Preorder Bonuses for Tears of the Kingdom

The game does offer exclusive preorder bonuses when purchasing at different retail stores before the launch date. The eligible stores are Walmart (black wall scroll of the master sword), Gamestop (wooden plaque with ancient inscriptions), and Best Buy (art card of Tears of the Kingdom).

Tears of the Kingdom will be released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023

By Brandon Williams

Ever since I've played on the PS2, I've enjoyed a variety of games from the consoles huge library, including Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter, SMT, and many more. My most played console has been the Nintendo switch, which holds more satisfying animated games for my gaming tastes. My favorite interests include RPGs and fighting games, resulting in the Xenoblade series and Smash Bros as my top favorite games to play.