5 things you may have missed in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The latest gameplay showcase for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom unveiled many new surprising details. To put it briefly, the next open-world game is in no way a straightforward continuation of its 2017 predecessor. Players can create imaginative crafts to help them on their journey thanks to new mechanics like Fuse. Similar to this, the Ascend mechanism improves exploration through swift movement across vertical spaces. However, the footage shown by the publisher Nintendo still leaves many questions unanswered.

Several components that were not discussed in the demonstration have been picked up by astute players. Let's examine a few of them.

---

Here are 5 things players may have overlooked in the latest gameplay showcase for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

1) The new abilities are tied to the L button

The brand new footage highlights four varied abilities for protagonist Link to use:

• Recall: Allows rewinding the motion path of an object
• Fuse: Allows fusing two objects to create a brand new object with increased durability and even entirely new functions
• Ultrahand: Allows putting together objects to make them work in tandem, almost like LEGO pieces
• Ascend: Allows Link to move vertically through ceilings

Each of them significantly improves the hero's investigation and warfare skills in comparison to the game's wider scope. Players may only utilize one ability at a time in the new gameplay, and this is controlled by the L button on the Nintendo Switch controller.

---

2) The spirit dragons return from Breath of the Wild

The biggest surprise in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was its open world. Nearly every turn offered something unexpected to discover or to do. This also applies to the spirit dragons that certain places have flying through the air. Now, they also appear in Tears of the Kingdom. Players might have a better view of them because the game is played higher in the sky. Link could shoot arrows at them in the previous game to get scales. We do not know if there is more to them this time around, but at the very least they should likely function similarly as before.

---

3) The mysterious Zonai tribe could play a major role this time around

First referenced in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the Zonai was an ancient Hylian tribe that relied on powerful magic. As they became extinct before the game's events, they were not present in the 2017 game. Yet, their impact may be seen in several buildings and ruins scattered around the landscape, particularly in the Faron area. Since Tears of the Kingdom takes place after the previous game, it is unlikely they will be seen again.

But they still seem to play some sort of role in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as seen with the Constructs. When destroyed, these new robotic opponent kinds release a substance called "Zonai Charge," which Link can take and put in his bag. Maybe the tribe that disappeared constructed these robots. Moreover, his weapons refer to them as well, including a bow with a similar motif and a shield with the Zonai insignia. Other than that, without the Sheikah Slate and Towers, there don't seem to be many Sheikah allusions. Might there be a connection between it and the Zonai emphasis?

---

4) The game tracks the players' co-ordinates on the minimap

The vast, seamless open world of Hyrule was a joy to explore in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the same looks to be true here. To monitor Link's present location on three axes, Nintendo's developers shrewdly implemented a coordinates system considering how much more open-ended the terrain is this time. This is ideal when soaring through the skies or exploring one of the Sky Islands. It is visible at the bottom of the minimap located in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

---

5) We get a new look for Link

If players have not caught onto it thus far, the new footage provides countless instances of a new look for Link. He boasts a new hairstyle with long hair from the original. A white and green toga replaces his blue clothing from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This design appears significant in the overall scheme of things, as it was also included in earlier teasers. Maybe before the game's formal debut, we'll learn more.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set for release on May 12, 2023. It is coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch console.