I have a very mixed relationship withThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. On the one hand, I’ve sunk well over 300 hours into it, thoroughly scoured its vast world, and indulged in the delightfully creative new mechanics. On the other hand, I just can’t get over how it feels inferior toBreath of the Wildin almost every single way. It got to the point that I simply couldn’t enjoyTOTKas much, although I suspect that after 300 hours, that was bound to happen.
However, upon getting a Nintendo Switch 2, the strangest thing happened. Despite having written countless articles on whyBOTWis better thanTOTKand having practically sworn offTears of the Kingdomfor life, I found myself playing it all over again. I haven’t changed my stance onTears of the Kingdombeing worse thanBreath of the Wild, butsomething about the Nintendo Switch 2 version helped to pull me back into its beautiful world once again.
Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Runs Better On Switch 2
The Switch 2 Version Just Feels Right
Tears of the Kingdomis a far superior experience on the Nintendo Switch 2than I had thought possible. While the Switch 2 edition isn’t as transformative as a full-blown remake or remaster, it does enough to makeTOTKfeel as it should have when it was first released. Ididn’t loveBOTW’sSwitch 2 edition, but that’s partially because I never felt it was entirely necessary. Sure, it didn’t run perfectly on the original Switch, but that was almost part of its charm.
However,withTears of the Kingdom, the bad framerate and constant stuttering got in the way of the ambiance and atmosphere, something it was already struggling with to begin with. The new and improved framerate, and even the inclusion of HDR and crisper visuals, help to better sellTears of the Kingdom’sworld.Breath of the Wildfelt immersive because it was new and fresh, even despite some minor framerate hiccups.
Tears of the Kingdomdid not have that luxury, and, as a result, it needed to be a flawless experience. TheSwitch 2 upgrades aren’t perfect, butTears of the Kingdom’sedition does vastly improve it in such a way that I feel more immersed in its world, and that is enough to pull me back in for another 100 hours or so.
What Could A Switch 2 Zelda Look Like?
It Could Be Truly Massive
PlayingTears of the Kingdomon the Nintendo Switch 2’s big and bright screen with all the new improvements has made me wonder what a brand-new, exclusiveZeldagame would be like.We certainly can’t regress to the old-school design, although I would take an additional game that’s likeMajora’s Mask- or Nintendo could finally give us the remake we all want. Instead, the Switch 2Zeldagame needs to go even bigger.
Frankly,I’d take another low-framerate experience if it means that Nintendo can throw every idea it has at the walland design a more dynamic world in the process. There are a lot offeatures thatTOTKwas missing, and it would be great to finally see those implemented. A new world, more dynamic weather, additional emergent events, and a more robust combat model are just some of the things that a newZeldaSwitch 2 game could add.
Ultimately, something that focuses more on improving upon the foundations set byBreath of the Wild, rather than literally just adding to them, would be amazing.TOTKcertainly had a lot of interesting ideas, but they did little to advance the formula already set byBOTW. The nextZeldagame needs to have that same wild and creative energy thatTears of the Kingdombrought, while also appreciating the nuances ofBOTW.
