The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay reveals new abilities, OLED theme switch and more

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases on May 12 and ahead of its release, Nintendo revealed 10 minutes of in-depth gameplay. In it, producer Eiji Aonuma walks us through the sprawling lands of Hyrule and the floating sky islands, while providing insight into Link’s new abilities, ranging from time rewind to the ability to merge objects to build buildings. weapons, and more. He also confirmed that development on the highly anticipated sequel is now complete – the game was originally slated for release in 2022 but was delayed this year. The video also revealed a Nintendo Switch OLED model themed after The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom, launching on April 28.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gameplay sequence opens with Link riding his horse and exploring Hyrule, before noticing a giant boulder falling from the sky. He was then seen using the new “Recall” ability on the rock, essentially rewinding his move and using it as a fancy lift to get to the Sky Islands. Once he was in a well elevated position, Aonuma opened Link’s paraglider and floated onto one of the many floating islands. “There are many ways to reach the Sky Islands, so we hope you’ll try many different methods,” Aonuma said via an English translator. The weapon durability factor also returns in the sequel, with armaments like wooden branches breaking in a few hits. To counter this, he demonstrated Link’s new “Fuse” ability, allowing him to combine a tree branch and a rock to form a makeshift hammer, which is naturally more resistant to blows and degradation.

Of course, other combinations such as an elongated fork are also possible, helping us to keep enemies at bay, while continuing to push them. You can also fuse arrows with materials in your inventory – fusing an ice elemental into an arrow helps you shoot and freeze enemies in the distance. Similarly, a “Keese Eyeball” monster can be fused together to create a homing arrow that automatically hits a target, no matter how good your aiming skills are. Shields can also be fused with Exotic Mushrooms which, upon taking a hit, release a giant plume of smoke that blinds enemies.

Next, we got to see Link’s new “Ultrahand” ability, which basically works like crafting, albeit through telekinesis. With it, players can build rafts, carts, and gliders by attaching fans to propel them in one direction. “In the most recent trailer, we showed scenes of Link driving a big car and a flying machine. These vehicles actually haven’t been in the game from the start. Instead, you’ll be able to craft them freely. by yourself,” Aonuma said in the video. And finally, we got to see the “Ascend” ability, which teleports Link to a floor above him, as long as there’s a ceiling. For example, if you plan to reach the top of a mountain, instead of climbing it the old fashioned way, players can simply enter a cave at the bottom and activate the ability to pass the barrier and teleport upwards.

“I’m sure some of you watching me play were thinking, ‘Wait, if you can do this, then maybe you can do this too,’” Aonuma said. “In this game, you can do a lot of things just by thinking about what’s possible. There’s still a lot of new gameplay, mysteries, and encounters that we couldn’t show today, but they’re all wrapped up in this unknown Hyrule.The video also revealed a Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom-themed black and gold Pro Controller and carrying case, which is slated to launch on May 12.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases May 12, exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

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