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Pre-Release The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Pre-Release Discussion Thread

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AoC basically answers the question of whether Zelda, Link and the Chamipons could have saved Hyrule if the Divine Beasts were not taken over.
 
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I had initially thought AoC was canon when playing through it. The way they marketed the game made it sound like it. It’s been awhile since I’ve played, but wasn’t there basically some time shenanigans in play warning them of their fate so the champions and Link would actually win instead of getting killed my Ganon?

Honestly, this could easily just serve as an additional branch of the timeline lol So now you’d have The One Where the Hero Fails… Again (Fallen Timeline 2.0) that leads into Tears of the Kingdom; and then you’d have The One Where the Hero Prevails.

So it would look like:
Hero fails: AoC>BotW>ToTK
Hero prevails: AoC>BotW

I’d prefer this to be honest rather than it not being canon. Really no reason for it not to be. In fact, I don’t think Nintendo has ever said directly said confirmed of the game is canon or not, have they?
 
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fair enough, but didn't have to be.

i still dream of a version of the game that didn't end up like a camp saturday morning cartoon with a happy ending, instead actually leaning into the tragedy
Why would a genre based around mowing down hundreds of people at a time end in tragedy?
 
Monster Maze released a new video about what Link's main objective on the surface of Hyrule will be, it's worth checking out.



If you don't want to watch the video,
he mainly talks about the giant storm we see in the artwork, and how each of the 7 races (Korok, Goron, Shiekah, Zora, Gerudo, Rito, and Hylians) could have their own disaster/crisis that is caused by Ganondorf. The giant storm is likely over the Hebra region, and would be causing trouble to the Rito. The other 2 crisis we've seen so far are ones effecting the Gorons and the Koroks, with Death Mountain erupting in malice and the Deku Forest being totally missing. The number 7 is important because there are 7 tears surrounding the figure in the new trailer. The number 7 is commonly used in BotW, from references to the 7 sages and the 7 Heroines in Gerudo. However, Monster Maze also notes that the number 8 is important because of the secret 8th Heroine and the fact that Hyrule is separated into 8 regions. In this case, the Zonai could be the 8th race. In summary, each of the 7-8 races would have it's own disaster/crisis for Link to solve, and each of these events could involve a dungeon. Monster Maze thinks that the main purpose of the sky islands is to hold items or powers that help Link solve each crisis down below.


as always, MM deserves to have more subs and views, his video is high quality with grounded theories. Sometimes he do some type of documentary outside of just pure theory like those Calamity Aftermatch, the path of Hero after Calamity Ganon took over the castle, etc., or even funny video like Life of Bokoblin.
 
I do wonder a lot what's up with that tornado. And there's probably other things like it going on in the other regions. What if strong winds moved an insane amount of sand and the Arbiter's Ground are now accessible?
 
I do wonder a lot what's up with that tornado. And there's probably other things like it going on in the other regions. What if strong winds moved an insane amount of sand and the Arbiter's Ground are now accessible?
That’s a great thought! I definitely think the Arbiter’s Ground will have some sort of dungeon or something similar there. The Monster Maze video theorizes that it’s above the Rito area but when I first saw the box cover I thought it was above the desert and Gerudo. It kind of looks like it might have a more tan hue to it like sand. My only hesitation was a point made in the comments of that video, that it would be a great way to keep the Rito in check from just flying away. That could be why it’s an upside down tornado to keep the Rito imprisoned perhaps?
 
Is there a real-life equivalent to that tornado on the boxart? I've been trying to find one but I can't find anything that looks like an upside-down tornado.
 
Is there a real-life equivalent to that tornado on the boxart? I've been trying to find one but I can't find anything that looks like an upside-down tornado.
I don’t think there’s a natural occurring one in nature. The geographic location on the BOTW map makes sense for a normal tornado which is formed when dense cold dry air is pushed over warm air which causes the updraft. So this would have to be something different.
 
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I, for one, am glad Age of Calamity is non-canon, and I don't want any of that version of the story leaking into Tears of the Kingdom :]

It was a mildly entertaining Musou game built around fan-fiction in my mind.
I kinda enjoyed running around non-destructinated Hyrule, but the game was so choppy and chaotic that the single thing I'd really like it to have is a peaceful Tourist Mode =P .

Also yeah, AoC accentuated the parts of BotW's narrative that I didn't enjoy. Seeing all champions together is just a little too Power Rangers-y to me. Also time travel has gotten real stale to me, I hope they tap into other ways to get freaky in the future.

Zelda Narratives Hot Take:

I think pre-Aonuma Zelda games handled narrative the best, OoT and LA springing to mind as games that did more with a few textboxes than many others with buckets of 'em.

I really hope TotK doesn't have more of a narrative focus compared to BotW - I loved the way BotW allowed me to skip the narrative and keep the mystique. However, seeing as "more story" was one of the community's main points of feedback - along with dungeons and enemy variety - I'm afraid I'll have to endure more of the kind of awkward writing Zelda's had since WW. The settings and setups are interesting enough, but the writing feels as though it could've used a few more passes.
 
If we assume the tornado is wreaking havoc on the Rito and the malice coming out of Death Mountain is affecting the Gorons, what are the likely hazards impacting the Zora and Gerudo? Zora is easier to imagine as it’ll be something impacting the water. It could be poisoned by Malice. Or it could be dried up completely, although that seems too similar to the lava being removed on DM. What would happen to Gerudo desert? A sandstorm seems too similar to Vah Nabooris. Turning the desert cold or icy seems a bit lame for exploration reasons. Not sure what Malice could manipulate that would fuck with the Gerudo’s way of life.
 
That awkward writing is one of the many charms of the Zelda franchise for me so I don't wish for it to go anyway. I don't think TotK needs more story compared to BOTW. The issue most people have (at least from what I have seen) is that 90% of the narrative in BOTW happens in the past, so there is some feeling of disconnection with the player because all those events are over already and there is nothing you can do about (no gameplay in the past like you could do in Witcher 3).
But I do agree with that feeling about Age of calamity, midway in the story when the "true" fork happens, the story became more cheesy and more "Avengers assemble", which is also a stark contrast with the solo (or pair with the sidekick) hero journey most Zelda games are, but the type of game kinda required that to happen.
Age of Calamity could also influence some events in TotK as the 2 timelines still interact with each other in quite a significant way.
 
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If we assume the tornado is wreaking havoc on the Rito and the malice coming out of Death Mountain is affecting the Gorons, what are the likely hazards impacting the Zora and Gerudo? Zora is easier to imagine as it’ll be something impacting the water. It could be poisoned by Malice. Or it could be dried up completely, although that seems too similar to the lava being removed on DM. What would happen to Gerudo desert? A sandstorm seems too similar to Vah Nabooris. Turning the desert cold or icy seems a bit lame for exploration reasons. Not sure what Malice could manipulate that would fuck with the Gerudo’s way of life.
What about some twist and the Gerudos are the only ones not affected by some hazard but instead their region gets "gifted" and the desert is disappearing leaving behind a more pleasing environment. It could serve several purposes:
  • Callback to Ganondorf in Wind Waker who justified his actions with the purpose of helping his people living in the harsh conditions of the desert.
  • The desert got many ruins, that got lost way before the Calamity (Arbiter's ground is a prime example), and removing the sand (and potentially rewinding it) could alter the whole region in a significant way (so we can still discover new things in that same world map).
  • Could introduce a nice narrative of the Gerudos having to give up on their gift for the greater good.
  • Nice callback to the desert + timeshift stone section in Skyward Sword (like if the sky was not enough references).
Koroks could be impacted by the disappearance of the Deku Tree in a similar fashion Kokiris are in OOT after it died.
 
That awkward writing is one of the many charms of the Zelda franchise for me so I don't wish for it to go anyway. I don't think the story in TotK needs more story compared to BOTW. The issue most people have (at least from what I have seen) is that 90% of the narrative in BOTW happens in the past, so there is some feeling of disconnection with the player because all those events are over already and there is nothing you can do about (no gameplay in the past like you could do in Witcher 3).
That's fair. I make a distinction between intentionally awkward characters (of which Zelda has a lot, inspired as it is by Twin Peaks from LA onward) and writing that's suboptimal. Twilight Princess has a very interesting setting for example, but it's wording is so woolly that the pacing is just erghh... Skyward Sword has this problem too: lots is being said about very little. Contrasting this with OoT in which a lot happens, but most of it is conveyed super elegantly.

I do agree that more of a narrative thrust could fit TotK - from what we've seen it's a more energetic and "direct" looking game compared to the solemn BotW, for which the disconnected story felt appropriate (you're trying to save the little of what's left after all).
 
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I really hope TotK doesn't have more of a narrative focus compared to BotW - I loved the way BotW allowed me to skip the narrative and keep the mystique. However, seeing as "more story" was one of the community's main points of feedback - along with dungeons and enemy variety - I'm afraid I'll have to endure more of the kind of awkward writing Zelda's had since WW. The settings and setups are interesting enough, but the writing feels as though it could've used a few more passes.

I kind of agree.

I'm in the 'more story' camp, but it's on the assumption that they won't fuck it up. I have little faith that they'll actually give narrative presentation the time, money, and specific talents it demands, and if that's the case I'd rather they just keep it to a minimum.

I do think they have talent enough at Nintendo tho - Monolithsoft is right there
 
botw2.900x.jpg


From the delay trailer ; Aonuma talks about how the world is expanding to the sky and beyond
Any idea what that could mean ? Underground ?
 
If we assume the tornado is wreaking havoc on the Rito and the malice coming out of Death Mountain is affecting the Gorons, what are the likely hazards impacting the Zora and Gerudo? Zora is easier to imagine as it’ll be something impacting the water. It could be poisoned by Malice. Or it could be dried up completely, although that seems too similar to the lava being removed on DM. What would happen to Gerudo desert? A sandstorm seems too similar to Vah Nabooris. Turning the desert cold or icy seems a bit lame for exploration reasons. Not sure what Malice could manipulate that would fuck with the Gerudo’s way of life.
Maybe the earth shaking when Hyrule castle lifted caused big earthquakes in Gerudo dessert which opened large and deep cuts in the land cutting off Gerudo from the rest of hyrule. This could kinda reference how you couldn't access Gerudo dessert at first in OoT and also, give way to potentially more underground exploration.
 
I was wondering if that expansion would be in all cardinal directions but based on the last trailer it doesn't seem to be the case. We have clear shots of the north and east and no changes can be noticed. There are no extra islands visible in the sea and the massive north cliff beyond the rift still has this same flat and empty feel to it. Assuming West and South are the same and with the sky confirmed. The only remaining direction is downward so the underground sounds likely.

But the issue with underground is that by nature it's a very linear experience because you will most likely follow tunnels from location to location which is a sharp contrast with the "open air" of Hyrule (Who knows maybe it would be on purpose). I guess they could also play the card of the hollow earth and we have a whole second open world.

One extra fancy idea that I have seen in a few fictional universes: The inverted world. When you are reaching so high in the sky you reach some "ceiling" which ends up being a complete second surface with inverted gravity.
67549.jpg
(Example from Aion)

If you want to add the time dimension, past and future are still a probability. Everyone has speculated about the world of 10 000+ years ago, and ancient Link/Zelda, and now time loops with the rewind mechanism plus the ouroboros logo. Some people are tired of it, but we can't deny that the duality of the worlds has always been a core focus in Zelda. Normal/Dark world in ALttP, Past/Future in OOT/OOA, Above/Below surface in WW, Light/Twilight in TP, Sky/Surface in SS, Hyrule/Lorule in ALbW.
I'm team 10 000 years old Hyrule in my case, either by actual time travel or by rewinding part of Hyrule itself.
 
botw2.900x.jpg


From the delay trailer ; Aonuma talks about how the world is expanding to the sky and beyond
Any idea what that could mean ? Underground ?

Well, i sure don't expect them to go into space.

(Dear god(s), i pray to you all that this post doesn't age badly.)
 
botw2.900x.jpg


From the delay trailer ; Aonuma talks about how the world is expanding to the sky and beyond
Any idea what that could mean ? Underground ?

We know there's a new cave entrance of some kind in the Faron footage in the September 2022 trailer, so it's definitely expended beyond the sky and the surface of Hyrule.

EDIT: Space is fine as long as it's like "space, but still close to Earth" type stuff, like upper atmosphere. No rocket ships or shit like that.
 
From the delay trailer ; Aonuma talks about how the world is expanding to the sky and beyond
Any idea what that could mean ? Underground ?
Well, i sure don't expect them to go into space.

(Dear god(s), i pray to you all that this post doesn't age badly.)

oh buddy you're gonna be in trouble 7 months from now

serious answer:
  • I believe there will be some degree of underground – even just a little
  • absolutely some kind of "light" and "dark" world setup – the tear vessel makes me even more confident in this
  • past / future, at least represented by certain abilities – though if it does this more broadly I think it'll be presented as the "light" / "dark" world
  • underwater – I think there's a reason we haven't seen Zora's Domain yet and BotW already has beautiful fleshed out reef assets that went partially unused
  • if not a light / dark world, possibly rifts of some kind
  • low possibility, but perhaps further than the bounds of the first map?
  • also low possibility, but they did literally have minish concept art
 
oh buddy you're gonna be in trouble 7 months from now

serious answer:
  • I believe there will be some degree of underground – even just a little
  • absolutely some kind of "light" and "dark" world setup – the tear vessel makes me even more confident in this
  • past / future, at least represented by certain abilities – though if it does this more broadly I think it'll be presented as the "light" / "dark" world
  • underwater – I think there's a reason we haven't seen Zora's Domain yet and BotW already has beautiful fleshed out reef assets that went partially unused
  • if not a light / dark world, possibly rifts of some kind
  • low possibility, but perhaps further than the bounds of the first map?
  • also low possibility, but they did literally have minish concept art

We haven't seen Zora's domain yet because there are no towns I tell you
 
We haven't seen Zora's domain yet because there are no towns I tell you

You just made me think... have we seen any footage of the East Reservoir Lake so far in any of the teasers? What if the dam was busted and Zora's Domain is now completely underwater?
 
I feel like if underwater was a thing they'd have shown Link diving. It's an easy win, they can let you know you can go underwater without even showing anything down there.
 
I feel like if underwater was a thing they'd have shown Link diving. It's an easy win, they can let you know you can go underwater without even showing anything down there.
aha, but we saw Link diving
 
Maybe it is my Thalassophobia speaking but I'd prefer it if they wouldn't waste resources on underwater gameplay and instead focus it on the sky and and other gameplay segments.

Underwater gameplay is rarely fun. The only 3D franchise from Nintendo that consistently nails underwater gameplay is arguably Mario.
 
Maybe it is my Thalassophobia speaking but I'd prefer it if they wouldn't waste resources on underwater gameplay and instead focus it on the sky and and other gameplay segments.

Underwater gameplay is rarely fun. The only 3D franchise from Nintendo that consistently nails underwater gameplay is arguably Mario.
And even Mario's underwater levels give me anxiety most of the time.
 
Maybe it is my Thalassophobia speaking but I'd prefer it if they wouldn't waste resources on underwater gameplay and instead focus it on the sky and and other gameplay segments.

Underwater gameplay is rarely fun. The only 3D franchise from Nintendo that consistently nails underwater gameplay is arguably Mario.
I mean there are literally underwater assets in BOTW.
 
I would say that underwater gameplay isn't too high on my list of TotK hopes.

Maybe it would be to pick up the gemstones if you accidentally dropped them at the bottom of the sea without being able to pick them up, as would happen at times in BotW.
 
I'm the weird type of person who basically consistently loves underwater levels so I'd actually much rather have water exploration than underground exploration
 
I wonder if we'll have to use mine cart to connect some of the underground areas, could be a fun way to fast travel if they manage to not be boring corridor but spectacular roller-coaster (lava fall under death mountain, underground biotope)
Don't have to be a lot, just a few well crafted could be a nice addition.
 
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Has anyone else had a little theory that "Tears of the Kingdom" can be read as the homophone "Tiers of the Kingdom"?

Tiers being underground/underwater, ground, and above-ground/sky levels that keep going up.

I've thought that was the more appropriate "pun" for the title, as opposed to folks reading "Tears" like "Rips."
 
Has anyone else had a little theory that "Tears of the Kingdom" can be read as the homophone "Tiers of the Kingdom"?

Tiers being underground/underwater, ground, and above-ground/sky levels that keep going up.

I've thought that was the more appropriate "pun" for the title, as opposed to folks reading "Tears" like "Rips."

Nintendo has officially stated that it's "tears" as in "crying".
 
That’s fine. It doesn’t mean the word won’t have multiple uses for this game. I don’t see it just being “tears” as in “crying”

Yeah exactly. I meant as an additional layer to the meaning.

Wouldn't this double-meaning be entirely lost to the Japanese audiences? I'm sure we can find a double meaning, but I'm not so confident it was their intention.
 
The English localization often likes their puns even if they're unclear or nonexistent in the Japanese title - Link to the Past, for instance. Japanese title was Triforce of the Gods.

The original intention is evidently 'tears' like crying. Like the Shiekah eye symbol teardrops, collectible tears in Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, and mirroring the use of "breath" in Breath of the Wild.

But I'm sure the English localizers enjoyed folks pulling double and triple meanings from the title, since they can be made to fit anyway. Happy accident.
 
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