During the latest Nintendo Direct, fans received new information regarding The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the form of a new story and gameplay trailer, information regarding its collector's edition, and new details regarding a Link amiibo. There were many reveals at the Nintendo Direct, but the company knew what it was doing when it saved Zelda for last.The road to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been a long one. It was first announced, without a title, at E3 2019, with information being scarce in the following years. New story elements, a few snippets of gameplay, and other details were revealed at E3 2021, and its next major presence was a Nintendo Direct in September 2022. There, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's release date and official title were confirmed, and now fans have more ahead of its launch later this year.Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom hints at a few new story elements, with the trailer making it seem a lot darker than many may have initially guessed. Zelda's voice is overheard, asking for someone to lend Link, presumably, their power, while also saying she's not sure if Link could defeat this mysterious antagonist. This is accompanied by a red moon rising over Hyrule, one that looks way worse than the standard blood moon from the first game, and the antagonist's servants attacking. Moreover, there were a couple of glimpses of gameplay where Link was seen on new ground and sky vehicles, solving puzzles because of the mysterious thing attached to Link's arm, and more.
While horses were available in Breath of the Wild, these vehicles are something new to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. A sky and ground version can be seen, both of which carry the same notable hue of green as Link's arm. It's not a leap to presume that these new vehicles are somehow tied to these abilities and wherever Link is drawing this newfound power from.
No matter what, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is easily one of the most anticipated games of 2023. Its predecessor, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, set a bar not only for the franchise but all open-world games in general. It remains to be seen, in full, how Tears of the Kingdom builds or innovates upon Breath of the Wild, but there's little doubt many fans are waiting to find out for themselves on day one.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to release on May 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.