Before diving into this TOTK review, I wanted to be transparent about the amount of hours I’ve put into the game, as I find that reviews with 10 or less hours played do not accurately capture the essence of the game.
I have played 60+ hours as of writing this review. While I am not finished with the main story, I focus this review on the gameplay and new features Nintendo developers have given us.
Moreover, I identify some areas of concern that make the game feel devoid of meaning. For scope, Zelda is my favorite video-game series along with the Elder Scrolls titles from Bethesda.
Please note that only one spoiler warning is present and does not impact your playthrough journey at all. It is marked with *.
It’s fair to preface that Breath of the Wild set the bar so high, in regard to redefining the Zelda series – that the next title was going to be under a microscope.
And for those clamoring for Zelda to return to its more linear ways, Nintendo has made their intentions clear that with Zelda and Pokémon, they want open-world experiences.
The linear Zelda titles will be in the form of remakes from this moment forward.
After reading Metacritic’s lackluster user reviews, I felt the need to chime in on what makes this game great and also what holds it back from getting a perfect score.
General overview of TotK
Like Breath of the Wild, the player is free to explore hours on end, building and crafting to their needs.
The ‘ultrahand’ ability is what makes this game great. It’s an unpopular opinion (when compared to metacritic reviews) but I enjoy the puzzles more in TotK compared to BotW.
Still, they too get repetitive and become a chore to farm stamina and hearts from them. It would be nice to remember a specific shrine, but they moistly blur together.
For some puzzles, I enjoy challenging myself to completing them without looking up any shrine walkthroughs. Others, I get annoyed/frustrated within 10-15 minutes of unsuccessful attempts and then consult google to help me finish the job.
Still, I notice an increased fluidity to TotK shrines, compared with BotW’s. This is an area however, that I hope the developers will get more creative in the next time around.
My main criticisms are that the main story is eerily similar in process to BotW.
The dungeons are fun and engaging. But the process itself of going to each region (in a suggested order), doing a few quests to build up to the dungeon, and then completing the dungeon in similar fashion to BotW, feels like a missed opportunity.
Upon completion of each of the dungeons (wind, fire, water, lightning), there is little draw to go back to the region, aside from side quests.
Side quests in TotK
Speaking of the side quests, initially I was going to be critical of TotK’s offerings.
However, after getting north of 60 hours of playing time, I began to notice that they are better than BotW’s. Each in volume and fluidity.
The Lucky Clover gazette stands out as a fun side quest. One that you’ll think back to after completing a few of the stable-based missions. Still, side quests is an area I hope the developers spend some time improving for future titles.
The NPC dialogue on side quests could be improved and reads to me like ‘do this, then that’s it.’
A fair comparison is to side quests in the Elder Scrolls series in Skyrim and Oblivion. Like TotK, those were also open-world titles where the user was free to explore where and when they wanted.
However, they each successfully added side quests and factions (thieves guild, dark brotherhood, etc.) that built a feeling of memorable missions, that were sometimes more engaging than the main story.
Don’t get me wrong, the side quests are improved compared to BotW. For future Zelda titles, maybe some spruced up NPC dialogue would give my side quest ratings am even higher score.
Side quests rating: 8/10
Totk graphics and processing speeds
While the switch is becoming outdated in regard to graphics and processing speeds, it doesn’t bother me much in TotK.
Sure, I’d love to play a debut Zelda title on a next-generation console, but if you found BotW stunning and beautiful, there should be little concern here.
Overall the graphics make it easy to feel immersed in Hyrule. The processing speeds due lag occasionally, but nothing that’s game breaking.
I eagerly await a next-gen Switch and another new or remastered Zelda to go with it. For now, I have no complaints about the graphics, load times or processing in TotK.
As for hardware limitations – I just can’t fault Nintendo for that.
The game gets clunky occasionally – but I’d rather that than a rushed next-generation Switch with endless updates and patches.
Still, you’ll come across some clunkiness from time to time. It’s worth overlooking and conceding that Nintendo couldn’t have done much else here.
Main quests in TotK Review
I appreciate some of the flashback scenes within the main quests – but after completing each of the main bosses, you’re left with little memory of what made them unique.
It’s the same process of discovering four regions, defeating the bosses and then proceeding to Hyrule Castle.
When it comes to fighting each of the bosses, the ways to defeat them are far too repetitive to BoTW, even using the same exploits to concur them.
For example, on Death Mountain, attacking the boss’ eye to defeat it. That’s it. There’s no creative method about it. It’s simply trial and error with repetition.
Not to be overly critical, but this was sold to us as a BotW sequel. The story doesn’t carry over enough themes to justify that label. There’s gaps in between the story and it feels like we’re trying to piece square puzzle pieces with round ones.
This is an item, though not game breaking, that is missing from TotK.
While I find it relaxing to explore every inch of the map, sometimes wondering, ‘has anyone else set foot on this one inch of Hyrule’, it can feel lonely.
And yes, the added companions are a welcomed return to the series, but *spoiler alert* using ghost versions of them, is hollow.
In terms of armor and gear, I also feel like Nintendo skimped us here.
A rare drawback of BotW was that until obtaining the Master Sword, the different gear options were forgettable.
It was simply use whatever you find until it breaks within two to three fights. A large part of gaming in the modern day is loot.
Take fortnite for example, there’s a clear system that hooks users on searching for the best gear possible.
TotK has essentially the same low-grade weapons and armor to choose from, that they offered us in BotW.
A clear need for future Zelda titles is modernizing the loot system to satisfy players’ cravings for unique armor sets and weapons.
The depths suck
Another criticism of TOTK is of the caves (formally known as the depths). While it’s fun to know what’s beneath the map, the UX of exploring each of these caves is tedious.
Regardless of where you enter the depths, it offers the same experience each time. It’s pitch black until you activate a lightroot.
Enemies are easy to avoid and the gloop is an annoyance, that is also avoidable. Even trying to obtain the mastersword, you have to go through the depths. It’s a chore.
You collect as many poes as you can in sight. You open some chests to find forgettable gear. You hit some rocks until said gear breaks. And then you fast travel out of the cave once you’ve had enough. That’s it.
The depths feel like they were very rushed in development. It feels more of a marketing ploy, then an actual benefit to the game. The developers missed the mark here substantially.
Sky Islands offer little, show potential
The sky islands in contrast show a lot of potential for future games. They are visually stunning, though quite sparse. I could see the next Zelda title building full cities on top of them and expanding their role in the game.
For TOTK, the sky islands present a fun way to traverse the sky with breathtaking views of Hyrule. However, these to feel rushed in terms of game implementation. They also don’t contribute any notable loot or armor.
After you progress far enough in the game, the chests in the Sky Islands aren’t worth opening.
Another main critique I have of this game, is that from the hype period of Nintendo launching multiple cinematic trailers, those cinematic masterpieces focused heavily on marketing the sky islands.
Sure, they are beautiful areas. However, they are spare and offer little but a few shrines and meaningless gear.
This feels like more of a marketing ploy than an actual successful implantation of a new world to explore. The most fun I’ve found in the sky islands, are using them to get to some of the dungeons in the main quest.
Aside from this, it seems like a big missed opportunity that was sold to us as a groundbreaking new way to explore more of Hyrule. In reality, it’s forgettable aside from the occasional nice view.
Sky Islands TotK rating: 4/10.
Still, each of the depths and sky islands are notable additions in the series and accomplishes much of what I anticipate the developers hoped for which is to bridge the gap until the next generation Switch releases.
This new hardware from Nintendo, will allow for more drastic changes and a complete overhaul in gameplay and graphics for the iconic Zelda series.
I should note that I have taken pity to video-game developers and studios in general, who seem to be releasing a lot of lackluster products recently (IE. Call of Duty). TOTK does not fall into this category.
While TotK does leave more to be desired, Nintendo finds a way to sprinkle in new mechanics that are fun to ‘master.’
Let’s save the title ‘masterpiece’ for true classics.
This is a game to log 100+ hours of enjoyment in.
Spend time immersing yourself in beautiful Hyrule (again) and understand that this will rank among the top-five Zelda titles, just toward the later half.
Final TotK review score: 8.9/10
Let me know your own personal TotK rating in the comments!
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