Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom review round-up: ‘One of the best Zelda games ever made’

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom reviews have gone live ahead of the game’s release this week.

After several delays, the highly anticipated Switch sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be released on May 12.

Nintendo announced in February that the game costs $69.99, marking the first time it has charged more than $59.99 for a standard edition of a digital Switch title.

However, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has said the company expects the game to justify its $70 price tag.

Buy Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch)

£44.99$59.99£59.99

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom guides:

Master Sword location | How to increase inventory space | How to increase hearts and stamina  | How to get warm clothes | Wingsuit location | Hylian Shield location | Duplication glitch

VGC’s The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom review calls the title “easily one of the very best games on Nintendo Switch”.

Other critics have heaped praise on the game in their write-ups too, with most agreeing it’s a worthy sequel to one of the generation’s best games and one of the long-running franchise’s high points.

The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom review round-up

• VGC (5/5) – “The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom reinterprets Breath of the Wild for the better. Instead of removing all the aches and pains of that game, it completes the circle by adding gameplay-based solutions to annoyances and encourages you to let your imagination run free.”
• Eurogamer (4/5) – “A terrific Breath of the Wild follow-up with some brilliant new systems, amazing views and more dungeon-type spaces, plus a slightly deadening emphasis on gathering resources.”
• IGN (10/10) – “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an unfathomable follow-up to one of the greatest games ever made, somehow improving upon it in nearly every way – be that with simple quality-of-life improvements, a genuinely exciting story, or wildly creative new building mechanics that make you rethink what is possible.”
• Nintendo Life (10/10) – “Much like its predecessor, this is your playground for the next however many years to come, with a little sprinkling of that older Zelda fairy dust mixed into Breath of the Wild’s formula. It’s a glorious, triumphant sequel to one of the best video games of all time; absolute unfiltered bliss to lose yourself in for hundreds of hours.”
• Game Informer (9.75/10) – “I didn’t get the same goosebumps exploring Hyrule as I did in the past, but I did experience new emotions both on a granular level from solving individual puzzles and on a larger scale by going back to one of my favorite video game locations. They say you can never go home again, but I adored returning to Hyrule with all new tools.”
• The Guardian (5/5) – “It is easy to forget how to find the fun in adult life. Games such as Zelda help to remind you that if you look at things the right way, it’s everywhere.”
• Polygon (Recommends) – “The brilliance of Tears of the Kingdom lies in how well it imparts the fantasy of player freedom. Sure, Nintendo shakes me out of the daydream every now and then, and in those moments, I see flashes of its old rigid self. But no matter: At some point, I’ll fully escape its watchful gaze.”
• Metro (5/5) – “An excellent sequel and one of the best Zelda games ever made. A follow-up that builds upon and refines the achievements of the original, while adding many new and equally innovative ideas of its own.”
• Pocket-Lint (5/5) – “The definition of a must-play on Switch, it also pushes Nintendo’s hardware to astonishing new heights technically.”
• Techradar (4.5/5) – “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom leaps forward on what was offered in 2017’s Breath of the Wild, filling out the world’s sandbox with innovative new tools and abilities, letting you approach challenges in inventive new ways.”
• GamesRadar (4.5/5) – “Tears of the Kingdom builds on what Breath of the Wild did previously – and with a platform like that to work on, the result can’t help but be fantastic.”
• VG247 (5/5) – “Although it takes place on the same map as Breath of the Wild (with a few key changes owing to the time-skip and Upheaval, of course), Tears of the Kingdom feels different enough from its predecessor thanks to the new powers and mechanics to stand all on its own.”
• Destructoid (10/10) – “10s aren’t perfect, since nothing is, but they come as close as you could get in a given genre. The new leader to beat in its sector, we’re talking pure ecstasy.
• The Sixth Axis (9/10) – “As if it was really in doubt, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is another sublime entry in this series.”
• Forbes (9/10) – “Overall, Tears of the Kingdom is a genuine improvement and evolution over Breath of the Wild. While I still think the Link’s Awakening remake has been the best Zelda game on the Switch thus far, Tears of the Kingdom comes very close to that.”
• The Telegraph (5/5) – “The long awaited follow-up to the seminal Breath of the Wild is an expected, inventive triumph for Nintendo’s famous series.”
• Wccftech (4.5/5) – “Any concerns that Tears of the Kingdom is merely “Breath of the Wild DLC” is misplaced as Nintendo is offering multiple full AAA games worth of new things to do. There are easily hundreds of hours of content for those who want to explore every nook and cranny of the revamped Hyrule. I’m just not sure everyone’s going to have the stamina reserves for another full tour.”
• RPG Site (10/10) – “Tears of the Kingdom is actually better than its predecessor – something that seemed inexplicable to me even as I played it until, about six hours in, the weight of its quality became insurmountable. It’s one of the best games in years – and a masterclass in how to build a smart sequel.”
• The Gamer (5/5) – “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a masterpiece that not only equals what came before, it does everything in its power to surpass it.”
• Inverse (10/10) – “Everything about Tears of the Kingdom improves upon the core vision of Breath of the Wild. It is a staggering achievement of game design, and the best open-world experience ever created.”
• Comic Book (5/5) – “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a worthy successor to Breath of the Wild and is easily a Game of the Year contender.”
• Gamereactor UK (10/10) – “If, as the rumours suggest, the end of the Switch era is being heralded by The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, then what an ending this is. Tears of the Kingdom not only manages to match the quality of its predecessor, but at times it can stand head-and-shoulders above it.”
• God is a Geek (10/10) – “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of Kingdom might just end up being one of the best games ever made, with unparalleled exploration that offers freedom and creativity on a scale never before seen.”
• Stevivor (10/10) – “The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is one of the most creative, satisfying and rewarding games I’ve ever played, all within a familiar and greatly expanded Hyrule.”
• Trusted Reviews (5/5) – “This is the perfect example of a sequel done right – The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will not only be a leading contender for the best game of 2023, but will likely go down in history as one of the best games to grace a Nintendo console.”