Nintendo has been particularly cryptic and vague in the various marketing related to the upcoming release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Although the game was announced in 2019 at E3, in the intervening years there have only been a few trailers that tease the game and the differences from its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Despite this, the game has been one of the most anticipated titles coming out this year. Today, Nintendo released a gameplay demonstration video showing off some of Link’s new abilities and the new Hyrule, led by series producer Eiji Aonuma. What did you think of the gameplay, and did it affect your excitement for the game?

Prior to today’s gameplay demonstration, there has been much speculation about how certain mechanics will work in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Many have wondered what Link’s new abilities might be, if shrines will return, if weapon durability will be kept, and various other questions. Some fans have asked for a return to traditional dungeons, and some have wondered how the map and layout of Hyrule will be different than The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Also, of course, there is the question of what the story might be that propels Link’s adventure this time around.

The gameplay shown off today by Aonuma and Nintendo answered a few of those questions, but left many of them still unresolved. The demonstration didn’t showcase any shrines or dungeons. It didn’t explain the story or exactly what has caused the sky islands to appear. However it did show some off some new mechanics. A lot of time was spent explaining and showing off the new Fuse and Ultrahand abilities that Link has, allowing him to take two or more objects and put them together to create interesting and different results for both combat and exploration. Fans were also treated to an explanation of Link’s Recall and Ascend abilities, which were both shown to allow Link to rise either into the sky or on top of structures and natural formations.

While a few other minor bits of the game were shown or hinted at, the gameplay demonstration still felt like just a taste of what this game has to offer, and the Fuse and Ultrahand abilities were shown and discussed to have wide ranging implications, suggesting they are a major mechanic that allows for the sandbox feel of the first game to be taken to even greater heights in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

I was surprised by this presentation, as while I didn’t know what to expect, I was not quite prepared for the Fuse and Ultrahand abilities and expected more of a showcase of the world and its differences from the first game. But despite my expectations, I feel excited about the game, and I’m glad that there is still a lot of unanswered questions that I can discover when I play the game.

What about you, are you even more excited for the game after the demonstration? Were you hoping for more of an explanation on different mechanics or the story? What do you think about Link’s new abilities? Let us know in the comments below, or come be a part of the discussion on the Boss Rush Discord.

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