UPDATE
Nintendo is hosting a special contest for Tears of the Kingdom! Check it out below!
ORIGINAL STORY
As fans continue to countdown to the arrival of The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, they can’t help but wonder what other surprises the Nintendo team has for them regarding the game’s content. While we do know many things, there are certain elements of the title that are shrouded in mystery. But if you wish to know one of the driving themes of the game, the team behind the title would happily tell you. However, we promise it’s not what you’re expecting. Why? Because the theme of the game is “hands.”
This reveal came via a special interview that Nintendo posted. In it, Eiji Aonuma and many other game leads talked about what it took to make Tears of the Kingdom. One of the things Aonuma noted right off the bat was that they wanted to create a “unique look” for Link in the title:
“We wanted an iconic feature that would make it obvious at first glance that it’s the Link from this game. Speaking of Link’s arm, “hands” is a major theme in this title.”
But what does that really mean? The game’s director, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, expanded upon that a bit more:
“Titles in The Legend of Zelda series intertwine all the elements of gameplay, mechanics, and story, and combine them all into a single game. For this title, we chose “hands” as the key theme to bring them all together. For example, abilities that Link uses to solve puzzles are all released from his hand and arm. We even included this symbolically in the game’s mechanics, such as having scenes that use hands when opening special doors. This “hands” theme also crops up here and there as a key element as the story develops.”
So you’ll get a bit “hands-on” in the game. Hope you don’t mind that. The team also talked about how they always intended to keep Hyrule from the previous game but expanded upon it in numerous ways to make it fun from new perspectives. Furthermore, they noted that the game would welcome those who haven’t played the previous title or are new to the franchise. But, if you have played it, you’ll enjoy it simply because you’ll understand more and get references to before.
Fans are incredibly hyped for the game, so no matter how familiar you are with the franchise, you’re in for a treat when May 12th arrives on Nintendo Switch.