When it comes to anniversaries, especially those within the gaming space, some are more special than others. The first anniversary is arguably one of the most important, as it gives fans a chance to look back at the year that was and see how they still feel about the video game that they got the previous year. In the case of The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, fans can’t believe it’s already been a year since the Game of the Year nominee/winner came out. Yet, when you consider the journey it had to release, it’s understandable to feel that way.
The game was announced back in 2019. At that point, the previous entry, Breath of the Wild, not only had its incredibly successful release and awards but also received a two-part DLC. Fans were curious about what would happen next, and this was it. The first trailer focused on Zelda and Link, uncovering what would later be confirmed to be Ganondorf and chaos emerging as a result. After the trailer aired, fans wanted more, and that’s where the twist came in.
In this case, we speak of how Nintendo took its time to make Tears of the Kingdom and ensure that everything was working as it should. To that end, Producer Eiji Aonuma delayed the game multiple times, and fans patiently waited for what came next. Eventually, it was announced to release on May 12th, 2023:
The impact of the game was immediate. The title didn’t just continue the story from before but expanded it in new directions. Undoubtedly, the biggest change was that of the Ultrahand and Fuse abilities, which allowed players to grab anything they wanted and essentially build anything they wanted in this recreation of Hyrule. For weeks afterward, gamers couldn’t help but show off their “building skills” in ways no one, not even Nintendo, could’ve imagined.
Then, there was the story, which was deeper than before and showed Zelda in arguably her best light. When you add that to the expansive world and numerous things to do in it, there’s a reason why many thought it was an instant Game of the Year contender.
Returning to the present, in the comment section of Nintendo’s post, gamers from all over thanked The Big N and the team behind the game for the “amazing adventure” that they had with it.
Some specifically called out the game as one of the “GOATs” or noted how the game’s music, gameplay, or story resonated with them. A few even noted they’re still playing the game, showing just how dedicated they are to doing everything within it.
