Tears Of The Kingdom's Story is a Disappointment By Zelda Standards

Tears of the Kingdom’s gameplay once again revolutionized video games forever, but its storyline was a step backwards for the Zelda series.

[telekineticmantis]

Apparently Zelda Doesn't have to have good storytelling because... Nintendo...

[Zeldafan64]

Elden Ring didn't have a great story but I didn't hardly see anyone complaining about that.

[ManMarmalade]

Elden ring is more about the lore in general.

[smashman98]

Souls games are souls games. These games aren't known for that sort of thing and generally how it's story is conveyed is similar or better than previous titles. In Zelda's case this is one of many aspects that have declined.

[Inverno]

There's really no comparison when talking about any Souls game. The amount of lore there is to uncover tells many stories and events that happen in the world before the player gets there. Plus what you do as the your own character is a story on its own as well. And many of the side quests relate to other characters going through their own separate development which you as the player influence. People for some reason think Soul games are all about boss fights, and they are not.

[lucian229]

elden ring lore and world is amazing and full of detail; but look at your name

[cemelc]

Zelda story has allways been minimal what are you ppl talking about?

Totk is the zelda game with the most dialogs ive seen.

Elden ring does have a crappy story, most of you just go to the lore tubers to understand what you just did. Do you think ppl are stupid? Ive been there for every souls game to see the millions of comments of ppl saying: "so thats what i was doing"... heck you dont even need to go to them, just watch the final fight in elden ring and the ppl realizing the relation between the two most important characters in the lore.

If the lore was properly depicted these guys wouldnt have millions of views.

[RpgSama]

Are the new Zelda Great games?, a resounding YES. Are they 10/10 perfect GOTY bestest games of all time as most of the media likes to announce?, definitely not.

Besides the technical aspect which I can let go some just because of the ancient hardware it runs under, there's quite a bit more thing that definitely should be mentioned and never are.

[-Foxtrot]

Another thing Zelda gets a free pass on these days, even past Zelda games had something a little bit better than the recent games but no one says a thing.

All the epic stories we’ve gotten over the years from a range of games yet Nintendo can’t do that for Zelda.

[GhostScholar]

Because Zelda isn’t about story it’s about the world and sense of discovery

[-Foxtrot]

So basically because it’s “not about that” it shouldn’t even try

Wow…that’s like accepting defeat and taking the easy way out before you try

Zelda was about unique dungeons, epic boss fights, puzzles and the like but when that was dumbed down or changed it then becomes about a singular thing…exploration.

[cemelc]

"All the epic stories we’ve gotten over the years from a range of games yet Nintendo can’t do that for Zelda. "

"So basically because it’s “not about that” it shouldn’t even try "

Elden ring? is not about that either.

Didnt see these articles or you complaning...then again given your comments i see youre completely bitter about the success

[Sonic1881]

I actually liked Zelda story better than Elden Ring. Sounds like a lot of gamers are disappointed because Zelda is about to win GOTY 🏆 🫠

[Good-Smurf]

Even Super Mario Odyssey have better storytelling than ToTK.
If you didn't played BOTW it's pretty hard to get to the story of ToTK and massive downtime for each main quest and dungeons made it worse.
I already got downvoted below but I don't care because that's exactly how I felt about the game's story.

[badz149]

LOL what story?

[luckytrouble]

Zelda stories already don't have much of a standard. Nintendo doesn't really believe in story driven video games in general though. That isn't an assumption either. Quotes to that effect have come from big names in the company. Majora's Mask is an exception and that's because one of the only people there that believes differently managed to force it to be a more story and lore focused adventure.

That is to say, TotK didn't have much of a story, but neither did BotW or nearly any of the Zelda games before it. You simply play other games if story is what you're looking for out of your game experiences.

[Inverno]

The open world messes with the pacing, but it also feels rushed somehow. Ganon gets absolutely no screen time, and no further development outside of a handful of cutscenes set in the past. Really everything interesting happens again in the past, and all you get to do is watch cutscenes as you find em around the world.

Add to that the lack of continuity from BoTW to this. Almost everything that seemed important to the lore in BoTW is thrown out for some reason. Shrines from BoTW suddenly don't matter, Devine Beasts just vanish, most characters don't even remember Link. Honestly feels like at some point in development they just scrap whatever they had done for BoTW and just threw in a bunch of Furry stuff with the Zonai. Whatever mystery there was about the Zonai is completely gone in this game.

[smashman98]

I thinks it's more than possible to pull an open world game off with good story. Witcher 3 did it. Red Dead Redemption 2 did it. inFamous 1 and 2 did it. Plenty of games seem to pull it off just fine. Nintendo being one of the most prolific publishers out there with some of the best creative teams in the industry are more than capable of pulling it off,

I think the real problem is this hype culture around gaming and new releases on general. Instead of reviewers discussing what works and doesn't work for so many of these big releases and breaking down why they believe that to be the case they seem more concerned with drumming up hype for the latest and greatest things.

[Inverno]

I absolutely where we are right now when it comes to AAA releases and how they're discussed. Because there's really no way to discuss em without setting off an angry mob of people who think these games are perfect. You're left with a handful of Reddit posts that are specifically made to critique these individual releases and even there you get people just brushing off criticism and talking about how the game is amazing and how the criticism is wrong.

[smashman98]

So is it's soundtrack, it's dungeons, it's puzzles, and it's bosses.

[Zeldafan64]

You know what Tears of the Kingdom does best? Sense of exploration and discovery. Early on the depths were incredibly unnerving and thrilling. Once you've gotten a lot stronger the depths aren't nearly as scary but playing Tears made me feel the exact same way as playing Breath did the first time, moreso even.

[TheEnigma313]

But the game got a bunch of fake perfect scores.

[smashman98]

Just like BOTW before it. All these reviews read the same way.

BOTW Review:it's a masterpiece.
TOTK Review: it's way better than BOTW.

[TheEnigma313]

It's ridiculous. I loved the first but it wasn't a 10. Nintendo never gets It's fair share of criticism

[kythlyn]

No it isn't.

[giovonni]

I don’t know about that revolutionized part, and yes Zelda, doesn’t have much of a story, but that’s what made it great. It’s simple good Vs evil, damsel in distress, collect pieces of a great power to help link over come the ultimate evil nothing too complex. It wasn’t until Nintendo started to experiment and to be honest I miss them ocarina of time style Zelda’s

[Crows90]

Ocarina of time will forever be the best Zelda experience.

[Knushwood Butt]

damsel in distress

I think things are supposed to have moved on a bit.

[CDbiggen]

Yes, great game, but no oomph to the story whatsoever apart from the realisation of where the Master Sword is and getting it. It's not like the older games had incredible stories or anything, but this new stuff just falls flat on its face to me.

[GhostScholar]

I don’t think Zelda has ever been about story in a traditional sense

[Inverno]

Zelda has since LtTP followed a traditional form of story telling. It had a very linear progression and everything that you did had story tied to it. With scripted events, and cutscenes. What're you talking about?

[GhostScholar]

If you don’t know what I’m talking about I don’t think I can say it any clearer. Zelda has never been about the narrative. It’s always been about the world, characters, obtaining equipment, and dungeons. Yes there is some story, but it has NEVER been the focus.

[smashman98]

Saying "Zelda has never been about story" feels like such a copout. Lttp had a pretty good story for it's time. Links Awakening has a very good narrative. OOT has a good narrative. Majora's Mask has a fantastic Narrative. Wind Waker has a great Narrative. Twilight Princess has a very fleshed out and emotional Narrative and so does Skyward Sword.

Telling people it's not about that when literally over 75 percent of the franchise has had some really enjoyable stories feels really disingenuous.

[GhostScholar]

What I’m saying is that myself and plenty of people I know that love Zelda as much as I do never talk about the story. They talk about characters and how the beat a boss from a dungeon and cool things they discovered in the world. I’m not saying the Zelda games have a bad story I’m saying I don’t think that’s what has made the games so popular. Majored mask was a good story I agree. But when I hear anyone talk about it they talk about the day night cycle and the masks more than the story.

[gleepot]

story has always been a focus

[GhostScholar]

How did I know souls games would get worked into this some how……

[SimpleSlave]

Hate to break it to you bud but Zelda is not known for its cinematic story. Gameplay - the real story of all video games - on the other hand? Not perfect but pretty darn good.

[GhostScholar]

You can’t say that game play is the real story of all games. That’s ignorant.

The walking dead and Batman tell tale games are incredible. The classic Lucas arts point and clicks are incredible.
There are games even recently like Dordogne
And planet of Lana that are very lean on gameplay that are amazing.

You just want to do combat that’s cool, but don’t act like that’s what makes a game a game.

[SimpleSlave]

Gameplay IS the story of a game. Weather you like it or not, it doesn't change that fact.

The experience you have playing the game is what counts, not the cinematics, not the lore, not the books in Skyrim, but the gameplay parts. You can argue those might enhance your experience, but without those you can still have an amazing game. Without gameplay you don't even have a game. The gameplay is the part we're ALL here for bud.

Weather is figuring out Minecraft, figuring out a puzzle in Myst, figuring out a boss in Elden Ring, or figuring out the multiple ways you can finish missions in games. Most of these situations are never alike and never the same for each individual. These are the real stories of video games. Not some pre-render nonsense that forces the character to make choices the player never took.

Like I said, gameplay IS the unique and personal journey each player experience when they play games. Gameplay is what connects us to the medium and it's what make video games so unique and appealing.

Also, did I say I only wanted combat? Don't act like that's what I say makes a game a game. Do better bud. Don't be a mid.

[GhostScholar]

@SimpleSlave. Well the simple part in your name is very applicable. You don’t get to say the gameplay is what “WE” are here for. You don’t make up the millions of gamers out there. Gameplay is one facet of a game and not not always the most important. Games are a form of art. Games can be great for all kinds of reasons. Gameplay, story, art style, music, etc

To anyone with any sort of subjectivity you’re coming off stupid and shallow, and borderline mentally challenged.

[Crows90]

Actually he does get to do that...for millions of gamers because he is 100% spot on. He's not saying a specific type of gameplay is required...but gameplay is in every single game. Otherwise if you don't need the gameplay then you just watch someone else play it.

[Good-Smurf]

When you see people do nothing but weapon mods in the game rather than finish the main quests then you know how forgettable TOTK story is.

[franwex]

There’s more Zelda games with pretty much no story compared to ones with story. Not really expecting a grand story from Zelda anyway. Meh.

[Exvalos]

Zelda doesn't need stable frame rates, 4k, solid performance, trophy support, classic Zelda music, or a coherent decent story because....Nintendo.

[GamingSinceForever]

BOTW didn’t have an amazing story either. Fun game but the story was forgettable.

[lucian229]

by zelda standards? LOL zelda itself has always had crap story, so this must be unbelievably bad

[S2Killinit]

TOTK doesnt have good story According to who?

[anast]

Copy and paste is revolutionary...

[Shimsok]

"Gaming is a disappointment by the internet's contradicting standards. This will not change."

I did not read the article, but with the way commentators are, somebody might as well write this.

[FallenAngel1984]

Is this what we have to look forward to for future Zelda titles?

[TheTony316]

What story?

[neomahi]

It appears the Cheese Stands Alone, most people don't seem to agree with you from what zim hearing so, you're in the minority

[Armyofdarkness]

I disagree. I enjoyed the story in tears of the kingdom, the importance of the master sword. And what we see of Ganondorf is pretty badass!

[M0chit0]

Not 😂

Haters gonna hate.

[CosmicTurtle]

Tears of the Kingdom is the Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts of the Zelda franchise.

[OzzY-waZZy]

BotW and TotK (which feels like a copy paste) feel empty. I get Zelda doesn't always have the most intricate stories but OoT and WW made you feel something. To this day still some of my favorite all time games. The charm, dungeons, bosses, built the story. I think moving to an open world game just didn't translate well for this series.

I really hope they go back to what makes Zelda games great. (creative atmospheric dungeons / bosses, music that adds to the experience (OoT was incredible), charming npcs / towns. Chill with the gimmicks for a bit (SS motion controls, Totk fortnite builds) Just give us a high quality upgraded traditional Zelda masterpiece.

[gleepot]

it started off so great, and then i didnt care about it for the rest of the game

[M0chit0]

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, the best adventures os all time, are a homage/tribute to the first The Legend of Zelda and some of the greatest adventures off all time (in any format possible). Every opinion is valid. But haters gonna hate, it's normal. There are MANY videos, articles, stories and study about the importance of the lore and the story of the saga. Specially the last two games.

A good example of that:

Tears of the Kingdom: story explained part 1
https://youtu.be/hZytp1sIZA...

Tears of the Kingdom: story explained part 2
https://youtu.be/qP1Fw2Epwq...

Breath of the Wild: story of explained
https://youtu.be/PawTU9Dip2...

You can deny the importance of this saga or the last two games. Or even say that the story/lore is weak. Luckily, it's only your opinion 😌🙏🏻

Mr Aonuma and Mr Fujibayashi, thank you for these works of art 🙏🏻