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The release of Zelda: Tears of Kingdom is on the horizon, and the anticipation from fans is nearing its height. The title is a sequel to Breath of the Wild, one of the Nintendo Switch’s most successful games to date. Unlike most Zelda games, this title is a direct sequel. Players will be returning to Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule, although they’ll also experience it from the skies above, meaning those familiar with the series will be excited to see how the world has changed.
Because this is a sequel, that also means that a number of mechanics are making a comeback. The Sheikah Slate and its abilities, the mixed weapon and ability combat system, food and item crafting, all these systems see a return. However, will weapon degradation, one of Breath of the Wild’s more divisive systems, be making a comeback?
Weapon degradation caused weapons to break after a certain number of uses, limiting a player’s arsenal and requiring them to learn new weapons as they found them. Many players weren’t fond of this system, especially if there were specific weapons they wanted to use consistently.
Will weapon degradation be making its return to Hyrule, or will players be free from their weapons wasting away?
Do Weapons Degrade in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
Yes, weapons do degrade in Tears of the Kingdom. A new gameplay video released by Nintendo confirms the return of the degradation system, as we watch a branch Link is using become damaged, then destroyed.
Players may be disappointed, as this does mean that certain weapons they love won’t last forever. However, Nintendo did also tease a new mechanic that may help breathe some extra life into this system.
More N4G Unlocked: All New Features Shown in Nintendo’s Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Showcase
What Can Players Do With Weapons Other Than Let Them Degrade in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
Players can use a new ability called Fuse which allows Link to fuse objects and weapons together to form entirely new constructs.
The same gameplay video that confirmed the return of weapon degradation also introduced a new mechanic called Fuse. This ability allows Link to fuse objects and weapons together to form entirely new constructs. In the video, Link fuses a stick and a boulder together to form a hammer. This increased the durability of the weapon, while also providing Link with a more useful weapon in general.
We’ll have to wait to see how exactly the mechanic will work, but players should be happy to see that there are other options for certain weapons other than just letting them degrade into nothing. We’ll see how deep the Fuse mechanic goes, but it is highly possible that there are tons of new and interesting weapon combinations to find and fuse throughout the game.
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