The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom represented a major change for the franchise. It used to be that every Zelda game would break away from what came before it and reintroduce Hyrule in some new way or put Link in a strange new land. Majora’s Mask was unique for being made with Ocarina of Time assets and made in under a year.
Tears of the Kingdom was made with Breath of the Wild assets, but somehow turned into a much more ambitious game that Nintendo could have imagined, taking six years to develop. It was the Switch’s swansong in the way Breath of the Wild was for Wii U. Its “build anything with whatever you find” gameplay and physics pushed the console to its limit.
It was hard not to be impressed by the novel game mechanics and freedom, but everyone who loved it had to concede its performance and image quality. Breath of the Wild on Switch 2 was a transformative experience. Can the Switch 2 handle gamers’ Ultrahand contraptions and skydiving at 60fps in 4k? Find out in our The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition review!
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Release Date: June 5, 2025
Price: $79.99
You’d think a remaster of Tears of the Kingdom would be less warranted due to how recent it came out, but the game is just as compelling as ever. This is a time-spanning quest across a transformed Hyrule you knew from Breath of the Wild, but Link will explore its skies and subterranean depths this time.
Set a few years after sealing Calamity Ganon, the actual Ganon reemerges, and he’s pissed. The master sword rent, and Zelda flung into the past, Link reawakens in the sky islands and with a cool-looking Goth arm. A goat man guides him to the four regions to save the races against calamities caused by Ganondorf’s forces.
The quest is epic and more fulfilling this time around since Link has more interaction with characters. Breath of the Wild veterans will reunite with old allies and see what they’ve been up to, and see how Hyrule has changed. Tears of the Kingdom’s story feels like a true continuation of the story, and while its core gameplay makes it feel like really big DLC, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything else like it.
It’s obvious why the Hyrule map was recycled and remixed because the director wanted to convey a sense of time passing. The world has moved on since Calamity Ganon and Hylians are finally able to go out and explore. Expedition teams are roaming the land and plunging the depths. New outposts are established, and the world feels like it has undergone a leap forward.
The changes are different enough from Breath of the Wild to make the setting interesting. It is like how in Yakuza games, Kamurocho changes a bit as time passes between every game. Buildings that were under construction get built, new areas open up, and the district undergoes remodeling to reflect the changes over time.
Ultrahand and Recall are the headliners in Tears of the Kingdom. Recall is the ability with the most utility in battle since it can send thrown objects back to the sender. Most importantly, Recall is useful for reversing time for targeted objects. It is very surprising how extensive the use is, and the way it is used in puzzle solving is varied.
Recall is handy to have, but it is nothing compared to Ultrahand. Tears of the Kingdom might be the Zelda game with the fewest abilities ever, but it is only because Ultrahand has proven to be the most versatile and useful power that has ever graced any action-adventure game.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom both feature an extensive physics system that reacts to the player’s actions. When Breath of the Wild’s popularity was at its peak, videos of players getting creative with the physics and exploiting it in unimaginable ways went viral. The director must have seen these and decided that the next game should lean into fostering creative ways to get around Hyrule.
Zonai devices can be glued to gliders, floating platforms, or wooden constructs. Link can ride around in homemade cars, hoverbikes, and hot-air balloons (you can supply your fire, too), and it does not end there. Tears of the Kingdom pushes players to become engineers to solve problems. This is the appeal of the game and still holds now in this remaster.
Many of the old issues from Breath of the Wild persist, like the tired and limited combat and the barren soundtrack. It’s less forgivable this time around, thanks to Ultrahand being the absolute greatest ability in any Zelda game and the endless possibilities it presents. Thanks to the improved Switch 2 specs, Tears of the Kingdom has never been more enjoyable to return to.
Like with the Switch 2 edition of Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition runs 60 frames per second at 4K when docked (1080p in portable mode). The fluidity and crisp image quality never faltered during late-game play or when starting a new game with the handy new second file slot. Skydiving at 60fps and 4K is a jaw-dropping experience, and the improved draw distance is a sight to behold.
This game is a technical marvel for its physics and the insane contraptions players can devise, and the only limit is your imagination. It may be possible to get the frame rate to buckle if players make a five-story thrusting dildo machine designed to punish Hinoxes, but I was unable to get it to stutter with standard hover crafts or rocket cars.
Like with the Switch 2 port of Breath of the Wild, Zelda Notes sucks with Tears of the Kingdom. It’s a GPS and player’s guide with some lore bits narrated by Zelda’s voice actress. It’s a feature that should have been built into the games. Having to constantly stop and check a phone is tedious and turns the experience into work.
Re-returning to Hyrule and screwing around with the Zonai gizmos was more enjoyable this time around thanks to the improved framerate and razor-sharp graphics. The art style in these games is timeless and will still look great in decades to come, whether it’s sub-HD, 4K, or 32K.
If you didn’t like Zelda as an open world, the Switch 2 remaster of Tears of the Kingdom might not make you a believer, but you still might find yourself losing track of time. This is an incredibly immersive and engrossing experience despite some of the annoying design choices. It’s a bit on the pricey side, but pound per pound, there isn’t any other 3D single-player game packed with as much content as this.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition was reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2 using a code provided by Nintendo. Additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy is here. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is now available for Nintendo Switch 2.
