TEARS OF THE KINGDOM: A PROLONGED DREAM

Timmy Zhang

Morning. Swaying sky islands, expansive grassy plateaus, rocky terrains, and foggy underworlds awake. Here is the pristine land of Hyrule that Nintendo unveiled in 2023's biggest open-world game, *The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.* In it, you are the just-awakened knight showcasing your strength in a gazillion ways, redeeming the kingdom's past faults, and restoring justice lost thousands years ago. Here is a cliche tale that Nintendo transformed into an exciting game fans like me never get bored of.

The game experience goes beyond its 1986 predecessor, with its dry pixelated map. In this iteration, you traverse the map to jump into Mount Everest-sized hurricanes, survive volcano infernos filled with explosive rocks, and swim up a waterfall reaching straight to the sky. To tackle challenges along the way, you acquire powers to swim through solid ceilings, command "the force" to move almost everything, and even rewind time. To expand your meager three hearts to forty, you must gather spirits of light over a hundred shrines, some hidden in thick forests, some under sand, and others guarded by—what, a three-headed dragon? You'll play for hundreds of hours, and your joy will be boundless in this wild and sensational world.

Tired of defeating minions and bosses? No worries, the game's creative mechanisms bring unexpected humor. Try sharpening the blade of our hero's sacred Master Sword by merging it with, well, anything—from the horn of a formidable Lynel to a pink fluffy toy (probably less effective). With the Lego-like Zonai devices, one could assemble a mobile home or even a modern warplane, or manufacture a piano using the game's insanely real physics engine. Anything is possible for gamers' creativity. Hats off to you, Nintendo faculties who made this possible!

Adventure, heroism, and a tale of good versus evil cannot be more common, yet Nintendo enlivens the game. Holding the Nintendo Switch while sweating, I feel immense satisfaction as I explore those hard-to-earn victories hidden in every corner of the game map, like discovering beautiful flowers in the wilderness. True, some criticize the game as a close extension to the previous *Breath of the Wild,* but it is really more of a luxuriant embellishment of adventure and fun, due to better coding and 6 whole years of polishing. It is like that pleasant dream as your mind roams in all directions, and you snuck into bed, hoping it would happen again. Here is a game experience truly for all (well, not for those less than ten years old, says Nintendo).