The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Easy Allies Review

[@halfclappertopchedda]

This guy's voice brings back so many memories from gametrailers! Best reviews on KZbin!

[@AstonishingRed]

This game just won’t allow you to progress: As soon as you start heading towards your objective, something else catches your attention, and then while you’re on your way to investigate what the something can be, SOMETHING ELSE grabs your attention. And that’s the gameplay loop while playing this game. People who have problems focusing on one task at a time will suffer. You will SUFFER. But it’s addictive and it’s awesome

[@StripedBass-vq6vz]

It’s meaningless exploration imo. What are you rewarded with? A Rupee, opal, a breakable weapon…? The only real rewards are armor sets which hardly give you an advantage most times. Elden Ring already did this format many times better.

[@tonkytc]

​@@StripedBass-vq6vz bro is mad that players are having fun with TotK... I saw other 3 of your comments saying that TotK is just a glorified dlc or other shit like that...

[@StripedBass-vq6vz]

@@tonkytc Ya, cause it’s mad annoying. I finished the game and am amazed at how this is ubiquitously being panned as a masterpiece. Just wait until the hype dies and more honest reviews start coming in.

[@AstonishingRed]

@@StripedBass-vq6vz I’ve put almost 200 hours into Elden Ring and you can kinda say the same. You explore and are rewarded with various items. Also Weapons and magic or a boss that is holding one of the two and you beat the boss only to find out that it’s a weapon or a spell that you can’t use for your build. That doesn’t make it necessarily a bad thing that you are rewarded with items you can’t use because Elden Ring is all about exploration. Same for Zelda.

[@thewal1ofsleep]

@@StripedBass-vq6vz "Panned" typically means negatively criticized.

[@ThoraxetheImpaile100]

One element that I like about TotK is that in BotW, it was basically going to four different locations, then you go beat up the big baddie, and that's it. Game over. Yes there was stuff you could do between points A and B, but once you got through those four areas, you've basically completed 90% of the story. While you still have that in TotK, their are still some story elements before you get to the final boss.

[@GetterRay]

Not really, all the memories are spread out, you need to get the Master Sword, read the diaries, ect. There's plenty of story spread outside of the 4 divine beast quests. And that 10% is what makes the game, the final memory, Zelda's diary, Rhoam's diary, Kass' final song, if you skip that then BotW's story falls apart.

[@ActionJaxonH]

I know it's cliche, but this is legitimately the best game I've ever played

[@MikeIsCanadian]

Same. It’s a 10 for me.

[@brandonmalone1893]

It's a 20 for me

[@brandonmalone1893]

I have 70 plus hours...and still have barely unlocked half the map...it's insane

[@HillcrestGames]

It's scary to think how effective it was for them to build on top of Breath of the Wild for 6 years. What if they build on top of Tears for another 6 years to cap off a trilogy?! And what if it drops on a next gen console? I don't know if I could even handle it.

[@Draffut2003]

I would give it a 9/10. Still has lot of minor issues that never really got fixed from the first game. Like the difficulty curve where everything in the first half of the game 1 shots you, then once you get good armor and hearts nothing is a threat what-so-ever anymore. The fact that shrines don't get you gear anymore makes this worse as you can spend a lot of the game running around naked.

[@LampsPants]

I kind of can’t believe how good this game is. For me it’s been like having that first experience with BotW all over again but with an even better game. I’m really excited for the future of Zelda.

[@elspethtirel]

With Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo gave me the thing that I wanted most out of anything in video games: The opportunity to experience Breath of the Wild for the first time again.

[@Ayoul]

I'm a bit worried. I mean, how are they gonna top this!?!

[@StripedBass-vq6vz]

@@AyoulBy releasing BTOW 3.0 which is essentially Zelda Minecraft. The fact that you’re saying this after they copied and pasted the same map is beyond me.

[@LucasMutran-ed5sk]

888hthùuuu😅J uvi😊

[@johntorres3223]

For me is 10/10. It's unbelievable how good this game is. A masterpiece

[@KeziaTv]

Agreed. One of the only games to ever be released that is of this caliber. Belongs right beside Ocarina / LTTP / TLOU / Witcher 3

[@Nice_Places]

I haven't played BoTW so I can't compare it to TotK, but TotK is the best game I have ever played and one of those very few games that makes me constantly think about it after I have stopped playing it. And this is coming from a 44-year old who grew up with the 8-bit and 16-bit consoles in 80s and 90s so I have played thousands of games over the decades.

[@orlando5789]

OMG I think I would be enjoying TOTK so much more if I hadn't played BOTW firsy

[@elspethtirel]

@@orlando5789 Funny, because I feel the opposite - I'm so happy that I played BotW first, and I almost wish I had replayed it in anticipation of TotK (the last time I played it was like 2019). There is some repetition ("oh hey I remember that landmark"), but for me it's far outweighed by how cool it is to see how the world is changed, and to reexperience that world with a new toolset. I'm shocked at how different it feels to explore the same locations, and how much joy I get out of that transformation.

[@bjornvanderlinden1516]

Same!!

[@orlando5789]

@@elspethtirel I was talking about the experience as a whole. I played hundreds of hours of BOTW, and the novelty of that experience has worn off tbh. Heck, even Lynels are really easy, not because I'm good, but because I've spent so much time fighting them in the last game

[@StripedBass-vq6vz]

It works better if you haven’t played BOTW because it’s basically a glorified DLC. I was sorely disappointed running around the same map after spending a 100+ hours exploring BOTW.

[@danholo]

Why am I watching a review 18 days after release? Yeah, it's that good. :D

[@RonnyLive19881]

I think that blue puppet guys big fat BotW review hit two years after release. Time is but a thing. An illusion really.

[@CrackBaby3]

​@Ronny Oswalt the only time that is real is the time I've spent dumping into this game :')

[@fangorn875]

​@@RonnyLive19881Arlo (aka the blue puppet guy) may take even longer this time, considering how much bigger TotK is ve Botw 😂

[@Acarinn]

No mention of the repetitive main champion cutscenes? I think this game is so so fantastic but man.. that really deserves some serious criticism imo.

[@Goujiki]

Can't legitimately criticize a Zelda game. Nintendo fans will eat you alive. You hear about the doxxing and death threats that reviewers got years ago for not giving Skyward Sword a perfect 10?

[@jlr3739]

Lol yea I just got to the third one and I was like 'wait... isn't this the same information I've already been told!' I guess they want you to be able to do them in any order, but it would've been nice if there was some different backstory imparted for each of them. Still think the story is a step up from BoTW, but definitely not in the league of Wind Waker, Ocarina, or Majora's Mask by any stretch (though tbf I haven't finished yet, but based on what I've seen).

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

I talked to my brother about this game, and he's said that he hasn't turned his Switch off since launch lol. Few games will have you keep the game running for weeks

[@ParadoxalDream]

Fun fact: That particular scenario would often cause memory leak issues in Breath of the Wild at launch, which was eventually patched by Nintendo. I remember having a bug where I would get spammed with Blood Moons every 5 seconds because of this lol Shutting down the game and reopening it would fix the issue.

[@NigelMelanisticSmith]

@@ParadoxalDream that's funny, definitely something they probably didn't have too much playtesting for lol. It must be a good feeling where a bug in your game simply comes from people playing it so much

[@mattskinner846]

Love that you guys have still got Brandon doing the VO. Fucking legend. Great review!

[@VanceReviews]

At 2:44 can someone please tell me how to lower the hood on the hylian hood?? Or is it a different item? I also have the well warn hair band but it won’t let me use both at the same time. Thanks in advance.

[@Leolimalps]

You have to complete the voting sidequest in Hateno Village. After that, visit Cece Shop and talk to her to lower the hood :)

[@adamdavis1737]

I wasn't actually a huge fan of breath of the wild, I didn't dislike it or think it was bad or anything, but it didn't grab me the way it did everybody else. I played a good 20 hours or so and then shelved the game for the last 5 years As such I wasn't really that hyped for tears of the kingdom, however I was definitely curious be like and if they changed the things I didn't care for. Sadly they didn't remove any of the things I wasn't a fan of, however they were able to add enough new gameplay mechanics for me to not be totally turned off by things like weapon durability, the stamina system, grinding shrines and finding Korok seeds for upgrades ETC Everything just feels so much bigger, denser, more enticing and enjoyable to explore, and the ultra hand and fuse ability really do change the gameplay dynamic I'm glad my curiosity made me give this one a shot because I am absolutely having a blast

[@Cobaltios]

One thing that I find about the abilities you have in TotK, compared to BotW, is how the functionality of them feels far more practical and more traversal based than before. Ascend becomes incredible once you start considering the applications for it, Rewind lets you rethink whole aspects of the game, Fuse essentially makes weapon breaking less of an issue (and incentivizes combat), and Ultrahand allows you to rethink the environment in new ways. And because of the way the environment design is handled this time, it feels like a more natural progression than the almost "tech demo" feel BotW seems to have now.

[@dvkgaming5863]

Guys I'm 30 hours into this game and have only done 2 of the temples lol. I literally don't wanna play anything else

[@MuMasoo]

I didn't even touch my first temple until 40 hours in.

[@TrevorNickell]

I'm over 80 in. Haven't even done one yet. 😅

[@jamesdean8980]

I’m 110 hours in and haven’t even touched them

[@camma12]

34 hours in and I haven't even got my paraglider yet

[@Kavsilvers]

I’m 200 hours in and I didn’t even know there were temples

[@gericon2855]

Yeah, for me a 9.5 sounds more realistic than a 10, simply because they could have put a little more effort into the controls and some missing qol elements like setting materials as favorites. Also, the fact that a lot of npcs don't recognize Link even though TotK is a direct sequel to BotW and some people do know Link by now save, is just strange. + TotK can read BotW save files and import some stuff, so yeah, weird.

[@Rinienna]

I didn't enjoy BOTW of that much. Mind you I still loved parts of it, riding my horse across Hyrule was always lovely and simple, something I could always enjoy sitting down for. But, I struggled to experience and hold onto the magic that others so loved about the first game. Many things were of interest to me at first, then became simply worn out. The dragons were awe inspiring when I first saw them, then learned they had to be farmed for parts to upgrade some pieces, do some shrines, etc... Similarly, the shrines wore off on me horribly. I felt the puzzles were so limited. TOTK though, the amount of freedom they gave you made it for me. Everything they've done has been so much good for me. It's not going to work for everyone, but they gave a damn story reason for durability not only existing but being even worse- I, personally? Rock with that stuff, especially with how refreshing the Fuse mechanic is and how the rewards have been spread out compared to BOTW. That everything you can receive often serves multiple purposes makes rewards so much more fulfilling to me than BOTW's thirtieth 55 power flame greatsword I had to mark to pick up once I broke my other one. I truly hope that Nintendo learns from their experience here and makes actually good temples in their next game. The temples were a great step up compared to BOTW, the climb up to them especially was really neat for most, but gosh if I wish I could just play this as a linear zelda game, with how great the story is- I wish I could just experience it in a curated, linear experience.

[@-Stinky_Pinky]

My favorite part of the game is the very beginning, where u start off on Sky Island. I was blown away by the new mechanics. Once I got down to the surface I started to get a little bored and I didn’t really enjoy going down to the depths, even though I still think it’s a good addition. Overall I enjoy the game for the most part. I was hesitant to buy this because I’m just not as into open world games and endless exploration, but that’s more of a personal thing and I’m enjoying this more than most other open world games. It helps when I try to make the game feel more linear by sticking to specific objectives. I enjoy this game much more than BOTW, especially the very beginning.

[@fabionassar9095]

Yess! That island felt so warm. The OST is great too

[@Lordx718]

It bugs the hell out of me that characters like Hestu and Bolson forgot who you are, like bro, you lived outside my house, not to mention the complete disappearance of the Guardians, the Divine Beasts, and the Sheikah Slate. I get that they want to make it accessible to new players, but they are very odd, and very noticeable omissions. That aside, it's an amazing game and it's been consuming my life since release.

[@aether388]

Yeah that was weirdly off tune after all the callbacks to BotW, running into Bolson and Hestu again. Like omg it's Bolson, what's up homie! (doesn't recognize you) ... oh. :( They also somehow made Hestu's korok upgrade song 1000x more annoying. So many unnecessary annoying little repeat animations like that, we don't need to watch the same two animations every time we enter or finish a shrine

[@BrandonWestfall]

The guardians/Divine Beasts etc are sort of explained. They went back into the ground and were disassembled to ensure they did not cause issues in the future. The tech was then used to create various devices as well as towers throughout the world. Hestu and Bolson annoyed me. If you gave Hestu 900 damn Korok seeds he damn well better remember your name. I found some of the dialogue annoying. The amount of times the words "secret stone" and "demon king" are said in this game is overbearing.

[@hongquiao]

@@BrandonWestfall Who/where is this explained about the divine beasts? It really bugged me when I got to the Rito village and didn't see that giant mecha bird on the perch....

[@daxhalo]

​@@hongquiaoWhen you first meet Purah iirc (Can't be 100% whether anyone else mentions it but you can probably find a playthrough of that moment online to check)

[@aether388]

@@BrandonWestfall Oh yeah, speaking of annoying dialogue - why does everyone in Hyrule completely lack peripheral/spatial awareness? They overuse the "gah, you startled me!" gag so much that it feels uncommon to talk to a new NPC and have them just greet me like a normal person lol

[@lkjhgfdas7]

Great review! Glad Jones is still around doing VO and he got to work on this one! It seems everyone at EZA has been enjoying this gem.

[@OrangeLightning]

​@@eSKAone- Terrible idea. Jones is a real person, not just some disembodied voice.

[@rabbitBakBak]

TotK part of my project to how to make games feel more fun article number 2. this article is about make you enjoy games more by the process of thinking about certain aspects of the game which makes it more Fun. I’ve searched the web for common agreements that people have about it which makes it so much better then both TotK can’t exists without the direct compression to botw. Of course it stands on its own but remembering all that was flaw in botw and fixed in TotK makes for some more enjoyable experience.remember thoughts create emotions and emotions create experience. this is my latest list: 1-wow this time every time I go to stable for sleep or horse I get a fun reward plus horse customization. 2 there is an interest to visit all stables now More hearts and stamina sell buy vender. 3 TotK isn’t harder then botw it’s easier the multiple options for fuse and auto build Makes for every combat your own creation Plus portble pods can make link fight with more cocking at your own desire (stronger defense) just one example. 4 - it’s unbelievable how much exploration is rewarding compared to botw this time you don’t just go to some point in the world and there isn’t much there this time every point in the world is exploration rewarding no more worries about weapons durability it’s actually welcome I can now break all my weapons,use them in different combat scenarios and I know I’ll find new fuse weapons everywhere actually. 5 - combat tactics was such a disappointment in botw for me it simply didn’t exist however TotK is now full of combat tactics: the suits the fuse weapons the autobuild the camphanions And the most important your own imagination. 6 - remember the game is a perfect cycle For once it’s full of moments of owe inspired moments ( which makes you eager to explore the beautiful world of TOTK which makes you Wanna go to every well and cave for ruby,sapphire, and topaz there for the combat is better and you have the upper hand on the map physics which makes you hunt monster and in returns cook better food). 7 - wow how great it is that weapons can be fixed this time around not only that it gives certain buffs that can make you play your own Favorite way. The grind isn’t necessary have to be agonizing instead think about this:you don’t have to go to fix weapons after every blood moon you can skip it because you will find bows and weapons anyhow so just once in a while go to the rock octopus 🐙 and make link your own warrior with your own favorite weapons arsenal.I’ll see you all in my number 3 article on how to make gaming more fun. In the meantime I have a KZbin channel with radio and games captures go to:rabbit 1111 bak bak.

[@kingofthesharks]

The Sky Islands: Hayao Miyazaki The Depths: Hidetaka Miyazaki

[@plufim]

Love this comparison.

[@kingkraut4692]

Dude i love Brandon! He is so good. Totally different league then all other reviewers. I know it's not his reviews but how he deliver it is perfection. I hope we still get to hear him for many years to come.

[@Teja]

Easy Allies are the best game reviews on the planet. What u put into words in as small a time as possible is not even present in 30min or 1 hour podcast. Keep doing the gods work. U guys are killing it!

[@MuMasoo]

Im glad nintendo is fully aware Zelda is their crown jewel amongst the hardcore gamers. They give it such proper care, like they do with their other big series. Zelda is just on a separate tier of its own to them.

[@mookiestewart3776]

Yeah it’s always been their artistic “baby”. But now it’s literally a global event when one is released. It’s really cathartic for us long time zelda fans.

[@kaiena5267]

You can cook sundelion if gloom negative buff breaks your heart container while exploring

[@lukemoonwalker8444]

I played 115 hours and still haven't visited either the Desert or Tarrey town, this game absorbs you in the best possible way. I think the surface cave system deserves a massive nod, not only it gives purpose (among other elements) to re-exploring familiar locations, but sometimes the caves you find are absolutely massive! Early on in the game I met a lady that asked me if I was a well enthusiast, I scoffed it off but now I'm proud to say I'm the biggest well fan out there!

[@TheMagman]

I suggest you visit Tarrey town there is some fun stuff there. Which enriches the rest of the game ;)

[@StarWarsUnited123]

probably the best game I have ever played.

[@StripedBass-vq6vz]

You need to expand your horizons bro 😂

[@StarWarsUnited123]

@@StripedBass-vq6vz ok highly sophisticated gamer

[@RonnyLive19881]

I haven’t even found a temple yet and I’ve been playing after work for a couple hours most days. Not sure how many hours I have put in but it has been a ride. I love exploring the depths.

[@gencruz3277]

The only TOTK review that matters.

[@___IG]

Thanks I've been waiting for this review, think I'll pick it up now been hearing good things

[@Rob165x]

It’s so much game for the money is overwhelming. But not in a bad way because there’s so much flexibility and creativity potential that the MMO size of it makes you want to keep exploring, and there is a lot to discover. Worth more than $70 tbh.

[@lc3212]

The big issue, actually issue is the wrong word it’s not a bad thing but I’m at the point I got so much I want to do and so many areas I want to check I’m not sure what I want to do next sometimes lol. The sky is not as expansive as I was expecting but I’m still enjoying checking every little island for chests and materials. The depths though is awesome. I though I wouldn’t get into it at first but the last couple days I have really started to explore it and love coming across all the surprises. I can understand the “too much content” argument but I don’t find it bad here I’m just so determined to explore everything I keep getting distracted lol. Love the game. World. Story. Gameplay all improved so much. I don’t even mind the durability in this cause I love messing with the fuse ability. (I can see how others don’t like it though I respect that I wasn’t crazy about it in breath of the wild) the only minor gripe would be lack of accessibility options but it’s nothing that takes from the game for me. Oh and enemy variaety and bosses. Love the new bosses.

[@fadiismael1980]

I need advice. I just bought a Nintendo Switch but I can only buy one game. Should I get BoTW or ToTK ?

[@mattmccarthymusic]

Great review. I was expecting 10 but 9.5 feels right. It’s at least in good company with its prequel, Elden Ring, Spider-Man, etc 😂 10 with proper dungeons, you think? Or were the other issues large enough?

[@kyril98741]

I think 10 would be if the continuity between botw and totk is well explain. Despite the same map, it was drastically different and no mention was made early in the games explaining what really happened. Sometimes people knew link and sometime they act like they never seen him.

[@jadimich]

Brad has never awarded a game a 10 in any of his reviews with Easy Allies. His highest scores are for Sekiro, Kingdom Hearts 3, Elden Ring, and Tears of the Kingdom. All 9.5's. I'm not sure what it would take for him to grant a 10 score to a game. It almost seems like he thinks it is unattainable. Don't know.

[@heshhesh1883]

​@@jadimich Yes, on podcasts I think Brad has even gone on record as saying he does not believe any game is a 10.

[@justanotherartist5646]

I think that's interesting. I know some hand out 10s, but it seems he does truly take 10 score to heart as it being truly perfect with absolutely no flaws, which nothing really has been capable of. I do appreciate this kind of scoring metric as well.

[@tehCostHD]

@@justanotherartist5646 but that’s the thing, that’s not really a good way to review a game. A 10 means the game is a masterpiece, one of the best of all time. But none of the games that ever get 10s are perfect. No game is perfect. But it means those are the games that other games strive to be like. They are the best of the best. And the 10 score reflects that. Not the fact that it’s perfect. Which is another reason why review aggregates are weird because ever reviewer has a different standard for what a review score should be

[@rabbitBakBak]

Create your own experience in TOTK: 1- wow how much of rewarding the exploration is compared to how empty botw was. 2 - I’m just thinking that it works so well on a Nintendo Switch it’s a miracle. 3 - it takes only just a minute and a half to see something rewarding and interesting to do. 4 - I just think if I’ve played for 90 hours now And still I can play easily for 600 hours and the game will be still interesting because of one fact: aultrahand and auto build I can just come back to all the places I’ve been and replay with creativity I didn’t think of there’s blood moon so no worries about if the enemies will respawn. 5 - infinite pleasure this game is and I can repeat again with different scenarios I’ve made in my own imagination. 6 - I strongly advise not to watch all utube videos about everything it will kill the pleasure of joy with exploration and figure things on your own pace but there are great quest that can help you extand your gaming experience like robbie quest (very recommended). 7 - TotK has cohesive feeling to it because of it has related quest to the world rules he exist in. 8 - yes finally it has a great rpg feeling to it: all Suit upgrades all selling buying materials all cooking options ect ect ect ect ………. 9 - more to come later. You’re all not invited to my vedio channel of radio show go to Rabbit 1111 bak bak press on the medoza picture and vedio.

[@mookiestewart3776]

The stable trotters side quest is one of the best I’ve ever played in a Zelda game. The final payoff/performance is so damn cool

[@anthonyzayler5449]

Nice review and great edit from Don!

[@josephklause4869]

8:00 Oh, now I finally know how that shrine works, thanks 😅

[@j2dlyc]

Thank you! I'd given up entirely and assumed I was missing a power 😂

[@josephklause4869]

@@j2dlyc Still, I haven't been able to hit the 2nd target, where you get a chest 😵

[@lftenjamin]

@@josephklause4869 there is a whole slab you can ultrahand that looks like a paddle. that will make it easier to aim the ball where you want

[@DiegoT]

the best entertainment product ever made by the human kind.

[@archetypalhero7408]

I’ve been waiting for this review.

[@mookiestewart3776]

“FINALLY!!!” * SpongeBob meme 😂

[@billhighwind]

Yes! So hoping I'd hear my favorite narrator for this review.

[@theogofguitar]

I get to maybe put an hour in a day..I’m getting nowhere but it feels like well I’m gonna spend a whole year here. I might not accomplish anything one night, maybe I get a shrine, maybe I map out beacons, maybe a cabe, sude quest, a sky island, a depth exposure, maybe I just farm resources. Maybe I make my way to the next temple, eh I should get more X/Y first. This area is wrecking me I need better weapons or armour. Fairies, no stable points! Wait I can help Hyrule defend an army, oh tye sky towers, there’s more Zonai tools?!? And you GOTTA got to get them koroks to their buddies and support Hudson. I’m sure there’s tons more I haven’t discovered. This is the epitome the genre of adventure

[@SweetJohnnyCage]

Excellent review, Brad! Agree on all points. I will add that I think the storytelling of Tears leaves a lot to be desired. The story itself is excellent, one of the greatest the series has ever seen, but the way it's told could've been done a lot better. Agree on the 9.5, overall!

[@Kavsilvers]

Can I ask how? I feel like this one has done it better than any other Zelda title

[@BabysitterSky]

​@@Kavsilvers Have you played any of the Zelda games....?

[@SweetJohnnyCage]

​@@Kavsilvers I'll try not to spoil things too much, but here goes: The game has to allow for people to do anything in any order at any time, which is awesome. It's one of the greatest things to be introduced into Zelda, and I'm glad Tears brought it forward. You can learn everything that happens to Zelda by collecting the Dragon's Tears scattered throughout Hyrule. The story you uncover and the reward you get for it are absolutely incredible, some of the best storytelling in any game, let alone a Zelda game. However, every time you finish a dungeon and awaken the sage, you are told the EXACT. SAME. STORY. every single time. The NPC has the same reaction, every single time. It's nearly told verbatim, every single time. It got to the point where I finished two dungeons and decided I wasn't going to do another one for a really long time, because I knew I wasn't missing out on any new piece of big story information. And I wasn't wrong at all. The game also has to take into account that not everyone is going to take the time to find all the Dragon's Tears and uncover the story, so it keeps everything as vague and generic as possible in all other circumstances. This makes a lot of sense for this type of game. The problem with this, however, is that there are key moments in the game where the player/Link is aware of the story, but still acts as if they don't. Link is forced to go along with a crucial mission about 75% of the way through the game, knowing full well that it's a complete trap, but the game doesn't do anything to acknowledge that the player/Link knows it's a trap. Link never tells anyone what he's learned until he gets a specific quest late in the game, which doesn't make any sense. The game has so many conditional dialogue exchanges, but never implemented any for the core story. Like if you were to kill an enemy or get a certain item, then talk to an NPC who sends you out to kill that enemy or get that item, the NPC will say something along the lines of "You already did it!? Amazing!" and give you your reward. This conditional mechanic is completely absent when it comes to the main story quests of the game. Major NPCs never acknowledge that the player has done anything beyond what they're telling Link to do in that specific moment. It makes for a really jarring experience. The game shows you geoglyphs very early on, encourages you to find them all and uncover the story, but then does nothing to acknowledge the incredibly impactful moment that Link experiences. Everyone keeps going on with their lives, giving Link quests he knows are completely pointless and will often lead to harm. It's like the game is torn between two types of storytelling, and doesn't want to just commit to one. You have this incredible storytelling experience with the Dragon's Tears, but then the main story quests fall totally flat, despite the game really pushing you towards them and prioritizing them as "mandatory" by making them Main Quests. I get that you can't have conditions for every possible permutation of what a player's done, but the devs really should've prioritized the main story variables over other stuff, IMO. Still an incredible game, loved it and would recommend it until the day I die.

[@ReddTurtl]

@@SweetJohnnyCage Just to provide a counterpoint for specifically your first point. I agree that the flashbacks all being the same is kinda lame, and I would've preferred there was a more unique flashback. But to say you didn't want to do the other dungeons because you knew you weren't missing out on any new piece of big story information is a bit ridiculous. That final flashback might be repeated, but the entire region has its own story going on. And those regional phenomenon were much more in depth with story and character than the divine beasts were in BOTW. I especially loved Sidon, Tulin, and Riju in this game. I think they're much stronger characters than the champions of BOTW ever were depicted to be.

[@SweetJohnnyCage]

@@ReddTurtl oh I totally agree! The sages are all excellent and I really loved how involved the regional stories were. It just felt like the payoff was beyond predictable. Like the character development was going to end up exactly how the others were. There was no surprise. Compare that to the Dragon's Tears sidequest, where the story is so unique, and it's like they went so high and so far with that part, but the sages just fell completely flat. Felt like the storytelling was either excellent and exciting, or lame and predictable. Game still ends on a very high note.

[@lonewolf8292]

Is this a review or game manual ?

[@matthewb1742]

I just beat it, it is better than the last one, for me it’s in either top ten or five

[@grahfkarate1799]

I typically are in favor of story driven games ( Xenogears , Peraona ) but my god. I have never get the sense of adventure from a video game before. Every turn there is something to do. Brilliant

[@joeinzinga6123]

I’m having a blast so far! It’s a bit overwhelming though

[@guip1408]

Brad is the best, but he keeps thinking a 10 is for a perfect game, that will never happen. A lot of games are 10s despite their small issues.

[@CrackBaby3]

Not really, though. Reviews are entirely subjective, so if two people like a game about the same, one might say 9 and the other 8, just due to differences in interpreting what a score means

[@Ayoul]

@@CrackBaby3 Of course it's all subjective, but it still begs the question of what is a 10 for Brad if this is only a 9.5 and Elden Ring and Sekiro are also only a 9.5. He's never given a 10 I believe and he's had to review some of the best reviewed games ever and some of his personal favorites. It does seem like he's just rating them 9.5 in the hopes that a game that is a 10 (for him) magically manifests instead of rating the games based on what came before and its contemporaries. Like OP said, nothing's perfect. There's always going to be something to criticize.

[@MSTRFSTR]

Brad is right on his score and could probably go lower if it wasn’t for the Nintendo neighbourhood watch. Meaningless exploration rewards, hollow temples, lacklustre story and pacing (tears) and more. It’s far from perfect and not as new and appealing as BOTW was.

[@guip1408]

@@MSTRFSTR I guess you can't understand what I've said. The score is subjective, you can think whatever you want. I'm saying that the way he expressed his love for the game should conclude on a 10. He didn't say any of that bs you just said.

[@ultimatedumbass4640]

I mean tbf, most video games are 10/10's since it's all based on subjectivity.

[@Azeltirish]

Tears of the Kingdom released with it's new feature Mihoyo "write that down!!! write that down!!!"

[@ZekeAxel]

Great review, Brad.

[@feedthefrog]

Great review. Couldn't agree more. Some small issues but overall a clear masterpiece. 10/10

[@FranzBinder20]

Everybody says it is way better than BotW, but I can't help. I still felt more emotions when exploring this world for the first time in BotW. TotK has definitely more content and superior mechanics, but there is some magic in BotW which I can't feel a second time.

[@Wii-R-online]

i wish the Dungens / tempels where beter.

[@jackdoubleu3251]

It's overwhelming, I keep picking it up and putting it back down I never finished BOTW by the way.

[@TheMelasGirl]

This game is massive. I’m 80 hours in and have one temple done, still the map is not fully uncovered and basically nothing done in the depths except for the storyline.😅

[@sunnywagle8995]

A console with a hardware that is weaker than my phone is getting games that are better than most AAA games on "more powerful hardware". Just another testament to the fact that hardware isn't everything, Switch's success is a tight slap to anyone demanding pro models for PS5/XSX. It's about time that we realize how heavily underutilized the current hardware is. WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER UNDERUTILIZED HARDWARE, WE NEED GAMES.

[@TheTacticalRPGOdyssey]

Just beat it yesterday and have to say great review Brad! 9.5 feels right. I put in 100 hours in a little over two weeks so it's safe to say it consumed me!

[@Flamister76]

If fuse was done properly aesthetically speaking it would be so awesome. I just can’t get passed on how the weapons and shield look after fusion. They look horrendous. What a miss opportunity.

[@Stephaniepasqualino-de6qy]

I love the goofiness, it’s fantastic

[@Flamister76]

@@Stephaniepasqualino-de6qy I respect that, but there should be some kind of blacksmith in the game to make the weapons beautiful,for people like me, lol 😂.

[@The_Ostrich]

Lol the temples are definitely not a step up from the divine beasts, rather a step down. The divine beasts were incredibly unique and fun, the temples were barely different than Zelda dungeons we've seen a hundret times before.

[@mookiestewart3776]

Crackhead take lol

[@pokemigas6049]

Literally every comment I have seen from you has been some dumb shit about how this game is actually horrible, and that everyone else is actually wrong. You're literally the first person that I've seen saying the temples were a step down. You can dislike the game, that's fine, but I very much doubt that you aren't just a fanboy on a crusade to diminish everything that isn't made by your favourite multi million dollar company that doesn't give a shit about you. Grow up

[@odetojamie]

ah yes the divine beasts that all shared the same textured look and feel with a diffrent puzzle is better than areas that look vastly different from eachother

[@mattronimus]

​@pokemigas6049 I've beat all the dungeons and played over 200 hours and honestly i'm not a big fan of them either. they are definitely better than divine beasts... Actually the lead up to the sky temples was better than the actual temple itself... The bouncing and low gravity mechanics were awesome.

[@Im-ugly-AF]

​@@odetojamie You know you're an L when you judge the dungeons by their textures and looks 🤦‍♂️. Maybe video games aren't for you and you should try it with art museums.

[@michaelbell4972]

Loved btw but with two young kids i can't seem to find the time to get into the game, its just too much of a time sink for me atm

[@kiryukiwami98]

great review as always for me easy allies make the best video review on youtube

[@trignite]

ToTK does not deserve a 9.5. The story and characters are far, far worse than the original and are uninspired. The interesting champion characters from the original are gone, the interesting backstory and build-up of getting to the cool new cities to meet the races is gone (remember the approach to the zora domain? now we just fly over to it in a few seconds and dont have any of those moments). The sky islands are tiny and have nothing on them outside of the main temple areas. The labyrinths are basically copied as well. The temples are uninspired and easy. The depths are just a big area full of.. nothing. The layout is so uninspired they literally copied the hyrule map and flipped it. Keeping all the same tree placements, shrines=lightroots, hills=canyons. The depths are completely empty and once you actually light up the map you will really see just how empty it is. Aside from the Yiga clan (who are repetitive and boring to fight) there's really not much at all down there. Running around spamming brightroots was cool for 3 hours but not for the 25hours I had to spend down there to actually see how big the map is. Improving the zonai battery requires so, so much farming it is a literal chore that will take days and days. I enjoyed my first few hours in the depths a lot because it was intimidating and cool not to be able to see anything. But once you find a skeletal horse you will realize how easy it is to just run past everything and see how truly empty and lifeless the depths are. The combat is also worse than the original. Now you have to run around the map during a boss fight chasing after your NPC companions just so you can talk to them to use their abilities because there's no dedicated button or way to activate them otherwise. Bosses also felt more uninspired and gimmicky relying too heavily on 1 ability to defeat e.g fire temple boss or the wind temple """boss""" if you can even call it that. Issues with the original game such as no enemy variety or weapon durability hurting player experience are still here. Instead of fighting 90% bokoblins, now its 70% Constructs and 20% bokoblins. Great... Weapon durability is also just as bad of a mechanic as it was in the first game. Its fine when your just starting out, but once you get really nice weapons, you wont even want to fight ANYTHING, because doing so will only break your weapons and the ones the enemies drop will be far worse than what you have.

[@unpingouinsurlabanquise4574]

That's objectivity but it seems like these flaws are being ignored for some reasons, maybe because it's Nintendo.

[@ultimatedumbass4640]

I agree with pretty much everything

[@celticbat3792]

I wish I was more excited for this game. Breath Of The Wild didnt do much for me, and nobody's enthusiastic well-done positive reviews are selling me on the sequel. That said, great video EZA!

[@Hedgeyy]

Yeah if breath of the wild isn't for you, then I can't recommend this one.

[@ThePughski]

Right there with you, I'm patiently waiting for the next Nintendo console to either play this or just the next Zelda game

[@cjvvaliente]

k

[@lbocaj]

l

[@TheAlibabatree]

Everyone has their own tastes. That being said, i find that most people who dont like Botw tend to be “old school” Zelda fans, who simply can’t accept change.

[@StiffAftermath]

Vaati is a Zonai. Also, no spoiler warning for the Depths? Nintendo hid this, 50% of the map, from all promotional material for a reason.

[@EasyAllies]

If we had published at or before launch we would have likely avoided being as specific with that stuff, but Nintendo has been including those elements in promotional videos for weeks. -Bloodworth

[@StiffAftermath]

@@EasyAllies okay, fair enough. Such a big surprise though, man! Who would of thought that Nintendo would double the size of the map? Madness!

[@Ridnarhtim]

I'm finding it really boring, it's just way too similar to BOTW, which I've already played for hundreds of hours. Same combat, same overworld, same music. You even get sent to the exact same 4 places for the main quest. As for the new stuff, the new abilities don't really interest me, the depths and sky feel very empty and copy-paste, the temples are really not any better than the divine beasts were ... If I hadn't played BOTW, I guess this game would be amazing, but man, I really hope they stick with the "max 1 sequel" approach they've had with this series so far and do something different next time.

[@Ridnarhtim]

Also in general a lot of stuff is so clunky. Like you mention, you have to drop stuff on the ground to fuse it to a weapon. Scrolling through a list of hundreds of materials to find the one thing you want to stick on an arrow is painful. Trying to use the sage-ghost abilities when they're running around fighting stuff is awful, and I keep accidentally triggering them while trying to pick stuff up. But to constantly summon and dismiss them from the menu is also way too slow and tedious. Sometimes I accidentally take out too many zonai devices because the normal cancel button, B, doesn't take them out of link's hand, but instead confirms that you want to "unbox" all the ones he's holding. I'd also love a way to switch weapons more quickly so you're not constantly scrolling through menus when you want to switch from fighting to crushing rocks to cutting down trees. For example, just tapping d-pad right could switch to your previously used weapon. All this stuff just really doesn't feel like they thought it out at all.

[@mattronimus]

I felt similar at 1st but at a certain point it hooked me, but it sounds like you got pretty far... I love exploring and to me the map feels very different... And once I got my head wrapped around ultrahand and started using a hoverbike, the map was very accessible.

[@Ridnarhtim]

@@mattronimus there have been parts I've really, really enjoyed - mostly the more linear "getting to the dungeon" sections, and large sky island you start on. I've just basically switched to exploring very little.

[@mattronimus]

@Ridnarhtim I guess we are just different. I hate the linear stuff. I feel like it's a chore. I love getting lost and just saying "Hey what is that?".... I did enjoy. The lead up to the temples in the sky. The mechanics of bouncing and low gravity were very fun.

[@gumpthegreat1]

Just beat it today after 130+ hours. Is very good, but as someone who had 400+ hours in BotW the formula, though greatly improved, got stale faster than I had hoped. Does not help that I was wearing the SAME armors with a lot of re-used music and locations from the 1st game. Still, a true masterpiece of a game.

[@probably_afk]

Opposite for me. With DLC included, I had about 300hrs in BoTW but I've already surpassed that in ToTK with (my own assessment) about 60% of the content completed. I'm fine with the armor and locations being re-used (although, let's be honest, the locations aren't really the "same"), you are right about the music though. I would have liked some remixes or small modifications to the Hateno/Kakariko themes, Hyrule Castle too.

[@LolwutStevie]

Even though I have to say I'm not a big fan of Botw/Totk, I'm so extremely happy that gamers are being blown away and having a great time, enjoy folks! You don't get these types of games very often.

[@JuanSinMiedo441]

seems more like a description than a proper review

[@highwind1991]

Breath of the wild really was the Zelda game that I have personally been waiting for. It's one of my favorite games. I'm still waiting for tears of the Kingdom to truly grip me, and because of that I've been playing other things still. I will definitely return to it and it could still possibly be my 2023 GOTY. But I'm currently on my fourth playthrough of the resident evil 4 remake and I think that's probably going to be my choice for the year Spider-Man 2 could take it away though

[@graciaman]

JONES BACK FOR THE VO HELL YES

[@jcohen2j]

Please do a three hour lore deep dive on Addison

[@DG-ss2zd]

Best reviewer on KZbin

[@glotero]

While the review is extremeley positive, I cant help but feel that it felt unethusiastic...like they are accepting its fantastic yet not really ringing its bells...this is one of if not the best game on the Switch and it is one of the best games ever concieve as an improvement to what previously was regarded as one of the best games ever made, Breath of the Wild.

[@EVSkecthCode]

agree with everything except the building. I absolutely hated it and that's coming from one who usually enjoys that mechanic in games. I thought it was, restrictive, and over all unintuitive

[@wayanze]

A spoiler warning for background footage would have been really nice.

[@xzzlonezzwolfzzx]

Good work Don Brad and Brandon

[@blur8163]

After 50 hours I’ve done 60 shrines and gotten the Master Sword, but still haven’t really done any main story or gone after most of the Dragon Tears 😂 loving this game

[@MXHunterD]

And then there's me, 3 temples in, and still no master sword, I get turn around everytime i'm on my way to get it doing something else and never get around to it lol

[@pt3or5]

So I need to know, if u didn’t get the dragon tears but already got the master sword. Does it still show u the twist?

[@blur8163]

@@pt3or5 I guess not because I’m not sure what you mean by twist, I triggered the master sword quest just by going to the deku tree. I’ve done the first 2 tears so I know where Zelda is at if that’s what you meant

[@mookiestewart3776]

@@blur8163 there are 3-4 separate ways to get the master sword quest and the tears are one of them. It will still show you the twist with the tears but it won’t have the same impact since you already have the sword 😢. Still an amazing quest though, so def do the tears next. It adds weight to the entire story I promise

[@pt3or5]

@@blur8163 not exactly, I would specify more, but I don’t want to spoil it just in case, it’s a good twist.

[@GodMcQueen]

*I'll buy a Switch, someday.*

[@Vyse195]

At this point you might as well just wait, I have a feeling tainos next-gen console come out probably late next year and it will have backwards compatibility.

[@joelpettersson4055]

TO ANYONE WHO FOR EHATEVER REASON IS STILL ON THE FENCE ABOUT THIS GAME! its so much better than botw. If you enjoyed botw even a little bit i am sure you will enjoy this game to and probably way more than botw

[@Sankaritarina89]

I need to give this game another chance I guess

[@justanotherartist5646]

I think you'd love it fam. Maybe give games a break if you're feeling burned out overall, then jump straight into it. This game is amazing

[@Sankaritarina89]

@@justanotherartist5646 I'm not a fan of open world and I don't like sandbox, so it was not really fun. It felt like playing botw from 6years ago, again...

[@Goujiki]

​@@Sankaritarina89 you can't criticize a Zelda game, Nintendo fans won't let you

[@Stephaniepasqualino-de6qy]

Won’t let you? You guys are doing it right now lol no one is stopping you by disagreeing. Stop being so dramatic.

[@plufim]

That depths horn blast is so simple yet so effective

[@MXHunterD]

So good

[@jetnipatteeravithayapinyo2468]

tfw you check your bank account

[@MrTiredliar]

9.5 the standard Brad score

[@jumbledb0798]

7/10 Treasures are pointless and not worth the trouble Dungeons all follow same hit some switches path Music is nonexistent and the ending theme is a nonsensical mess Side quests are pointless and crammed in everywhere Game wastes your time and forces you to collect hundreds of widgets to increase bars Bosses are better than BOTW Ending isn't worth the trouble Gloom is annoying All the armor is yet another grind to raise stats that isn't worth it

[@ln5321]

"The building process is smooth"? I love the game but there are valid criticisms to be had. Namely that things like the building are clunky as hell.

[@CronotheInquisitor]

I have personally found it pretty smooth and intuitive. The building is really nice for me!

[@The_Ostrich]

Skill issues.

[@ZeroShaneBob]

I don't find it clunky, but too simplistic? If that makes sense. I feel like I can't place pieces exactly where I want them. It's as if some pieces are LEGO pieces that only socket into specific places with each other. Maybe I am missing something, but try to place a wooden board on top of a wooden board, and notice you can't place it anywhere you want. A small dot will appear and warp around showing you where it'll attach.

[@Ridnarhtim]

Ultrahand is so tedious and clunky, I use it as little as I possibly can.

[@hododod246]

This game has shit ton off issues about controls but I think building is not one of them. They did a quite good job there.

[@OtterloopB]

Given what a middling, disappointing experience FF16 is, I appreciate TotK more than ever. Actual gameplay! Actual mechanics! Actual exploration! Actual customization! No QTE's!

[@rafaelikenaga]

why not 10? just curious, i havent played it yet but I wonder

[@moiceslopez8788]

The combats clunky. The menus are horrible with constantly stopping combat to go into to your inventory, plus no presets. Enemies are Different reskins, rather then introducing new types. Traveling feels slow, vehicles handle horribly and are incredibly slow. The hover bike is the only vehicle really worth using to get around, unless you like playing world of tanks. Gliding high up feels like it takes forever. Shied surfing degrades the shield, which kind keeps its from doing it limiting fun. Thr best rewards are armor. Stuff like this gets badly reviewed Other games, how does this game get a pass. Could be my ADHD that keeps me from loving this game, but its a love and hate relationship, i have fun playing it, but it frustrats me.

[@Rikiko722]

I'm loving it so far. My only complaints are the dungeons, which although impressive, I was hoping to be on the scale of Elden Ring's legacy dungeons; and the enemy variety, which although expanded, could do with just a bit more range. I've not experienced much of the story, and that too I would prefer not to be told in memories, but I'll have to judge it once I've finished it.

[@McGomezAddams]

Greatest game ever conceived

[@Goujiki]

You must not play alot of games then huh.

[@lllULTIMATEMASTERlll]

@@Goujiki I don’t think it’s the best game ever, but saying it is is definitely not a hot take. It’s definitely a completely reasonable take.

[@tasseiviews2947]

(Warning, mild spoilers!) I found this review rather spoiler heavy, very much so for an Easy Allies review even. For instance, I'm (only) 25 hours in right now and haven't been underground. I don't want to know anything about it yet and was barely able to cover my ears (and eyes) in time.

[@Ayoul]

Although I wouldn't call it a spoiler, I always wonder why the Allies add these detailed breakdowns/walkthrough bits in their reviews sometimes. Is the depths a good addition or not? I don't need to know that bright bloom seeds help you see and that roots create fast travel point when activated. The game has tutorials for that and it's fun to discover on your own.

[@iitvoii]

Someone made a Metal Gear.

[@AH_1102]

DLC can bridge the gap of some inconsistencies imo.

[@tehCostHD]

I bet they put a MASSIVE dungeon in the DLC whenever it comes with a crazy good boss fight like in BOTW

[@theoakty9242]

Move aside Ocarina of Time, Dark Souls, Elden Ring ,Red Dead Redemption and all these 10/10 games. Tears is easily the best video game in existence and one that everyone should play and experience on their own. This is peak gaming

[@StripedBass-vq6vz]

You’re tripping 😂

[@theoakty9242]

@@StripedBass-vq6vz I'm not im a hardcore gamer for 30 years now i dont think any other game compares to the magnitude of tears of the kingdom.

[@StripedBass-vq6vz]

@@theoakty9242 A game that copied and pasted the same map from its predecessor and can barely maintain 30fps is the greatest game ever made 😂

[@theoakty9242]

@@StripedBass-vq6vz copied? Have you played the game? Most things got changed or mixed on the ground map and there are a ton new things and areas as well and dont let me mention depths and sky islands. Also after the updates when i play in handheld mode I haven't noticed big drops of frames basically from 30 to maybe 25 at worst in big battles. And also don't forget a world without loadings and amazing draw distance on a switch hardware which is 7-8 years old by now. Gimme a break. And don't give me your opinion when you haven't even touched the game. Get outta here casual.

[@StripedBass-vq6vz]

@@theoakty9242 I literally beat the game 😂 Have you yet?! You can literally paste the map onto BOTW’s map. The topography and everything. You fanboys are unbelievable 😂

[@hododod246]

I think controls and ui is big issue. I am quite surprised no reviewer talked about those in their reviews. And lot's of people complain about them. I don't think these controls would get a pass if prime time Miyamoto were around. It doesn't feel snappy. But overall this became one of my favorite game. It is so good.

[@mattronimus]

I agree... i've played breath of the wild at least 3 times and got the controls down... Even with these being almost the same, I'm still hitting the wrong buttons after 210 hours..... Not to mention nintendo being the only company with backwards a and b.

[@issacdragon3834]

it's Nintendo they always get gifted scores. Mario galaxy for example. mediocre controls, brain dead easy gameplay for kids, weak platforming, and small linear levels with hardly anything to explore is rated top 5 game of all time lol

[@IceCubesBurning]

@@issacdragon3834 or it's possible people just.. like the game?

[@mattronimus]

@issacdragon3834 I'd love to chime in but I never played mario galaxy... I think nintendo gets so much praise because they are always innovating and breaking the mold....( They are single handedly responsible for most modern game mechanics ) What's your opinion on new zelda, does it deserve the praise?

[@issacdragon3834]

@@mattronimus Nintendo makes great games, but i feel like many are just gifted great scores. mario galaxy feels like a n64 game and controls worst then mario 64. Metroid prime is a remaster and the game is dated now why is it scoring bette then resident evil 4 remake, when the remake offers significantly better gameplay i played BOTW and it was great experience but like most open world games the combat is lacking and becomes too easy after 40 hours in. and then you realize all you do is find shrines. that was long time ago and now most games have great combat and TOTK is still has the same old tired combat. not sure if i wanna get it.

[@tnyeh]

game seems massive

[@mattronimus]

Yup

[@alexou857]

Too big, too many mechs, just give me a sword and shield in a linear environment makes a better zelda game for me.

[@myangreen6484]

No

[@joaquin9070]

If you gave a higher score to another game you're just haters. We actually know that you are.

[@Johnniecash26]

It's even better than botw, if that's even possible. Im going to take my time with this game....200+ hrs easy

[@mariojumpman8949]

Probably my only gripe is the "buddy" system. Especially in the end it feels just badly implemented, when they either stand in the way or run away from you, when you need them.

[@heybinsu]

Agreed. I wish there's some kind of a quick button to summon their powers like L+ABXY for example.

[@seanmahoney7117]

for sure, I only have two so far, but already it feels a bit all over the place. I just dismiss them.

[@bananasplit121212]

Completely agreed. If you only have 1 summoned though, you can whistle and they will come over to you. Idk if the game ever explains it but I figured it out with the lightning boss because arrow girl kept actively running away from me lol.