In a few short months,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwill be out. Fans everywhere are eagerly anticipating seeing more about this mysterious game, especially as the full extent of its new additions remain unclear.Tears of the Kingdomwill have to differentiate itself fromBreath of the Wildin big ways, and while it has begun to roll out previews of new mechanics, the games still look very similar. Hopefully, Nintendo will be able to put some of these concerns to rest in the coming weeks, as many anticipate thatTears of the Kingdomwill receive its own dedicatedZeldaDirect very soon.
Even without a lot of new features being confirmed yet, there are still plenty of new adventures to be had inTears of the Kingdom. Hyrule has expanded vertically, featuring a number of sky islands climbing high into the air and seemingly also a network of underground tunnels. To cross these vast distances, Link can now employ vehicles that seem to have a crafting systemstraight out ofBanjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. With all the potential crafting projects and abilities from Link’s new arm, classicZeldaitems with similar uses have fallen by the wayside. That said,Tears of the Kingdomwould be the perfect place to bring back a signature traversal tool notably absent fromBreath of the Wild.
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3D Zelda’s Standby Aerial Tool Has Been The Hookshot
Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomaren’t the first times that players have been able to traverse Hyrule’s skies, though unlike flying with a Loftwing inSkyward Sword, the open world titles worked gliding directly into Link’s kit. Aerial mobility is a special privilege inThe Legend of Zelda, with the simple concept of a permanent jump button only featured in a couple of titles. The Game Boy andGame Boy AdvanceZeldagamesoften included the function as a major mid to late game power, enabling the player to access areas they couldn’t before. However, both 2D and 3DLegend of Zeldagames share a common method of soaring over impassable gaps.
Hookshots have been a part of theZeldaseries since its early days. Almost every major game betweenA Link to the PastandSkyward Swordhas had some form of Hookshotpresent. While these can be used on distant enemies and loose items, their main purpose always pertains to movement. Using a Hookshot, players can use certain targets to hurtle across the environment and reach new areas.
The top-down 2D games mostly used this as another method to cross gaps, but in 3D titles Hookshots are often positioned as the only method to travel upwards in later dungeons. Having taken many forms over the years,Hookshots and their variantsare always a welcome sight, as they promise exploration of new areas and reaching new heights.
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Tears of the Kingdom Plays Up Zelda’s Verticality
That pitch should sound very familiar to modernZeldaplayers, as it’s roughly how one would describeBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom. Scaling vertical surfaces during adventures are a regular part of the open worldZeldagames, and Link has never had so many ways to get around before.Breath of the WildalonebroughtSkyward Sword’s Sailcloth backas the endlessly useful Paraglider, which could then be coupled with any high ledge or Revali’s Gale to soar across the wilderness. That’s not even getting into advanced travel techniques that bring in other abilities like Stasis launching.
WhileTears of the Kingdomis adding on to those traversal methods with various flying machines, floating platforms, and ways to zip into the sky, fans are wondering if it could go further. Plenty of classicLegend of Zeldaitems have yet to make their way into the latest version of Hyrule, though only a few holdouts would bring something new toTotK. There’s no need forthings like the Spinner or the Roc’s Featherwhen automobiles and free jumping are on the table. However, even with multiple ways to reach the sky, the Hookshot would still add a lot to the airborne experience.
How The Hookshot Could Work In Tears of the Kingdom
As Link’s Sheikah Slate abilities appear to have been subsumed by his new arm, it stands to reason that said arm could produce effects based on pastZeldaitems likeBreath of the Wild’s Bombs. The Hookshot, which could be manifested as a chain from Link’s palm, would be perfect for this setup. Having a Hookshot could complementTears of the Kingdom’s existing climbing system, allowing Link to alleviate some of climbing’s tedium by chaining together risky leaps. Adding on to this, aerial Hookshot use could trigger the slow motion associated with archery, and an upgrade could be found to change it into the even more versatile Longshot.
Grappling to one wall and then turning around to grapple to another recallsTwilight PrincessandSkyward Sword’s Double Clawshots to mind. Serving as the most advanced form of Hookshot in 3DZelda, fans would love to see the Clawshots make a return, andTears of the Kingdomcould make it happen. Not only does this allow Link to grapple between his various flying machines and sky islandslike he was Rico fromJust Cause, it also opens the door to even larger setpieces than those offered inBotW. Players could truly go anywhere and do anything, and the epic sky battles capable with just a Clawshot and the climbing mechanics alone would makeTears of the Kingdomtough to pass up.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwill be released for the Nintendo Switch on July 30, 2025.
