Three Years Ago, Nintendo Delivered One of the Greatest Video Games of All Time--The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

May 13, 2026 - 12:59

It has been three years since Nintendo released what many consider one of the greatest video games ever made. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrived as a direct sequel to Breath of the Wild, but it was far more than just more of the same. It took the open-world formula of its predecessor and pushed it into new territory, literally and figuratively.

The game gave players the ability to explore the skies above Hyrule and the depths below it. This vertical expansion changed everything. Players could build vehicles, create weapons, and solve puzzles in ways that felt limitless. The Ultra Hand ability alone turned the game into a physics sandbox where creativity was the only limit. People built flying machines, giant mechs, and ridiculous contraptions that the developers probably never imagined.

But the game was not just about gadgets. It told a deeply emotional story about Link and Zelda, one that spanned thousands of years. The moment when players discovered what truly happened to Zelda during the Imprisoning War remains one of the most powerful scenes in gaming history. The soundtrack, the art direction, and the sense of discovery all came together to create something that felt both familiar and completely new.

Three years later, Tears of the Kingdom remains a benchmark for open-world design. It proved that a sequel could honor its predecessor while still surprising players at every turn. For anyone who has not played it yet, the adventure is still waiting. And for those who have, the memories of that first flight into the sky or that first plunge into the darkness are still as vivid as ever.