Zelda Tears of the Kingdom: Switch OLED and new Legend of Zelda game release date, Pro Controller pre order

Get ready to embark on a new journey through the mystical land of Hyrule, as the highly anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is almost upon us. With stunning visuals, challenging puzzles and thrilling combat, Tears of the Kingdom promises to be even bigger and better than its predecessor.

Players will join Link on his new adventure as he uncovers ancient secrets and battles powerful enemies to save the kingdom once again. Get your sword and shield ready, because this is one adventure you won’t want to miss! Here is everything you need to know about it.

What is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the long-awaited sequel to one of the best games ever made.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild released in March 2017 as a flagship launch title for the then brand new Nintendo Switch consoles. The game, set in a large open-world environment, was a departure from previous Zelda games’ more linear structure.

The player once again took control of Link, the main protagonist of the series, as he explored the kingdom of Hyrule, solved puzzles, battled enemies, and unravelled the story. But where previous games featured semi-open overworlds throughout which more contained puzzle/dungeon sections were sprinkled, BotW’s sprawling recreation of Hyrule gave players a great deal of freedom and control over their experience.

Breath of the Wild was well-received for several reasons. Firstly, it was a highly immersive and vast game world that was full of exploration, discovery and surprises. The game rewarded players for exploring every nook and cranny of its massive environment, with unique puzzles to uncover, hidden treasures to find and other secrets that help them progress through the game.

The game had a significant impact on gaming culture, particularly its influence on game design. The open-world sub-genre was seen to be stagnating at the time of the game’s release, but BotW’s emphasis on exploration, discovery, and player choice was a breath of fresh air, and has since been adopted by many other developers, leading to an influx of open-world games with similar design philosophies.

Breath of the Wild’s open-world design has encouraged developers to take more risks in game design, allowing players more freedom and control over their gaming experiences. It’s widely regarded as one of the best video games of recent years (if not, of all time), and so Tears of the Kingdom has some big boots to fill.

What’s new in Tears of the Kingdom?

With the sequel similarly focusing on player discovery and exploration, Nintendo are unsurprisingly looking to keep most of the new game’s secrets under wraps, letting players uncover them for themselves once the game releases in May 2023.

But in Eiji Aonuma’s recent dive into TotK’s gameplay, the producer revealed a number of Link’s new abilities and powers which will help him traverse the world, solve puzzles and take on enemies.

Breath of the Wild’s extensive palette of abilities coupled-up with a robust physics engine that allowed for creative problem-solving and experimentation, and it looks as if TotK will expand even further on these mechanics.

Much like its predecessor, it appears as if Tears of the Kingdom’s art direction and music will both be beautiful and memorable once again.

While the game’s cel-shaded graphics are unlikely to wow anybody on the realism front (especially on the now ageing Switch hardware) it gives it a unique look and feel, while its soundtrack looks set to evoke emotion and set the tone for each moment in the game.

When can I play it?

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was released on Friday 12 May 2023. It is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch consoles.

Where is the best place to preorder it?

Physical versions of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom can be ordered through Game.co.uk for £59.99. If you’re looking for the digital, downloadable version of the game, that can be ordered through the Nintendo eShop for the same price.

Where can I get the Tears of the Kingdom Switch OLED console?

A brand-new Nintendo Switch OLED Model console inspired by Tears of the Kingdom is also being introduced by Nintendo. The console went on sale on Friday 28 April, just two weeks before the release of the game itself..

The main advantage of OLED screens is that they have better colour reproduction and contrast, meaning they can display brighter whites and darker blacks, which makes images and videos look more vibrant. OLED screens also consume less power than LCD screens because they don’t require a backlight, which can lead to longer battery life for devices.

Like the game it is based on, the new Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch OLED Model console can be ordered through Game.co.uk. It will cost £319.99.

Likewise, a new Switch Pro Controller adorned with TotK inspired designs is also be available, and costs £69.99 from Game.co.uk.