Summary
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas an advancement onBreath of the Wildin almost every way. The three-tiered map with theSky Islands and the Depthsgave the space so much diversity, and the greater emphasis on storytelling made it feel like more than just an update on the 2017 game. However, there were some elements that remained the same, for better or worse.
Hyrule itself wasn’t substantially different inTears of the Kingdom, nor was the art style. Another thing that was reminiscent of the previous game was the way players progress and get stronger, with Korok seeds going a long way to making Link’s journey easier. However, the Koroks' presence feels underutilized once again, and futureZeldagames should give them more time to develop, as they always give something good to the story.
Koroks are Little More than a Collectible in Tears of the Kingdom
Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomusing expansive open worldsmeans that there has to be plenty of things to do and curiosities to uncover while exploring all corners. Skyview Towers, shrines, memories, and teardrops keep the player entertained and do more than enough to justify the nonlinear setting. However, the pair of SwitchZeldagames go even further by offering a whole photography section and Korok seeds to verify people can squeeze every drop out of the experience.
The Korok are the most represented race inBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom, with over 1900 found across both games
The latter is particularly useful, as Korok seeds are used to expand the weapon, shield, and armor inventory slots to give players more resources to handle the often-criticized weapon degradation in the game. It’s a necessary inclusion, but also one that can reduce the Koroks to nothing more than a means to progress in the game, instead of showing that they have as much of a place inHyrule as the Zora, Rito, Gerudo, and Goron.
The Korok are a Proud and Historic People
The Korok are descended from the Kokiri, a race that was a part ofOcarina of Time, adapting to the Great Sea by adopting their leafy form to help them traverse the new landscape. InThe Wind Waker, they live with the Great Deku Tree on one of that game’s islands, where once every year a ceremony is held so that the Great Deku Tree can produce seeds to hopefully kickstart Hyrule’s resurgence. The Korok are introverted, but very charming, and have a close connection toZeldalore, which isn’t adequately explored inBreath of the Wildor its successor.
Zelda Needs to Give the Korok More Life in Future Games
The Wind Wakerwonderfully developed the Koroks as they take center stage in the Forbidden Woods dungeon. Link is joined later in the game at the Wind Temple by the Korok Makar, who turns out to be the Sage of Wind and a major component of the game’s charming story. The Koroks have more to offerZeldathan just being a collectible curiosity, and their customs could elevate the nextZeldagame by showing that the people that inhabit Hyrule are truly culturally diverse, no matter how unassuming they seem.
The Koroks made their debut inThe Wind Wakerin their current form, but the Kokiri made their first appearance inOcarina of Timein 1998.
It would be a stretch to say that the Koroks have the capacity to be at the center of the nextZeldaoffering, whatever that may be, but their place can be a lot more substantial and impactful than it was inTears of the Kingdom. It was a shame to see that they hadn’t been developed further fromhow they were presented inBreath of the Wild, but as the series is moving on to something different from the previous Switch masterpieces, the time is now to finally give the Koroks their flowers.
The Koroks are Disconnected from Hyrule’s Other Races
Outside ofHestu being in Lookout Landing inTears of the Kingdom, players never see the Koroks interact with other races, or integrate in any way. Because of this, nothing is revealed about their customs or cultural norms, and they fail to have the same impact on world-building as other races. It’s something that future games should address, showing how their nuances can contribute to aZeldaworld that truly feels communal.
