The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas released just over a month ago, taking the gaming industry by storm. The title’s robust creation system has captivated fans both old and new alike, leading gamers to spend countless hours exploring beyond the game’s main questline. However,Tears of the Kingdom’s Main Questsalso featured a variety of unique gameplay additions, which helped to elevate certain story beats surrounding its Sages. One Gerudo Town story beat took an especially novel approach, as it introduced strategy-focused gameplay that could be nowhere else.Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomcould’ve used more segments like this one, with one side-quest type providing the perfect case for adaptation.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis the sequel to 2017’sThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which, at the time, many believed to be among the best games ever made. Prior to release, the majority of details surroundingTears of the Kingdomwere kept under wraps, aside from its ultrahand abilities and addition of sky islands to its re-used map of Hyrule. Upon release,Tears of the Kingdomquickly made the case to be placed above its predecessor on the “all-time great” lists, thanks to a robust creation system, spectacular story, and the reveal of a third complete map below the surface of Hyrule. As it stands,Tears of the Kingdomis a heavy contender for Game of the Year, and fans haven’t even finished discovering its secrets.
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Tears of the Kingdom’s Gerudo Town Hides One of Its Most Refreshing Gameplay Segments
The first group ofTears of the Kingdom’s Main Quests task Link with recruitingBreath of the Wild’s New Champions to become Sages, with those forrecruiting Rijutaking place in Gerudo Town and the surrounding desert. The Gerudo Region is under attack from a powerful new enemy, accompanied by a vicious sandstorm that has engulfed its desert. During one segment, Link must mount a defense from within Gerudo Town, with the help of its warriors and limited resources. Once preparations are made,Tears of the Kingdomdelivers one of its most unique mission objectives, tasking Link with juggling hives and their spawned enemies, Gerudo reinforcements, and defensive structures, all while ensuring Riju survives the encounter.
Gerudo Town’s Main Quest seesTears of the Kingdom’s Gibdosspawn around the city gates, with hives appearing at all major entrances. This enemy is unique, as it requires a lightning strike to break its defenses, after which Link can defeat it. Players are tasked with destroying each hive, and repelling the resulting Gibdos, while routinely checking the town’s center. Every Gibdo that makes it passed Gerudo defenses will rush towards Riju, requiring Link to stop them before she is overwhelmed. Once the onslaught is repelled, players can move on to the Lightning Temple’s precursor objectives.
Other Quests Could’ve Featured Strategy Defense Gameplay
Gerudo Town’s defense segment featured a format of gameplay that could’ve fit perfectly into various side quests, with theBring Peace to Hyrule questlineproviding the perfect case of adaptation. The quests see Link accompany various groups of civilians, led by Captain Hoz, as they free settlements across Hyrule’s regions. While the assaults a pretty straightforward, they could have greatly benefited from a second phase with a flipped script. Upon clearing a base or settlement, the groups could have been tasked with defending it from reinforcements, while protecting the Captain.
Tears of the Kingdomis full of difficult challenges. While the Gerudo Town defense segment wasn’t particularly grueling, its application to additional quest lines could have provided a refreshing change of pace, naturally upping the difficulty for recurring objectives. It’s possible thatTears of the Kingdomfans could see defense strategy elements pop up in the future, as the title could potentially followBreath of the Wild’s lead, releasing extra-challenging DLC content. Until then,Tears of the Kingdomcontinues to provide fans with countless hours of exploration, with some mysteries likely still hidden in the shadows.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available now on Nintendo Switch.
