Even though it hasn’t even been released yet,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomhas made its presence felt after not only earning nominations for multiple awards, but even winning a few already. As one of Nintendo’s longest-running flagship series, the longevity ofZeldais a clear sign that it has landed on a winning formula, so a litany of awards following in the wake of its games isn’t unusual. Typically though, such awards are doled out after a game’s launch and not before, yetThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomhas already seemingly done the impossible.
However, there are important contexts to consider when looking atTears of the Kingdom’salready growing list of accolades, as they shouldn’t be seen as an indicator that the game will be a success. For as much asBreath of the Wildwon its share of awardsfollowing its release and was celebrated amongZeldafans, there’s no guarantee thatTears of the Kingdomshall achieve the same, but this hasn’t stopped players' anticipation from fueling this hope. As a result, the nominations and awardsTears of the Kingdomhas so far are less about the game itself and more about the hype surrounding it.
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Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is Capturing Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Momentum
Though it’s not impossible for there to bedirect sequels in theZeldaseries, they are uncommon enough that when one comes along, it attracts attention. When Nintendo announced that there would be a direct sequel toBreath of the Wildand even provided a teaser for the then-unnamed game, it was a significant moment for the gaming community.Breath of the Wildhas since secured itself among otherZeldafan favorites likeOcarina of Time, which is an apt comparison since the pair were considered revolutionary for the series and, withMajora’s Maskin mind, both received darker direct sequels.
While it’s more than likely thatBreath of the Wildwas receiving a sequel because there was still creative potential left untapped, it’s difficult not to acknowledge that another motivating factor behind this decision was the game’s success and sustaining its momentum.Tears of the Kingdomcould be seen as an effort to follow on fromBreath of the Wildboth plot-wise and hype-wise. But complications from its 2019 announcement with an ambitious 2022 release date, andthe delaysTears of the Kingdomsufferedbetween general development and COVID-19 have created the perfect storm of impatience among players waiting for the sequel.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is The Most Wanted and Anticipated Game
Therefore, between the impact and legacy thatBreath of the Wildhad not just for theZeldaseries but for the gaming community at the time, there’s an expectation that a direct sequel would live up to the same standards. Presumed to have the same star qualityBreath of the Wildand compounded by its few and far-between announcements and delays, the resulting situation is expectant players hanging on everyTears of the Kingdomgameplay demo, trailer, or leaked rumor. The anticipation then behindTears of the Kingdomis a natural inheritance fromBreath of the Wildartificially inflated due to real-world circumstances.
So the awardsTears of the Kingdomhas been nominated for and in some cases even won are self-explanatory when it’s revealed that these awards are for The Most Wanted and The Most Anticipated games of their respective years. Between The Game Awards and the Golden Joystick Awards from 2020 onwards,Tears of the Kingdomhas been nominatedin each category up until 2022 when it won both. While these wins were possibly prompted byTears of the Kingdom’sdefinitive release date, these awards are more than likely just the first of many if its predecessor’s success is anything to go by.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis set to release onMay 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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