WithThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomjust on the horizon after its lengthy development, fans are considering how its gameplay might differ from its predecessor, stirring up conversations about missingZeldaseries' staples like the grapple mechanic and how the hookshot or an equivalent should make its return. SinceThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwas a significant departure from traditional formats ofZeldagames, it was inevitable that certain gameplay elements were going to be lost in translation as Nintendo established the game’s fundamentals. But as a direct sequel,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomcould finally absolve its forebear’s oversights.
Anticipation is already high forThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomas fans are hoping it will simultaneously carry throughBreath of the Wild’sstrengths, improve its weaknesses, and expand anywhere it had overlooked. At present, this ranges from makingchanges to the kingdom of Hyruleto addressingBreath of the Wild’scriticisms over combat and enemy variety. With the game’s increased verticality being a core focus of its ongoing marketing, many are expectingTears of the Kingdomto radically revamp its traversal mechanics. But between Link’s paragliders and new abilities, fans believe there’s ample opportunity for a grappling mechanic to feature.
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Why Breath of the Wild’s Cut Hookshot Could Return in Tears of the Kingdom
Unlike most otherZeldagames, Nintendo has been abnormally forthcoming aboutBreath of the Wild’sdevelopment which has given fans a rather deep look behind-the-scenes into what the game might have been. More outlandish concepts could have seen a modern-day interpretation of Link riding his Master Cycle Zero and even a possiblealien invasion ofBreath of the Wild’s Hyrule. Among the content that had been confirmed cut from the game were tools such as the beetle fromThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordand chiefly the fan-favorite hookshot. As with all cut content, fans hope that this proves its potential to return for the sequel.
Despite this, cut content is not always a reliable indicator of what a sequel might provide players, as early ideasexploring both sea and sky inBreath of the Wildseem to have devolved to just Hyrule’s skies forTears of the Kingdom.But critically, this is where the hookshot could shine were it to be included, as the grapple mechanic it provides would immediately improve uponBreath of the Wild’straversal mechanics in new yet familiar ways for players. Since it had also already been developed to some extent duringBreath of the Wild’searly days, not including it could be a missed opportunity.
How Grapple Mechanics Could Evolve in Tears of the Kingdom
Though it would be exciting to seeTear of the KingdomblendBreath of the Wild’sapproach to game design with classicZeldatraditions from its dungeons to its bosses, it would be a sudden transition to reintroduce tools like the hookshot where they hadn’t been before.Breath of the Wildstripped these away and gave players an immediateintroduction through the Great Plateau, providing and teaching about the game’s abilities, basic mechanics, and essential plot points. So while a hookshot could be presented as analogous to something like the paraglider,Tears of the Kingdomcould try to be more ambitious.
Instead, Link’s corrupted arm could be the missing connection betweenBreath of the Wild’smechanics andTears of the Kingdom’sown both new and old. Between early trailers and later promotional events, it seems thatLink’s arm will be important forBreath of the Wild’ssequel, with fan theories ranging from a new magic system to possible story directions of Link becoming corrupted by Ganondorf. But this also could suggest that Link’s arm could replace the Sheikah Slate’s functionality, and with his corrupted arm he might be able to grapple ledges and walls as if he were a Hyrulian Spider-Man.
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How Grappling Could Improve Tears of the Kingdom
Whichever way grappling mechanics might be implemented intoTears of the Kingdom,the inclusion of an ability to allow the player to quickly scale and reach difficult places would be just as welcomed as it had been in previousZeldagames. The exception in this case, however, is thatTears of the Kingdomwould provide an objectively ideal scenario in which to help improve a player’s ability to traverse the world. Early trailers already demonstrate thatTears of the Kingdomis focusing on traversal mechanics, something which will be vital in a new Hyrule comprised of expansive and ever-higher sky islands.
While some early mechanics indicate that Link’s capacity to traverse this new world will be facilitated by additions such as a paraglider to a time-reversing ability, a grappling mechanic would benefit these enormously and create a new gameplay loop. For instance, if the paragliders operate just as they did inBreath of the Wildand provide no uplift, or ifTears of the Kingdom’s Championsand abilities like Revali’s Gale don’t follow through into the sequel, players could struggle by relying on climbing alone. A grappling mechanic could therefore help players gain height quickly, with a trade-off tethering the player’s grapple to something like their stamina to prevent its overuse or exploitation.
Beyond mere traversal mechanics, however, grappling could have broader applications when lensed throughBreath of the Wild’soriginal scope. Previous games limited the hookshot to specific targets and surfaces, but inTears of the Kingdom,this grapple might be able to attach to almost any surface. As a result, grappling’s potential expands, such as being used like a slingshot to gain speed and momentum quickly to send Link soaring into the sky, or it could be worked intoimprovingTears of the Kingdom’scombatto pull light enemies like Bokoblins or Lizalfos to in melee range, or inversely take Link to heavier foes like the Stone Talus or Hinox.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis set to release onMay 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
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