The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom (Nintendo Switch, £59.99)

Verdict: Tears of joy

Rating:

It has been six years, Link. Six years since you saved the kingdom of Hyrule in The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and, in the process, got Nintendo’s Switch off to a mightily good start. Breath Of The Wild wasn’t just a fine game for launching a new console, it was — is — one of the best games of all time.

But what can you do now? After all this time, the gameplay of Breath Of The Wild — a vast, open redrafting of the Zelda blueprint — is no longer a surprise. And the Switch isn’t a shiny new thing, but an ageing console due an upgrade.

Well, it turns out that Link can still do rather a lot. Tears Of The Kingdom is the sequel that BOTW deserved; an expansion of that game’s glorious legacy. Though it feels like sacrilege to even think it… I might even prefer this new one?

Tears Of The Kingdom is the sequel that BOTW deserved; an expansion of that game’s glorious legacy

Part of its greatness is in its sameness. Those who have played BOTW — though you certainly don’t need to have done so — will recognise much in TOTK. Here, again, is Link. Here, again, is that open version of Hyrule. There are familiar characters, shrine puzzles and — yes — the same breakable weapons.

But what really makes TOTK soar is its differences — and I say ‘soar’ advisedly. The grand twist in this game is that much of it takes place in the sky. Atop the ground-level realm of Hyrule that we know from before, there’s now an entire archipelago of floating islands in the clouds, shaped by the technologies of a mysterious ancient civilisation known as the Zonai.

This isn’t just a cosmetic difference; it shakes up the gameplay more than has been anticipated. The extra verticality makes TOTK feel richer — there’s always something to do, up, down, all around.

Those who have played BOTW — though you certainly don’t need to have done so — will recognise much in TOTK

And the moments when you dive from the clouds, to see all of Hyrule rising beneath you, are this game’s great jaw-droppers. There’s still some life in the old Switch, after all.

Then there are Link’s new powers, lent to him by the Zonai. All are enjoyable, but the duo of Fuse and Ultrahand — which both allow you to combine items to make new, bigger items — are especially revolutionary.

Need something to bash at that mineral deposit? Simply merge a stick and a rock. Need a means of getting around? Make an impromptu battlewagon that’s rocket-powered at the back and flame-spewin’ at the front. It’s going to be a joy to see what the most creative players do with these boundless systems.

Even after my first playthrough, I’m going to spend a lot of time with Tears Of The Kingdom — to autumn and beyond

TOTK is different tonally, too. It’s even more autumnal than its predecessor — and not just because of, y’know, the golden-leaved trees in the sky. There’s a poetic wistfulness to its world, a focus on time and the passing of it.

Which is fitting because, even after my first playthrough, I’m going to spend a lot of time with Tears Of The Kingdom — to autumn and beyond. Gaming’s greatest series has delivered another masterwork. Thank you, Link.