The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Games review
As of Oct 19, 2026, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is rated 96/100 on Metacritic (156 critic reviews), and 95/100 on OpenCritic (168 critic reviews). Each source is shown in its own units, never blended into one score.
Different sources measure different things, so each is shown in its own units and never merged into one number.
Is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom worth it in 2026?
Backed by exceptional critical acclaim, holding a 96/100 on Metacritic across 156 reviews and a 95/100 on OpenCritic across 168 reviews, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom expands on its predecessor through inventive mechanics and refined sequel design. Sampled critics consistently praise its dungeon-type spaces, rewarding exploration, and encounters that challenge players to rethink combat, traversal, and puzzles. However, isolated sampled critiques point to hardware performance issues, rigid boundaries on player freedom, and a slightly deadening emphasis on gathering resources. For players eager to experiment within an expansive sandbox, its acclaimed creative systems make it a top-tier adventure despite those scattered technical and mechanical frictions.
Players seeking an expansive open-world adventure centered on inventive traversal, creative puzzle-solving, and dungeon exploration.
Hardware performance issues and a slightly deadening emphasis on gathering resources noted in individual sampled reviews.
AI-generated editorial synthesis of the source scores and sampled review themes, not a hands-on test. Reviewer experiences and allegations are not independently verified facts.
Pros
- improved sequel design12
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- A terrific Breath of the Wild follow-up with some brilliant new systems, amazing views and more dungeon-type spaces, plus a slightly deadening emphasis on gathering resources.
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an unfathomable follow-up, expanding a world that already felt full beyond expectation and raising the bar ever higher into the clouds.
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a masterpiece that not only equals what came before, it does everything in its power to surpass it..
- rewarding exploration5
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- Nearly every encounter, whether puzzle, traversal, or combat, must be reconsidered. It makes you think in new ways. I didn’t get the same goosebumps exploring Hyrule as I did in th...
- Like a great novel might, this game made me feel more connected to the world around me, and it put me in touch with feelings of wonder that I haven’t felt in a long time. I’ve ofte...
- Although it takes place on the same map as Breath of the Wild (with a few key changes owing to the time-skip and Upheaval, of course), Tears of the Kingdom feels different enough f...
- expansive player freedom4
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- These are moments where I’m gently reminded that true player freedom is, of course, a fallacy. Nintendo created this world, and I inhabit it. Weeks, months, or years from now, I ma...
- Tears of the Kingdom is a triumph of open-ended game design that pays homage to the best parts of the Zelda franchise's own storied history--and sometimes exceeds them.
- Tears of Kingdom could end being one of the best games ever made, with unparalleled exploration that offers freedom and creativity on a scale never before seen.
- innovative new mechanics4
see reviews +-
- A terrific Breath of the Wild follow-up with some brilliant new systems, amazing views and more dungeon-type spaces, plus a slightly deadening emphasis on gathering resources.
- Nearly every encounter, whether puzzle, traversal, or combat, must be reconsidered. It makes you think in new ways. I didn’t get the same goosebumps exploring Hyrule as I did in th...
- Although it takes place on the same map as Breath of the Wild (with a few key changes owing to the time-skip and Upheaval, of course), Tears of the Kingdom feels different enough f...
Cons
- resource gathering focus1
see reviews +-
- A terrific Breath of the Wild follow-up with some brilliant new systems, amazing views and more dungeon-type spaces, plus a slightly deadening emphasis on gathering resources.
- hardware performance issues1
see reviews +-
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom lives up to the franchise's pedigree, and then some. It’s a remarkably confident sequel that refines and remixes elements of Breath of the...
- rigid boundary limits1
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- These are moments where I’m gently reminded that true player freedom is, of course, a fallacy. Nintendo created this world, and I inhabit it. Weeks, months, or years from now, I ma...
Themes and quotes are drawn from 20 sampled reviews with text. Each score above uses its source's displayed count. Theme counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.
Rated near The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
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