The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Games review
As of Jun 23, 2026, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is rated 95/100 on OpenCritic (166 critic reviews), and 96/100 on Metacritic (156 critic reviews). Each source is shown in its own units, never blended into one score.
Is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom worth it in 2026?
A 95, 96/100 consensus across two major aggregators covering over 150 critic reviews each is not noise, that is near-unanimous agreement that this game is exceptional, and the praise is specific enough to trust: the single most consistent finding across sampled reviews is that it meaningfully improves on Breath of the Wild, already a genre benchmark, through innovative new mechanics, sky-layer exploration, and a degree of player creativity that most open-world games do not attempt. The real friction points are minor in frequency but worth naming honestly: the aging Switch hardware can produce frame rate drops and visual compromises, and the resource-gathering loop carries a deadening quality that works against the freeform momentum the game otherwise sells.
Players who loved Breath of the Wild and want more systemic depth, sky and underground exploration, and creative mechanical problem-solving built on the same foundation, this is that game taken further in almost every direction.
The resource-gathering emphasis can grind against the sense of freedom the game sells, and it is a genuine dealbreaker for players who bounce off survival-crafting loops.
ReviewPond's conclusion, drawn only from the verified scores and review themes below. Not a paid or editorial opinion.
Different sources measure different things, so each is shown in its own units and never merged into one number.
Pros
- improves on predecessor10
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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 a masterpiece that not only equals what came before, it does everything in its power to surpass it..
- 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...
- open world exploration6
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- 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.
- Tears of the Kingdom sets a standard for immersive gameplay that most major games don't even try to achieve, let alone match
- 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...
- innovative new mechanics5
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...
- masterful game design5
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- 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..
- 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 the Kingdom is a tour de force. A consummate masterstroke of game design and worldbuilding, unrepentant in its pursuit of player freedom, well-deserving of a place among t...
- player freedom and creativity4
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- Tears of the Kingdom sets a standard for immersive gameplay that most major games don't even try to achieve, let alone match
- 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 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.
- outstanding story and world4
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- It's impossible to talk about everything that makes The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom so incredible, and making many of those discoveries yourselves is part of the magic. I...
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a remarkable sequel, expanding on the mechanics, characters, and setting introduced in 2017's Breath of the Wild. DualShockers was prov...
- An excellent sequel and one of the best Zelda games ever made. A follow-up that builds upon and refines the achievements of the original, while adding many new and equally innovati...
Cons
- limits on true player freedom1
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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...
- aging Switch hardware1
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- 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...
- resource gathering emphasis1
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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.
Themes and quotes are drawn from 20 sampled reviews with text; the scores above reflect all 322 ratings. Counts are how many of the sampled reviews mention each point.