The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Games review
As of Jul 9, 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 out of 100 across two major aggregators covering over 150 critic reviews each is not grade inflation, it is a near-consensus that Tears of the Kingdom does the nearly impossible thing of justifying its own existence as a sequel to one of the most praised games ever made. The new mechanics are the real story: reviewers flag the new systems as genuinely innovative rather than iterative, meaning this is not a map-pack dressed up as a new game. The two complaints on record are real and compound across a lengthy runtime, and the resource-gathering emphasis is described in sampled reviews as 'slightly deadening,' which is fatigue language, not mild friction, and players who resent busywork should weigh that seriously. The aging Switch hardware also puts a ceiling on what the engine can do, with performance limitations that reviewers noted as a genuine constraint.
Players who loved Breath of the Wild and want a larger, mechanically richer version of it, or open-world fans who prioritize creative freedom and puzzle-solving over narrative linearity, provided they have the time and patience a substantial open-world game demands.
If resource management and gathering loops drain rather than engage you, the game's own reviewers warn that emphasis becomes deadening over time. On top of that, the Switch's hardware constraints are a fixed ceiling: performance limitations exist and reflect the boundaries of aging hardware, so
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
- exceptional sequel quality6
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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..
- It's easy to say without hesitation that Tears of the Kingdom is better than Breath of the Wild. It improves and adds to what was already a great title.
- Tears of the Kingdom is a fantastic sequel that improves upon its predecessor in nearly every way.
- innovative mechanics and systems5
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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.
- 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...
- 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...
- exploration and discovery4
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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...
- 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...
- open-world design and freedom3
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- 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.
- 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...
- immersive gameplay experience3
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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
- 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...
- 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...
Cons
- 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.
- hardware performance limitations1
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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...
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.