The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is finally upon us.
The hugely-anticipated game has been in development for years now, and after an excruciating seven-year wait, the sequel to Breath of the Wild is here. It officially arrived on May 12, 2023, and instantly became a contender for Game of the Year. It’s little surprise, given the massive popularity of every Zelda title — but in particular, Breath of the Wild. The 2017 game is considered one of the greatest video game releases of all time, and its open world and experimental gameplay are set to expand in Tears of the Kingdom.
Several elements of the latest Nintendo release are once again testing the bounds of the video game format, as new abilities lend even more creative license to gamers. The addition of abilities like Ultrahand and Fuse massively increase the innovative possibilities for Zelda fans, making — just a few hours after its release — Tears of the Kingdom one of the most broadly in-demand games of 2023.
How much does Tears of the Kingdom cost?
There are a few catches, for gamers with their hearts set on a Tears of the Kingdom playthrough. Zelda is one of Nintendo’s most popular and enduring properties, so you can bet the video game behemoth isn’t letting anyone else in on the action. Only gamers with a Nintendo Switch will be able to enjoy the fresh title, and anyone with a deep desire to enjoy the game who isn’t currently in possession of one will need to drop at least $200 or so just to snatch up the console.
Then there’s the price of the game itself. Reviews indicate that Tears of the Kingdom is an absolutely huge game, with several dozen hours of gameplay packed into the main story alone. Add to this the massive amount of freedom allowed by Tears of the Kingdom‘s open world and flexible abilities, and the title is well worth its $70 price tag.
Future months will likely see the game’s price drop somewhat — for those patient gamers willing to wait — but not much. Zelda never really gets old, and games in the franchise continue to top “best of” games lists even decades after their release. With all the hype surrounding Tears of the Kingdom, it’s all but guaranteed to follow the same pattern and maintain the same general price tag for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, penny-pinching gamers will need to save if they want to snatch up a copy, but the game seems well worth the effort.