I didn't experience half of what the first game had to offer. That won't be happening again.
But, a few months have passed. I’ve poured time into some great games like Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Cocoon, and Sea of Stars. Plus, I've just started Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. All of the experiences I’ve had so far (and the ones I’m anticipating) add up to the feeling that it may soon be time to return to the world of Hyrule. As good as everything else is, there’s nothing like jerryrigging an absurd solution to get through a Shrine and finding out that it works just well enough to yeet you to the finish line.
Tears of the Kingdom Link stands with a royal shield fused to a Hydrant
At Christmas, I want to play something on my Switch. My wife and I typically spend a week at her parents’ house then a week at my parents’ house, and in both situations, I can’t really take over the TV most of the time. So, that leaves my laptop and Switch as viable options, and I don’t want to be sitting at the kitchen table for too long. But, I can lie on the couch and play a game on Switch for hours on end. This was how I revisited Breath of the Wild last year. It was the first time I’d played the game in years, and the first time I’d finished it since the heady days after its launch. I had a great time on the revisit. But, as I wrote earlier this year, having BOTW that fresh in my mind did make TOTK feel a little less special.
But, that isn’t a problem now. There’s no new Zelda anywhere on the horizon, and there probably won’t be a new game announced for years. I don’t have to worry about playing too much. I can scrape up all the secrets that Hyrule has to offer without worrying about spoiling my appetite. I can delve into every well, talk to every NPC, finish all the Shrines, and build every wacky vehicle I see online. I’ve spent this year trying to play as much as possible, so taking a few weeks to dick around in the Depths or see how high I can fly in the Sky Islands sounds like a refreshing break.
I’ve spent too much time this year trying to maximize my time, reading as much as I can, listening to as many albums as I can, watching as many movies as I can, making as much progress on as many side projects as I can. Being able to sink into one game like a warm bath as my fingers prune up is just what I need.
