The final pre-launch The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailer had plenty to be excited about, but throughout the video there are multiple references to a very exciting potential feature – NPC battles.
Breath of the Wild had its fair share of NPC and enemy interactions, but usually they were running away, very scripted sequences, or locked behind the Wolf Link amiibo. In the new trailer, however, we see Link not only ride into battle alongside a bunch of generic NPCs but also Sidon and Riju from the previous entry. This is all framed by the phrase “you are not alone.”
Something else in the trailer may hold the key to this – the tears. A recurring motif throughout the trailer, we see a blue tear embedded on the back of Sidon’s hand, and he is surrounded by a blue glow when in combat on the sky islands.
What this could suggest is the ability to summon certain NPCs as allies in combat, not unlike the aforementioned Wolf Link amiibo. As for the more generic NPCs, perhaps you’ll be able to form a squad to storm battlefields?
Similarly, a moment in the trailer also involves carting a bunch of characters in a custom built horse-drawn carriage.
We’re sure to find out more as we approach Tears of the Kingdom’s release date on May 12th, 2023.
Written by Tom Brown
Whether it’s an exciting new entry in a series long established or a weird experiment meant only for the dedicated, Tom is eager to report on it. Rest assured, if Nintendo ever announces Elite Beat Agents 2, he’ll be there.
