The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of the most anticipated titles of 2023. However, it is not the only open-world game players are excited about, and many also have their eyes on Forspoken. The games are on different platforms and take different approaches to gameplay. Despite this, there are some hard-to-ignore parallels between the Malice of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and the Break of Forspoken.
Both the Break and Malice are evil substances that appear to corrupt anything they touch. The Break turns Athia into a land of monsters, while Malice is a constant reminder of Calamity Ganon's haunting presence and looming threat. It will be interesting to see how the games handle their respective substances, and how they are overcome.
Evil Forces in Forspoken and Tears of the Kingdom
Next year, gamers will get to experience Forspoken from Luminous Productions and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom from Nintendo. On the surface, the games are quite different. Forspoken features a modern New Yorker who is thrust into the magical land of Athia. In comparison, Tears of the Kingdom takes place in Hyrule, a land under the constant protection of Link and Princess Zelda. Despite these stark differences, the source of conflict in both games may be somewhat similar.
In Forspoken, gamers are up against the Break. As developers have revealed, the Break is a mysterious force that has seeped into Athia. It corrupts everything it touches, turning it into a twisted, malevolent version of itself. Because of the Break, the animals of Athia have turned into wild and dangerous beasts, making exploration dangerous. Frey could even run into Breakstorms, which occur when there is a high concentration of the Break. When she is caught in a Breakstorm, she has to defend herself against a gauntlet of powerful foes.
The Legend of Zelda has a similar corrupting substance: Malice. Gamers encountered Malice in Breath of the Wild. It is a purplish-black substance that emanates from Calamity Ganon. In Breath of the Wild, it sticks all over buildings, and it sometimes develops blinking eyeballs. Monsters such as Cursed Lizalfos spawn from it, and Link's health is damaged if he comes into contact with the toxic sludge. Malice will make a reappearance in Tears of the Kingdom, and it may even play a bigger role. Trailers have shown Malice all over Death Mountain, suggesting that the substance and the location may be important in the upcoming game. It is also seen around Hyrule Castle as it ascends to the heavens.
Both Malice and the Break affect the physical location they are found in. Nevertheless, while there are many similarities between the Malice of The Legend of Zelda and the Break of Forspoken, there are also key differences. Most notably, it has been revealed that Frey is seemingly unaffected by the Break, although it has not been revealed why. In contrast, Link is hurt by Malice if he touches it, and he is better off avoiding it if he can.
Though Malice and the Break are powerful forces, Link and Frey have weapons to defend themselves. Frey discovers she has magical powers, and her talking cuff also helps her out. Link collects weapons as he explores, and it appears he will have a new empowered arm that could replace the Sheikah Slate of Breath of the Wild. To bring Athia and Hyrule back to their previous glory, the Break and Malice will have to be defeated.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is scheduled to release on May 12, 2023, on Nintendo Switch.