While fans are expecting big changes from the upcoming sequel The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, one area that deserves improvement is Link's house. Link's home was a welcome addition to Breath of the Wild, as it added some realism to the character and homage to earlier games, but fans were left disappointed by its lack of unique features and limited customization. Though it was an interesting take on Link owning a house, with just a few display cases and general furniture it fell short of fans' expectations.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has an opportunity to expand on Link's house, allowing players to make more use of it. Whether this be providing Link with a source of food and gear or a place to showcase player achievements, Link's house could transform into the ideal hub area. Beyond this, it could be an extension of players' own style if Nintendo opens up a Hylian decorator mode to deck out Link's crib.

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Kakariko Village and pumpkin farmland from Zelda: Breath of the Wild

When Link's house is introduced in Breath of the Wild, it's being prepared for demolition. Preventing its destruction and renovating the home back to its former glory becomes a line of side quests, but the ultimate reward just being Link's fully refurbished home doesn't seem to reflect the importance this location should have. Beyond some display cases and a DLC-exclusive photo of the game's Champions, there's little purpose to the home except for fan service and free health regeneration.

Tears of the Kingdom needs to give Link's house more usage, especially if players already own the home following the events of Breath of the Wild. Since refurbishment isn't an option, a return of Bolson could expand Link's home, adding new rooms or developing the surrounding land. For example, adding some farmland with a personal stable could give players a steady source of food and crafting material, while new rooms could meet other needs like a dojo for practicing moves or a library for recording lore.

Link's house interior from Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Though Nintendo might not let players have free rein with upgrading Link's house, it could at least allow players the freedom to customize the interior decor. In an ideal world, this would mean letting players purchase or construct new furniture to place at will like Animal Crossing meets Zelda. The range of furniture wouldn't need to be complicated, but a selection of chairs, tables, beds, and more would let players creatively engage with the game. Certain items of furniture or decoration could even be rare quest rewards, introducing prestige so that players can boast to their friends.

However, Nintendo could scale back the level of customization to a more manageable degree for development purposes. To the same extent that players were able to dye the majority of Link's clothing, Tears of the Kingdom could offer the choice to select decoration types for the house. This could range from choosing furniture wood, what color the carpets and curtains might be, or what paintings are on the walls. Keeping the furniture and decor static while letting the player input their preferences could be an easy compromise for Tears of the Kingdom.

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Link's house interior from Zelda: Breath of the Wild, showing The Champion's Ballad DLC reward of the photo from Kass.

In previous Zelda games, Link's house has had mixed relevance for the game's narrative, but there is enough to argue a case for its importance in Tears of the Kingdom. For example, in A Link to the Past it serves as the game's starting point and waypoint later on, while A Link Between Worlds' Ravio takes over Link's house to rent or sell him important gear.

Given the uncertainty around Tears of the Kingdom's approach to shrines and dungeons, new waypoints may need to take their place. Link's house could serve as one of these locations, replacing the nearby Myahm Agana Shrine. Additionally, it could serve as a meeting point for characters who want to contact Link, as realistically his home would be the only guaranteed location he would visit should they want his attention. This would lay the groundwork for new side quests, new stories with old characters, or introducing new characters altogether.

link-the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom

One way Tears of the Kingdom could push the envelope on making use of Link's house is if they capitalize on the new floating islands populating Hyrule's skies. As showcased across multiple trailers, Tears of the Kingdom's new sky islands are going to add a bold dimension to Breath of the Wild's gameplay that sees players scaling cliff faces among the clouds. Tears of the Kingdom could take Link's house and elevate it to one of the game's highest points.

By doing so, returning to Link's house would become a challenge for players needing to maximize their stamina and prepare food for the impossible climb. Much like Breath of the Wild's reward for restoring Link's home was to have access, Tears of the Kingdom could replicate this with the reward for reaching Link's home being access to one of the highest waypoints on the map. Alongside possible connections to Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess, Link's residence might become home to loftwings or oocca, adding some extra flavor to Tears of the Kingdom.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is set to release on May 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

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