Nintendo's latest Direct may not have been perfect, but thanks to some gigantic announcements, it's going to be remembered very fondly for years to come - and the traversal mechanics in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are one reason why. Along with some new trailers for Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope and Bayonetta 3, as well as the reveal of Pikmin 4, Fire Emblem Engage, and Octopath Traveler 2, Nintendo ended its presentation with a bang, giving fans another brief tease of the next Zelda game.
Along with the title announcement, the long-awaited Breath of the Wild successor finally received an official release date, that being May 12, 2023. But in between those big reveals came a few precious glimpses of gameplay, and while the trailer altogether may only be a minute and a half, it's enough to send the Zelda fandom into an ecstatic spiral. As opposed to the first trailer which showed off a variety of gameplay sequences, this Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailer focused on one key element: the game's traversal mechanics, which seem to be an integral aspect of this pseudo-sequel.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's New Traversal Mechanics
2017's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild had a revolutionary traversal system. Where most open-world games restrict the player to the roads and paths already mapped out for them, Breath of the Wild was the first game to truly let players go anywhere. Players could climb anything, from towers to castles to sheer mountain faces. As long as they had enough stamina to make the climb, or enough creativity to launch themselves up there, they were allowed to do it. Breath of the Wild set the standard for open-world traversal, a standard which even now some games can't live up to.
Flash forward five years and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has just received another gameplay trailer. Acting as somewhat of a sequel to Breath of the Wild, likely following the same continuity and using the same engine, Tears of the Kingdom already has a phenomenal groundwork for its traversal mechanics. However, that doesn't mean that Nintendo isn't continuing to innovate. In just this trailer alone, some extremely unique traversal mechanics are showcased.
After a handful of cave paintings are shown, the camera cuts to Link as he cinematically launches himself off a floating cliff, held high above the clouds. Link soon enters a freefall, and the ground below him creeps into view. This is the first new traversal mechanic in this trailer, seemingly confirming that the player will be able to dive from the sky and make it all the way to the ground below in one seamless transition.
The trailer then shows Link using a levitating rock to ascend back into the sky. As the rock is glowing yellow, it can be inferred that the player will likely be able to use one of their new Sheikah Slate abilities to lock the platform in an upwards trajectory. Some classic Breath of the Wild climbing is then shown, with Link climbing up one of Tears of the Kingdom's new floating structures. This Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailer then ends with Link once again freefalling in mid-air, but this time he lands on the back of a flying stone bird, hinting at yet another form of traversal in the game.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches May 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.