Like a lot of people I’ve spent the weekend poking through the early moments of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It’s a dauntingly huge and complex game, filled with riches, so I’ve been taking it slowly, working my way between sky towers to unlock the map and stopping at any shrines I can find.
Something’s really surprised me, though. It’s something I noticed early on, and then have noticed again and again in the ten or so hours that have followed its introduction. It’s this: Ascend is absolutely my favourite of Link’s new skills.
This is unexpected. Ultrahand is clearly the star in this game, allowing Link to cludge together all sorts of vehicles and machines whenever the situation calls for it. It’s a little fiddly, but it also benefits from Tears’ general attitude to building, which could be summed up as “good enough”. If a build is just good enough to get the job done, that’s a win. It’s quite forgiving, and additional elements, like fans and – just found these – genuine rocket motors, only makes Ultrahand more fun to play with.
And yet when I enter a shrine and learn that it’s a building challenge, why does my heart sink a little? I think it’s because personally I know my good enough will not be good enough. I have shaky hands and a very basic brain – I see the parts of a machine scattered around and rather than feeling enthusiasm, I feel anxiety and a sort of weariness. I get through in the end, and I often discover that I’ve really enjoyed myself, but it’s just not what I came to Zelda for.