When Nintendo dropped the news about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the whole world kinda held its breath, expecting something fresh and mind-blowing. I mean, come on, standing in the shadow of Breath of the Wild isn’t exactly a laid-back gig. Usually, sequels can dance around that pressure by tossing us into a whole new world but nope, TotK announced it’d be revamping BotW’s good ol’ map. Risky move, right? Yet, they leveled up big time with wild sky islands and The Depths — basically an underground realm mirroring the surface but with its own chaotic twist.
Okay, diving into The Depths. It’s dark and tricky. Think eerie shadows and creepy vibes, with soap-opera-level drama because the lighting sucks, and those Malice pools? Total roadblocks. Despite its uninviting nature, it hits the nostalgic note of climbing and exploration Zelda fans love. Both BotW and TotK cherish this, making heights and depths their playground. And yeah, with Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom on the horizon, it’s clear—going vertical is not going away. So, The Depths might just spill some secrets for future games.
Going back a sec — Breath of the Wild embraced climbing like it was the latest TikTok challenge. It wasn’t exactly the first, though. Remember Skyward Sword? Its stamina gauge was infamous, but BotW took running up walls to a whole new level. TotK just tripled the ante, expanding our playground upwards and downwards. Link could practically get dizzy from all that soaring and burrowing.
While the sky islands catch the eye, The Depths might seed the most profound changes in future Zelda worlds. Forget its lore for a minute — the idea of never-ending cave systems might become a mainstay like a favorite plot twist. Why? Well:
1. Realistic? Maybe. Hyrule’s terrain balances travel ease and realism, but caves? Go wild, make that terrain as rugged as you please.
2. Light is a precious, rare commodity down there. The pitch-black environment adds a scary yet fascinating challenge.
3. Being underground feels oppressive and tight, creating unique dungeon atmospheres — think the Fire Temple but with added existential dread.
4. Transitioning from top to bottom and vice versa opens doors for creative puzzles and pathways, like getting to the Great Deku Tree in TotK.
Overall, The Depths have probably set some solid groundwork. If future games stick with open-world vibes and love vertical madness, why not keep exploring those mysterious underworlds? Echoes of Wisdom hints Zelda’s not done with these ideas. Mixing ancient elements with platforming DNA from TotK? Sounds about right.
Here’s a curveball though: The Depths might’ve hit it off in TotK, but there’s room for remixing. Parts of its story still feel like a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Maybe future games could make the underground tale a real plot driver, invite some friendly NPCs, or borrow architectural wonders from real life. Since TotK unveiled vast underground realms, maybe Zelda’s next chapter will pick up that baton and sprint with it.
