I'd be lying if I said that playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Nintendo Switch 2 wasn't the reason I pre-ordered one. I rather shamefully never finished it on the original Switch, partly due to how it performed. But I'm pleased to report that this version is good. Really good, to be honest, and it's made me wonder how I played it on the original Switch.
While Breath of the Wild also looks stunning, it came out eight years ago and was made with the original Switch (and Wii U) in mind. It did have some small issues, and obviously does run better on Switch 2, but we're here to talk TOTK. Were you expecting a joke about the Switch 2 breathing new life into the first game? Well, there you go.
It's sometimes harder to write content on something that's only positive, with no negatives to go off about - and that's the problem I'm facing here. What else do I say? It's just a stunning game that runs excellently, and I very much appreciate the upgrades the Nintendo Switch 2 can offer. If Tears of the Kingdom wasn't one of the best Zelda games already, it certainly is now.
Two years ago, we gave the game a full 10/10 in our TOTK review, though we do mention that the performance could be a bit better. Now, it is. The review also mentions the pop-in of textures and items as you get closer, which isn't completely fixed, but is a lot better. I only experienced it on Switch 2 when parasailing from the stratosphere down to the ground, seeing temples and caves pop in miles away on the truly gigantic surface area.
Other than that, I found no graphical issues. No stuttering, no frame drops - even in the Korok Forest or when being ransacked by 12 giant bokoblins. This goes for both handheld and docked modes, both of which perform beautifully.
The higher frame rate at 60FPS really does make a difference, as does the slightly higher resolution. A fun fact is that lasers in the game are tied to the refresh rate. So with a higher rate, it means more lasers and deadlier outcomes. This is great news for some of the truly genius death machines people create to take down gleeoks and other giant enemies in the game, utilizing laser cannons aplenty.
The same positive sentiments are echoed around on social media, in blogs, in official reviews, though interestingly, not on Metacritic. The site isn't the be-all and end-all of game scoring, but let's take a look. TOTK has listings for the Switch and Switch 2 versions, both of which have a 96 Metascore. However, the Switch 2 version has a lower user score of 7.2, compared to the original Switch version's 8.8.
Why is this, you wonder? Do people outside the journalistic world find issue with the game? No, most of the zero-scoring 'reviews' from users are yelling that the Switch 2 version doesn't deserve its own page, or that this isn't a new game, so they were disappointed. Some reviews also mention that nothing was added - like DLC or Master Mode - which do have a point. Though we sadly knew no additions were coming, thanks to the developer mentioning it nearly two years ago.
Except, that's not really true - now, we have the Zelda Notes section added to the Nintendo Switch App. While this mainly acts as a supplemental app, completion list, and stat database, you can also use other players' creations in your own game. This means that that horrendous laser machine above is all yours, along with hundreds, nay, thousands, of wild creations to help you fly across the skies and blast the big bad into smithereens.
The main point of TOTK is to grab a load of stuff and make something weird out of it, so the Notes app's sharing functions for items and autobuilds add a proverbial IKEA catalogue of options to use. Sure, spawning in someone's collection of 200 diamonds might be seen as cheating, but I won't tell if you don't. You can also let loose your very own Ganondorf, if you want.
I guess what I'm saying is that Tears of the Kingdom looks extra good and shiny on the Switch 2, and it's well worth the $10 upgrade. Or, the free upgrade, if you have a Nintendo Online subscription. Now, if you excuse me, I have some koroks to glue to structures other people upload to the app.
If you haven't decided on getting the new console yet, check out our full Nintendo Switch 2 review for a full rundown. We've also got a list of Nintendo Switch 2 accessories to keep your console safe, and a list of upcoming Switch games to tempt you, too.