After years of anticipation,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomhas finally launched on the Nintendo Switch and is already hailed as a critical darling and blockbuster success. Building upon nearly every aspect ofBreath of the Wild’s design,Tears of the Kingdomis being praised as a bigger, better version of its predecessor. With so much buzz already surrounding the game andnear-perfect reviews forZelda: Tears of the Kingdomacross the board, it’s easy to understand why it is already at the forefront of conversation for what will ultimately win Game of the Year.
Of course,Tears of the Kingdomisn’t the only major video game release this year, and it is only May, with several months ahead for more great content to become available. Once the hype forZelda: Tears of the Kingdomdies down, the likes ofStarfieldandMarvel’s Spider-Man 2are just around the corner, and likely to give it a run for its money when the year-end ‘Best of’ lists start to be compiled. Based on what’s coming up further down the line, as well as re-examiningBreath of the Wild’s performance during the Game of the Year awards, some early predictions can begin to be made.
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The Impact of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Back in 2017,Breath of the Wildremained at the forefront of many gamers' minds for the entire year. Not only did it kick off the Nintendo Switch’s lifecycle with a bang, but it also reinvigoratedThe Legend of Zeldaserieswith new energy after some franchise fatigue had begun to set in. Its sprawling open world and near limitless amount of discoveries to be made resulted in a thrilling, memorable adventure that immediately set it apart from the rest of that year’s offerings.
This is not to downplay the other excellent games that released in 2017, as there were several. Sony’sHorizon: Zero Dawnalso put its own interesting spin on the open-world genre andNintendo’sSuper Mario Odysseywas a smash hit in its own right. However, the proof was in the pudding at The Game Awards 2017 when the accolades were being handed out. Nominated in nearly every conceivable category that the game could fit into,Breath of the Wildtook home Best Action Adventure Game, Best Game Direction, and Game of the Year. This isn’t even mentioning its winning top honors from numerous gaming publications and websites such as IGN and GameSpot.
What Tears of the Kingdom Can Win at The Game Awards
Looking ahead and trying to examine things under the same lens,Tears of the Kingdomis already eligible to at least be nominated in many of the same categories thatBreath of the Wildwas before it. It can already be almost guaranteed that the game is a lock for certain categories, asThe Legend of Zeldafranchise typically excelled in these areas even before this new open-world formula graced Link and company. For awards such as Best Score/Music andBest Art Direction for games, it would be a safe bet to seeTears of the Kingdomshow up in these categories, and potentially even win.
While music isn’t as orchestral and present as in classic Zelda games, it is still used in a subtle and clever way to help guide players with audio cues and help set the different tones in unique locations. Furthermore, while not as much of a technical powerhouse as things likeHorizon: Forbidden Weston PS5,Tears of the Kingdomstill boasts a stunning art style all its own. The visuals look can occasionally look like an oil painting come to life, injecting Hyrule with color and personality. The award forBest Action Adventure Gamecould also be a lock, as the Zelda franchise has become synonymous with the genre since it was created back in 1986.
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2023’s Competition - Starfield
Naturally, an awards season is nothing without competition, and by the time the year is up,Tears of the Kingdommay be facing some tough contenders for top honors. The covetedGame of the Year awardis a representation of a game firing on all cylinders, with nearly every component of its design being given the same level of polish and care to ensure the highest level of quality possible. Nintendo may have poured a bunch of resources intoTears of the Kingdomto make it the best that it can be, but other studios have been just as busy the last few years.
For example, Bethesda’sStarfieldhas been in development for even longer thanTears of the Kingdom, with the team toying with the idea in the conceptual phase as early as the late 90s. Gameplay previews for the game have been impressive, boasting all the top-tier RPG mechanics fans of Bethesda have come to expect, as well as a gargantuan open universe to explore that would makeNo Man’s Skyblush. Based on the studio’s past works,Starfieldseems like it will beSkyrimin space, on an even larger scale.Tears of the Kingdommay be an open world, butStarfieldaims to be an open universe, and that level of ambition is not to be written off.
2023’s Competition - Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
In the other corner isMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, the follow-up to 2018’s blockbuster hit PS4 exclusive. Insomniac has blossomed from an already respected developer to one of the premier PlayStation first-party studios in the last few years, largely due to its efforts with Marvel’s web-swinging superhero. The original game is considered one of the best comic book games to date, rivaled only byRocksteady’sBatman: Arkhamseries. While little has been shown off, hype is at an all-time high, and with the power of the PS5 behind it this time,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2may be a thrill ride not soon forgotten by gamers.
It almost seems fitting that each major platform (Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox) will each likely have a game representing them during the year-end awards season. It could be anyone’s game when it comes time to duke it out, as each title exhibits qualities all worthy of Game of the Year. As it stands right now,Tears of the Kingdom’s glowing review scores already sets the bar extremely high.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available now on Nintendo Switch.
