The sixth generation of consoles, home to the PlayStation 2, is one of the most influential generations in gaming history, delivering countless beloved games that are still being used for inspiration today. From the golden age oflicensed games likeSpider-Man 2to housing pioneers of genres likeResident Evil 4, the PS2-era is still remembered fondly by many, and it seems as thoughThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomdevelopers may be included in that crowd.
As the release date slowly inches closer, Nintendo has continued to drip-feedZelda: Tears of the Kingdomtrailers. For the most part, these trailers have done a great job of teasing fans while not giving away too much. Link’s new abilities have been teased along with new vehicle options, the game’s overarching story has been heavily hinted at, andthe new sky kingdomhas been shown several times. But among all the reveals inTears of the Kingdom’s most recent trailer, fans have spotted a new enemy type that seems to take inspiration from a PlayStation 2-era classic.
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Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Seems to Have Some Shadow of the Colossus Inspirations
Since its announcement all the way back in 2019,The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomhas remained fairly quiet when it comes to enemy design. The most recent trailer forTears of the Kingdomfinally shed some more light on who Link will be facing off against in this sequel. While the game will feature a slew ofreturning enemies like Bokoblins and Lizalfos, a few new enemy types were also revealed during the recent trailer, one of which seems to share some similarities with the PlayStation 2 classic,Shadow of the Colossus.
During the trailer, at about the 1-minute mark, fans can spot Link facing off against a hulking enemy that towers above the hero. This enemy is seemingly made up of multiple metal blocks, joined together by a mysterious green energy beam, much like the one seen throughoutTears of the Kingdom’s trailers, emanating out of Link’s hand and powering the new makeshift vehicles. As this enemy slams down its fist, its entire arm ripples, showcasing some impressive physics. This enemy is reminiscent ofShadow of the Colossus' titular bossesnot only in its size, but also its probable method of defeat.
When this new metal makeshift enemy slams down its hand to try and crush Link, it leaves it resting on the ground for a few seconds. For fans ofShadow of the Colossus, and any game that’s taken inspiration from it, this movement will look all too familiar. It’s likely that players are expected to jump on the enemy’s arm while it’s resting on the ground. From there, players will likely need to carefully climb up the hulking foe’s arm and body, eventually reaching a weak spot that can be struck for major damage.The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s climbing mechanicsalready lend themselves perfectly to aShadow of the Colossus-inspired enemy or boss fight, and it seems as though the game will take full advantage of this.
Enemy variation is a key component of any video game, but that’s especially true of a sprawling open-world adventure title likeThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. WhileZelda: Breath of the Wilddid have quite a few different enemy types, they remained largely the same after a few hours with the game, and it’s one area that the sequel can definitely improve upon. Hopefully theseShadow of the Colossus-inspired enemies are just the first in a long list of exciting new enemy types inTears of the Kingdom.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomreleases May 12 for Nintendo Switch.
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