Not content with having swept the critics’ side, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is making a historic start with the public.
For Nintendo, the month of May is definitely a success. One of the most anticipated games of the last five years was released a few days ago on Nintendo Switch, and it is obviously The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. If this name means something to you, it’s because it is indeed the sequel to Breath of the Wild, the open-world RPG that launched Nintendo’s famous hybrid console six years ago. .
122 million consoles sold later, Link is back in an opus that lives up to its elder. The specialized press is won over by this major release, giving it one of the best overall ratings ever seen in the last five years. But beyond the press, it is now up to the public to have access to this already legendary release, and the first figures published by Nintendo are enough to make you dizzy.
To begin, let us specify that all the following information comes from Oscar Lemaire, an independent journalist extremely familiar with the figures of the French video game industry. According to him, more than 500,000 copies of the game (in physical version) were sold during the first week of sales of Tears of the Kingdom in France. An astronomical figure according to the journalist since it is a much higher launch than the title traditionally preferred by the French: FIFA. Indeed, in its first week, the football simulation had sold around 420,000 physical copies of its 2023 edition, making it the de facto best-selling game in France in 2022 despite a late release in September.
For Tears of the Kindgom, the figures are much higher, since half a million households have already fallen for this adventure that is as qualitative and fun as it is poetic. And that’s of course without taking into account the game’s digital sales, which are extremely difficult to quantify, but which should allow Nintendo’s young game to quickly break records in France, where there are also fears of breaks in stock. If you also want to get this little Japanese nugget, go to our article which will find you the best offers of the moment.
If we were afraid that Tears of the Kingdom would not exceed the status of a carbon copy of its elder, in particular because of the technical limitations imposed by the now venerable Nintendo Switch, Nintendo was able to prove to us the impertinence of our uncertainties. Tears of the Kingdom peaks at 96/100 average rating on Metacritic, a more than impressive score that puts it on a par with the legendary Elden Ring released a little over a year ago. By reaching this note, Tears of the Kingdom is placed almost at the height of its excellent elder, proving once again that the developers at Nintendo have not lost their hand.
For JVCit is the consecration with 19/20: “By following in the footsteps of its predecessor, it is no longer a “revolution” of course, but it completes the player’s experience in an epic dimension that has no equal. The feeling of freedom, the feeling of living your own adventure without constraint, these are the great strengths of a game with an absolutely exceptional lifespan.“
“A game of incredible generosity that once again buries all the competition.” (Gameblog)
Always on the French side, gameblog gives it the status of masterpiece with 10/10: “The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom is indeed the masterclass we were waiting for. A game of incredible generosity that once again bury all the competition. Often epic, constantly fascinating, Tears of the Kingdom, however, risks dividing on a few points. The most intransigent players will be able to reproach him for not doing enough to stand out from the previous game. But what good is it when you have already reached heights and are literally flying above the world?“
Across the Atlantic, the critics are just as rave reviews, especially from the side of the respected newspaper Destructoidwhich gives it 10/10, praising the new options offered to players: “The real advantage that separates Tears of the Kingdom from Breath of the Wild is its array of powers. I felt like I was in control every moment, and had the ability to create my own path. For a saga known for its sequence breaking (acquiring objects or powers in a different order from that intended by the developers, editor’s note), this is a strong argument that will allow Tears of the Kingdom to be at the heart of discussions for new many years.“
Not convinced yet? Here are the gameplay images of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, which picks up where Breath of the Wild left off, with a land still under threat from the terrible Ganon. Our adventurer Link will once again have to face the threats that darken the land of Princess Zelda, in a plot that has remained quite mysterious for a long time, distilled to the drop by the Nintendo teams. In any case, Tears of the Kingdom is a hell of a competitor to Hogwarts Legacy in terms of sales and overall success in 2023.
Fans can rejoice because the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is already available and this since the May 12, 2023! Spring has indeed arrived and the game is already a great success as it has been awaited by fans since its announcement more than 3 years ago. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available direct and exclusively on Nintendo Switch, of course, and it’s the promise of a huge flag-bearer for the Nintendo console that’s been slightly lacking in appealing exclusives for the past few months.