Thanks to the latestThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomtrailer, fans got to see a whole range of new gameplay, enemies, and more, including an all-new homing arrow type that could radically switch up the game’s combat. Though it had been anticipated thatTears of the Kingdomwould introduce new mechanics and gear for Link following on from its predecessor, it had been unclear up until now how much would be revamped for the sequel. In line with this, players hoped thatTears of the Kingdomwould improveBreath of the Wild’scombat, and the new arrow type could be a positive sign this will happen.
Prior toThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, player’s quivers inBreath of the Wildhad consisted of standard arrows, three elemental arrows, bomb arrows and ancient arrows. While each had their own unique uses, their use in active combat could be limited whether it was doing little damage to feeling meaningful to the player struggling to aim for weak spots such as an enemies' head, eye, or otherwise. These latest homing arrows that perform uncannily likeZelda’sown in-game aim-bot could help not only fix these downsides, but also reflect bigger changes forTears of the Kingdom.
RELATED:Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Glider Hopefully Opens the Door to Aerial Battles
Tears of the Kingdom’s New Arrows Are Perfect For All-Terrain Combat
Early leaks and rumors surroundingTears of the Kingdomhad alluded to new mechanics for aerial combat, leading many to speculate how this might factor into gameplay and expand onBreath of the Wild’scombat. As more was revealed through trailers, it became clear thatbows would take a bigger rolefor the sequel, something which has now been proven true thanks to the new flying enemies showcased in the latestTears of the Kingdomtrailer. But if bows and arrows are to become a more vital weapon in the player’s arsenal changes would be needed to make them more versatile and accessible.
The homing arrow is therefore a good introduction to what could be a revamped bow and arrow combat system. For instance, despite its usefulness in targeting enemy weak spots, bullet time during in-air aiming was not only slow but consumed chunks of Link’s stamina, making it a high cost with limited reward. However, a homing arrow not only negates the need for perfect aim but judging by the trailer it appears to do a significant amount of damage, with enough to one-shot weaker enemies. As a result,Tears of the Kingdom’scombatcould see Link using the homing arrow to effectively take down evasive enemies with ease.
New Arrows Need to Balance Tears of the Kingdom’s Combat
Though they are a promising sign thatTears of the Kingdomwill give players greater freedom to get creative and tactical during fights, the fact that the new homing arrows can seemingly be fired anywhere near an enemy and immediately kill it could be concerning. ForBreath of the Wild, while each weapon type had its unique uses they also had their own drawbacks. Manyweapons had varying degrees of controversial durability, metal gear would never burn but turned Link into a lightning rod, and for arrows in particular, the ancient arrows dealt heavy damage to Guardians but were difficult and expensive to obtain.
It’s likely, then, that the new homing arrows will have their own disadvantages, especially given how useful they could be during combat. Possible drawbacks might be that they will only seek out aerial enemies as seen in the trailer, or that enemies would need to be within a certain proximity to trigger the arrow’s homing ability. Something worth noting, however, isthe green “magic” effectsimilar when a player aims an ancient arrow, suggesting that these arrows and other new abilities are connected to Link’s augmented arm. Akin toBreath of the Wild’sstamina,Tears of the Kingdomcould be introducing consumable magic to its combat.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis set to release onMay 12, 2023, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
MORE:The Case For The Guardians To Return in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
