The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom just got a new three-minute trailer, ahead of its release on May 12, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch. Much of it is shrouded in mysterious story bits, as we follow protagonist Link across the calming sweeping vistas of Hyrule and its densely populated towns and encampments. There are a bunch of new enemies, returning characters, and a new design for Princess Zelda. This new trailer arrives after producer Eiji Aonuma confirmed last month that the sequel had finally gone gold after suffering multiple delays.
The trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom opens with an overview of the floating Sky Islands, where we see a Construct hacking away at trees, while another fights a random mob. Akin to Elden Ring, it seems like enemies in this game can turn on each other, depending on what faction they belong to, letting you join in midway or wait to claim the spoils of battle. The trailer soon darks a dark turn highlighting the growing threat of the Malice, as we’re treated to a close-up visual of Link’s arm, which seems to have been corrupted. Could this be linked to his new powers in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom? A 10-minute-long gameplay reveal from last month showcased all of Link’s new skills — ranging from the ability to rewind time on an inanimate object, being able to fuse random objects to create stronger weapons, and more.
We then get a quick shot of what’s presumably one of the main antagonists, followed by a brief interaction between Princess Zelda and the voice of a mysterious unseen character, who appears to be of Zonai origin. “Zelda, we rely on your knight and that legendary sword he carries. Our last line of defence will be Link,” he says, approaching closer and placing his arm on Zelda’s shoulders. It’s too early to speculate who this would be, but the key takeaway is Zelda sporting a new look. Her hair is shorter, and she’s dressed in archaic clothing, which presumably implies this segment is set in the past.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom trailer offers a cinematic look at the combat — breakable weapons, as previously seen in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, return once more, urging you to constantly mess around with the new Fuse ability. Thanks to Link’s new Ultrahand ability, one can also craft contraptions and vehicles to traverse the world, ranging from rafts, gliders, carts, or even a tiny rocket you can hold onto to reach the Sky Islands. It also seems like you can group up with other characters and head into battle, and there are even implications of tag team battles. Could just be cutscenes — at this point, it’s too soon to tell. The boar-like villain King Ganondorf is also back, imbuing his various footsoldiers with the dark power teased in previous trailers. He’s also buff now, compared to earlier appearances where he appeared severely dehydrated.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases May 12, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.