The phrase “time heals all wounds” is one that is very appropriate for certain things for various reasons. We’ve all seen bad “first impressions” only to be changed as we get the full picture. Or think that someone won’t do well in a role only to be totally engrossed by them once we see their full performance. In regard to The Legend of Zelda Tears of The Kingdom, it’s almost ludicrous to think that fans and critics ever had doubts about the Nintendo title. And yet, we did, and it wasn’t that long ago that those doubts emerged.
Last December was when the game finally got its title of “Tears of The Kingdom,” and then in February, during Nintendo’s first Direct of the year, they dropped a second trailer that you can see below. However, as we noted on the Nintendo Entertainment Podcast, and many others noted online, while the trailer was “fine,” it didn’t really reveal much. Many noted that it felt a bit “safe,” and fails to compare to the story trailer that we eventually got.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Producer Eiji Aonuma admitted that Nintendo heard those criticisms over the February trailer:
“Another hiccup came when the second trailer dropped in February, and the team noticed a lack of enthusiasm. “People had not gotten their heads around the gameplay elements or where the fun might be,” Aonuma said.
It was because of that feeling that Nintendo decided to do a 13-minute mini-Direct featuring Aonuma explaining all the new abilities Link would get in the game. That presentation, alongside the story trailer, skyrocketed interest in the title and as the game itself proved, it was worth the wait. Stay tuned for our review of the game later this week!