There’s a lot to see and do inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Even though the game reuses the same Hyrule from its predecessorBreath of the Wild, significant portions of its geography have been remixed or expanded, and the entire map has been populated with new content. Even basic monster groups and camps have been carefully altered, with things like armored enemies and Boss Bokoblins diversifying early encounters.The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis still keeping fans entertained, and new experiences should fill the rest of their time with it.
In fact,Tears of the Kingdomis so full of adventures that a whole new quest category was invented for them. Side Adventures are similar to Side Quests, but tend to appear as quest chains that span large portions of the map. These can take players all overTears of the Kingdom, from the sky islandsto the Depths. Despite this level of involvement, they are still ultimately larger Side Quests, so their incentives can vary from new mechanics to some extra resources. One of the least rewarding of these stands out, especially since it could have been so much more with a little extra pay-off.
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The Monster-Control Crews Make Basic Fights More Interesting
After having obtained the Paraglider at Lookout Landing, players may stumble across a caravan of armed Hylians. Talking to them reveals their intent to destroy a large monster den in the region, and they invite Link to come along. So begins the “Bring Peace” line of Side Adventures, a set of six scuffles involving the Monster-Control Crews. Players will need tofind Hoz for the Hyrule Fieldand Necluda quests, Flaxel to liberate Faron and Hebra, and Toren for cleaning up Eldin and Akkala. Helping each squad with their first battle opens up their second, after which they’ll return to the Landing for a time.
For such straightforward quests, the rewards are impressive in the early and mid-game. Every time Link helps a Monster-Control Crew, he will receive a silver rupee. After clearing all six Side Adventures, Link will also be given aMonster-Control Crew Fabric for his Paraglider. That alone would be somewhat underwhelming, but these Side Adventures refresh with every Blood Moon. Gaining 600 rupees nearly for free every few hours is significant, and could solve many players' money troubles inTears of the Kingdom. However, some still can’t help but feel disappointed with this quest line.
Tears of the Kingdom’s Finale Could Have Acknowledged This Side Adventure’s Completion
Back whenZeldafans knew little aboutTears of the Kingdom’s contents, every new trailer was a big deal. This became even more true when trailers began hinting at gameplay details, including weapon merging, vehicles, and NPCs participating in fights. One particular shot showed Link standing alongside armed members from most of Hyrule’s tribes, which can now be identified as a Monster-Control Crew. At the time, fans theorized that there would be opportunities to recruit, equip, and direct regular NPCs, which theGerudo Town quest line and “Bring Peace” questsproved to be pared-down versions of.
Despite that, it still felt like Link was doing all the work. To emphasize the impact of Hyrule’s efforts against Ganondorf, completing the Monster-Control Crew’s Side Adventures could have caused several hot air balloons containing familiar fighters to appear outside the final dungeon. These allies would fight the initial waves of Ganondorf’s Armyalongside Link and the Sages, making the battle feel like a true war for Hyrule’s fate. Some events may need to be reordered to justify their presence, but it would have made for a satisfying payoff that rewards players for inspiring Hyrule’s citizens.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available now exclusively on Nintendo Switch.
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