Even though Elden Ring won Game of the Year, five Nintendo Switch exclusives managed to take home an award.

Kirby & The Forgotten Land won Best Family Game and was nominated against Lego Star Wars: Skywalker Saga, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Nintendo Switch Sports, and Splatoon 3. This marks the first time Kirby has received a Game Award.

Bayonetta 3 won Best Action Game and was nominated against Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Neon White, Sifu, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.

Splatoon 3 won Best Multiplayer Game and was nominated against Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, MultiVersus, Overwatch 2, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. This is not the first time a Splatoon game won at The Game Awards since the first Splatoon had won the awards for both Best Multiplayer AND Best Shooter back in 2015.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope won Best Sim/Strategy and was nominated against Dune: Spice Wars, Total War: WARHAMMER III, Two Point Campus, and Victoria 3.

Finally, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom won Most Anticipated Game and was nominated against Final Fantasy XVI, Hogwarts Legacy, Resident Evil 4, and Starfield.

Another Switch exclusive, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was nominated for Game of the Year, Best Score/Music, and Best Role Playing Game; however, it went home empty. It lost to Elden Ring for the GOTY and RPG categories and God of War: Ragnarok for the Best Score/Music category. Regardless, Nintendo Switch had a lot more wins this year when compared to last year’s awards.

The full list of winners can be found here.

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Over a year since its launch, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a rare example of a sequel that managed to invent the wheel for a second time. Where Breath of the Wild reintroduced the world to the sense of adventure that literally birthed The Legend of Zelda as we know it, Tears of the Kingdom builds upon the foundation that was laid by its predecessor and actively encourages players to go beyond the boundaries that were set in the previous title. The result is a revolutionary game that takes a familiar and well-trodden world and elevates it to - literally - new heights while similarly evoking a sense of nostalgia as players explore a world that has naturally changed with time.

My first playthrough of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was truly made when I stumbled upon one of the final areas of the game by complete accident. My own story of exploring the reimagined world of Hyrule will be very different from anybody else's and these are the stories we share. These memorable moments of discovery and excitement stick with players for years after they put the game down, even more than the so-called "Legend" itself.

Link’s new abilities in Tears of the Kingdom expand the scope of puzzle-solving, with a renewed focus on physics and building. This approach to puzzle-solving is completely unique to this title and flourishes at every opportunity it gets. One particular example manages to capture this extraordinary feat in what at first appears to be something completely mundane - an unfolding bridge. Polygon has already deconstructed this (and more) impressive feats hiding in the Shrines and Dungeons of Tears of the Kingdom - and so I link to their impressive analysis here. 

I wish to focus on the game's physics because I want people to know that I do find Tears of the Kingdom to be an exceptional experience when I play it. No other open-world game has captured my interest in the same way, with almost boundless potential to experiment and create solutions to the game's various open-ended problems. And it’s precisely because of this innovation that I find Tears of the Kingdom is also one of the most confusing games I’ve ever played. 

Where the gameplay (literally) soars to new heights, the story of Tears of the Kingdom is one that paradoxically represents the polar opposite, holding itself tightly to the legacy of The Legend of Zelda, at the cost of its own identity. 

Leading up to the game's release, we were promised a Zelda experience unlike we'd ever had. A uniquely dark atmosphere was present all throughout the game’s marketing, with imaginations running wild about the depths to which Nintendo would go in this new entry. The image of Link losing his arm was particularly striking to veteran Zelda fans and Nintendo fans in general - not many of their characters are shown to effectively lose limbs on screen.  The closest is Samus Aran and her experience with the X-Virus in 2004’s Metroid Fusion, and even this was portrayed mostly through text. Tears of the Kingdom was a new frontier for Nintendo as storytellers. 

While Tears of the Kingdom manages to commit to this promise in its opening set piece - with the creative excuse of reducing Link’s health down to the classic three hearts - this promise of new ideas is quickly disposed of in light of a familiar structure and general progression that seemingly betrays the ambition that exists in the gameplay. On a surface level, Tears of the Kingdom is about metamorphosis and change. Characters we’re familiar with are distorted and changed to challenge our perception of this familiar world, exploring how these changes offer new opportunities.  This extends from the large scale all the way down to the minute details. The geography of Hyrule has changed in the six years between Breath of the Wild and this game, with the addition of the Sky Islands and the Depths being the most prominent changes to the layout of the world as we know it.

While Tears of the Kingdom manages to commit to this promise in its opening set piece - with the creative excuse of reducing Link’s health down to the classic three hearts - this promise of new ideas is quickly disposed of in light of a familiar structure and general progression that seemingly betrays the ambition that exists in the gameplay.

The addition of layered subterranean cave systems similarly adds to this sense of evolution and natural change with time. The previously desolate Tarrey Town has burgeoned into an industrial hub for Hyrule’s rapidly developing construction industry, as a direct result of Link’s efforts in the previous game. This sense of consistency and tangibility between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom is a part of the appeal of a direct sequel like this. Players are rewarded for having engaged with the previous game with their discoveries in the sequel. Even being able to call upon the same horse as you had in Breath of the Wild is a satisfying moment of continuity that reminds you that you are returning to this world as an experienced adventurer rather than beginning all over again. Despite being lowered back down to 3 hearts, you still have some tricks you can rely on, and knowledge that you’ve gained. 

These subtle but meaningful moments of continuity are then confusingly undercut in this game’s complete refusal to engage with the main narrative of the previous game. While I wouldn’t expect every shrine from the previous game to be present in this one, I was expecting an explanation as to where all these old things have gone to make room for the new. This extends more significantly to the disappearance of the Divine Beasts from Breath of the Wild. The four Divine Beasts stood as the primary objectives in the previous game and also doubled as that game’s iteration of classic Zelda dungeons. They also stood as landmarks against the natural landscapes of Hyrule, with a distinct sense of purpose and style in the areas they existed in. They’re borderline inseparable from the places where they reside, and yet they’ve seemingly vanished without any explanation. Where Divine Beast Vah Medoh used to stand above Rito Village as a guardian protector, the robotic bird is conspicuously missing and leaves a massive void in its wake.

The ancient Guardians of infamy from Breath of the Wild have all but completely vanished in Tears of the Kingdom - with a single one being stapled to the top of an ancient laboratory, without any form of explanation. While it was clearly a focus not to alienate players who hadn’t played the original, there is something missing in not acknowledging the journey that most players will have been on in the previous outing. Tears of the Kingdom attempts to have it both ways and therefore succeeds on neither scale when respecting new and old players. This inconsistent approach to storytelling leads to an awkward outcome where no group of players can be fully satisfied with the way that things have been continued in this highly anticipated sequel. 

Beyond the links to the original game, Tears of the Kingdom also betrays its innovative and transformative gameplay in terms of its own story above all else. Despite Link losing an arm and gaining Rauru's assistance, Mineru becoming a robot-possessing spirit and Zelda literally becoming an ancient Dragon, all of these elements are rendered moot by the end of the game. Link regains his own arm, Mineru disappears and Zelda is back to being a human again. These are pivotal moments throughout the story and are massively impactful when they happen - but I can't help thinking there should be some permanence behind these moments of sacrifice. In the case of Zelda, her decision to become the Light Dragon is one that epitomises a noble sacrifice that allows Link to take the final step to restore some semblance of order and safety to the world.

On paper, Zelda herself is left as a dragon for centuries; this moment is more than impactful on its own. So for her to be restored without much challenge by the game's end really feels like a "safe" option. Despite the time-spanning and long-reaching sacrifices that have been made to get to the end of Tears of the Kingdom, the game ends as every other - Ganondorf is defeated and peace is restored to Hyrule, with Link and Zelda standing on the other side.

Link travels to the four regions - again. Link fixes their problems - again. And then reclaims the Master Sword - again. For players jumping from Breath of the Wild, there is a recognisable formula at play that punctuates the experience with an odd sense of repetition, for a game built on avoiding linearity. Some interesting ideas and setpieces are held within a recognisable sequence that feels like it misses a beat or two through a dedication to choosing your own objectives. Open-world game design and linear stories can mix and often do so with compelling results.

This commitment to safety is prevalent to the extent that it feels like the game is actively acknowledging that the transformations that these characters undergo are harmful and the better outcome is to return to the status quo. Return to what we know instead of embracing new and exciting new opportunities - which is oddly self-fulfilling.

These subtle but meaningful moments of continuity are then confusingly undercut in this game’s complete refusal to engage with the main narrative of the previous game.

Herein lies the paradox at the heart of Tears of the Kingdom, and the greater trilogy that includes Breath of the Wild and Age of Calamity. Despite pushing the greater Zelda series to new heights in terms of gameplay styles and ideas, the stories are so afraid of embracing those changes to create something truly new. The transformative nature of these games and their narratives contradict themselves to create an overarching series that feels muddled and lost in its own ideas while trying to please everybody in the process. The champions die in Breath of the Wild, only for the plot of Age of Calamity to be a time travel story about helping them to survive. There's no weight.

The so-called "Legend of Zelda" has proven to be a restrictive narrative framework where each story is almost obligated to end in the same way. And while I'm not daring to say that there should be a game where Link and Zelda canonically fail in their mission - it feels like this framework is really holding Nintendo back from exploring some exciting new potential for the series and the stories that it tells.

For how wonderfully innovative the mechanics of Ultrahand, Fuse, and Recall are, they deserve a far more exciting story to be used in than something as muddled as this. When all is said and done, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a game that is far more fun to play than it is to experience, thanks to the clunkiness of the story, and that's the biggest shame of all. I can only hope that by moving beyond this iteration of Hyrule, we're able to enter a new era for the series and really see some exciting ideas emerge.

The live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda is being developed in "as closest possible collaboration" with the "true genius" of Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto.

In an interview with Deadline, as spotted by The Gamer, Sony Motion Pictures Group chair Tom Rothman stressed the importance of "big IP movies" for the company, asserting that "The Legend of Zelda is going to be huge for us".

"He’s a true genius in that world, and it’s really his strong vision that is motivating it," Rothman said of Miyamoto. "He created it and understands it thoroughly. You only [have] to look at the results of Super Mario Brothers to see.

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Nintendo expects Switch to sell another 13.5m units during the coming financial year - enough that it will overtake Nintendo DS to become the company's best-selling platform. In total, Switch is now on 141.32m units sold.

In financial results published today - alongside which Nintendo mentioned Switch 2 for the first time - Nintendo forecast enough Switch 1 sales to take the aging console to 154.82m sold.

As a reminder, Nintendo DS finished its sales run on 154.02m. PlayStation 2, the best-selling video game platform of all time, sold 160m.

Read more

Nintendo expects Switch to sell another 13.5m units during the coming financial year - enough that it will overtake Nintendo DS to become the company's best-selling platform. In total, Switch is now on 141.32m units sold.

In financial results published today - alongside which Nintendo mentioned Switch 2 for the first time - Nintendo forecast enough Switch 1 sales to take the aging console to 154.82m sold.

As a reminder, Nintendo DS finished its sales run on 154.02m. PlayStation 2, the best-selling video game platform of all time, sold 160m.

Read more

Nintendo expects Switch to sell another 13.5m units during the coming financial year - enough that it will overtake Nintendo DS to become the company's best-selling platform. In total, Switch is now on 141.32m units sold.

In financial results published today - alongside which Nintendo mentioned Switch 2 for the first time - Nintendo forecast enough Switch 1 sales to take the aging console to 154.82m sold.

As a reminder, Nintendo DS finished its sales run on 154.02m. PlayStation 2, the best-selling video game platform of all time, sold 160m.

Read more

Link can collect quite a few outfits in Tears of the Kingdom, and some offer desirable perks. The Yiga Clan armor is not to be missed for players who prefer a sneaky approach. The complete set is broken up into three parts, and they can all be obtained relatively easily. Here's how to get all of the Yiga Clan armor pieces in TotK.

How to get the Yiga Armor in TotK

It's best to start with the Yiga Armor, as it's the easiest one to acquire. This is the torso part of the outfit. The Yiga Armor is located in the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab, which is up the road from the East Akkala Stable. The Jochi-iu Shrine is a convenient point to begin the journey from.

At the tech lab, Link will encounter a pair of Yiga enemies. They are pretty fast, and they can teleport away before reappearing at close range. They can be slowed down with a Topaz-infused magic rod, or an arrow fused to Yellow Chuchu Jelly.

How to find the Yiga Mask in TotK

The next piece to acquire is the mask. The Yiga Mask is found to the east of Mount Hylia, in the Yiga Clan stronghold. The fort is surrounded by spikes, so it's best to glide in by jumping off the ledge of Mount Hylia. Alternatively, glide in from Gerudo Canyon Skyview Tower. There will be two Yiga clan members guarding the fort, but once they are defeated, the Yiga Mask is up for grabs.

How to find the Yiga Tights in TotK

The tights are the last part of the Yiga Clan armor. The Yiga Tights can be found in another Yiga Clain stronghold located in a cave. The exact coordinates are in the image above. Once again, there will be a pair of Yiga Clain members keeping watch. After defeating them, have Link use Ascend to access the next floor of the cave where the pants are located.

Once the Yiga Clan set is complete, Link can enter the Yiga Clan hideout.

What does the Yiga Armor do in TotK?

While the Yiga Armor doesn't provide much protection in the form of defense, it does greatly improve your stealth capabilities. The increased stealth it grants can be used to sneak up on enemies more efficiently and to get close to horses without spooking them. For combat, it requires a much more careful approach, but can be extremely effective in the right hands.

Above all, The Yiga Armor allows you to blend in with Yiga Clan members. With this ability, you can enter areas normally reserved for members of the clan. Just note that Master Kohga will easily notice you don't belong, but everyone else will be none the wiser.

Finally, if the bright red tights aren't quite to your liking, you can change the color of the outfit by visiting Kochi Dye Shop in Hateno Village. This won't affect the clan's attitude towards you.

The post How to get the Yiga Clan armor set in Tears of the Kingdom (TotK) appeared first on Destructoid.

Larian's Baldur's Gate 3 leads the 2024 BAFTA Games Awards with 10 nominations, including Best Game, as it celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

BAFTA today released the shortlist of nominees for this year's awards, with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 receiving nine nominations, Alan Wake 2 receiving eight nominations, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor both receiving six.

The coveted Best Game will be awarded to either Alan Wake 2, Baldur's Gate 3, Dave the Diver, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, or Super Mario Bros. Wonder.

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Tropical Haze, the developer of open-source Switch emulator Yuzu, has agreed to pay $2.4m in damages to Nintendo and cease all operations in response to the Mario maker's recent lawsuit.

News of Nintendo's legal action against Yuzu surfaced last week, with the company claiming the emulator facilitated piracy "at a colossal scale". By way of example, it said over 1m copies of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom had been illegally downloaded ahead of its official launch - and that "many" pirate websites specified the game file was playable on Yuzu.

"Defendant [Tropic Haze] is thus secondarily liable for the infringement committed by the users to whom it distributes Yuzu", Nintendo's lawyers argued, with the lawsuit ultimately seeking damages and demanding the emulator be shut down.

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Tropic Haze – the company behind the emulation software Yuzu – has responded to Nintendo's summons that accuses the company of "illegally circumventing Nintendo's software encryption".

Earlier this week, Ed reported Nintendo was suing the creators of Switch emulator Yuzu, claiming more than one million copies of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were pirated ahead of its release.

In the lawsuit, Nintendo claimed that by allowing Yuzu emulator users to play its games illegally by circumventing its software encryption, Tropic Haze facilitates piracy "at a colossal scale".

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Nintendo is suing the creators of Switch emulator Yuzu, and claims more than 1m copies of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom were pirated ahead of its release.

The lawsuit is against Tropic Haze, the creator of the Yuzu game emulator, which Nintendo said allows users to play its games illegally by circumventing its software encryption.

As such, Nintendo claimed Yuzu facilitates piracy "at a colossal scale", with pirated versions of Tears of the Kingdom used as an example.

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The 27th D.I.C.E. Awards have arrived and celebrated the best of the best in the world of video games from 2023. While there were a ton of winners, Baldur's Gate 3 walked home with Game of the Year alongside Best Role-Playing Game and Outstanding Achievement awards in Story, Game Direction, …