In a surprising turn of events, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, despite receiving incredible reviews and being Nintendo’s flagship release in 2023, only managed to secure a single award at The Game Awards. The highly acclaimed game, which boasts a Metacritic score of 96, tied for the highest-reviewed game of the year alongside Baldur’s Gate 3, faced tough competition from other notable titles such as Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2.
Tears of the Kingdom was nominated in several prestigious categories at The Game Awards 2023, including Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, and Best Action/Adventure Game. Despite these nominations, the game only secured the award for Best Action/Adventure Game. The article speculates that the tough competition from innovative and massively popular games in 2023 might have impacted Tears of the Kingdom’s chances of winning multiple awards.
The article suggests that the game’s similarity to its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, could have contributed to its limited success at the awards. While Tears of the Kingdom introduced revolutionary mechanics, its overworld, art design, general structure, and storytelling approach still shared similarities with Breath of the Wild. Additionally, the sense of discovery that was powerful in Breath of the Wild might have been somewhat diminished for returning players in Tears of the Kingdom.
Despite these factors, Tears of the Kingdom is acknowledged for its boundary-pushing gameplay, innovative features like the Fuse and Ultrahand abilities, and overall high quality as a valuable addition to the Zelda franchise. The article concludes that the game’s singular win in the Best Action/Adventure category highlights its impressive and unique qualities, demonstrating its ability to push the gaming medium forward.
