Among the many improvements thatThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomcan make over its predecessor is to use some inspiration fromAnimal Crossingto make it more fun to design.Breath of the Wildalready provided a starting point with the missions to build up Link’s house in the first place, butTears of the Kingdomis in a prime position to turn a sidequest into a full game mechanic that can keep players coming back for more. While Link will be busy saving the world, it couldn’t hurt to take some time to relax every now and then.
The Hylian Homeowner sidequest sawLink get a house inBotW, with the quest involving him buying and renovating a small home in Hateno Village. It was a quest in multiple stages, with each step in the process fixing up a part of Link’s house and making it look more presentable. By the end, Link would have a fully-furnished home to call his own. However, there were few options to really customize Link’s house, so players couldn’t really redecorate in their own style. Giving Link his own home base to fall back on could have been cool, but Link’s house was little more than a questline - something that should change in the upcoming sequel.
RELATED:Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s Skyward Setting Can’t Leave One Race Grounded
Tears Of The Kingdom Can Give Link A Bigger, Better House
Breath of the Wildlet players decorate Link’s house with picture frames, andTotKcan improve Link’s house furtherin that regard. Players could get the opportunity to use the Sheikah Slate to take pictures of people, places, and things, and frame their favorites in Link’s house. In addition, the game could offer displays, stands, and other ways for players to decorate. If the player likes the look of a weapon or shield, for example, they should be able to mount it on the wall. Decorations such as this inTears of the Kingdomcould add more character to Link’s house.
Another thing that could be done is to let players have more significant control over how Link’s house is designed. For example, amidstTears of the Kingdom’s changing Hyrule, players could have the option to give it a different layout or gain the ability to upgrade it as the game goes on. In fact, if Link’s house needs to be rebuilt following the prologue ofTears of the Kingdom, that would be a perfect opportunity to make such a move. Players could have more freedom to design Link’s house to their specifications, ranging from a cottage to something much more grand depending on the player’s plans for Link.
Another way to make use of Link’s house inTears of the Kingdomwould be to give it synergy with the preexisting cooking system fromBotW. Similar toAnother Life fromLike a Dragon: Ishin!, it would be a good idea to let Link have a small farm at his house where he could grow various types of produce. This could provide players with a steady source of ingredients to cook with, as well as a chance to learn new recipes to keep Link healthy. Making Link’s house a consistent asset may be the best way to make it relevant inTears of the Kingdom.
Building Link’s house was a decent diversion inBreath of the Wild, but it could be made into a much more important part of the game, even it has to be asTears of the KingdomDLC. A more customizable house with more variety in decorations and designs would make it more of a selling point. If the developers even go as far as to let Link farm, garden, or access other ways to gain resources, his house would become invaluable. Link has saved Hyrule enough times to deserve a nice house, and a littleAnimal Crossing-style charm could give him one inTears of the Kingdom.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwill be released on Jun 18, 2025 for the Nintendo Switch.
MORE:Nintendo Shouldn’t Drop Classic Zelda in Favor of Breath of the Wild-Style Games
