Review: 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' is video game bliss

In this way, Tears of the Kingdom felt like it was dedicated solely to player curiosity. — Nintendo/TNS

It starts with an archaeological mission. A so-called gloom — a scorching red mist that seems to have risen from the depths of the Earth — is believed to be the cause of a widespread sickness. For just a few minutes, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the most anticipated game of the year, will guide players by the hand, taking them down into the caverns beneath a medieval castle.

Zelda here, all braided golden hair and enchanting oval eyes, is a leader and a scholar. She's directing Link, the voiceless video game hero who has come to her rescue many a time since the mid-1980s, to follow her lead and walk in the shadow of her torch. These tunnels, Zelda tells us, have long been forbidden, forever off limits even to princess royalty such as her. "I can't tell you how excited I am," Zelda exclaims, before pulling out a smartphone-like device to snap photos of ancient hieroglyphics believed to depict the founding of the kingdom of Hyrule.