The Legend of Zelda franchise has long been a pioneer in the realm of gaming. From the original titles release in 1986 to 2023s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendos legendary series has introduced some of gamings most profound, boundary-pushing, and controversial leaps in gameplay innovations. However, recent titles have steadily shifted toward a new focus, which has long been absent from the Zelda franchise. While gameplay has long taken the spotlight during players' adventures in Hyrule, Tears of the Kingdom sets the Zelda series up for one tonal shift.