Tears of Kingdoms maintains durability of BOTW weapons in one case

Weapon durability helps Tears of the Kingdom a lot, but there's one unfortunate aspect of the system that desperately needs to be ironed out.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild introduced a number of new features to the Zelda series, and one of the most controversial additions was weapon durability, which may return in Tears of the Kingdom. Weapons that break after being used too much have appeared in many popular games over the years, from the Fire Emblem series to Minecraft, but few have implemented them as controversially as Breath of the Wild. Subject to one very important change, weapon durability is good enough for the game to feature in the upcoming sequel Kingdom Tears.

Breath of the Wild implements weapon durability extensively. Whether fighting with a stick or a flaming greatsword, no weapon is immune to breakage in combat. The Master Sword is the only permanent weapon, but still breaks frequently, regenerating after a 10 minute cooldown. Breath of the Wild's weapon durability system encourages players to explore continuously to supplement combat capabilities and dynamic adaptability, keeping the game fresh. However, for all its advantages, weapon durability does have one big disadvantage. The same rules apply to swords and bows Applied to shields, this is where the main problem - and what Tears of Kingdoms has to avoid - comes up.

Tears Of The Kingdom Needs A Dedicated Surfing Shield

One of the most exciting features players can try out in Breath of the Wild is shield surfing, but the durability of shields presents an unfortunate obstacle to enjoying this activity. The rolling hills and mountains of Hyrule provide Breath of the Wild with great surf spots, allowing you to jump on the shield and enjoy the downhill rush. The only problem is knowing that bouncing Link's shield on the ground will push it towards the breaking point. Second-guessing whether the adrenaline rush was worth the cost keeps many players from getting the most out of the feature. Tears of Kingdoms can address this frustration by providing specialized items to smash through all of Hyrule's most exciting slopes.

Why A Surfing Item Would Work In Tears Of The Kingdom

Master Sword has set the precedent for a utility item that Link cannot permanently destroy, and its example perfectly demonstrates the help of Breath of the Wild's indefinite surf shield. Even though Tears of Kingdoms uses a recharge system similar to Master Sword for shields, Exciting ramps without worrying about breaking rare shields. The balance of the shield durability system can be maintained by having permanent surf items minimally used as shields, ensuring players still have to manage their regular shield usage if they want to successfully block heavy hits.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a game that urges players to traverse environments in every possible way, and removing the barrier to frequent shield surfing will help Tear of the Kingdom more fully deliver on that promise. Whether it's waving the shield as a quick fix for chasing dragons, or repeatedly taking the same slope to master the tricks of shield surfing routes, the possibilities that a dedicated surf shield opens up are many. Weapon durability has its place in Tears of the Kingdom, but giving shield surfers a path forward is key to making the system work its best.

More: The Legend of Zelda: New Weapon Types We Want to See in Tears of the Kingdom