Summary
AZeldatitle that puts the focus on Sheik has long been a dream for many fans of the series, andThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomshows how many elements are already in place for the perfect Sheik game.Introduced inThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Sheik is a mysterious figure who assists Link at various points throughout his journey. Although the true identity of the masked character isn’t revealed until the end of the game, Sheik definitely makes a memorable impact well before that point.
TheZeldaseries hasn’t given Sheik much love sinceOcarina of Time, however, with repeat appearances of the character consistently being outside the mainline series. Sheik has been a mainstay ofSuper Smash Bros.ever sinceSuper Smash Bros. Meleereleased on the GameCube, maintaining relevance as a light, fast character with some powerful special attacks. They also appeared in the hack-and-slash spin-offHyrule Warriors, with similarly ninja-like abilities that focus on concealment and quick kunai attacks.
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Zelda: TOTK’s Stealth Would Be Perfect For Sheik
A Perfect Underused Mechanic
Although battles in wide open plains might seem like a staple feature ofTears of the Kingdom, the game offers a lot of mechanical opportunities to go about fights differently. The non-linear approach to progression makes it possible to take on challenging areas and enemies before building up hearts or acquiring strong gear, and one of the big reasons why these fights are still possible lies in the stealth features of the game. Sneaking up on enemies is a fairly basic inclusion in and of itself, but making full use of this strategy relies on delving deeper into whatTOTKhas to offer.
TOTK’s stealth features are never its focus, but they could easily be transferred into an experience that does put the spotlight on them, and a Sheik game would be the perfect candidate. While facing down terrifying bosses and journeying across large overworlds is a core part of Link’s style, Sheik could explore intense dungeons crawling with guards or avoid hulking enemies capable of instant kills. Mixing in some more linear level design while maintaining the open-ended approach to stealth could make the systems really matter, and a smaller game could help fill thegap between major 3DZeldatitles.
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How TOTK Mechanics Could Be Used In A Stealth Game
There’s A Wealth Of Possibilities
The biggest indicator of how robust theTears of the Kingdomstealth system is lies in the fact that there’s a lot more involved than just walking up behind an enemy who’s looking in a different direction. Avoiding noise is a key component of stealth, and variable walking and crouching speeds mix withclothing and items that reduce noiseto focus on the importance of being whisper-quiet. Sight lines are also affected by objects, and there are all kinds of ways to hide behind makeshift cover in a similar manner to Snake’s famous cardboard box crawling in theMetal Gear Solidgames.
The massive departure thatBreath of the WildandTOTKtook from the rest of the mainline series shows that there’s room for shakeups.
Good opportunities for distraction are also critical for good stealth, andTears of the Kingdomserves up a lot in that regard as well. Like Sheik’s smoke bombs that appear in other games,TOTKoffers Puffshrooms that temporarily fog up the vision of enemies and render them disoriented. Muddle Buds can be even more devastating, confusing foes and causing them to attack each other. Virtually everything inTOTKcan be thrown, and tossing something near an enemy can compel them to check it out, providing an opportunity to get the drop on them.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review - Building Excellence
Tears of the Kingdom takes Legend of Zelda into mostly familiar ground, but it remains an excellent, must-play title with plenty of innovation.
Keeping Link at the forefront of the games has been a long-standing tradition of theZeldaseries, and it helps center the idea of an ongoing legend that appears in different forms throughout the timeline. Spin-offs have ventured as far as featuring Tingle as the lead, however, soa side game with Sheik wouldn’t be breaking any sacred code.
The odds of Nintendo experimenting with the formula in this way still feel low, but the massive departure thatBreath of the WildandTOTKtook from the rest of the mainline series shows that there’s room for shakeups. Although it’s been a tempting prospect for decades, there’s never been so many pieces in place for a good stealth game asTheLegend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdombrings to the table, making it feel like it really would be a great opportunity for Sheik’s day in the sun.
