When it comes to the newest entry in the Zelda series, I’ll admit that I’ve hiding under a rock to avoid spoilers. I may not have seen Breath of the Wild through to its credits, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a fantastic time with the game. It provided some unforgettable experiences; ones that I’ve hoped would carry over into its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom. Well, upon hearing about a new gameplay video for the game just released by Nintendo, I just couldn’t keep a lid on my curiosity any longer. If you’ve not seen it, check it out below. (P. S. It’s not spoilery at all!)

In a nutshell, the video presents new abilities for Link that were added to this sequel. While crafting was part of Breath of the Wild, it seems it will truly reign supreme in Tears of the Kingdom. The new “fuse” and “ultrahand” abilities give players the power to not only make new gear but also create new ways to traverse the world and take down enemies. What’s especially brilliant is that such crafting happens in the moment. There’s no need to gather up a bunch of stuff, take it to a workbench, and scroll through a lengthy inventory to find necessary items. Link can pick up random things and simply fuse them together. You want to stick a mushroom to your shield? You can do that! You want to make some sort of flying craft to soar through the sky? Go right ahead! You want to create a pitchfork the length of a telephone pole? Why not! Those are examples shown in the video, but the creative possibilities are likely endless. Why, it’s already got my imagination going, and that’s pretty exciting!

Like many players, what I found most tantalizing about Breath of the Wild was exploring Hyrule. Yes, there was a story; and sure, there were shrines to find; and okay, there were Divine Beats to tackle, but being able to go just about anywhere in the gameplay loop that sucked me in. Seeing that Hyrule might be even more expansive and open to exploration (without enemy mobs to get in the way all the time) in Tears of the Kingdom makes me want to do my own little happy dance. I’m sure that the game will be perfectly grounded in the Zelda-verse, and that there will be a rhyme and reason to Link’s frolicking and creating. But, if all I end up doing in it is frolicking and crafting, that’ll be fine by me.

Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom releases on May 12^th.

Lede image taken from IGDB.com presskit for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (© Nintendo).