The New 'Legend of Zelda' Absolutely Rocks

A sequel is a dangerous thing. How do you give fans more of what they loved, improve on what came before, and avoid compromising what made it great? It's a tightrope walk that Nintendo has excelled at since 1988's Zelda II: The Adventure of Link—the follow-up to The Legend of Zelda—and the first entry of a franchise that would later include one of the highest-selling video games of all time. You might've heard of it: 2017's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. So how could such a well-loved, near-perfect video game surprise audiences with its sequel—which is easily one of the most anticipated titles of the past decade? Well, gamers, that's what I'm here to find out. Earlier this month, Nintendo invited Esquire to try Tears of the Kingdom for about two hours. If the full game is anything like my early playthrough, Tears of the Kingdom will compete with its predecessor in many a best-of-all-time list. [View in Browser]( [Esquire]( [SHOP]( EXCLUSIVE [SUBSCRIBE]( [I Played 'Tears of the Kingdom' For Two Hours. Oh My God.]( [I Played 'Tears of the Kingdom' For Two Hours. Oh My God.]( A sequel is a dangerous thing. How do you give fans more of what they loved, improve on what came before, and avoid compromising what made it great? It's a tightrope walk that Nintendo has excelled at since 1988's Zelda II: The Adventure of Link—the follow-up to The Legend of Zelda—and the first entry of a franchise that would later include one of the highest-selling video games of all time. You might've heard of it: 2017's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. So how could such a well-loved, near-perfect video game surprise audiences with its sequel—which is easily one of the most anticipated titles of the past decade? Well, gamers, that's what I'm here to find out. Earlier this month, Nintendo invited Esquire to try Tears of the Kingdom for about two hours. If the full game is anything like my early playthrough, Tears of the Kingdom will compete with its predecessor in many a best-of-all-time list. [Read More](   [If You Don't Have a Denim Shirt Yet, What’s Stopping You?]( [If You Don't Have a Denim Shirt Yet, What’s Stopping You?]( It's a supremely versatile American icon. [Read More]( [What the Hell Is 'Citadel'?]( [What the Hell Is 'Citadel'?]( Also: Who is Citadel? When is Citadel? Why is Citadel? [Read More](     [It's Time to Pop the Top on Canned Cocktails]( [It's Time to Pop the Top on Canned Cocktails]( Blasphemy, I thought. There it was, a prepackaged mojito in a grocery store. This was about a decade ago. Still, I was curious to try it, because a canned cocktail that was actually good? That could be a gateway to converting pedestrian drinkers into cocktail nerds. Sadly, there was no craft in that canned mojito. No love. It confirmed my conviction that quality drinks must be mixed, not mass-produced. Recently, however, I popped open a daiquiri from Tip Top, an Atlanta-based company specializing in classic cocktails served in Lilliputian cans. It was, shockingly, sublime. The simple yet difficult-to-balance daiquiri is often considered a litmus test to separate ordinary bartenders from great ones. The fact that a version that stellar came from a can was revelatory. Ready-to-drink cocktails—or RTDs, as the industry calls them—are no longer what they used to be. As demand surged during the pandemic, more serious bartenders and distilleries began producing them using real spirits instead of industrial malt alcohol or vodka. Now we’re living in a golden age of the canned cocktail. [Read More](   [The Esquire Home Awards, 2023]( [The Esquire Home Awards, 2023]( The mattresses we sleep on, the BBQs we grill on, the pans we cook in, and everything in between—shop 71 winning products we actually own. 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To get the top girls, you gotta bring something to the table. [Read More](   [One Kettlebell. 20 Minutes. Total Body Burn. Learn More.]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( esquire.com ©2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019