Tears of the Kingdom could've featured a far more chaotic Fuse ability, but Nintendo cut it before the open-world Legend of Zelda sequel's launch
Sep. 6, 2024Fuse looked very different early on
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Tears of the Kingdomgave Link some of the most unique abilities theLegend of Zeldaseries has seen, including Fuse - but it turns out thatNintendohad even more ambitious plans for it at first.
AsFamitsureports, during Japan’s Computer Entertainment Development Conference, Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi and engineer Kenichi Hirose went behind the scenes with an in-depth look at the open-world Zelda sequel’s production. One of the more interesting revelations unearthed during the event has to do with Link’s Fuse ability - or, more so, what it looked like early on in development.
Initially, developers could use Fuse to combine multiple different objects. For instance, Link’s shield could be merged with two swords. With one sword on either side of the shield on his back, it would function as both a lawnmower, cutting the grass surrounding the protagonist as he traverses the world, and as a defensive weapon of sorts. Another mind-boggling example showcased by the devs features a Boss Bokoblin Horn attached to a weapon.
According to the leads, this product of the Fuse ability would’ve allowed players to use the sound of their weapon to control Bokoblins - a handy creation indeed, considering the sheer number of Bokoblins in-game. One of my personal favorite combinations highlighted by the devs, though, is a bit more simple - using a Zonai wing on Link’s back to fly. Nintendo also toyed with the idea of allowing players to choose the orientation of materials while fusing.
Ultimately, though, these choices and combinations were scrapped in favor of a more simple Fuse ability - one that’s easier for fans to figure out while still remaining useful. While I’m sad I can’t merge materials all willy-nilly, I’m happy with the way that Fuse is - and I’m not alone. “This would’ve extended development time significantly,” writes a player. “Glad they cut it.” Another explains that they “can very much understand why they cut this,” and I agree.
Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild are no longer part of the main Legend of Zelda timeline, as Nintendo retcons them as ‘standalone’ games
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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she’s not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she’s probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she’s spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur’s Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you’ll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.
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