Handy previews for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom just came out, and one small gameplay detail stuck out to me amidst all the hype and skepticism about its crafting systems. DeadK will contain gacha elements. That’s right. You can get crafting materials from a giant gachapon machine, and I live for it.
While real gachapon are random vending machines — think of those things outside of grocery stores that give you a random toy in a little plastic ball for a few quarters — the term takes on more weight in the context of games. Gacha is known as an exploitative monetization system for gamers who cannot resist the lure of random prizes. Thankfully, it’s implemented in less outrageous ways DeadKa single player game with no live service aspect.
IGN reported earlier today that the gachapon machines in the Fan that Nintendo posted earlier this month is a fully functional feature. By throwing in a currency called Zonai Fees, you can get random Zonai devices. These are components you use to build things like air-powered platforms and boats – a feature that Nintendo has heavily promoted as a key differentiator DeadK from its critically acclaimed predecessor.
So are these Zonai parts found in other parts of the overworld, so it’s unlikely you’ll need to play gacha to get to certain locations in the game (a fate I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy). Which makes sense there breath of the wild redefined free exploration in open world games. I don’t count DeadK focus on a resource crunch. But it Is very funny that nintendo built gacha after a real gacha game—Genshin Impact– was slammed for at launch looks too similar OTW. We’ve come full circle, all of you. Nature heals.
And to be clear – I don’t think any Nintendo execs have looked at it Genshin Impact and thought to ourselves, “Let’s riff on the world’s most popular anime game.” The implementation of gacha in genshin and other games usually involve purchasing new playable characters, which has a huge impact on your experience as a player. In contrast, the gachapon machines you often see in Japan are low stakes, enticing passers-by to spend a bit of loose change on small keychains and other plastic collectibles. Rather than being the center of a live service game, the gacha element is in DeadK seems to serve the same purpose as the machines in Tokyo’s electronics district: a pleasant distraction when you’re on the go. And hey, maybe throw in some coins will Save yourself running around until you pick up a necessary item off the floor.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released on May 12th for Nintendo Switch.
