Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - Weapon Modifiers Are Back (& Some Are New)

"Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" is almost here and fans are eager to jump back into Hyrule and continue the story from "Breath of the Wild." Nintendo has offered some tantalizing hints of what's to come in official previews and leaks have given gamers even more spoilers to speculate about. Based on this information, we know that "Tears of the Kingdom" will be offering a mix of the fresh and the familiar. While exciting new mechanics like item fusion may improve the old gameplay, there are still lots of elements that are returning from the last title. One feature making a comeback that should please veteran "Zelda" players is weapon modifiers.

Introduced in "Breath of the Wild," weapon modifiers were special characteristics that would be attached to different weapons and made them slightly unique, improving their performance in some way. While adventuring, for example, Link might find a sword with the Attack Up modifier, increasing its power beyond a normal sword of the same type, or a bow with Quick Shot that increases its rate of fire. These modifiers would be attached to found weapons at random, and the value of modifiers would increase over time as Link defeated enemies.

This mechanic, similar to those found in action RPGs like the "Diablo" series, made finding new equipment more exciting and also helped to balance combat by giving players a chance to uncover increasingly better weapons as they advanced through the game. It seems, based on previews, that modifiers are returning for "Tears of the Kingdom" though they may offer some new benefits this time.

Observant fans and commentators have been poring over every bit of "Tears of the Kingdom" footage available, and some have noted that modifiers can be seen attached to certain weapons in previews. Interestingly, however, the confirmed modifiers have different names and, in some cases, different properties than those that will be familiar to fans who played "Breath of the Wild." Specifically, it has been confirmed that "Tears of the Kingdom" will have weapons that can bear the modifiers Extra Durable and Quick Charge.

Extra Durable, it seems, is a new name for a familiar trait. This modifier will act like the old Durability Up, increasing a weapon's durability and allowing it to last longer before breaking. The second confirmed modifier, however, is brand new in name and effect.

Quick Charge is a modifier that will speed up charge attacks — a trait that was not available in "Breath of the Wild." This modifier will likely be sought out by players who favor an aggressive strategy and presumably only be attached to melee weapons.

These are the only modifiers that have been found so far, but more will surely be present when the game launches. Just what they are and how many new ones are being introduced will have to remain a mystery until players can get their hands on the game on May 12.