Tears of the Kingdom: Boomerangs have greater potential thanks to new abilities
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom features boomerang-type weapons, just like Breath of the Wild did. But combining the new gameplay elements Tears of the Kingdom has to offer with a weapon that returns to Link after he throws it has opened up all kinds of new possibilities that have players intrigued.
While the weapon functions in the same way as it did in Breath of the Wild, flying out in an arc when thrown and returning back to Link, player interest in boomerangs has been reinvigorated thanks to the new gameplay elements in Tears of the Kingdom, which really expand the scope of what is possible. In this article we will introduce a number of boomerang techniques from a video created by YouTuber Peco, who previously uploaded many speedrun and challenge runs of Breath of the Wild.
In the video, Peco shows off the capabilities of boomerangs that have been combined with various Zonai Devices and Monster Parts using the Fuse ability. For example, fusing a boomerang with a Keese Wing results in a dramatic increase in the distance that it travels. Normally, if you throw out two boomerangs in a row, it’s difficult to catch them because Link can’t move for a while after throwing them, but when using a Keese Wing boomerang, it will take longer to return to Link (as it travels further), meaning that you can throw and catch two boomerangs in a row if your timing is good.
Peco also explains that by attaching elemental Keese Wings, you can extend the range of your boomerang while also imbuing it with your preferred element. Another effective way of creating elemental boomerangs is to fuse them with Emitter-type Zonai Devices. A Flame Emitter boomerang will spread tremendous flames all around, while a Frost Emitter boomerang will freeze your enemies in their tracks, allowing you to launch follow-up attacks with abandon.
One ability that has been a particular focus of many players using boomerangs, including Peco, is Recall. Recall lets you rewind time for an object, and when used on a boomerang that has returned to Link, it will trace the same path that it first traveled but in reverse, sending it right back at the enemies that just got hit. It’s a useful technique that lets you attack enemies twice with only one throw. Recall can also be used to recover a boomerang that went off track and didn’t return to Link. Overall, it’s an incredibly convenient ability for boomerang users.
On the other hand, Peco notes that the boomerang has also been nerfed in a way. In Breath of the Wild, there was a glitch known as the “crouch cancel” which could be used to cancel the recovery after throwing a boomerang by quickly crouching, allowing you to move straight away. But the crouch cancel seems to have been fixed in Tears of the Kingdom, so you can’t use it to cancel the throw recovery anymore. Although the boomerang throw now functions as intended by the developers, it means that players basically can’t move for a short time, making it difficult to react to incoming danger.
That said, players have discovered a new technique that can help offset this nerf. The technique, which Peco learned from a viewer comment, makes it possible to walk in any direction as soon as you throw the boomerang instead of being locked in place. It appears that if you throw the boomerang while Link is in the air or the moment he lands, you will be able to walk around while you wait for the boomerang to return. By walking to the right, you can also direct the flight path of the boomerang in that same direction rather than having it go left like usual. This technique may assist with your accuracy. It should be noted that Link is still defenseless after throwing even while walking around.
Additionally, the speed of the boomerang and its flight trajectory have also seen changes from Breath of the Wild, and it now travels a narrower path. This has made it relatively easier to aim for specific points. Gamespot video producer Max Blumenthal mentioned that the Giant Boomerang’s flying speed is slower in Tears of the Kingdom but notes that this adjustment is actually beneficial. By using food or other methods to boost Link’s movement speed, the boomerang speed will match Link’s, and you can have it home in and follow you around, which leads to more combo opportunities. For example, Blumenthal uses an ice-elemental Big Boomerang as the opening move in a combo where he freezes an enemy before annihilating it with a string of follow-up attacks.
The new elements and balance adjustments in Tears of the Kingdom have created a wealth of possibilities for the boomerang. Of particular note are the various boomerangs that can be made with Fuse, of which there may be some powerful combinations that are still waiting to be discovered. We encourage players to try out all kinds of techniques as they seek to master the boomerang. We leave you with one last Fuse-enhanced boomerang which doubles as a warning that you should be careful when attaching an explosive to something that comes back to you.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is currently available for the Nintendo Switch.
Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2023-06-03 10:02 JST)
Hideaki Fujiwara
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