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Ultrahand is the mind-killer. Ultrahand is the little-death that brings total obliteration of creativity. Where once players thought laterally and came up with creative solutions to Hyrule’s sandbox puzzles, now they build long bridges. Any problem can be solved with an appropriately-sized bridge. Any of them. And it’s infuriating.

I am a staunch Ultrahand hater. If you didn’t get it from the fact that I wrote a whole feature about it, and then reiterated my biggest grievance in a second feature, I am now opening a third feature with the same complaint. That should do it. While I am continually impressed by the infernal Zonai devices that players create – from hoverbikes, to fully-animated mechs, to functioning elevators up mountainsides, to Link’s Moving Castle, they are truly impressive – most of the builds are just shortcuts.

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While I like playing the way that the developer intended (i.e. using environmental clues and nearby resources to solve puzzles rather than a backpack full of ancient gear), I understand that’s only my interpretation of authorial intent. It’s clear that Nintendo wanted to give players all the tools to do whatever they wanted, so perhaps the ability to access or ignore shortcuts at will is a part of the intended experience. Sure, you can come up with a creative route via pinecone explosion, cliff glide, and shield kickflips, or you can build a bridge. Why is the answer always a bloody bridge?

zelda tears of the kingdom log bridge

Ultrahand is exciting, and I get it, especially when it comes to sticking Zonai parts together. But I dream of a game where it wasn’t such a big focus. A game where, perhaps, you could only use it on Zonai equipment and not on anything else. Of course, that would be a creativity killer in itself, and the antithesis of the freedom that New Zelda gives the player, but I think it would improve the game. Many will disagree with me, I’m sure, and that’s why it’s in the game. Players like me can simply ignore the ability, and I’m thankful there are plentiful opportunities to solve puzzles without it. But my avoidance of Ultrahand has led to an epiphany: Fuse is the truly creative ability in Tears of the Kingdom.

My colleague Eric Switzer has already explained why Recall is Tears of the Kingdom’s most impressive ability on a technical level, but Fuse is the best evolution of Breath of the Wild’s abilities, and the one that can produce the most surprising results. Lists of the best Fusions will just point you towards Lynel Horns for +55 attack (or Diamonds if you don’t want to face off against the fearsome centaurs, which, you know, fair enough), but this is New Zelda. You’re rewarded for creativity.

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom Split Image of Ability Wheel and Link Using Fuse Ability

I’ve already explained how Hylian Pine Cones are Tears of the Kingdom’s best weapon when fused with arrows (or even when not), but arrow fusions are the tip of the iceberg. There are the basics: fusing a Shield to another Shield gives it twice the durability, freeing up more inventory spaces for more ShieldShields. Who needs Korok Seeds anyway? SpearSpears help you avoid taking hits, so you can focus on increasing that Stamina gauge instead of your hearts. Our Editor-in-Chief Stacey Henley loves her Hyrulian Skateboard, made from fusing a minecart with a Shield, and gems like Rubies and Sapphires can turn an ordinary weapon into a magic staff, allowing Link to fire off elemental attacks like a low-budget Ryu.

Then you get to the really good stuff. Do you, like many of us, miss Cryonis? The answer’s simple, throw an Ice Fruit at the water to create an icy platform. Menu navigation too awkward? Fuse that ice platform to your sword, and it’ll create another with every swing. It’s not quite the same fun as the Jetpack (a MissileShield combo), but being able to replicate a Sheikah power with just a piece of fruit and a stick is thrilling. Just when I thought Tears of the Kingdom’s runes had killed creativity completely, it reels me back in, fusing me to my Switch screen once again as I trial different Fuse combinations in the hope of creating some innovation to reshape my TotK experience all over again.

zelda tears of the kingdom fuse cryonis

My love of Ultrahand is conditional: Zonai mechs are cool, long bridges are not. But I love everything that comes from Fuse. I love the fact that hammers have been replaced by SwordBoulders. Why were hammers lying around every mineral deposit anyway? I love makeshift skateboards and combining fruits, rivers, and tree bark to forge new paths through the world. I love disappearing like a Yiga assassin in a cloud of smoke when an enemy hits my PuffshroomShield, and I love poking Bokoblins from afar with a SpearSpear just to annoy them. Tears of the Kingdom is more creative when you start making interesting fusions, and I’m gutted I didn’t pay more attention to this sooner, when I was instead trying unsuccessfully to gel with Ultrahand.

Ultrahand is the ability for the viral clips, and Recall is the ability for the technical connoisseur. But Fuse is the ability for the creatives, for those who want to use all of Tears of the Kingdom’s systems to their fullest, and help the gameplay reach its potential by chaining mechanics and utilising every element of the surroundings to overcome Hyrule’s environmental puzzles. Fuse is the ability that Ultrahand dreams of being, and the true evolution of Breath of the Wild’s sandbox puzzle-solving philosophy. I just wish more people would see the light.

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