A Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom player has created a HIMARS rocket launcher to bring destruction to Bokoblin camps. Gamers likely did not expect Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to become a compelling military simulator, but the incredibly versatile sandbox on offer allows it to happen.
It was shortly after the launch of Tears of the Kingdom that the internet was swarmed by videos of what could be achieved with Link’s Ultrahand ability. Unsurprisingly, constructs were first on the menu, shortly followed up by seeking to discover just how many tree trunks could be attached together and much more. Within days, players were building autonomous drones and mechs that left Link’s Master Sword in the dust. An entire subreddit was created for the explicit purpose of showcasing the engineering potential in Hyrule.
And even weeks after launch, the thirst for building weapons to tear through Bokoblins has not been satiated. twolf201 posted a video that shows them demonstrating rockets inspired by HIMARS. The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System became famous last year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United States sent Ukraine around two dozen HIMARS to defend itself, and they became an invaluable part of the war effort.
However, the rockets work a little differently in Hyrule. The video shows Link fire two arrows, one at each HIMARS-inspired machine, to activate the rockets attached to the creations, launching both into the sky. Another type of rocket then turns on when enemies, seemingly a Bokoblin camp, are in range, violently changing course to barrel toward them. Several question marks above confused enemies vanish as the second rocket makes an impact. The explosion even caused debris from the rocket to veer off in Link’s direction, but it thankfully just missed him.
If homing rockets are too tame, Tears of the Kingdom players have also been building torture chambers for Koroks. Even with an E10+ rated title, it was inevitable that such creative freedom would be used to conduct some pretty heinous acts, but if nothing else, it speaks to the sheer creativity of the community.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is available for Nintendo Switch.
