Kingdom Tears Could Ruin What Makes BOTW So Special

As a direct sequel, Tears of the Kingdom runs the risk of ruining the elements that make Breath of the Wild so special, but it doesn't have to.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom won the Most Anticipated Game at The Game Awards 2023, but it might not capture the same sense of wonder and exploration as its predecessor, Breath of the Wild. Breath of the Wild was the first open-world game in the Zelda franchise, and Tears of the Kingdom had to follow up what could be considered a revolutionary shift in gameplay style while finding a way to feel unique. The developers probably couldn't capture the BOTW feel in TOTK.

As a sequel, BOTW characters are likely to return in TOTK, but it seems the game won't be set entirely in Hyrule. The trailer reveals that Link will return to a place in the sky that looks reminiscent of Skyloft from Skyward Sword. However, the addition of the sky area may change the sense of exploration that draws many players to BOTW.

Set In The Same Hyrule, TOTK Could Lose The Wonder Of BOTW

Since Tears of the Kingdom is a sequel to Breath of the Wild, Hyrule may not have changed much between the two games. This puts TOTK at risk of feeling too much like BOTW instead of giving A sense of adventure and discovery with new or changed maps. However, it's possible that Tears of Kingdoms will improve BOTW exploration, or that the addition of islands in the sky will be able to make up for what Hyrule lacks.

TOTK Should Focus Its Exploration Outside Hyrule

To avoid feeling too much like Breath of the Wild, Tear of Kingdoms could focus exploration on new areas, such as the sky location shown in the trailer. Players who have already played BOTW may find traveling through Hyrule - especially if it hasn't changed - tedious, so having Link spend more time in new places may be the best option to give players the same sense of wonder in TOTK. It's also possible that not every area is open world, as it might be more difficult when Link is limited to islands, but that probably wouldn't be a bad change.

With the success and popularity of Breath of the Wild, there is much to look forward to in the sequel to Tears of the Kingdom. Breath of the Wild Has Secrets and Tricks for Players to Find, TOTK May Bring a New Set of Mysteries separates it from its predecessor. While Breath of the Wild set the bar high for Zelda, Nintendo should consider paying attention to the differences between the games to prevent Tears of the Kingdom from undermining the sense of wonder that was so characteristic of its predecessor.

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