This article is part of a directory: The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - Complete Guide And Walkthrough
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It's safe to say that many of us across the world were excited for Tears Of The Kingdom from the day it was announced to the moment it was launched. That being said, Breath Of The Wild is still quite fresh in our minds for the huge impression it left.

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The sequel has a very tough act to follow but managed to grab and hold our attention just with its world concept and new mechanics. Though the question still remains whether it is actually better than its predecessor or ends up falling short… possibly from the great heights it contains.

6 Scale – Tears Of The Kingdom

Tears Of The Kingdom Link Looking Out At Hyrule

It's moot to say this now, but Breath Of The Wild took a big risk in making an entry that was open-world and freeform. However, they nailed it, and it's still fun to go back into the game, discover new things, and see just how many ways you can go about completing it. From the outset, you have full reign over the land, and the only thing holding you back is your creativity and determination to go wherever you want to go. You can even challenge the final boss early on if you're able to get to him.

The lands of Hyrule are diverse and vast indeed. These lands return, albeit a bit altered in Tears Of The Kingdom. They have the same feel with enough differences to make exploring them an all-new experience. But this is not all it has to offer.

The game takes no time in throwing Link into floating islands in the sky, highlighting a brand-new region to explore with all the majesty and splendor it offers. And yet, this is still not all it has to offer. Because now, once you return to Hyrule, you can enter chasms to explore the dark below known as the Depths. This area directly contrasts the bright sky realm being completely hidden from light, covered in corruption, and danger lurking in the unknown. Between soaring through the sky, roaming across the country, and spelunking the dark below, Tears Of The Kingdom is pressing down hard on the scale with its own sense of scale.

5 Storytelling – Breath Of The Wild

Breath Of The Wild Zelda During The Calamity Battle

The Legend Of Zelda series hasn't always been the most consistent when it comes to storytelling, ranging from simple to complex. With Breath Of The Wild, we got a huge open world and an epic story that added another level of grandeur. A big point of focus was Zelda's transformation into a more relatable character with struggles and insecurities. She wasn't alone, as the other Guardians also got their time to shine on both a general and personal level. It was made clear that Link wasn't the only one fighting to keep Hyrule safe, he was part of a team, with the game combining your desire to progress and get stronger directly with seeking help from each of the Guardians.

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In Tears Of The Kingdom, the story is there but has taken a more traditional Zelda approach. There were beings before the Hylians called the Zonai that helped the Hylians to fight against the Demon King and helped establish Hyrule. Now, the Demon King is back, with Link and Zelda each doing their own thing to learn more about the Zonai and their abilities so that they can combat this renewed threat. It's interesting, and the lore is colorful to boot but doesn't have the same narrative or character strength as before. This means Breath Of The Wild is a breath of fresh air in the storytelling series.

4 Start Time – Breath Of The Wild

Breath Of The Wild Guardians On The Rampage

When you have an open world, you expect to be able to start exploring as soon as the game begins. This is exactly what Breath Of The Wild provides from the moment Link wakes up. Even though you've got the King Of Hyrule acting as your tutorial mentor, this whole segment is relatively short. You can even skip the tutorial if you're willing and able, but it's worth it to go through it, so you can quickly get your hands on the Paraglider. Once this happens, you can do whatever you want, with or without the available Sheikah Slate powers. You've got plenty of destinations and an innumerable amount of paths to take to them.

Tears Of The Kingdom definitely stepped up the size of your playground but also had a much more thorough orientation. After a cinematic-heavy intro sequence, Link is transported to the sky, where he NEEDS to reach three Shrines.

It's an adventure reaching all of them, but you're working with some harsh limitations and a more chaotic geographic arrangement. This whole introduction can take several hours before you're actually let out into the world. It's understandable but can feel restrictive. That being said, Breath Of The Wild takes it here for letting you off the leash sooner.

3 Gimmicks – Tears Of The Kingdom

Tears Of The Kingdom Link Uses Ascend

One of the things to get excited about in new Zelda games is all the new toys and tools you'll get to try out. Breath Of The Wild introduced a whole new system when it deviated from the formula, and it's awesome. Link now has access to a bag of reusable powers and abilities contained within the Sheikah Slate. You can stop objects in motion, summon different shapes of bombs, move metal objects, and freeze water sources. Outside all their intended uses, there are so many creative acts and strategies at our disposal with such tools, leading to effective and sometimes hilarious results.

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In Tears Of The Kingdom, Link gets an awesome ghost claw hand that contains a whole new batch of powers. Among them are the two standouts: Move and Fuse. With Move, you have the power to move a variety of objects and structures with much more freedom.

With this power also comes the ability to build things by literally attaching them together. You can make vehicles, platforms, ladders, and whatever else you want to help you navigate and fight. With Fuse, you can attack surrounding objects with your melee and ranged weapons. Have a stick? Give it a rock, and it becomes a club. Got a head that shoots fire? Put it on your shield for a defensive flamethrower. There is so much potential for humor, entertainment, and ingenuity with these two new powers alone. Because of this, Tears Of The Kingdom wins here for abilities that encourage additional creativity.

2 Difficulty – Tears Of The Kingdom

Tears Of The Kingdom Link Running Through The Depths

The Legend Of Zelda has gone up in down in terms of challenge, with both easy and hard games still being enjoyable to play. Breath Of The Wild makes it clear from the start that it will not hold your hand. Depending on where you go, you may encounter a couple of weak Bokoblins or a large and vicious Moblin. Link can die in countless ways within the first few minutes of the game, which clues you in as to what you can expect. You learn that you need to use everything that you can get your hands on to give you more options and a fighting chance. It's tough but fair, and your own skill and preparation determine your success.

Since Tears Of The Kingdom had to follow this bar, it decided to raise it. The enemies are far more adaptable than they were before, and they're spread across three different regions. The Depths themselves are particularly dangerous due to all the corruption and empowered enemies hiding in the dark. These new threats and all the death-defying leaps you'll need to take, add a whole new value to weak weapons and simple food items. It also highlights the importance of mastering the new Fuse ability. Breath Of The Wild may have hardened your resolve, but Tears Of The Kingdom will put it through the wringer.

1 Winner – Tears Of The Kingdom

Tears Of The Kingdom Link Takes Zelda's Hand

Breath Of The Wild succeeded at what it set out to do, and Tears Of The Kingdom succeeded in succeeding it. To put it simply, this sequel is the better game in terms of gameplay, size, and creative mechanics. It gives you far more to work with and a whole new level of challenge that will take you some time to adapt. You can sink a lot of time into it and never touch the main missions. However, if you're interested faster pace and a more absorbing story, Breath Of The Wild is still here to stay.

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