Has Tears of the Kingdom ruined Breath of the Wild?

[RH | 4,940]

It’s a serious question. I bought TotK a few weeks ago, and though I’ve had little time to play (I’m only an hour now out since I got off of Sky Island) but one thing I’m quickly picking up on is that it’s both more of the same, but with many new features added to the Breath of the Wild gameplay ecosystem.

It’s an amazing combination of the old game, feeling much the same, but with new life breathed into it by having a new story and then quickly gathering new capabilities.

I haven’t booted up BotW in years but this game feels like I’m picking up where I left off, but not in an intimidating way, and it feels like and advanced iteration of what came before.  This means, I now have no great desire to return to BotW because what I liked about it (including the map) is mostly in this game, but this game also adds to the fun with the new features set of things you can do.

I know I’m not that far into the game, admittedly, but to me it feels like TotK has killed the original BotW experience.  I’m now not really interested in looking back and it might stay that way so long as I don’t get frustrated on some required crafting puzzle or I get completely lost on where to go next due to poor game design.  But, frankly, I don’t see that happening.

So… has Tears of the Kingdom “killed” Breath of the Wild? What do you all think or feel about it? I just think that even at this point BotW would feel like a stripped down version of TotK.

Edited June 11, 2023 by RH

[a3quit4s | 4,121]

I don’t know about killed it but you’d probably want to take a small break after playing breath of the wild before moving to TotK. I would say BotW isn’t necessary to play TotK so if you don’t want to blow 80-100 on BotW then you can just bypass it. But like all Zelda’s that get released on the same console, once the new one comes out the first is optional. 
 

Except Zelda II cause F that game lol

[Kguillemette | 1,547]

I actually starting to get bored with it because it's so samey compared to BOTW. I might be getting burnt out on this style of play, and having to fuse every weapon to get actual use of them is starting to feel like a chore

[Gloves | 11,812]

1 hour ago, Kguillemette said:

I actually starting to get bored with it because it's so samey compared to BOTW. I might be getting burnt out on this style of play, and having to fuse every weapon to get actual use of them is starting to feel like a chore

Agreed. Unlike botw I might just charge through the rest of the story and call it a day. 

I was frustrated the other day, I got all the way up to a temple, only to realize that I couldn't actually complete the place because I'd not spoken to a character I simply never ran into. Back down I go! 

[Link | 2,724]

25 minutes ago, Gloves said:

I was frustrated the other day, I got all the way up to a temple, only to realize that I couldn't actually complete the place because I'd not spoken to a character I simply never ran into. Back down I go! 

 

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

2 hours ago, Kguillemette said:

I actually starting to get bored with it because it's so samey compared to BOTW. I might be getting burnt out on this style of play, and having to fuse every weapon to get actual use of them is starting to feel like a chore

 

1 hour ago, Gloves said:

Agreed. Unlike botw I might just charge through the rest of the story and call it a day. 

I was frustrated the other day, I got all the way up to a temple, only to realize that I couldn't actually complete the place because I'd not spoken to a character I simply never ran into. Back down I go! 

 

You guys ever play a Zelda game before? Hell, an RPG? I mean I guess it is one thing if you don't like the fuse mechanic but idk how it becomes a chore. You are just pressing buttons, same to do any other function. You might miss a character here or there because the game is so open world, would you rather it be simple and linear though? 

Personally I think the game is fantastic. To keep my post on topic, I don't think it's ruined Breath of the Wild. I think there's a lot of fun stuff to do in BotW. The gameplay IS similar but there's plenty of other games and styles of games with similar gameplay that aren't ruined.

[Link | 2,724]

I haven't played TotK yet. Hoping for an Explorer's Edition 6 months later or something like that, like BotW had. But I can see the point of the OP

3 hours ago, a3quit4s said:

like all Zelda’s that get released on the same console, once the new one comes out the first is optional. 

because I disagree with this ↑ 
Except for Majora's Mask, what series successor on a home console has looked like the last game? Satellaview?

 

[fox | 1,669]

I’m going to say they are more companion titles rather than one “deleting” the other or whatever cool words the cool kids are saying today.

Ask me again after I finish Tears 

[Tanooki | 4,945]

5 hours ago, Kguillemette said:

I actually starting to get bored with it because it's so samey compared to BOTW. I might be getting burnt out on this style of play, and having to fuse every weapon to get actual use of them is starting to feel like a chore

I hate to admit it but I'm kind of here, I think.  It's so like the other, yet even somehow slower and longer where it's kind of painful to play the game, or at least fine time to do it.  Then the issue is when the time is there, you put 2-3hrs in and your realize almost nothing was accomplished.  Demoralizing comes to mind.  I agree the fusing gets a bit tiring too they overdid it, much like overdoing it on stuff always breaking in the first and this too, but now with added layers of the overkill of fusing.  The last attempt I made I had like 2+hours and ended up only getting one more shrine to jump (not done) the rubber armor, and 2 towers unlocked to see a bit of that map.  That's it.  When I see what I unlocked just to see, and how far the walk is to one of those 4 points...I turned it off.

[SailingWiimote | 16]

I didn't play either one. It wasn't the kind of Zelda game I ever wanted.

[Gloves | 11,812]

3 hours ago, CodysGameRoom said:

 

 

You guys ever play a Zelda game before? Hell, an RPG? I mean I guess it is one thing if you don't like the fuse mechanic but idk how it becomes a chore. You are just pressing buttons, same to do any other function. You might miss a character here or there because the game is so open world, would you rather it be simple and linear though? 

Personally I think the game is fantastic. To keep my post on topic, I don't think it's ruined Breath of the Wild. I think there's a lot of fun stuff to do in BotW. The gameplay IS similar but there's plenty of other games and styles of games with similar gameplay that aren't ruined.

I've played every Zelda title, and I play a ton of RPGs. I'm not saying I hate the game because of what happened, I'm just saying I was frustrated. The game, which has a tendency to actually handheld a fair bit, gave me no indication whatsoever that I was missing anything while in the temple. A bit of frustration doesn't make me want to chuck the game in a river or anything, and I AM liking the exploration aspects in the underground areas. 

My issue with the weapon degradation is that it happens SO fast that I end up holding onto strong weapons exclusively for boss battles, only for the strong and even "extra durable" weapons to disintegrate after a handful of whacks. 

Again though, these are minor issues, I'm not lambasting the game. I'm just more invested in the story this time around, and less invested in the exploration aspects. Doesn't mean I don't play/enjoy RPGs lol. 

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,017]

8 hours ago, RH said:

So… has Tears of the Kingdom “killed” Breath of the Wild? What do you all think or feel about it? I just think that even at this point BotW would feel like a stripped down version of TotK.

They're two completely different games. BOTW was 100 years of chaos over taking the land while TOTK is a largely rebuilt society. To me BOTW was mostly an outdoor simulator. Walking, climbing, examining ruins. It really felt like being in the wilderness. TOTK on the other hand feels like an RPG. 

I'm about 20+ hours into TOTK and it feels like a completely different game. The underworld and the sky add enough mystery to keep me intrigued and the amount of content on the surface is enough to have my over look the reused landscape. But honestly, even the surface just feels different. The amount of NPCs and side quests is a stark contrast from BOTW. 

[Code Monkey | 2,011]

Yes, it's almost as good as Immortals Fenyx Rising.

Immortals Fenyx Rising > Tears Of The Kingdom > Breath Of The Wild

[Reed Rothchild | 9,565]

3 hours ago, Gloves said:

I've played every Zelda title

Did you play Cadence of Hyrule? If not you're A LIAR

[TDIRunner | 2,756]

I think TOTK is different enough to still go back and enjoy BOTW.  If anything has "ruined" BOTW, it would be the quality of life improvements made to the game such as being able to select items to hold without going into the main menu, and the option to sort by "most used" among other improvements.  All of the quality of life improvements seem minor, but I think they will be missed whenever I decide to revisit BOTW.  

[Sumez | 2,984]

In most ways that really matter, BOTW and TOTK are basically the exact same thing. As in, TOTK is "more of BOTW".

If there hadn't been six years between them, I'd say it would have probably been the other way around - BOTW "ruining" TOTK. I can't imagine playing the two games back to back, but at this point in time, TOTK offered me a real fun revisiting of the same world, but of course with a lot of things thrown around, and many more new locations and quests. I can't really say one outclasses the other in any way outside of a marginal advantage in volume to the newer game.

The most notable difference of course is the building/ultrahand element to TOTK, which plays into the existing physics sandbox in fun ways, but it also feels almost like an entirely separate game glued on to the side, which is good to me - I'd probably have disliked it if it felt more mandatory than it does. But as such I don't think it's something you'd ever miss going back to BOTW.

In terms of aspects that are actually a part of each game's core design, I think the most important differences is that BOTW mostly expects you to force the environment on foot. You'll be climbing a lot more, and at best rely on climbing hills to glide down from. Meanwhile TOTK gives you ample opportunity to get up really really high and mostly just glide over everything. Where increasing stamina in BOTW let you climb steeper hills, in TOTK it outright lets you bypass more terrain by flying over more of it. The only reason I don't think the game suffers from that is that I've already played BOTW - I'd probably hate if TOTK was my first entry into this game world.

[SailingWiimote | 16]

6 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Did you play Cadence of Hyrule? If not you're A LIAR

Back in something like 2008 I found the Zelda Game and Watch at a thrift shop for six bucks, and had a fun afternoon playing and beating it. I was a pretty huge Zelda dork at one point.

[Sumez | 2,984]

That's not what Cadence of Hyrule is

[jonebone | 1,307]

No, let your "newness goggles" wear off first. Give it several months before trying to compare.

I'm already at the stage of complacency.  Really wanted to find any spare time for it during first week or two, now it's just if I'm really bored I'll do a shrine or two and explore.  It's a great game and I enjoy it, just definitely out of the initial addiction phase with it.

[Gloves | 11,812]

12 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Did you play Cadence of Hyrule? If not you're A LIAR

I did, yes. 

[phart010 | 1,708]

I am so used to going to sheikah towers, flying into the sky, building a platform with 3 fans and gliding to any destination I want to go to. I will not be able to go back to walking on the ground or climbing mountains in Breath of the Wild

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

It will be for me but BotW kinda did that to itself regardless of Totk. I just found going through Botw the 2nd time really tough to keep my attention as the 'awe' and 'charm' of the game had worn off from my initial play-through. I'm really enjoying Totk but I am taking it much slower than Botw as I know I'll likely only give it one really solid attempt. These games are just too big to go back to time and again like some of the older entries. I am starting to find Totk a little tedious for the main story but with the new features and spacing out my playtime I am still really enjoying and look forward to playing. The game design with the new crafting and puzzle solving really is incredible at times.

 

[phart010 | 1,708]

31 minutes ago, Andy_Bogomil said:

It will be for me but BotW kinda did that to itself regardless of Totk. I just found going through Botw the 2nd time really tough to keep my attention as the 'awe' and 'charm' of the game had worn off from my initial play-through. I'm really enjoying Totk but I am taking it much slower than Botw as I know I'll likely only give it one really solid attempt. These games are just too big to go back to time and again like some of the older entries. I am starting to find Totk a little tedious for the main story but with the new features and spacing out my playtime I am still really enjoying and look forward to playing. The game design with the new crafting and puzzle solving really is incredible at times.

 

I beat the game like last week. Only did like  less than 20 shrines. I used the duplication glitch to make lots of hearty large truffles and when you cook 5 together you get full life plus 20 yellow hearts.
 

Also duplicated a bunch of diamonds to sell and bought all the arrows in town whenever I went to town.

I duped large zonai charges so I could max out the gumball machines and large zonaite so I could buy large crystallized zonai charges. 

I know I’m a cheater. But at least I’m honest. Even cheating, this game was pretty hard and Ganondorf was especially hard

[CMR | 521]

It's like asking if TOTK has ruined TOTK.  They're basically the same.

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

17 hours ago, phart010 said:

I beat the game like last week. Only did like  less than 20 shrines. I used the duplication glitch to make lots of hearty large truffles and when you cook 5 together you get full life plus 20 yellow hearts.
 

Also duplicated a bunch of diamonds to sell and bought all the arrows in town whenever I went to town.

I duped large zonai charges so I could max out the gumball machines and large zonaite so I could buy large crystallized zonai charges. 

I know I’m a cheater. But at least I’m honest. Even cheating, this game was pretty hard and Ganondorf was especially hard

Not gonna lie.. I actually miss the duplication glitch, especially for rupees but fuse definitely helps mitigate the need for some particular items. 

I kinda did what you did but in botw... B lined it to every beast after the plateau then got nuked several times at Gannon until I got a few cooking recipes to help out. I beat the game in less than a week I wanna say (very underpowered) and here I am over a month later and probably not even halfway through totk. 

 

Edited June 17, 2023 by Andy_Bogomil