The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild really is the definitive Nintendo Switch game. While many games have been released since, including a sequel to BOTW, none have quite captured the creativity, imagination, and wonder that it exudes. That's largely thanks to its phenomenal open-world exploration, which has since become the gameplay model to aspire to, is so perfect and was extremely refreshing for the time. One could argue that it is not only the best part of BOTW, but also its defining trait.

Of course, it was always going to be a tall order to follow up Breath of the Wild, and, in many regards, Tears of the Kingdom failed. While it was more innovative mechanically, it lacked the same spirit, sense of wonder, and novelty. Some of that was always going to be impossible to achieve, but a lot of it felt less important to Nintendo. So, one would expect TOTK's sequel to do the opposite and copy BOTW's best features, but that too would be a massive mistake, as, to succeed, it needs to abandon the game's greatest element.

BOTW's Apocalyptic Hyrule Was Beautiful

It Defined Its Open-World Exploration

One of the greatest parts of BOTW was its open world. Of course, many have pontificated about Breath of the Wild's excellent exploration since it was first released, and, ittedly, deservedly so. However, beyond the brilliant signposting of landmarks, the way it subtly directs you to the next important thing, its genius utilization of map markers, and so much more, Breath of the Wild's world succeeds because of its atmosphere. This is a post-apocalyptic landscape, but not in the way we've ever really known it.

BOTW's post-apocalypse is peaceful, calm, and contemplative. It is the breeze sweeping through an empty rolling meadow, leaves rustling on overgrown trees overlooking crumbled ruins covered in moss, the lingering piano note as Link rides through lands untouched by anyone for a hundred years. Breath of the Wild's world is empty, devoid of everything unnatural, everything handcrafted. It evokes a sense of melancholy that manages to evoke a simultaneously disquieting yet comforting feeling of somber coziness. There is really nothing quite like it.

Yet, it is entirely necessary not just to allow Nintendo to create such a beautiful landscape, but also to showcase a new side of Hyrule, a world famous for its explorers, quirky characters, epic quests, and heroic endeavors. Breath of the Wild's Hyrule doesn't necessarily lack these features, as Link still needs to defeat Ganon and save Zelda, but even the act of doing so feels futile in the face of such blissful quietude. More importantly, even without having Link speak, BOTW allowed us to completely embody his enduring optimism in the face of catastrophic adversity.

TOTK Didn't Differentiate Its Hyrule Enough

It Tried To Retain The Same Atmosphere

Tears of the Kingdom had one job when it came to improving upon its predecessor, and that was to give Hyrule a makeover. Nintendo had little choice but to use the same map - it could have created an entirely new version of Hyrule from scratch, but building upon the foundations of the original allowed these games to feel connected - but that didn't mean they had to feel the same. Unfortunately, rather than tweaking the world on a fundamental level, Nintendo only built upon it superficially.

The additions of the Depths and floating islands certainly added a lot more surface area to Hyrule, but that didn't make it any more enjoyable to explore. In fact, in a lot of cases, the contrary is true. The floating islands often felt devoid of life and were far too repetitive, much like their underground counterpart. Hyrule didn't get that much of a glow-up either, with it sporting the same cities and landmarks, save for a handful of new additions. Simply put, TOTK made a major mistake with its handling of Hyrule.

It also failed to make Hyrule feel different. Even when it looked indistinguishable, it still felt as if it were aiming for the post-apocalyptic atmosphere of its predecessor. There was still far too much untouched natural beauty, the same ruins, the same sense of peaceful hopelessness. Yet, largely thanks to it feeling a tad recycled, it was never as effective as BOTW. TOTK wasted BOTW's best feature in a way that felt cruel to the original experience. It wasn't so much a homage as a poor imitation.

Exploring Hyrule no longer felt blissful or peaceful, as we'd already done it several times before through multiple BOTW playthroughs. If you hadn't, then perhaps TOTK's version of post-apocalyptic Hyrule felt spectacular - it was certainly more densely packed. However, for those of us who have played it once or even several times before, it just didn't work. It lacked the novelty, the surprise, the quietude. It attempted to balance a packed and busy landscape with the serenity of BOTW's simplicity when it should have been aiming for a vastly different tone altogether.

TOTK's Sequel Must Change The Tone Of Hyrule

It Has To Feel More Hopeful And Alive

Where Breath of the Wild aimed for a peaceful post-apocalypse, Tears of the Kingdom should have aimed for an uplifted and hopeful Hyrule. There should have been settlements springing up everywhere, people desperately trying to cling to the past they'd heard so much about, the times before everything was ruined. Of course, as aforementioned, it didn't, and that is a great shame. So, it is up to its sequel to fix that. TOTK's sequel must be different both in its execution of exploration and its approach to tone.

Its focus on a busier Hyrule can also showcase how, even when the world is more connected than ever, it can still feel disparate and torn apart.

It has to differentiate itself as the third chapter in this saga, to tell a different story, to showcase a different Hyrule. We can't simply recapture the wonder of BOTW by having yet another world full of peaceful landscapes that revel in the haunting beauty of a land lost to desolation. It needs to be a far busier, hopeful, and handcrafted world, one full of people wandering the roads, popping up new towns and homes, and attempting to rebuild their lives as best as they can.

We need to see Hyrule not as it was, but as it should be. It should feel almost antithetical to Breath of the Wild's interpretation, not because it's a different Hyrule, but because it is an evolved one. Nintendo can also use this to help shake up exploration, not through new mechanics like Ultrahand, but through tone, atmosphere, and unique landmarks. Perhaps its focus on a busier Hyrule can also showcase how, even when the world is more connected than ever, it can still feel disparate and torn apart.

Link could take on a similar role to Death Stranding's Sam Porter Bridges and try to reconnect the various new settlements that have appeared across Hyrule. This could give the next Zelda game its hook, purpose, and meaning. It would also help players shape the next version of Hyrule and make it how they want it to be, how it is supposed to be. We could even end TOTK's sequel with a Hyrule that feels familiar, one that isn't haunted like Breath of the Wild's, but feels closer to that which we've seen across the decades of past Zelda titles.