There's no doubting the amount of pressure that was placed on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom prior to its release. The wealth of imaginative and game-changing ideas introduced by Breath of the Wild resulted in the game attaining a revolutionary status that was tough to follow. Thankfully, TOTK managed to stand out, simply by taking the ideas of BOTW and expanding them to a much higher level.

One aspect in which TOTK attempted to sur its predecessor is with its story. From the game's opening moments, TOTK delivers an exciting, enthralling and action-packed adventure that greatly contrasts the more subdued approach taken by BOTW. However, in its attempt to create a more ambitious narrative, TOTK makes a crucial decision that prevents the story from reaching its full potential.

Does TOTK Feel Like A Full Sequel?

The Game Often Fails To Acknowledge Previous Events

At a very surface level, there are many ways in which it's made clear to players that TOTK is a direct sequel to BOTW. Not only does TOTK make use of the same engine as its predecessor, but it uses the exact same version of Hyrule that's seen in BOTW, expanding the world with the introduction of the sky islands and the Depths. Furthermore, TOTK also makes use of many of the same mechanics, like weapon durability, while also adopting BOTW's non-linear structure, allowing players to take the adventure at their own pace.

However, it's when the player makes their way through the story that TOTK tries to separate itself from its predecessor. While TOTK sees the return of many beloved characters first introduced in BOTW, the game often refuses to acknowledge the events of that game, despite the Calamity playing a crucial role in creating the decimated kingdom that the player traverses through. Moreover, TOTK makes major changes to its overworld in order to accommodate this decision, removing the majority of the Sheikah structures that occupy the world, from the towers to the powerful Divine Beasts.

TOTK's decision to ignore BOTW's own narrative is confusing to say the least. The game is often in conflict with its sense of identity, haphazardly adopting some aspects of BOTW's world and characters while blatantly disregarding the events and defining moments that made it so special. It makes for an adventure that, while certainly thrilling and action-packed, can also feel disted and awkward as it overlooks the important context established in BOTW.

Direct Zelda Sequels Have Had Similar Issues

Majora's Mask Felt More Like A Standalone Adventure

TOTK is not the only Zelda title that's faced this issue. The series has had a number of 'direct' sequels that have wrestled with its connections to its predecessor while establishing an identity of its own. The most famous example of this would be Majora's Mask which, despite directly following the events of Ocarina of Time, makes little reference to its events and instead heads in a different direction.

The key difference between this game and TOTK is how Majora's Mask goes much further in crafting its own identity, benefiting the title overall. While it may use Ocarina of Time's engine and assets, Majora's Mask is set in a different world with an almost entirely fresh cast of characters while adapting a darker, more harrowing tone to its predecessor. From the very beginning, Majora's Mask makes it clear to the audience that, while it may borrow elements from Ocarina of Time, the game is a standalone adventure, and it revels in its own identity.

In comparison, TOTK's reuse of BOTW's characters and setting results in a story that feels like wasted potential. Rarely in the Zelda series are players able to revisit the same world and characters from a previous title. This granted TOTK the opportunity to expand on the themes and messages that its predecessor established and take its own story in an interesting direction. Yet, TOTK treats the connection to its predecessor as more of an anchor than as a tool, and its attempts to distance itself from BOTW's narrative prevent the story from being as ambitious as it could have been.

How TOTK Could Have Felt More BOTW

The Game Would Have Benefited With More Connections To BOTW

There are many ways in which TOTK could have used BOTW's narrative to elevate its own story, especially when it comes to character development. For example, Princess Zelda's journey to fulfilling her destiny and becoming a strong leader for her kingdom was a defining part of BOTW's story that TOTK failed to truly build upon. While she proves to be a valuable aide during her time stuck in the past, Zelda never gets to show her leadership or agency, wasting an opportunity for TOTK to build upon what BOTW established.

With the game using the same world and mechanics of BOTW, it presented a risk of TOTK becoming a mere retread rather than a step forward for the Zelda series.

Moreover, TOTK could have used BOTW as a point of comparison to make the game's antagonist an even more intimidating threat. The destruction caused by The Upheaval at the beginning of the game would have been a great way to explain the absence of the Divine Beasts, having been demolished in the ensuing chaos. Not only does this provide the necessary context that TOTK was severely lacking, but destroying the weapons that were crucial to defeating Calamity Ganon would have clearly demonstrated to players the much larger threat that Ganondorf presented to Hyrule.

It's understandable that Nintendo would want to find ways to separate TOTK from its predecessor. With the game using the same world and mechanics of BOTW, it presented a risk of TOTK becoming a mere retread rather than a step forward for the Zelda series. That being said, Tears of the Kingdom's initial premise as a BOTW sequel gave the game an opportunity to utilize its predecessor to create its own ambitious narrative. Its refusal to do so resulted in a generally entertaining story that just misses its full potential.