There isn't a doubt the quantity of strain that was positioned on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom earlier than its launch. The wealth of imaginative and revolutionary concepts launched by Breath of Nature resulted within the recreation reaching a revolutionary standing that was exhausting to comply with. Fortunately, TOTK managed to face out, just by taking the concepts of BOTH and increasing them to a a lot greater degree.
One side during which TOTK tried to surpass its predecessor is with its historical past. From the opening moments of the sport, TOTK presents an thrilling, charming and action-packed journey that contrasts sharply with the extra subdued method taken by BOTH. Nevertheless, in its try to create a extra bold narrative, TOTK makes an important choice that stops the story from reaching its full potential.
Does TOTK really feel like a whole sequel?
The sport usually doesn't acknowledge earlier occasions
On a really superficial degree, there are a lot of methods during which it turns into clear to gamers that TOTK is a direct sequence of BOTH. Not solely does TOTK makes use of the identical engine as its predecessor, however makes use of the very same model of Hyrule seen in BOTHincreasing the world with the introduction of Sky and Deep islands. Moreover, TOTK additionally makes use of most of the similar mechanics, corresponding to weapon sturdiness, whereas additionally adopting BOTHnon-linear construction, permitting gamers to embark on the journey at their very own tempo.
Nevertheless, it's when the participant advances within the story that TOTK tries to separate itself from its predecessor. Whereas TOTK sees the return of many beloved characters first launched in BOTHthe sport usually refuses to acknowledge the occasions of that recreation, regardless of the Calamity enjoying an important function in creating the decimated kingdom the participant traverses. Moreover, TOTK makes main modifications to his overworld to accommodate this choiceeradicating many of the Sheikah buildings that occupy the world, from towers to highly effective Divine Beasts.
TOTKthe choice to disregard BOTHthe narrative itself is complicated, to say the least. The sport is commonly in battle with its sense of identification, randomly adopting some elements of BOTHThe movie's world and characters, whereas blatantly disregarding the defining occasions and moments that made it so particular. It's an journey that, whereas actually thrilling and action-packed, can even really feel disjointed and unusual because it ignores the essential context established in BOTH.
Direct Zelda sequels have had related issues
Majora's Masks felt extra like a standalone journey
TOTK is just not the one one Zelda title that confronted this downside. The collection had a variety of “straight” sequels that struggled with its connections to its predecessor whereas additionally establishing an identification of its personal. Probably the most well-known instance of this could be Majora's Masks that, regardless of straight following the occasions of Ocarina of Timeit makes little reference to its occasions and as an alternative goes in a special path.
The principle distinction between this recreation and TOTK it's like Majora's Masks goes a lot additional in constructing your individual identificationbenefiting the title typically. Though you should use Ocarina of Timeengine and property, Majora's Masks is ready in a special world, with an nearly fully new solid of characters, whereas adapting a darker, extra harrowing tone to its predecessor. From the start, Majora's Masks makes it clear to the viewers that, though it might borrow components from Ocarina of TimeThe sport is an unbiased journey and divulges its personal identification.
Compared, TOTKthe reuse of BOTHthe characters and setting end in a narrative that seems like wasted potential. Hardly ever in Zelda collection are gamers in a position to revisit the identical world and characters from a earlier title. This granted TOTK the chance to broaden on the themes and messages its predecessor established and take its personal story in an attention-grabbing path. But, TOTK treats the connection along with his predecessor extra as an anchor than a device, and his makes an attempt to distance himself BOTHThe narrative prevents the story from being as bold because it might have been.
How TOTK might have felt extra BOTW
The sport would have benefited from extra connections to BOTW
There are numerous methods during which TOTK might have used BOTHnarrative to raise your individual story, particularly on the subject of character improvement. For instance, Princess Zelda's journey to satisfy her future and turn out to be a powerful chief for her kingdom was a decisive a part of BOTHthe story that TOTK failed to essentially construct on. Though she proves to be a beneficial advisor throughout her time trapped previously, Zelda by no means manages to point out her management or company, losing a chance to TOTK to construct on what BOTH established.
With the sport utilizing the identical world and mechanics as BOTHoffered a threat of TOTK changing into a mere retread and never a step ahead in direction of the Zelda collection.
Moreover, TOTK might have used BOTH as some extent of comparability to make the sport's antagonist an much more intimidating menace. The destruction attributable to The Upheaval firstly of the sport would have been an effective way to elucidate the absence of the Divine Beasts, having been demolished within the chaos that adopted. This not solely supplies the mandatory context that TOTK was in brief provide, however destroying the weapons that had been essential to defeating Calamity Ganon would have clearly demonstrated to gamers the a lot larger menace Ganondorf posed to Hyrule.
It's comprehensible that Nintendo would need to discover methods to separate TOTK of its predecessor. With the sport utilizing the identical world and mechanics as BOTHoffered a threat of TOTK changing into a mere retread and never a step ahead in direction of the Zelda collection. That being stated, Tears of the KingdomThe preliminary premise of BOTH The sequel gave the sport the chance to make the most of its predecessor to create its personal bold narrative. His refusal to take action ends in a usually entertaining story that merely loses all of its potential.