Our Thoughts on Zelda TOTK, One Year Later...

[@WhyYouWahYoo]

I can’t think of another pair of games that are so intrinsically tied in terms of mechanical and tonal identity, yet so strangely polarizing for people in terms of their enjoyment. I personally adore Tears and think it’s a really great additive experience from Breath, but evidently a lot of people feel differently.

[@chuckchan4127]

Tears is ironically worse off because BotW exists. Imagine if TotK was the only one of the two that existed. People would praise it more.

[@timothybark5357]

I agree, I just started my second playthrough, and am finding it much more enjoyable, having a grasp of Ultrahand from the beginning is awesome.

[@burgervonstadt6503]

So many people ruined the game for themselves before it ever had a chance. They set expectations so high in terms of headcanon they wanted confirmed in the story and expecting it to *feel* as epic going into it as BotW.

[@speedude0164]

​@@chuckchan4127I actually think the game works better with the reused world. Not only does that give it the chance to play off our knowledge of what these areas should look like and give us great updates for various NPCs, we wouldn't feel nearly as compelled to skip half the world by building a flying machine or paragliding from a Sky island.

[@cheke_hs]

“A lot of people” is still very much a minority. This game wouldn’t have sold 20 million in less than a year and become the fastest selling Zelda game if it were truly “polarizing”. Criticism is perfectly fine and in fact necessary, but I think part of the vocal side just can’t let go of classic Zelda and admit that the series will be different from now on. These games are way too succesful just to ditch the new formula because some people aren’t happy while the overwhelming majority is.

[@SlocusST]

Here's my best shot at describing how I feel about BotW vs TotK as Zelda experiences. BotW is a superb atmospheric experience that shines mainly in its first playthrough. It introduces you a certain Hyrule in a certain time period and doesn't spoon-feed you anything unnecessary. You constantly look around, unfamiliar with locations and the specific dangers of certain enemy/terrain types, and it doesn't always explain all the ways you can use an item, etc. Hell, if you choose not to do the shrine(s) where parrying/dodging are explained to you, you can go the whole game without knowing they exist. The idea of exploring and finding out for yourself is built into the DNA of the game. Even the soundtrack is radically sparse at times, and intensely focused on melody at others. You get the feeling that even though it's a Zelda game, it's meaningfully going for something different than its previous series entries. Conversely, being an entirely new experience, there are plenty of gameplay / combat system / narrative growing pains of such a massive shift from the traditional, linear Zelda formula. Breaking weapons is a real off-putter for a lot of people, for one, as well as not knowing how to handle the last boss fight because they didn't know how to account for what the players had done or not done by the time the player wants to fight Calamity Ganon, so it fell flat. TotK is a superb gameplay experience, built on top of previous BotW material. I can never look at TotK through a non-tinted lense due to playing BotW before it. The biggest thing BotW offered, a sense of discovery and mystery, is not nearly as strong in TotK. At the beginning of TotK, when I landed on the surface from the Sky Islands, I had been there before. It looked moderately different, but I'd been there regardless. I was curious to see what had changed, but not blown away by the new world I was absorbing. I don't hold this against the game because TotK wasn't about the same themes anyway. It didn't feel like they wanted to repeat themselves, like "Hey, we know there's a 90%+ chance you've played the last one, lets go for something different with this one." And it works. It's a phenomenal game. The combat is sharper, bosses are better, dungeons... exist, there's more uses for items with fuse abilities, the variations in gameplay and traversal from zonai devices is excellent, the sky islands and depths are both really neat to experience, and it focuses way more on a specific conflict with specific characters. And of course, there's full-on Ganondorf, which is way better than *not* fighting Ganondorf. That's all really fun, engaging material, but it isn't the sort of thing that leaves a lasting *emotional* impression on me, but a cognitive one. BotW feels like a story about the fall and redemption of Hyrule as a whole, and TotK feels like a story about Zelda, Link, and their friends facing Ganondorf. When I think back to playing BotW, I have vivid feelings and memories of absolute wonder and awe. Conversely, when I think of TotK, I think of what a technical achievement it is, what a masterclass it is in game design, and how much I enjoyed it for that. Basically, BotW lives in my heart, and TotK lives in my brain lol

[@Buzz231094]

Very well explained, I agree with your sentiment on BOTW, not played TOTK yet but looking forward to it if what you’ve said is true 👌

[@Ivan-jq7pf]

Yeah that's a great take, largely how I feel about them too.

[@netweed09]

I'm sorry but I think you're blowing _way_ too much smoke up Botw's Tarrey Town chimney. Botw was an ocean 100s of miles wide, but with the depth of a dried up puddle. Tears is the _far_ more Superior game. Yes, Totk is not Perfect in many aspects itself like the disjointed Story and lack of Zonai lore but it simply chucks down so many layers upon the austere tech demo that was Botw. The novelty factor wore off real quick, as there was barely anything there: 0 true Temples, 0 interest!!

[@ihatealderney]

​@@netweed09But TotK has the exact same issue with shallow content that BotW has except now there's tons more of it and it's less cohesive to the world/setting.

[@netweed09]

@@ihatealderney /big fat tldr incoming - How is that even remotely even going to be considered as an 'opinion'? One of Tears' biomes is literally called *The Depths.* 😅😄 And no, it's not 'empty' as you will predictably say (so easy to predict people who simply choose to ignore Facts for a -ve agenda.) There's [spoilers?] one of the games' Temples down there arguably harnessing the Best power-up of the game. Like someone sensible said elsewhere in the comments, even if they were shallow and 'empty' it's still _over double_ the content and features that We got in Botw and its meant to be a Sequel so why expect radical changes? Yes, I _do_ concede they could have done more with the depths and especially the Sky like add at least 2 more Temples the exciting Lore and discourse the Imprisoning War needed and deserved. The games' far from Perfect, no one is saying it isn't. But anyone citing this "less is more" and "fit better" pointless narrative to argue Botw over Totk is insane lol. Despite being a bit chaotic, it's still Quality content unless you really dislike Zelda. Which , no many did considering Tears is the fastest selling Zelda game ever! 😄 TOTK totally renderss Botw redundant 5 times over, 1 for each Temple Botw 'filled' with a hollow empty amd soulless Machines that only looked cool skin deep on the surface. The Sheikah were absolutely boring: the Runes made Botw far too easy and the Guardians lent the whole game this Machinma rip off robot vibe that was jarring, boring aside from acquiring the Ancient Set (the _only_ redeeming and rewarding feature) and really flat. The Gloom Hands have _far_ more presence, mystique, creepiness , difficulty and fear Factor. Just watch the reaction videos, no one is scared and running pants down away from a Guardian! Those along with the Dreary Beasts were the Biggest bait machines ever! 😂 I could go on and on to why Botw sux, filling pages. Don't get me even started on the lifeless 'Master' Sword, and the absolute disaster of the breaking 'System' with 0 reward. Which Tears so simply fixed with the Fusion ability and in one fell sweep made battling nearly _any enemy_ fun and actually directly rewarding rather than a game rage quitting chore you had to start skipping even early game (which is why you have the option to even run away from enemies in most cases but this was used as a cop out excuse "you don't have to engage them" was one 'argument' Lol!) You can reply how you want but the majority aside from some speedrunners and glitch riders consider Botw redundant and did not look back. Tears of the Kingdom , 8/10. Botw , 5/10.

[@vianabdullah2837]

For good measure, I revisited Breath of the Wild recently and it really made me appreciate how much of an improvement Tears of the Kingdom is. The big thing is enemy camps and bosses feel more worthwhile to tackle because of how useful monster parts are. Even basic things like the ability to throw items I really took for granted. Though I do wish the game had bonus perks for those who played the Breath of the Wild DLC. Would've been cool to use the Master Cycle with the new Zonai devices.

[@gnarkilleptic4871]

Agreed. Fighting enemy camps in BoTW was essentially completely pointless

[@56ty_]

100%. I was shocked at how primitive some systems feel in botw compared to totk.

[@yooniversal7770]

Yes to the master cycle! Especially if were not getting TOTK DLC at least give nods to the players that did buy and play BOTWs champion ballad

[@jackginney6795]

Totk depths and sky islands need a full overhaul, need to be completely revamped and updated when new biomes and tons of new enemies, also their should be more dungeons, legendary weapons, and a mission to restore ruins into towns

[@CollectorSean]

Totally agree!

[@Me.___]

I think instead of taking place in BOTW’s world, it would’ve been really cool for TOTK to take place in the past Hyrule that we see in Zelda’s memories.

[@rattiesteps1987]

It would have been the most zelda thing to do or a more important depths but naaaaaah

[@56ty_]

The problem with this is: I could think of a thousand different cool settings. But the one we got is still amazing so… not a real issue if you think about it

[@connors.8618]

Yes!

[@bottomless666]

Rumors say that the next game will have Zelda as playable character. So it's slightly possible that they are doing exactly that.

[@alexsoundstuff]

this is the games biggest missed opportunity. rather than spending development time on the two additional half-baked levels to the map, they shouldve had the main quest line flip flop between zelda and link, between present hyrule and past hyrule; it wouldve been much more impactful imo. it would actually get you invested in the zonai characters rather than getting residual character interaction through cutscenes. plus, imagine how cool the imprisioning war would be as a halfway bossfight or something?

[@bloodofredmoon]

This game is amazing. 200 hours later and having completed all shrines, light roots, and side quests it’s one easily one of the best games I have ever played.

[@HTMangaka]

THE best, in my opinion. I can't believe it's been a year already. O_O

[@caseypenk]

100%, one of the top 5 or 10 games of all time

[@caseypenk]

Along with Breath of the Wild arguably. Above it in terms of gameplay imho.

[@Jakco808]

I agree

[@callnight1441]

Definitely one of my favs

[@ben8446]

For me: Botw = profound experience Totk = superb entertainment

[@Cowntsikin]

Playing BotW at launch day was pure bliss. The level of freedom that it gave was simply mind-blowing.

[@TheLifeisgood72]

Nothing profound about BOTW at all.

[@jamesvgold]

BotW = Alien TotK = Aliens

[@HTMangaka]

For me: BoTW = Zelda goes open world. Yay. ToTK = Zelda becomes a god-tier masterpiece that won't be matched for decades! O_O

[@coyy9106]

@@TheLifeisgood72I disagree. Particularly in the early game they completely nail the setting, and you can tell they got exactly what they wanted with the atmosphere. The world feels lived in, and gives a profound sense of solitude.

[@dugganater]

TOTK has the best opening and ending of any Zelda game, and there's plenty of wow moments sprinkled throughout the midgame. There's some monotonous "I already did this in BOTW" sections in there too, but overall, the game is absolutely fantastic.

[@hist150project5]

Best opening? Nah, that goes to Majora's Mask. Best ending? Nah, that goes to Wind Waker. "There's some monotonous "I already did this in BOTW" sections in there too" Yeah, like 95% of the game.

[@rattiesteps1987]

Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, maybe not Ocarina of Time all have better endings, TOTK is just flashy

[@cometsands]

Great plateau is the best opening (of any game ever) for me. Best ending has to go to Ocarina of time, but that's more because of my memories with it as a kid

[@jackginney6795]

💀

[@Xivinux]

​@@hist150project5Didn't find it monotunous at all. The shrines are so cool, just started a new file and they're so well done in this compared to BotW shrines

[@gimo80]

Okay, so I’ve been playing games since 1992, I’m a retro games collector and would considering the SEGA Dreamcast the greatest console of all time. Okay so enough context. Tears of the Kingdom is quite simply the best game I have ever played. The freedom, the SHEER amount of secrets and side quests, the customisation, the story, the fact it has THREE worlds to explore, the soundtrack - it’s nearly absolutely perfect. The only issues were the temples (apart from the Fire Temple!), and the sages being in the way at inconvenient times. BOTW is an incredible game but I genuinely feel it’s now totally barebones since TOTK came out. Phenomenal game.

[@massimosamdal1209]

Literally tho Breath of the wild will still always be one of the most amazing video games I have ever played not to mention nostalgic

[@BMW-sd6nn]

I loved the fire temple but the lighting temple to me felt the most classic zelda dungeon, also had mt favorite boss.

[@emacsterm2949]

Playe BOTW on Wii U. Started up TOTK and was just blown away. Touching down on land in Hyrule was so cool. Wish I could experience it again. Just exploring everywhere and seeing how everything was different. I was so engrossed that I didn’t even realize I didn’t have the paraglider until I jumped off a cliff 😂. Ignored the main quests for months. Just an amazing game. Will be my GOAT for a long time.

[@netweed09]

Exactly the same here! I uninstalled Botw after a mere 30 hours after simply getting bored stiff and fed up of how empty it was (0 Temples??!!) Tears though - *massive improvement* and for me, a huge transformation as the Chasms together with the upheaval genuinely made me feel I was playing a HD 3D ALTTP a lot of the times. And that's just about the best gaming feeling you can get. If only they focused on the actual Zonai and Sky a bit more!! 🐉

[@connors.8618]

I would have handled The Upheaval completely differently: In my version of TotK, the upheaval would have meant literal chunks of the Hyrule map would be thrust up into the sky. Imagine if the game started in the shrine of resurrection again, only Link walks out to realize the entire great plateau had been sent skyward. This would have been a great way to explore a map we already know in an entirely new context. The depths would be the areas beneath the elevated chunks of map and would not be a map equal in size to Hyrule.

[@twingzable]

It’s my favorite! I’m a 31 year old married woman who has never played video games until BOTW came out and now this.

[@Xenado22]

When this launched, I found this game to be less creative, but seeing Alex do a "No Paraglider" run really opened my eyes to how many things you can do in Tears!

[@jdawg1034]

Maybe that’s what I will try next

[@matwilliams8012]

I picked it back up last month and started playing it (from scratch) and I forgot just how alive the world feels, how there is literally always something to do or somewhere to go - looking at my map and seeing SOOOO many markings of places I need to go - it’s an amazing world and I just love exploring it. Plus I’m sure I’ve found things on this play through that I didn’t find in my original - and this time I’m doing it without making a cheat bike - I’m literally combing the world and exploring at my own pace and it’s simply breathtaking.

[@fortyozsteak]

World is empty

[@matwilliams8012]

@@fortyozsteak It really isn’t but thank you for your contribution.

[@fortyozsteak]

@@matwilliams8012 it really is tho

[@UArcane-YT]

Not even finished with it, I really should

[@ThatSavoieDude]

Loved the fuse mechanic in TOTK

[@nocookienolife]

Another good mention is the amazing ending sequence. Especially when compared to BOTW. One of the best from Nintendo.

[@WitteDeWith83]

When I found out how to get into Korok Forrest, via the depths, that blew my mind. Absolutely an amazing new feeling of exploration. And then to face phantom Ganon for the first time...what a chain of great moments. And TotK has a lot of moments like that (looking at you master sword finding moment 😅)

[@Ssjangel3]

@@freakingluigi6626yeah what a lame game. Cause the Ultra hand and physics of the game isn't a good idea. Why should you be able to create a boat? Or cart? Why make a huge death machine? How lazy of them to just make some sky islands, depths, new enemies and just lazily place them there. What a huge disappointment

[@jackginney6795]

I thought Phantom Ganon was an exclusive boss for under the deku tree so I was dissapointed when he just popped up in the overworld

[@chunkymonkey7983]

​@@freakingluigi6626I hate the developers that have tirelessly worked on the game for years and years and that have tried to make it live up to what made Botw great, as well as to improve on its negatives, too! We have so much in common 🤩

[@super_dude00]

I feel like ToTK just improves on BoTW in every way, I actually went out of my way to do the shrines because the abilities you have are so dang fun to use and the expansions to the world in the sky and the depths were experiences I won’t ever forget. It’s just a sequel to a masterpiece, that’s also a masterpiece.

[@kalebmatt6488]

I’d say it improves on botw in a lot of ways. But not EVERY way. The lore is worse due to the abundance of retcons. The dungeons (while being an improvement visually) are the exact same as botw in terms of gameplay. And the areas that are new to explore (the depths and the sky) are no where near as fun to explore as the surface was in botw. But I agree it certainly improves on a lot of things. Combat, traversal, puzzles, etc.

[@DimaShortPlay]

Agree. Spent 250 hours, maxed and saw everything and don't see myself returning to BotW

[@toast7969]

​@kalebmatt6488 agreed. Champion abilities are worse. Memories are so annoying and it feels like nintendo is trying to hold your hand. Unlocking a memory in botw was a lot more enjoyable. The outfits are basically the same, theres very few new outfits....some things botw did better, we also got copy/paste cutscenes after every dungeon

[@ericwindsor339]

Sage abilities are worse than champion abilities. The memory cutscene thing feels a lot more out of place here. The story and lore is just so random and inconsistent even with the established BOTW lore. But the powers are nice, same as the new utility of different items in the inventory

[@56ty_]

@@ericwindsor339 debatable. It’d even take tulin over all the champions abilities combined honestly. Story is better in totk, although the memories system still sucks.

[@caseypenk]

TotK is a masterpiece, truly the most imaginative and fun game I’ve played in so many years. It takes me right back to the wonder of Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

[@TeflonGhostMuana]

The ending of Breath of the Wild, should’ve been the beginning cutscene of TOTK. Imagine you finish BoTW and you go underground to find ganondorfs body. And Zelda falls in the dark hole ( I don’t remember the beginning exactly but) and it says to be continued…. That would’ve been so epic

[@yakumorisuke9403]

Felix is absolutely right that the feelings of the two games are completely different. I had only ever played traditional JRPGs with parties before BOTW, so for me BOTW was shockingly lonely. I would have to stop sometimes just to...sort of re-centre myself a bit. And Link is desperately lonely too: no idea who he is, or who any of these people are, and the few people who recognise him know a version of him that doesn't exist any more. But in TOTK, Link is just surrounded by people who recognise him, and call out to him - every town and stop there are people who know him. It's a beautiful and moving change, that really shows how much Link has grown into himself and his confidence as a character, and how he has made his own place in a new community of people. I loved it. And I think that if they had moved further away from the iterative nature of the game, we would have lost that incredibly moving transformation.

[@PauLtus_B]

I went into Tears of the Kingdom mostly expecting more Breath of the Wild. I was pleasantly surprised how different the game feels.

[@yakumorisuke9403]

@@PauLtus_B The development from one into the other is amazing - one of those truly special experiences, I think.

[@PauLtus_B]

@@yakumorisuke9403 I think it's very interesting how, on a surface level, Tears of the Kingdom is very similar to Breath of the Wild, but with the new mechanics the way you can approach almost every situation is very different. I often wonder if the people who really like Breath of the WIld but consider Tears of the Kingdom just too much of the same simply didn't enjoy a lot of the new tools, primarily the building mechanics (it's fair if you don't), and if you then just don't really use those I understand that the game is just going to feel like more of the same. I will actually say that Tears of the Kingdom in a lot of ways feels like a(n incredibly extensive) mod. But I did think there was a lot of the familiar being recontextualized to make the old interesting, enough new to my liking (I was really surprised how much I got out of the caves, especially), and the mechanics changed up plenty so that playing through familiar environments still feels very fresh. I honestly didn't need it to be as different as it was, but I'm glad that it is.

[@stevenlewis2997]

It’s still the greatest achievement in video game history. To have this kind of thing in something less powerful than a smartphone is nothing short of miraculous. Yet again, Nintendo shows everyone else what is possible.

[@therealevo88]

Here here

[@User12347ejdj]

Not less powerful than a cell phone.

[@Pkmnkuriboh]

Bethesda best be taking notes

[@JM-pm1yb]

Ummm….

[@hist150project5]

It's still more powerful than a PS3

[@Veo87]

Link in TotK comes up to an NPC from BotW: "Hyah!" The NPC he's talking to: "I've never seen you before."

[@kratos1553]

Yes I never understood this. Why don’t they recognize him?

[@Veo87]

@@kratos1553 I'll accept that SOME people might not recognize him. I also know plenty of people do recognize him, but yeah, there were definitely a lot of NPC's that really should have remembered Link, but didn't for no reason other than the writers didn't want them to.

[@BlanexBlz]

​@kratos1553 It's because Nintendo wanted the game to be accessible to those who haven't play botw. And it clearly shows as totk is a terrible sequel. Good game, but terrible sequel. To much important stuff isn't there being built on, like the shekai tech, or links standing in the world.

[@greenmenace9666]

@@BlanexBlz I get it. I do. I agree that the game would have benefited from addressing Link's prequel. The part I don't get is how it would alienate new players. My best guess is that "the player should feel like they became the hero during the game." They can keep that element by writing the game better. Just have key characters mention the divine beasts and how Hyrule is still in peril. Or have characters mention that Link looks weaker than before. It would add appeal to BOTH the prequel and the sequel.

[@geminisfl]

For me TOTK is a strange combination of "too little / too much". There's so much stuff to do, that there's a moment where the game looses focus. There are so many things, that most of them lack any impact and become just a checklist. On the other hand, The Sky Islands are "too little". There's a HUGE missing opportunity there. Just copied and pasted islands one after the other. The Depths are AMAZING, but then you realize there's not much to do there. One of the few interesting things done with The Depths is the way you enter Korok Forest. For me, that's one of the most clever uses of ascend combined with the Depths... and the game uses it ONLY ONCE (or twice maybe, I don't recall). My feeling is that there's too much "filler" and too little "impactful" things to do. Never felt a real sense of accomplishment like I felt with BOTW. Loved the game, But I don't think if reached its full potential. And it's ironic, because I think its main problem is just doing too much and feeling too little.

[@itachi93674]

I feel the same way. Honestly I would have preferred they cut the depths and made it smaller where you had to go down there specifically for a few side missions and main missions like the Deku tree one was cool. Would have preferred them spending more time on the sky islands and actually making it interesting to go up there. Or add some more side quests for characters who did nothing the whole game like Purah and Paya. They definitely could have spent more time with the main story having the same cut scene for each region is just ridiculous.

[@Random1567]

What’s impactful in BOTW compared to stuff that’s in TOTK? Not a lot. I recall a lot of cooler moments in TOTK. The depths are great for gear, which the sky islands give you maps for, and battery upgrades, or using light roots to find shrines.

[@Jeff-tt7wj]

Well said.

[@Madeoftea]

I loved being a ninja to enemy mining camps. Using muddle bud to create battle royale or trying to use zonai weapons to vaporize the camp in seconds.

[@oliveralvarenga7749]

⁠@@Random1567I found BOTW impactful because of its environmental storytelling. My favorite parts of the game were exploring ruins and seeing the effects of the calamity on places like the akkala citadel and fort hateno. The map felt purposeful and everything told a story. Because TOTK is reusing the map, that storytelling is pretty much absent and the ruins in the depths and sky feel like just copy paste and there is no thought behind them.

[@netweed09]

0:49 This tiny sequence of co-ordinated button inputs just shows how slick and organic Tears of the Kingdom's combat really is. The only foible is that they've definitely messed around wit the Flurry Rush timing a bit, especially on the Lynels where you need to input tangibly earlier.

[@bethanylarsen3553]

I am still kind of devastated that the story happened in the past again. Breath of the Wild’s story was at least natural being in the past. But having the Zonai be an ancient long gone race instead of the people living in the skies above was a huge missed opportunity in my opinion. I was so excited for something like a city in the sky and depths inhabited by two opposite races of Zonai. The world could have been so amazing to explore a second time, but it just wasn’t that special anymore.

[@bflakes]

It had been so long since I played BOTW by the time I played TOTK, that the over world felt like a completely different game. I had a hard time recognizing landscapes apart from the major towns. Props to the level designers for making it feel fresh.

[@threeswordssama]

Man TotK and BotW might be in my top 5 favorite games of all time. Such a departure from past Zelda games but just so deep and fun. Great take on an open world and really got me back into gaming after a long break. Can't wait to see what they do next.

[@denycast]

I had also Vacation when TotK released and it was the best vacation. Playing in the morning, than do some fun vacation stuff and than playing again in the evening. 😀

[@GIJoe-nk2pt]

I just started a new game of TOTK yesterday and stayed up till midnight.

[@MyKnees3539]

I have been replaying Tears recently and really enjoying it after finding it just alright at launch. It has been a lot easier to appreciate it playing it in more of a bubble this time. I think the main difference between the two games for me is I find Breath to be a better thought out world to immerse myself in while Tear is a more thought out game to mess around in. Breath felt really cohesive with everything it did while Tears bombards the map with stuff to do even if it doesn’t make any sense. Both have their pros and cons, personally I still enjoyed Breath more, but that doesn’t mean Tears isn’t a great sequel that has a lot to offer and it stands tall against some of the other great games in the series.

[@Jdfskitz]

the floating islands do make sense, but you need to know the lore of the end of the game and have an understanding of the lore from skyward sword(I hate the game unfortunately but I do know the lore) In culmination with factors from the other games.

[@jordoncrewse367]

This game really needed DLC and Master Mode

[@jackginney6795]

It needs like 10 dlc’s to actually be a good game💀

[@LarryDeskPlant]

@@jackginney6795 You obviously haven't played it.

[@LarryDeskPlant]

Even though they said that they wouldn't add DLC it would be really cool if they added master mode as a free update (Though that's never gonna happen)

[@Beekeeper8011]

Totk is literally $70 DLC. So you basically want some DLC in your DLC 🙄

[@PurpleLink11]

I personally disagree, needing DLC implies they needed to add more to make it better or force more money from consumers which they didn't have interest in doing. Master Mode I think would've been nice for those that wanted it though I think the game is a little too bloated/not repayable to justify it.

[@lltheFacell]

Imagine in a year from now we're all playing this on switch 2 with 60 fps and added master mode

[@Fernie52984]

And they brought me back in!

[@zach177]

Wow you have hope the switch 2 will be out that soon

[@trixxy9566]

​@zach177 switch is pushing 10 years we gotta get something soon

[@chilly6470]

​@@zach177Sales are finally slowing down so, definitely next year.

[@SwedePotato314]

10:30 what an EXCELLENT point. If yourself back in 2017 we were coming from Skyward Sword being the last console LoZ and the 3DS as our handheld! With A Link Between Worlds! For BotW to be the follow up to those, being so much more immersive and open than Skyward Sword while ALSO being handheld and portable like A link between worlds… it’s just no comparison. No wonder our collective minds were so blown. Following that up must’ve been very hard. I think with the continuing of this Wild hyrule and Wild Hero they did an excellent job of incorporating new things. Like the abilities and the sage abilities. Come on- building these amazing flying and ground contraptions and zooming around Hyrule is incredible. The depths?! Amazing. They did an excellent job while working within the confines of this timeline and Hyrule setting.

[@greenmenace9666]

I wasn't big on that point. I agree it was a much bigger jump than we could have ever expected and consensus would say a very necessary jump. But those recent Zelda entries you listed were trying to break away from the existing formula OoT had established. Going open world in that timeframe was a bigger jump, a faster jump, but a conceivable one looking back. Even though Skyward Sword is super linear, the Zelda marketing team compared it to ToTK a lot. There was even a Fi--everyone's least favorite guardian haha-- reference mid-game. Weapons breaking, the paraglider, a resource economy (albeit rudimentary in that game), even how extremely linear Skyward Sword was influenced the next mainline games. What impresses me is how Aonuma and the Zelda team are pushing to make Zelda better, and they are capable of learning from their past games.

[@colecube8251]

The depths are garbage but I agree with the rest

[@Madeoftea]

That first feeling of discovering the depths… unparalleled! I rode the back of a dragon into a hole in the ground and all of a sudden I was surrounded in a pitch dark world. No trailer showed it… my mind was blown.

[@Aaron-from-BroTrio]

That burnout feeling he mentioned at 12:52 happened to me hard during Breath of the Wild. I quickly shifted from having fun exploring and doing sidequests to feeling like I just wanted it to be over. I tried to push through it, but it kept getting worse. One day I had enough and just ran straight to Hyrule Castle to finish it. I got a little joy back exploring the castle gathering items and fighting Calamity Ganon's first form. Then the final battle came in, and after that I thought "Oh, I guess that's it". That burnout left me with such a negative opinion that I was nervous to play Tears of the Kingdom. Luckily I never hit the burnout stage during that game.

[@OTPulse]

For me was the opposite. About 25% completed TotK & have zero desire to play it any more. Just KZbind the ending a couple weeks ago when my kids started playing it since i forgot it even existed and i didn't complete it. So after kids went to bed played it for a bit, got bored & put on XB3.

[@ksemanr]

The Depths are kinda lame when you realize there's only like 3 activities down there, the Sky is lame af the only substaintial island is the tutorial, and the overworld, as much as they tried to change it, is still re-used. TotK is unable to capture the same sense of exploration and discovery as BotW because it's so re-used. TotK might technically be better, but BotW was better

[@kyleh1358]

One thing I found that really impacted my play of TotK was "how" I played it. I played a good chunk of hours while trying to ignore any online discourse. Eventually I saw the standard Speeder Bike build and leveraged that for several hours of playtime and that really sucked the fun out of it for me. I think with all the potential freedom to do anything and work around puzzles instead of going through them, it can really change the game. As I've been playing again over the last few months I've tried to go through the puzzles/challenges as much as possible and have been enjoying it a lot again!

[@luxdalet]

Felix certainly summed all of my feelings of Tears of the Kingdom. What I liked the most in this game were the villages. I was so hyped for the sky islands, and then few and repetitive. Had momentary fun with the building mechanics. Then everything else felt marginally better or too rehashed for my enjoyment... Still had fun, but not as much as I did and still have with Breath of the Wild.

[@okayemjay]

My favorite thing about TotK was the reused map. BotW is so special to me, I’ve played it over and over again for hundreds of hours. So going back to that world with new things to do was one of the most emotional experiences I’ve ever had in a game.

[@mkjjoe]

To me it didn't hit as hard as I hoped because the lively places were very similar. Kinda like visiting on vacation after a few years, some noticeable changes but nothing mind-bending Well not exactly after a few years since I had kept playing BOTW since release, so it felt more like picking up from where I left. The truly new areas felt isolated and monotonous...

[@thespeculativemusician]

@@mkjjoeand having only 1 big sky island (tutorial)

[@cosmicjellyf1sh]

I’m glad TOTK exists. I don’t think they would have ever been able to do things like ultrahand and fuse if they did it in a completely new world. It’s a beautiful game with some amazing moments. BOTW had something very special about it that was lacking in TOTK, but I’m glad they made a sequel and not a new game because it was so much fun to play.

[@Rafael33-nn6ox]

BOTW is a sensational game and made me fall in love with the series and seemed impossible that it could be outdone, but Nintendo completely proved us wrong. I’ve never experienced such an awe inspiring and sensational game, truly the best game experience of any with its fabulous, story, ending and exploration. It is the closest that we’ll get to a perfect game

[@KoollKam]

My year with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I've got about 500+ hrs logged in, pretty sure I have all the armor pieces, all the shrines completed, all light roots found, 90/139 side quests done, I've even got the ancient hero's aspect, the champion leathers, and tunic of memories upgraded to level 4. I'll honestly admit that a small portion of the time I've spent with the game has been watching the sun rise or set at one of the highest points of the game...then diving off lol. I love this game and I still go back and play Breath of the Wild from time to time. I love what nintendo has done with these 2 games. Truly works of art.

[@Jose_Ole_Posole]

I just bought this game 2 days ago. Got a few days off from work coming up and Im gonna spent those days off playing this game. Looking forward to it.

[@reeseseater12]

TotK is a phenomenal game, I do have some criticisms of it though. I do think it improved upon what BotW set, but the improvements weren’t as drastic as people hoped for, so that’s why people were hyper critical of it. I personally would’ve preferred maybe a bit more civilizational development, so the destruction from the revival of Ganon is more pronounced. I thought it was cool that your horses transferred over from the game, I think previous armor sets should’ve too (and they should’ve had just more legendary weapons and brand new armor sets rehidden, for those who didn’t get them all they would be there for them) however all the upgrades are lost, so you still have to do that. Having more NPC remember you and the cutscenes for the sages be more individualized rather than the same one over & over.

[@56ty_]

Who are you speaking for exactly? Most people consider it a worthy upgrade to botw.

[@reeseseater12]

@@56ty_ I specifically said that myself in the 2nd sentence. However I did go onto elaborate the parts I felt it fell short on (and it was also held back by some decisions made in BotW) I mean I did start out saying it’s a phenomenal game, although everything is subject to criticism and can be improved

[@jackginney6795]

Literatly what I’ve been saying, the upgrades to breath of the wild were insanely minor, also the depths and sky islands had literatly nothing in them and shoudl’ve had way more places to explore and way more enemies and just reasons to explore them

[@reeseseater12]

@@jackginney6795 I can understand that the sky islands are mostly empty, give them a feel of abandonment, they could’ve taken more inspiration from sky civilizations to make previous games feel more connected. As for the underground, idk how to improve that tbh, more ruins to explore maybe? Some traps set around?

[@56ty_]

@@reeseseater12 yeah I somewhat agree with your opinion. But again, most people love the game and think it’s better then botw. Let’s not pretend a vocal KZbin minority is representative of the 20+ million players

[@theichytype]

This is my very first Zelda game, I haven’t finished the game (because some aholes always have to spoil the ending when it just came out) Anyways I like the game a lot, there’s way too many things to explore in huge layers of maps, definitely one of the best games I’ve ever played. There’s a video called 183 tips in TOTK or something like that, I’m pretty sure even a very experienced player would find some new tips because of the new creative stuff added in the game.

[@nocookienolife]

TOTK innovation and creativity was really impressive. Games like this move gaming forward. It’s only natural to find some friction in reception here and there. Especially in a fan base so fragmented and nostalgic as Zelda. People seem to want more of the same in different settings but Nintendo isn’t about that usually (except when they bit the bullet and released Twilight Princess). The game also demands a certain level of curiosity and creativity to be best enjoyed (even if it’s not technically required). Without this impetus some gamers end up feeling left behind. Still, I like to see Nintendo trying things out even if sometimes even I may not like. It’s worth it. Thankfully in this case I loved it.

[@greenmenace9666]

That's a true and fair observation. I feel like that statement holds true with BoTW and ToTK and every other Nintendo franchise as well though. For me personally, as a long time fan, I dread the next Zelda to follow ToTK. I want Nintendo to take a step back from "building" Zelda. In my opinion, I would rather have it be a whole new game where it's a sandbox and Link goes around building stuff with various materials. One game of ultrahand + extended menu time is enough for me. You couldn't get away from it, which frustrated me because I wanted to feel like I was on an adventure. I didn't feel that way about BoTW, so I'd definitely prefer BoTW as a precedent. I technically prefer the old games, but I can see how (for BoTW at least) the open world formula has more to offer. But I also think some linearity would benefit the game because I'm genuinely losing interest. Like you said, the game demands curiosity and creativity to be best enjoyed. In my opinion, ToTK is more demanding than most in that department.

[@nocookienolife]

@@greenmenace9666 I really like your response. Well-balanced. I also fully agree it is not limited to TOTK (although I have it as the poster boy for innovation as of now). If they move forward with an open-air format again they’ll certainly have to bring more to the table. This ‘more’ may not be in expansiveness but in an ingenious gameplay system such as what Majora’s Mask has done. The dungeons in Totk may also be part of this direction. Dungeons fully integrated in the landscape but more in depth. Although I’m less interested in the dungeon discussion than about them finding a simple yet clever system. I would like them to have a buffer game. A top down 2d Zelda taking idea from both LBW and Minish Cap would allow them to be creative within certain constraints. This should also buy them valuable time to distance themselves from TOTK before coming with a fresh perspective. So much more can be done with 2d Zelda even with a limited budget. Introducing linearity though may not come in the way people expect as I doubt they’ll replicate the old formula 1 to 1. I feel people who are nostalgic for an older era will stay that way. I’m partially like that but I’m happy with what we got. At some point some fans will leave and that’s ok. I personally had my fill of FromSoftware games and I’m not going back until they change things up. That’s the opposite problem from Nintendo but at the end of the day I have to be true to myself and decide when to walk away with good memories instead of a disillusioned fan with misplaced expectations. All in all we have similar concerns with perhaps different degrees of intensity. If only people could be more civil in their discussions I’d enjoy more the community.

[@greenmenace9666]

@@nocookienolife ​ Thank you!! I agree, it would be awesome if fans could come together to discuss the games/franchise they love. If they could do that and provide feedback, I think that would help Zelda become better as a whole. I appreciate how well you're able to talk about what you like about BoTW and ToTK. It helps me (and hopefully other people like me) see what other fans value about the open air games. I might be tough on open world Zelda, but it is absolutely phenomenal with its combat and exploration. Those are key elements to Zelda, and it's *never* been better than it is right now in the open world. The physics engine is also extremely impressive. There's not much classics like OoT can do to compete because most of its puzzles are "go here" "go there." Traditionally, Zelda games have a gimmick to make them feel different from the others. Majora's Mask was the masks and living through groundhog day, for Skyward Sword it was motion controls, and for ToTK it's ultrahand. Those gimmicks are always hit and miss. For me personally, my biggest issue with the open world games are their pacing. The grind felt like a time sink to me. That grind (especially ToTK's) took dozens of hours. Open worlds are the opposite of tight: they are very loose to promote a sense of freedom at the cost of simpler rewards and lower "stakes." I'd be happy and buffered by your solution lol. 2D Zelda in my mind would be more affordable for the company, and therefore more realistic to make. I don't need a 1:1, I just want a game that tightly ties together combat, exploration, and puzzles. I'm pretty big on the dungeons. Even though I don't pay close attention to things like graphics or framerate, I like good art, catchy music, and a good theme. I'm also big on integrity (unique environments/situations) with the game that rewards me for exploring the game in depth. A fun and unique environment that rewards my efforts to overcome a challenge is epic in my book. The system in BoTW and ToTK is pretty solid, I'd just want a more efficient economy that doesn't force me to use a menu. And at this point, I'd also want the combat animations to be shaken up a bit.

[@randomduck8679]

​@@nocookienolife I'm confused by you not being happy with FromSoft not innovating. Didn't Elden Ring innovate just like BOTW? And does Armoured Core VI count or just Soulsborne games?

[@andrebenia]

TOTK was released on a Mother's day here in Brazil. The fact Nintendo Switch is a portable console made it possible for me to travel to another state, enjoy the weekend with her and still play over 15h in 2 days. Gotta love that old baby!

[@Salty_Bass]

Botw to me is the first three dungeons of OOT and TotK is the rest of the dungeons in OOT. I think it would be so cool if we got a version of the games that combine them into one so that when you finish BoTW it goes dorectly into Totk and the npcs actually remeber you and have altered dialogue.

[@hist150project5]

And that's the problem. That's exactly what people mean when they say "glorified" DLC. It just feels like more of the same game. If OoT originally came out with the child Link section and then a few years later released the adult Link section as a "sequel" it would've sucked.

[@rattiesteps1987]

@@hist150project5 If it was within the same map the way it was in oot then yes, buuuut at least the dungeons would be longer than 20 minutes unlike totk

[@jackginney6795]

That’s like a 400 hour expierience😅

[@rattiesteps1987]

@@jackginney6795 400 hours of running doing nothing

[@Salty_Bass]

@@jackginney6795 don't you threaten me with a good time

[@cenationshubh]

I still play it! I’m over 200 hours and still couldn’t finish it! Was playing it last night. I just roam around in the open world, take one or two fights with the monsters, enjoy the sunset and fall asleep. The best open world I’ve ever experienced hands down!

[@FortyTwoBlades]

Alex--I've been doing a challenge run that has essentially been Master Mode and the rules have been very easy to follow. It's made dynamics a lot more interesting and challenging, especially for a member of the Hyrule Engineering community like myself. The rules are: •No fast travel •Glider is okay •Food must be immediately eaten after cooking, or sold. •Raw ingredients may only be eaten when not in combat. •Potions may be held indefinitely and used in battle. •Potions may not be used while gliding (Link's hands must be free) •Only your basic starting battery. •Armor only upgradable to level 2 for set bonus unlock. It makes a lot of underused mechanics suddenly very important and makes strategizing your approach to things much more important. Give it a try if you need more of a challenge that requires fresh problem solving strats!

[@LouisLuzuka]

I wanna try 😮

[@capgorski]

I loved the changes introduced in TotK. I felt a stronger emotional connection to the destruction in BotW, but both are completely brilliant. I have seen suggested changes that I agree would have led to an even better TotK, but I love what we got.

[@carlos412]

The game is fantastic. So much to do, and I don't know if I haven't played BOTW in a while but TOTK looks even more beautiful. There are some gorgeous sceneries that form especially if you're in the sky at sunset. The boss battles were so so much better. The final boss was INSANE. Not only the fight, but THE DESCENT just blew my mind, it instantly became one of the most unforgettable video game moments I've had. I really wish there was more to do in the depths, considering it is the same size as the overworld map, it doesn't feel nearly as eventful, it feels very barren. Enemy variety is certainly an improvement, but still, doesn't feel as varied as it could be. I also wanted to see more civilization this time around, but it is more or less the same as in BOTW.

[@DPSnumber1]

I need to find a reason to continue with this game after I felt burned out and left it until I find the motivation to continue. I played BotW for so many hours that I don't really want to explore the same map and do similar tasks like I did in the other game. Maybe later this year, i will return to this game.

[@Herosadvisor]

I feel the same way. BotW hit me so hard on release but this one didn’t as much

[@Ray_2112]

Same, I loved BOTW and played it for 200+ hours, but TOTK just didn't click with me and I stopped after about 20 hours and sadly never wanted to go back so far.

[@samuel7-p2g]

Definitely

[@scottydoesknowenglish]

I put it down about 7 months ago and haven't played it since. Maybe one day I'll finish it but I've had no desire too, got bored of the map and felt no big draw to continue grinding shrines and finish the final temple before Ganon.

[@amandaslough125]

I've been making progress by doing a chunk, and then playing anything else for a palette cleanser before coming back.

[@hanzo90]

If both games were to be released at the same time like you see with Red and Blue I think it would be pretty unanimous that TotK is the overall better game

[@jtdx_]

Red and Blue are essentially the same game while BotW and TotK are not…?

[@hanzo90]

@@jtdx_ I wasn't making a point about them being the same because they are not. I only explained if they were merely released at the same time like Red and Blue.

[@jackginney6795]

True 100% but totk was meant to be a sequel and all it offered was a minor upgrade

[@jackginney6795]

@@jtdx_Totk it lit botw again

[@connorsmith3282]

​@@jackginney6795 The upgrade is not minor, the mechanics added are deceptively difficult to implement, and the amount of creative freedom they offered gave me in the hundreds of hour of playtime while still being able to try new things.

[@blakestewart7200]

Personally, as someone who was always fundamentally bummed and not very excited because we were getting a game in the same world as BotW, I am surprised to say it’s now my favorite game ever made. It really feels like it and Breath of the Wild are one game we saw one team make over 12 years that was just released in two parts. Breath of the Wild was my favorite game and one I had played three times and put like 500 hours into over the years it’s been out, but Tears of the Kingdom has makes that world even more mysterious and fascinating and somehow improves the sense of exploration and discovery. Caves. CAVES. Truly an essential element of Zelda that we didn’t realize how much we were missing in 3D.

[@IamMusicNerd]

BotW was more ground breaking and surprised me more, but TotK has more replay value with all the creativity in crafting, creating different mob killing machines, flying machines, making your own weapons, etc. The story was better in TotK too. The only thing that was worse in TotK was the champion abilities. Everything else was an improvement.

[@miltonmendoza9874]

I am one year in playing TOTK and still haven't finished it yet. I am so close to fulfilling all sidequests and I only have defeating the final boss left... I love this game!!!

[@Nickk7878-v8t]

9:04 I actually disagree with Alex here. Although TotK is a sequel and takes ideas from BotW, it doesn't mean that it doesn't have the capacity to be as widely favored compared to BotW. There are so many sequels that come out that take so many ideas from the previous game but are still considered better games. One that instantly comes to mind and is relevant is Paper Mario TTYD, which is considered a better game than the original even though it takes some many elements from the first game, while adding its own touches, as it is a sequel and sequels tend to do that. The big problem I have with TotK is that the new ideas it introduces don't address any of the problems I had with BotW and often create problems of their own. Don't get me wrong, there are some new elements that this game has that I am either indifferent to or enjoy, but I honestly believe that this game is just simply a weaker experience than BotW.

[@TheLifeisgood72]

As always, mentions vague “problems” without any elaboration. So we don’t know if your problems are reasonable or stupid or what. BOTW’s biggest problems are it’s lack of enemy variety, a very boring and annoying approach to weapons and durability, among others. TOTK has enough enemies, and the weapon system is completely fixed with the fuse mechanic. Most of the problems have been turned into new and fun gameplay mechanics some of which have never been done in a game before.

[@Nickk7878-v8t]

@@TheLifeisgood72 Going through each individual problem I have with a game as massive as TotK will take too long. Just take my word for it. I don't want to write for 10+ minutes.

[@amandaslough125]

​@@TheLifeisgood72TotK only adds about 8 enemies. Both still have less enemies than the original NES game. Both still barely reach half as many enemies as previous games in the series. The fuse gimmick is a bandaid fix to the actual problems of the weapon system, exasperating them further in many ways. The story still takes place in the past and matters to the present even less. Memories are done worse. The story overall is riddled with plotholes. Your spending too much time in menus and the whole thing is just a lot of systems to grind.

[@joeldodson5238]

For me Tears of the Kingdom is one of the best games I have ever played. I did have this burnout feeling by the end of it, but from start to end, it was an amazing game to experience with it's new mechanics. That being said I have not touched the game since I beat it around a year ago.

[@fader72]

Its a literal miracle of a video game. The fact the fit those mechanics on a 2014 phone chip is ridiculous. amazing game.

[@reekhavoc2932]

Right😂 only the Japanese can do this

[@TheTechBeastGuy]

Tears of the Kingdom gave me the same feeling I had when I played Majoras Mask after Ocarina of time

[@creativealias85]

the reused map just killed it for me. i take issue with a lot of other aspects, but i think i'd have been able to look past them for the most part if the world at least felt genuinely different. botw felt so exciting because around every corner could be some new, unexpected thing. of course there's plenty of changes in totk's map, but outside of stuff like caves (which largely all meld together in my mind), all the differences were entirely localized to a few very specific points on the map, namely towns and a couple events here and there. everywhere i went, i always got the sense that yeah, there's something different, sure, but i look out at that landscape and i already know all of it, i already point in one direction and know where i'm going, etc. it just kills any sense of mystery of what lies ahead, where that sense of mystery and joy in discovery was one of the best parts of botw. it all just feels like too little too late, and i find myself glad they're not making DLC so they can just get onto making the next game instead.

[@griffredux9966]

For me BotW is maybe the greatest game I've ever played. I play it often, even after 100% it. I even watch game playthroughs every once in a while. There was a sense of wonder, excitement, newness and almost childlike glee. Everyone talked about it, everyone was playing it or wanted to. There is so much I love about the game. The NPC interactions, the champions, the abilities, the weapons, the overall story, the ending. This is the ultimate Zelda game for me. TotK was fun but just didn't quite live up to all that I just mentioned about BotW.

[@brichan1851]

I reiterate my comment from the “I still prefer Breath of the Wild over Tears of the Kingdom” video: “I think many, like yourself, think back more fondly on BotW over TotK because they played it first. There was that sense of awe in exploring this Hyrule, and when Tears came out, it was largely the same. The quality is there, but the wonder is diminished because we have seen much of it before. It’s really a difference between “revolutionary” and “evolutionary.” I love both games for different reasons. Breath is simply classic and cannot be equaled or topped. Tears is the next step and continues the story. Tears is more exciting in its action, while Breath is more exciting in its adventure. This is a coin and we are viewing both sides of it.”

[@paperluigi6132]

I think we should round up people that played Tears first and Breath second and see what they have to say. If they all (or most of them) prefer Tears, then yep, most enjoyment will come from the one you play first.

[@mkjjoe]

Considering the similar parts of this map (a good majority of the surface) I wonder how the tuning of each game impacts their discovery by players starting with either. That is, I first played BOTW and the movement itself was a challenge, the peaks and valleys were big obstacles. It was a lot of gliding but also climbing and swimming, which TOTK vastly reconfigured with new mechanics. So I expect my discovery of that surface, which was the entirety of that initial simpler experience, to hit differently from someone discovering Hyrule in TOTK. I'm curious because I have a negative outlook on that: the map was designed for BOTW so that exploring every nook and cranny would be fun. There was criticism of its "emptiness" or repetitiveness, but to me it's the variety in landscapes, landmarks, references, surprises that kept the game going for months and years. That ties into how fans of theories were more optimistic with so many possibilities and vague ties to the past. TOTK feels like it had to tack things onto that world to justify its mechanics, but the major new areas felt surprisingly isolated and monotonous with the same kind of non-unique rewards. So often I got neither the "journey" nor the "end" by choosing my own path. I also adored the wildlife in BOTW but not only was it barely expanded in TOTK, its importance was dwarfed. Vehicles make it easy to skip entire areas, but nerfing myself sometimes made me feel like I was going against a core premise ("you can do anything") as slow exploration could feel boring. Caves were a more comforting alternative to turn to, I didn't expect much from them but at least they had an element of surprise in how to navigate them. All and all the effort and novelty were spread too thin.

[@mikethehunter5212]

Personally, I started BOTW only about a year before TOTK came out, so the first-time experience was still pretty fresh in my situation. I think that sort of thing is severely overlooked in the BOTW vs. TOTK debate.

[@shauryasuri3653]

If you play totk first, it is the best in terms of both

[@milton5417]

I don’t understand people who say “of course you enjoy BoTW more because you played it first.” Uhh, because it was released first and ToTK is a *sequel*? 😂 Not trying to be snarky. I just don’t get how this line of reasoning helps ToTK’s case.

[@AshK3tchup]

I couldn't play TotK at launch. For me, my BotW experience only began in 2020, and so by 2023, I still had so much to explore (on my first and only play through). I loved the exploration and the feeling of being in an ancient wilderness in the aftermath of a terrible conflict. But as time wears on, and you gain better armour, weapons and, crucially, hearts and stamina, the game lost its sense of risk. I actually ended up rushing towards Ganon slightly before TotK came out, thinking I would go straight to it. And since then, I've struggled to enjoy BotW because I feel like I completed the main story, and therefore it's all mostly resolved. Would folks recommend I replay it on Master Mode? But playing TotK the last couple of days has been awesome. I love that feeling of risk again. Monsters are tough. You have to think about how to take on a camp of Moblins rather than rush headlong into them. I'm exploring Hebra first this time, and that is also giving the game a degree of freshness (I explored it last in BotW). I have felt a bit of the wonder again too, especially when sky diving. TotK is good, maybe not as breakthrough as BotW but still solid fun.

[@DiamondEDC]

If you want to lose yourself for a few hours, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more immersive experience offline.

[@reekhavoc2932]

Bingo

[@reekhavoc2932]

This game is perfect for Saturday morning w/ coffee

[@fpgmatthew]

BOTW made me tear up a few times, TOTK made me full on cry durning the ending. I have great memories with both, true masterpieces

[@Danimal28]

The most surprising thing about this video was learning that Alex is only 31 😂

[@karannegi7199]

One of the best open world Games (and games) ever created, and it's design influence is going to be felt and be even more prominent in the years to come

[@aileedubaron]

I truly envy people who went into TOTK without playing BOTW first. I feel like I would have loved the game more than I did had I not spent 500+ hours in the previous game. My main issues with the game were the sky islands bc they just felt like floating puzzles. "The zonai lived on these islands" no they did not, other than the occasional decayed building, there are no signs of life up there. I also ruined the story very early on for myself bc I was still working with my BOTW curiosity and got punished for it. I said "oooh new dragon, let me get close to it to take a look." Built a ship, got to her, saw the Master Sword, blue eyes, and blonde mane, and put two and two together. 😭 Then I saw the storm cloud when visiting Lurelin, got curious, made my way through the storm somehow, and found Mineru and her cutscene. 😫 Then already knowing where Zelda was, following the phantom Zelda felt redundant and the fact that I just couldn't tell someone and had to wait for the story to play itself out instead sucked. Good game tho 😂

[@aterriblesliceoftoast]

I honestly think ToTK is one of the best video games I’ve ever played in my 28 years on this rock. I don’t really see why people feel that it’s not better than BoTW, aside from the lack of a master mode, but it is just soooooo good. I’ve sunk 200+ hours into it over the last year, and I’m at 56% complete. Mostly missing koroks, but still😂. Biggest flaws for me; • Sky and Depths weren’t all that. • No master mode. • Can’t Pat the Doggo’s and animals in general.

[@MaxaMillion711]

Two things can be true: I appreciate and applaud the open world, the systems, the ultra hand, and creativity that is possible. ALSO, the storytelling is laughably bad, the dungeons are still terrible, the sky islands were disappointing, and after exploring BOTW, exploring TOTK didn’t feel as new or impressive.

[@heartdyedpurple]

I didn’t love the storytelling of botw, haven’t made it far enough into totk to decide yet, but I liked the storytelling of the dragon tears

[@BlanexBlz]

​@@heartdyedpurpleThe dragon tears were legitimately great. The problem is that I did them before anything else. To put it lightly, THAT COMPLETELY DESTROYS THE PACE OF THE CURRENT DAY STORY. Still angry about it

[@heartdyedpurple]

@@BlanexBlz aw crap, I did them pretty early. I thought that was the point! I guess I shouldn’t expect much from the rest of the game, story wise?

[@BlanexBlz]

@heartdyedpurple Unfortunately you shouldn't. Well until you beat all the dungeons. Then the story really picks up, though it's Unfortunately rather short. Side quests can be seriously hit or miss if you did all the memories and got the master sword, though some of them are really good.

[@trixxy9566]

lightning temple was more than adequate imo

[@puppy14]

I recently picked it back up after beating it and getting all the shrines last year. I’m just wearing my Korok mask and looking for them as I check out the map. The game is brilliant.

[@borromorro]

Idk, barley new enemies, same mechanic of collecting memories/koroks/shrines. The underworld is all 1 skin, 90% botw reused armor. Did i mention barley any new enemies? The bow is still op

[@JS-bh3pz]

Barely new enemies? When you replay Breath of the Wild you notice that it is just a walking and physics simulator. When you play Tears of the Kingdom first time you notice that every few yards something is trying to kill you. I loved the introduction of Monster HQ and quests to get rid of the Pirates. There is much much more action in the sequel if don't care for exploring and just play for action.

[@borromorro]

@JS-bh3pz you didn't mention any new enemies

[@JS-bh3pz]

@@borromorro Simply because I can never learn the wacky names Nintendo names the characters. There is new stuff within each type of Breath of the Wild enemies.

[@reekhavoc2932]

​@JS-bh3pz yes you're correct lol and they do have new enemies haha...gloom hands, phantom ganon, those cave monkey things..etc

[@JS-bh3pz]

@@reekhavoc2932 and the big ones in the depth are brand new and there are different kinds of old ones like the one shooting fire arrows or carrying meat around or the groups waking in the córeczkę with the big one in front or the skeletons in Gerudo. There are is shit loads of new monsters and it serves well for bulging weapons as you need to challenge best ones to get the best parts. Also, the new mechanic with dazzle fruit, puff mushirooms and the thing that makes them attack themselves is totally new comparing to the Braath of the Wild. Also, when you give something the cherry tree it shows locations of the unicorn like thing and you need to go through the caves to find those ones that shit the star out that you can pay with in the monster shop. The actual names of those creatures are very Nintendo like but to say there is nothing new in this department is totally false. The fact alone that you can’t freely explore as there is something trying to kill your every few meters is brand new. Oh, there are also those gigantic 3 headed like dragons that are fun, killing trees and shit of loads of other stuff. Also, how can I forget that the ninja master from the Breath of the Wild is a Lego technics genius in this one !

[@georged7627]

I’m playing Zelda Wind Waker atm and now i have a soft spot for koroks.

[@cocomilk6684]

I think the fact that the mobility is so much better/accessible makes it not as fun for me. I recently replayed BOTW on PC, and I explored so much more because you really only have Gale and Horse to move around. (Ignoring stasis launching and wind bombs) Especially for mountains, it was fun exploring as I made my way up them with limited options. In TOTK I can just dive from the sky to get anywhere I need to. I can be on the peak of a mountain without ever having to go up it by just diving onto it from a nearby shrine in the sky or a tower.

[@themoviecritic1092]

I finished the game finally last week and man it was a phenomenal experience. I honestly don't understand the hate for this game and people saying that it lacks replayability. The only reason I stopped playing was because of college but whenever I did make time to play the game, I had the time of my life. The final boss and overall ending was great to witness and I'm soooo glad I didn't get most of it spoiled. I'll also never understand the DLC conversation... it's a sequel. Of course, it's going to have some aspects of its predecessor (I mean, look at God of War Ragnarok). There's some things that could've been better, but overall I love this game and I will definitely finish the many side quests that this game has.

[@dandelionbritt]

To me it was a massive disappointment that was not worth the wait. I'm happy for those who can enjoy it, but I'll be happy to move on to a completely different Zelda experience in the future.

[@mrsdsparky]

I feel so much of the things we did in BOTW…progressed the story… For example, all of the divine beasts were about working up to the ultimate game villain… But in Totk, in all honesty, the sage/temple stuff still doesn’t make sense to me in terms of the actual story. Totk just seems like tons and tons of independent things stitched together, as if everything in Totk is just one big anthology

[@noobstoise1024]

Ngl, I like Tears of the Kingdom, but in the same way I like fast food. I can enjoy it on a surface level, but the more I dig deeper the less satisfied I feel. It feels super disconnected from pretty much everything prior including BoTW, the depths and sky islands feel lacking, having everything be Zonai just felt out of nowhere, the fuse mechanics don't really fix my issues with the durability mechanic, I tend to glitch so much to fix issues I shouldn't of had, and the building feels underwhelming and probably needed more time. Saying all that, it's still a fun game to shut my brain off and just goof around with.

[@callnight1441]

BOTW quickly became my favourite video game of all time....then TOTK came out, which is currently my favourite video game of all time

[@novustalks7525]

Totk finally made combat in a zelda game fun. It improved all of botw flaws and had some truly amazing boss fights

[@kito-]

20:19 great metaphor. That idea is reflected not just in the world but in the music too.

[@yanguskhan8513]

as much as i enjoyed my time with TOTK, it took 6 years to release. imagine what sort of game they could have created if they made a new game instead of using a lot of the guts from BOTW. i kinda wished that they made a new game, maybe purposely built for the switch successor, instead of creating TOTK. dont get me wrong, its a great game, but when you boil it down, its just BOTW with some upgrades, a BOTW DLC essentially. using that 6 years, plus maybe a year or 2 more to time iwth with the switch 2 release, image what sort of game we could of had.

[@paperluigi6132]

It would’ve been the same game with slightly more stuff to do but with better graphics. This is what they wanted to do, so accept it, despite the flaws it has.

[@dreburke741]

I have been a Legend Of Zelda fan since the original legend on the NES. To see the evolution of this series is truly mind blowing. BOTW & TOTK are definitely another pair of classics to the franchise

[@laurakuipers4292]

The argument of it being unfair to compare totk to botw because it is a sequel is not really valid though. Majoras mask was a sequel, they managed to do right there 🤷‍♀️

[@badwolf8112]

All comparisons are valid.

[@laurakuipers4292]

@@badwolf8112 exactly! Of course we can compare botw and totk, they are so similar. Especially because we know they are able to do sequels in a better and more original way

[@maximnewman2483]

It is my favourite game of all time. Loved playing it.

[@reekhavoc2932]

Slowly becoming my fav game of all time over cyberpunk

[@jialin7]

I honestly think Totk is my favorite game of 2023, for me at least it surpasses BotW. The story is one of the best Zelda stories ever written, but it’s just presented so horribly. Because the story is linear, it’s conflicting with the freedom you get

[@nosouponhead]

I prefer linear.

[@jialin7]

@ me too, but ToTK doesn't work with the way they handled it

[@whimsicalhamster88]

I got burnout with the game when upgrading every armor piece requires you to go and kill a bunch of random enemies in the hope they drop what you need. It wasn't even a challenge, just tedious. I had done all of the shrines, side quests and main story bits. The only thing I felt like I had to do was finding every Addison. The game should really put down a marker when you find him. Otherwise you have to go online, find a map, and then double-check every single spot he could be which is also super tedious.

[@ThatFaceMelter94]

The reward system is my biggest gripe about both BotW and TotK. It also eludes to the linear vs. open world conversation. I feel a linear means of progression in the story/dungeons could populate the world with useful items/keys long sought after by the player like in previous Zeldas.

[@TheLifeisgood72]

Items/keys were outdated and boring in 2004 and they’re even more outdated in 2024.

[@ThatFaceMelter94]

@@TheLifeisgood72 They can still be implemented in a non-outdated way. It's only as outdated as they allow it to be.

[@amandaslough125]

​@@TheLifeisgood72The TotK Temples literally were just basic lock and key sequences ...

[@AidanRatnage]

I've only ever seen one person, one time, playing the Switch on the bus other than me. And I've never seen it anywhere else on-the-go.

[@freehigh9231]

It is just a Glorified DLC . . . And I've been a Zelda Fan since very first game. I've owned every single one.

[@TheLifeisgood72]

That’s the problem… you’re a zelda fan. So you want the game to be outdated and boring like all the other 3d zelda games.

[@dave9515]

@@TheLifeisgood72 Just say you hate puzzles and dungeons instead of slandering better games.

[@TheLifeisgood72]

@@dave9515 Those puzzles are boring and outdated as crap. They've been since windwaker. That's why Zelda sales were on the decline until BOTW.

[@dave9515]

@@TheLifeisgood72 Right thats why TP sold 8 million copies. BOTW brought the series mainstream but it was doing fine even with Skyward Sword. Again just say you hate fun instead of slandering the better games.

[@louiepikmin3184]

There's ultrahand to manipulate the world around you, fuse which completely changes combat, 6 new dungeons including the castle, sky islands and a mirrored version of the map underneath the normal one, a ton of new bosses, new enemies, 152 new shrines, a whole new food recipe book with dozens of new recipes, new weapons, new armor, and you call that dlc?

[@emayzd]

Bought a cheap Wii U 1.5 years ago after not owning a Nintendo console since the Wii and rolled credits on BOTW (120 hrs with main quest, 4 devine beasts etc) I was blown away by the overall game. Only last week started TOTK on a new OLED. Loving the new abilities and playing on the OLED!!!

[@Darkness_at_Noon56]

I loved BOTW. I tried and I just can't get into all the building mechanics. I get people like the sandbox aspect, but I liked questing on my horse in past Zelda games. It's over complicated in my view

[@Krakenjackz]

That's the best part, you don't even have to do building if you don't want to. Sure you are missing out on some content, but most of the game can be played traditionally.

[@speedude0164]

​@@KrakenjackzI remember Zeltik saying in his video that he wished they expected more of you in regards to Ultrahand, and while I get where he's coming from, the reason I disagree is that the game will usually let you go from point A to point B just with one battery and all Zonai devices provided, but doing something crazy with the system really allows you to go above and beyond, and it's entirely your choice whether or not you want to do it.

[@witherwraithmc]

@@freakingluigi6626 If there's anything TotK isn't, it's glorified DLC. I enjoyed BotW more but TotK is so packed with stuff it's not anywhere close.

[@hist150project5]

@@witherwraithmc Most of the stuff is repetitive copy and pasted stuff

[@Krakenjackz]

@freakingluigi6626 the addition of the sky islands, the depths, a new story and dungeons, map changes and quest lines definitely set it apart from botw imo. If you don't view it that way, that's ok. I think the games fo have a lot in common but the vibes and feel of the games couldn't be any more different.

[@irvinyeager2958]

Planning to play it again soonish. I got a bit discouraged to play it more the first time as it seemed impossible to get things like the right lizalfo tails to upgrade armor to level 4.

[@richardingram2374]

It’s an amazing game that had BotW not existed for me would have hit a whole lot harder. Story was a tiny bit better, some abilities were better and some were worse. The land map was 99.99% unchanged. The depths were a wasted opportunity and the sky islands outside of the first few hours may as well have not existed. I didn’t really get to grips with building vehicles outside of a few basic cars/rafts/air balloons etc… but the fusing of weapons and items was inspired. If they had spent some time making the land area a bit more different (more towns being built, existing towns being built upon etc…) it would have been even more impactful. It’s obviously the better game but it’s incremental, a 9.8 to BotW’s 9.6 for eg. BotW will always be the more memorable game to me personally.

[@FireFistLiberator]

My personal Botw experience is jaded because I remember being so mesmerized by it and every moment feeling personal and like I was the only one on the planet to make the discoveries in the ways I made them. And then I made the biggest mistake of letting a co-worker borrow my copy… By the time I got my copy back life had gone forward into a different chapter with less time for gaming. Eventually I finished the story (just to say I did). Fast forward to TOTK and I vowed to not stop until the end! And due to this weird unique experience TOTK is my preferred (uninterrupted) pick.

[@firesnakex8]

It's a really well made game no doubt about it, but I feel that the way the game is structured really hinders my enjoyment. It's way too open and you have way too much freedom. Because of that its easy to achieve things and doing things like going into the sky seem more normal than amazing and fun. The fun of being able to achieve things is working around the limitations you've been given. When the game wants you to do something a certain way but you circumvent it, that's when you get the satisfaction. Also not to mention I think the world is too big. Because of that all the fun parts are too spread apart so you aren't consistently having fun but rather having spaces in between where it just drags on and the game starts to burn you out. I'd rather have a short game that is consistently fun and well paced rather than a giant long game where all the fun parts are spaced apart.

[@Nintendofan91]

I’ve completed the main story quests, all shrines, all lightroots, all of the side adventures, most of the side quests, and have found almost every piece of armor. I’ve also started separate playthroughs on other accounts to try various challenge runs like I did many times with BotW, but to me it doesn’t have the same replayability, at least right now. I’ll definitely be revisiting the game eventually with a fresh perspective. I happen to be picking up a PS5 this weekend with Elden Ring so I’ll be pretty occupied with that for some time I’m sure 😂

[@VampireTuesday]

TotK felt like neither a true sequel or its own game

[@Cowntsikin]

I agree, but I reckon that it would have been better if I played it without having played BotW

[@TheLifeisgood72]

No it’s definitely it’s own game.

[@Rabbit23GSO]

I still haven't stopped playing, I'm still on the 2nd playthrough