The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom may already be many people’s prediction for Game of the Year 2023, but those sky-high expectations have also given Redditors some fears about the release..Breath of the Wild is special title and the massive amounts of critical acclaim and commercial success that met its release raised the bar for the Zelda series as a whole. As a result, many are assuming that its sequel will only continue what it started.
However, innovation and evolution were at the heart of what made Breath of the Wild a game-changing success. A sequel of limited ambition and one that fails to expand on what made its predecessor great might end up disappointing fans when it releases later this year. From the same old overworld map feeling stale to Princess Zelda being mostly absent once again, these are some Redditor’s biggest fears about Tears of the Kingdom, spawned by Redditor Tyto_251009.
- 10 Tears Of The Kingdom Might Be Too Long
- 9 Princess Zelda Might Be Notably Absent Again
- 8 Climbing In The Rain Might Remain The Same
- 7 Tears Of The Kingdom Might Leave Out The Hookshot
- 6 Tears Of The Kingdom Might Use The Same Old Enemies
- 5 Tears Of The Kingdom Might Not Have Dungeons
- 4 The Switch Might Struggle With Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
- 3 Tears Of The Kingdom's Map Might Disappoint
- 2 Tears Of The Kingdom Might Be Delayed Again
- 1 Tears Of The Kingdom May Get Backlash For Not Innovating
10 Tears Of The Kingdom Might Be Too Long
There tends to be pressure for sequels to always be bigger as well as better than their predecessors, but Nintendo might be smart to focus on the latter point with Tears of the Kingdom. Including side content, Breath of the Wild is already a very long single-player game and Redditor TawnLR is concerned the sequel might inevitably be “too long” and “become boring after 40 hours or so.“
Breath of the Wild is a sprawling experience but whether all of its additional content landed, particularly the purely completionist elements like collecting all of the Korok seeds, is a matter of debate. For fans that have had six years to get to grips with the game’s mechanics and its world, Tears of the Kingdom could easily become boring a lot quicker if it’s simply more of the same. That’s why a focus on brevity could be the best way to ensure the sequel doesn’t disappoint.
9 Princess Zelda Might Be Notably Absent Again
Part of what could make or break Tears of the Kingdom as a satisfying sequel is whether it addresses the biggest complaints about BOTW and that includes more than just annoying gameplay mechanics. Breath of the Wild‘s princess is the best version of Zelda the games have produced and fans like Redditor Multi-tunes would not be happy if she’s “almost completely absent from the game until the end again.“
Throughout the Legend of Zelda series, the princess has often been disappointingly reduced to a damsel-in-distress role, but her Breath of the Wild characterization made her far more human and likable as a character. Now would be the perfect time for her to have more agency which is why there have been countless calls for her to be a playable character in the sequel. For Tears of the Kingdom to ignore fans and give her the same clichéd role again would be more than disappointing.
8 Climbing In The Rain Might Remain The Same
The biggest questions surrounding Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom might be its story and what it does with the world, but how it addresses small details is something that fans have just as many fears about. A harsh reality of replaying Breath of the Wild is that it does have some frustrating gameplay and Redditor Geshtar1‘s biggest concern is that “rain and climbing mechanics remain the same” in the sequel.
Whilst weapons breaking too easily might have been a more popular topic of criticism, it’s clear that it’s part of a purposeful effort to get the player to be smart and resourceful. In contrast, the near-impossibility of climbing surfaces in the rain means there really isn’t anything the player can do but resign themselves to frustration in those sections. That makes it a no-brainer to adjust for some fans if TOTK is to be a less annoying experience.
7 Tears Of The Kingdom Might Leave Out The Hookshot
Though there hasn’t been any explicit indication that Zelda: TOTK will re-introduce any of the elements that have defined the Zelda series over the years which Breath of the Wild omitted, some fans are expecting it to do just that. In fact, Redditor Nova604 admits that they’re “afraid they won’t give us the hookshot” in Tears of the Kingdom.
The hookshot is far from the only classic Zelda item that Breath of the Wild removed in aid of both its shift away from the Zelda series’ traditional sequential system of gaining key items and the new exploration mechanics, but it’s perhaps the most beloved. Whilst the idea that they stay committed to denying the player a hookshot doesn’t seem major, it would likely mean traversal in general isn’t getting refreshed and that would be a bigger disappointment.
6 Tears Of The Kingdom Might Use The Same Old Enemies
For Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to avoid disappointing fans, it likely won’t be able to get away with recycling the same enemies from the previous game. BotW had plenty of fun and challenging enemies, but that’s likely exactly why Redditor NoEggsOrBeansPlz is worried they’ll get complacent and fail to “add more enemy variety” in the sequel.
Enemy variety was one of Breath of the Wild‘s strong suits but giving old enemies extra attacks or armor won’t be enough to make for the challenging new combat encounters fans will need to truly enjoy the new game. Fans are also hoping to see the return of fan-favorite enemies like ReDeads and Darknuts, so this is one area where fans would be bitterly disappointed if Tears of the Kingdom went for a lazier option.
5 Tears Of The Kingdom Might Not Have Dungeons
Massive franchises like the Zelda series are expected to constantly evolve but, for once, TOTK is a sequel where going back to an older format might be the best thing the developers can do. It seems strange given that Breath of the Wild was the best-selling Zelda series game ever but Redditor TriforksWarrior isn’t alone in saying they’d be “a little disappointed” if the sequel didn’t utilize a more traditional dungeon system.
Breath of the Wild‘s Divine Beasts and its shrines provided an interesting alternative, but there’s something fundamentally satisfying about beating large self-contained dungeons that each have their own unique themes and challenges. Whilst Nintendo has proved time and time again that they thrive when given the freedom to experiment and make big changes, traditional Zelda dungeons have a unique appeal that means anything else will automatically disappoint some.
4 The Switch Might Struggle With Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
If it’s to live up to the hype, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will have to be an absolutely massive game and that could come with some unexpected downsides. Redditor isaytyler is one fan already convinced the sequel will be amazing but comments that their “biggest fear is if the Switch struggles to do it justice.”
The Nintendo Switch has some visually stunning games but its limitations have begun to show more and more in recent years, with the troubled Pokémon Scarlet and Violet release reminding people that it’s simply not a very powerful machine, particularly in comparison to the newest generation of consoles. Tears of the Kingdom will inevitably aim to be a beautiful experience on a grand scale, which is why the Switch’s graphical and technical limitations might become more noticeable than ever.
3 Tears Of The Kingdom’s Map Might Disappoint
Given Tears of the Kingdom started life as a planned DLC for Breath of the Wild (via Polygon) before it became a full sequel, it’s hard to imagine it will change a lot about the core mechanics and even the main map from the original game. Redditor jack33jack worries that “the real magic of BOTW was exploring a large new place and discovering mechanics” and the sequel simply won’t be able to deliver that same thrill.
Breath of the Wild provided a vibrant open world but it’s hard to imagine revisiting the same locations with simple tweaks and new enemies will be as much fun. Whilst expanding the map to add new areas is one interesting direction the sequel could go, there would still be no incentive to spend time exploring the main area anymore. Rewarding exploration was at the heart of Breath of the Wild, so there are legitimate concerns about whether it’s even possible for the sequel to live up.
2 Tears Of The Kingdom Might Be Delayed Again
Originally slated for a 2022 release, Tears of the Kingdom has already been pushed back once to its currently scheduled release date in May of this year. Whilst these changes are pretty standard for a massive AAA title at this point, it still has Redditor gaziway worried that it will be “delayed for release” again.
For fans that aren’t too concerned about the gameplay or story of the highly-anticipated Breath of the Wild sequel being a let-down, the release of Tears of the Kingdom can’t come soon enough. As a result, long and protracted delays could cause the biggest backlash from fans of all, ultimately even potentially tarnishing the release when it does eventually come. With the May release date still standing though, there’s reason to be optimistic.
1 Tears Of The Kingdom May Get Backlash For Not Innovating
As the sequel to one of the most clever and innovative games the series has produced, Tears of the Kingdom faces massive expectations from fans. That’s why one Redditor is most anxious that “people will be disappointed” by it simply because it isn’t a “revolutionary, genre-defining game like botw was.”
BOTW is full of mechanics and hidden features and that makes it really hard to imagine what Tears of the Kingdom could add that would enhance the experience. Despite that, fans likely won’t be satisfied with a sequel that’s mostly focused on telling a new story with the same mechanics and format, meaning they could be setting themselves up for disappointment when Tears of the Kingdom finally releases in May.
Source: Tyto_251009/Reddit, TawnLR/Reddit, Multi-tunes/Reddit, Geshtar1/Reddit, Nova604/Reddit, NoEggsOrBeansPlz/Reddit, TriforksWarrior/Reddit, isaytyler/Reddit, jack33jack/Reddit, gaziway/Reddit, C-Man445/Reddit
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