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After 300 Hours In Zelda: BOTW, I Finally Figured Out Why I Like It More Than TOTK
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a very special game, one that has stood the test of time and remained a remarkable achievement, even through the murky lens of 2025’s gaming culture. There’s a reason so many of us continue to return to what is, at least in my opinion, Nintendo’s greatest game. BOTW achieved something no other game had ever managed before, and it largely remains unchallenged, especially when it comes to implementing enjoyable exploration and meaningful environmental storytelling.
In fact, BOTW is almost too unique, with follow-up attempts, both from Nintendo and third-party copycats, rarely capturing the magic that made it so phenomenal in the first place. Breath of the Wild’s sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, is certainly an enjoyable game in its own right, but it doesn’t come close to being better than its predecessor. I couldn’t put my finger on why for a considerable amount of time, but after nearly 300 hours in BOTW, I have finally figured it out, and it has made returning to TOTK almost impossible.
BOTW’s Atmosphere Is What Made It So Phenomenal
It Feels More Coherent And Consistent
Tone and atmosphere play such a significant role in video games, but I feel they are often sorely overlooked. The feeling of unease and dread as you step into Ash Lake for the first time in Dark Souls, or the joyous sense of adventure that washes over you as you bound across the Argentum Trade Guild in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, are just as integral to both of those experiences as their gameplay mechanics and visuals. Tone and atmosphere are the reason I continuously find myself replaying BOTW endlessly, because it captures a mood unlike any other game.
Breath of the Wild is melancholic, isolating, and introspective. It is also beautiful, tranquil, and heartfelt. There is something so hopelessly somber about meandering across BOTW’s sparse yet mesmerizing rolling fields and up its frost-capped mountains. Reaching the top of the highest peak and watching the sunset sweep across Hyrule is also a transformative and hopeful experience that, at least the dozen times I’ve experienced it, imbues me with a sense of joy. The simultaneous encapsulation of both the beauty and grief of Hyrule is what makes BOTW so revolutionary and enjoyable.
Despite TOTK’s Improvements, It Still Can’t Beat BOTW
Ultrahand Could Never Replace BOTW’s Tone
Tears of the Kingdom, for all its many achievements – and there are many – never quite manages to capture that same tone, or really commit to one of its own. There’s something missing in TOTK, between the mechanic-focused innovations and a sudden overwhelming sense of creativity that makes it a significantly less engrossing experience, at least for me. The ability to create anything at any time robs TOTK of the melancholy and isolation that BOTW has, because it’s actively encouraging a sense of whimsy and fun that its predecessor lacked.
TOTK also fills its version of Hyrule with more NPCs, has more activities in the open world, and adds new settlements. The once-haunting apocalypse feels well and truly over, at least in some respects. I found, after many hours in both BOTW and TOTK, that, deep down, Tears of the Kingdom was still trying to capture that same sense of melancholy that Breath of the Wild had. Its soundtrack is still deft and subtle, its world retains, on occasion, those beautiful moments of reflective solitude, and the physical devastation of Hyrule reminds you that the war is not quite over.
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Yet, despite its best efforts, TOTK can’t capture BOTW’s magic, at least when it comes to its more uneasy and deeply haunting tone. That is by far its greatest weakness, something that, frankly, could have been resolved by carving its own path and attempting a new tone altogether. When TOTK is at its most creative, pushing players to design silly contraptions and pairing Link up with its quirky cast of characters, it shines. But it doesn’t commit to that in the same way BOTW committed to Link’s isolation and its exploration of the heavy burden resting on his shoulders.
Zelda’s Next Game Should Focus On BOTW’s Strengths
TOTK Shouldn’t Be The Model Going Forward
Whatever the next Zelda game may be, it shouldn’t make the same mistakes as Tears of the Kingdom. Of course, well before I hit the 300-hour mark, I was keenly aware of how Tears of the Kingdom’s reuse of Hyrule felt disappointing. Its gameplay, while drastically different, prioritized mechanical innovation over unique worldbuilding, which also hurt it. TOTK also put far too much focus on its unbridled creativity, which alienated anyone who didn’t have the patience to truly get to grips with the endless potential of its many new mechanics.
All of these issues, which plagued my first and second playthrough of Tears of the Kingdom, should not be repeated in the next Zelda game. But, crucially, Zelda’s next entry should focus on Breath of the Wild’s greatest strengths, rather than correcting TOTK’s weaknesses. It needs a consistent and powerful atmosphere and tone that makes its world feel more alive than any number of NPCs or fancy environmental design can offer. It needs to evoke a feeling in the way Ash Lake or the Argentum Trade Guild, to name a few, have in other games.
With a strong sense of identity, tone, and atmosphere, the next Zelda game could easily match Breath of the Wild and become Nintendo’s next best game.
When Nintendo puts the world, atmosphere, and tone first, it creates something truly spectacular. However, when it falls back on gameplay and mechanical innovation, it falters. This was also the case with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The next Zelda game needs a world oozing with atmosphere, just like Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, and the many other amazing games in the series. With a strong sense of identity, tone, and atmosphere, the next Zelda game could easily match Breath of the Wild and become Nintendo’s next best game.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
5/10
- Released
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March 3, 2017
- ESRB
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E for Everyone: Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Engine
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Havok
- Cross-Platform Play
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no
- Cross Save
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no
