Things Breath of the Wild Does Better than Tears of the Kingdom

Highlights

Tears of the Kingdom is less forgiving to beginners and has stronger enemies compared to Breath of the Wild.
Shrine Trials in Tears of the Kingdom have more tutorial trials and lack the creativity of the Sheikah Shrines in Breath of the Wild.
Tears of the Kingdom's gameplay mechanics, such as fusing elemental weapons, offer more versatility, but selling ore for rupees and purchasing items is more challenging compared to Breath of the Wild.

Let it be said that Tears of the Kingdom is a successful sequel to the already-acclaimed Breath of the Wild. Fans were hyped for more information when the teaser was dropped back at E3 2019. Given the skyrocketing sales, it's safe to say that it lived up to the audience's expectations.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Franchise: The Legend of Zelda
Platform(s): Nintendo Wii U , Switch
Released: March 3, 2017
Developer(s): Nintendo EPD
Publisher(s): Nintendo

Now that Tears of the Kingdom has been on the shelves for more than a few months, some players find themselves returning to Breath of the Wild. It would appear that despite all its achievements, TotK made fans nostalgic for the prequel. Some have even noticed that while TotK really pushes the world of BotW to its limits, it still has its own share of drawbacks, and that while it may be a sequel, its predecessor still has more than enough going for it.

Updated on February 3, 2024 by Renri Seong: Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom set a high bar for the next Legend of Zelda game, and yet despite their praise, they each have their own flaws. A common complaint about Breath of the Wild was the story and how there were no Temples, a long-time staple of the Zelda franchise. While Tears of the Kingdom brought back Temples and even Sages, certain gameplay mechanics, such as the Sages'' Vows, had some players missing Breath of the Wild. The following list has been updated to include three "things" Breath of the Wild does better than Tears of the Kingdom.

10 Gameplay is More Forgiving

No Gloom

It goes without saying that Tears of the Kingdom is not friendly to new beginners. Its tutorial mode, when compared to Breath of the Wild, is much longer and can take an hour or two compared to the Great Plateau. This is probably due to Link's new Abilities. Another reason: At the end of the tutorial in BotW, Link would get the paraglider from King Rhoam. In TotK, Rauru does his best to lend a hand, but doesn't seem to have anymore parting gifts when Link departs from the Great Sky Island.

The monsters and minibosses in Tears of the Kingdom are also much stronger than their Breath of the Wild counterparts. Factor in The Depths, and a newcomer to the series may find TotK less forgiving than its predecessor. That isn't to say Breath of the Wild isn't without its threats. Guardian Stalkers were a force to be reckoned with, and its arguable whether they're more of a nuisance than the Gloom Spawns in Tears of the Kingdom. However, when it comes down to setting foot on Hyrule, it's Tears of the Kingdom that has the stronger enemies.

9 Shrine Trials

Sheikah Shrines vs. Shrines of Light

loz botw fragmented monument shrine puzzle 1

A lot can be said about the Shrine Trials in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Completing them is necessary for building up Link's health and stamina. Usually, a Sheikah Shrine (BotW) or Shrine of Light (TotK) will have a series of puzzles that Link needs to solve before he can get the Spirit Orb or Blessing of Light. In some cases, a Shrine doesn't have a Trial but rather a "Blessing," in which Link can just waltz on in and grab the Orb. These types of Shrines are usually locked behind a puzzle that involves unearthing the Shrine.

Surprisingly, there are a lot of "Rauru's Blessing" Shrines in TotK. Many of the Shrine Quests involve bringing a giant green crystal to the destined location. One would figure with creative abilities such as Fuse and Ultrahand that the Shrine Trials would call for some more creativity. The Shrines in TotK are also hurt by how many "tutorial" Trials that exist. Players will find at least a handful of "how to throw an item" or "how to sneak attack" Shrines in Hyrule Field.

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Compare this to Breath of the Wild, where there were tutorial/hand-holding Shrines, but not nearly as much as TotK. In fact, a lot of the Sheikah Shrines house puzzles, forcing players to get a bit creative to get the Spirit Orb. From a lore-standpoint, the Sheikah Shrines are how the Sheikah Monks can observe Link's potential as a hero. In a way, they need to test him and make sure he has what it takes to stop Calamity Ganon. The Shrines of Light don't seem to put as much pressure on Link. This could be due to Zelda's strong belief in Link carrying over into Rauru and Sonia, thus preventing a need for Link to "prove" that he's capable of defeating Ganondorf.

8 Elemental Weapons

Flamespears, Bomb Arrows, and More

Elemental Melee Weapons and Arrows were great for freezing, shocking, or setting fire to their targets. The downside was that they were expensive... at least the Elemental Arrows and Bomb Arrows were. The melee weapons such as the Thunderspear or Great Flamesword could be looted off powerful enemies. Depending on where players were at in their BotW-playthrough, they could even get a melee weapon with more attack power or durability.

Tears of the Kingdom's Fuse Ability makes it possible for Link to craft his own Elemental Weapon. He can simply attach a Fire Fruit or Ruby to a weapon and get firepower from it. While handy, the attack power of the Fused Weapon may not reach the same attack power as an original Elemental Weapon. The arrows can also be fused with Materials, so on the plus side, players aren't have to spend as much Rupees. The downside is that all arrows come from the same quiver in TotK. In BotW, arrows were split into categories: Normal, Fire, Ice, Shock, Bomb, and Ancient. Using an Ancient Arrow wouldn't pull from Link's regular/normal arrow supply. It also doesn't help that some situations call for more convenient measures than having to fuse/waste Materials just to melt ice or blow up a red barrel.

7 The Price of Ore

Ambers to Diamonds

Cutting down grass or breaking barrels in BotW/TotK doesn't net Link any Rupees. Beating up Blupees does, but good luck catching them. If Link wants a pocketful of change, he's going to have better luck selling gems/rare ore than he will tracking down every Blupee in Hyrule. Selling Ore was the best way to get a ton of Rupees in Breath of the Wild. The same goes for Tears of the Kingdom, but there are only a few problems with this method.

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Due to The Upheaval in Tears of the Kingdom, the price of Amber Ore, which is a common drop from Ore Deposits, has plumetted by 20 Rupees from Breath of the Wild. Ore itself is much easier to find... or at least that's what the game wants its players to believe. The truth is that rare ore such as Sapphires and Diamonds are still very... well, rare. Their drop rate hasn't been increased, and instead it feels more like it's decreased. It doesn't help that Tears of the Kingdom is expensive. For example, upgrading armor, which was free of cost in BotW, now charges Link a sum of Rupees in addition to the required Materials. There's also armor that Link has to buy again in TotK, and those prices haven't shriveled down either. Restocking arrows at the store and buying ingredients for meals can also add up very quickly. Money farming has become a frustrating part of Tears of the Kingdom, so it's no wonder fans are looking for ways to dupe glitch Diamonds or other expensive items to sell.

Breath of the Wild may have patched out most of its dupe glitches, but with how much easier it was to get rarer ore, players felt less of a need to break the game. It also doesn't help TotK's case that Amber Ore and Opal sell for more in BotW, both of which are "common" drops. While TotK claims The Upheaval is to blame for ore sale prices, many fans were displeased at how tedious it is to scrape together Rupees just to afford a bundle of arrows.

6 The Sheikah Slate

Sheikah Runes

Ultrahand and Fuse are two Abilities that TotK players have largely enjoyed, and for good reason. They allow more creativity than BotW, and some players like fusing bizarre yet powerful weapons. The Ascend Ability makes it easier to scale sheer cliffs or buildings, and Recall is great for those that need a makeshift elevator or want to throw weapons at their enemies. Less impressive is Auto-Build, but like the other Abilities, it has its use.

Many BotW fans find themselves missing the Sheikah Runes: Magnesis, Bombs, Stasis, and Cryonis. While Link couldn't exactly attach objects to weapons like he can in TotK, the diversity of the Sheikah Runes compared to Rauru's Hand Abilities earn BotW some points. In fact, it's the Bomb Sheikah Rune that would have been great for TotK, considering the amount of breakable walls and caves lying around Hyrule. The existence of Zonai Technology also accomplishes things that the other Sheikah Runes could do, but they're not as handy. For example, if Link needs to cross a body of water but doesn't have the right Zonai Device, he's out of luck, whereas in Breath of the Wild, he could just make ice platforms to hop to the other side.

5 The Champions' Abilities

Grace, Gale, Protection, and Fury

loz botw breath of the wild revali's gale

When Link freed the Champions from the Divine Beasts, he was given their power. Each one could be used a set amount of times before needing to cool down. These abilities included Mipha's Grace, Revali's Gale, Daruk's Protection, and Urbosa's Fury. They made battling and exploring the vast world of Hyrule a bit easier.

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Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - 6 Weirdest Challenges, Ranked

These unique player-created challenges will crank up Tears of the Kingdom's difficulty in unusual ways.

In Tears of the Kingdom, the Champion Abilities are swapped out for the Sages' Vows. This would manifest as an Avatar of the respective Sage, which could fight alongside Link in battle. Link could also use their Abilities by approaching them and pressing A-button. This is also where the flaws start to come in. Because the Sages charge at enemies, it happens too often that players may be trying to use someone's Ability only for them to rush off. In other cases, they may accidentally activate the wrong one, such as trying to use Vow of Yunobo only to activate Vow of Tulin and blow away any dropped items. It also doesn't help that the Sages are quite large in stature (sans Riju and Tulin).

Breath of the Wild doesn't have the spirits of the Champions aiding Link in-battle, making the game feel a bit lonelier. However, their Abilities were easier to use and weren't all assigned to one button (i.e, A-button). If Link needed to use Revali's Gale to get somewhere up high, he didn't run the risk of triggering Urbosa's Fury in the process.

4 Kass

Rito Minstrel

Tears of the Kingdom being a sequel meant the return of many characters from Breath of the Wild, and one of these characters was the Rito, Kass. In Breath of the Wild, he could be spotted outside stables or near hidden Sheikah Shrines. While he's technically not a main character, Kass was someone BotW players would often see if they were trying to complete every Sheikah Shrine in-game. Kass' significance in the story was enhanced by the Champions' Ballad DLC. Naturally, it was a shock to many that Kass was nowhere to be found on the face of Hyrule in the sequel.

Since Kass was never a main character in the original nor did he appear as a "DLC" fighter for Age of Calamity, it's possible there was no role for Kass to fill in Tears of the Kingdom. Some Shrines of Light are locked behind quests, but any hints for unlocking them are usually given by unimportant NPCs or Steward Constructs. In other cases, Link just needs to follow a green light to retrieve the Shrine's crystal. Thus, there really was no reason for Kass to play the same role he did back in Breath of the Wild. Strangely enough, a new traveling Rito named Penn seems to be a "Kass substitute," running into Link on his travels and being spotted at stables. Penn even mentions Kass if Link manages to find him after completing the "Princess Sightings" side adventure. It would seem Penn is none the wiser regarding Kass' whereabouts.

3 Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass

The Master Trials & The Champions' Ballad

The first part of the Breath of the Wild expansion pass was packed with cameo armor and a series of difficult trials that would unlock the power of the Master Sword. The second part had more of a story, focusing more on the Champions of Hyrule and Princess Zelda. Some fans weren't pleased that the important characters were already dead by the start of Breath of the Wild. The Champions' Ballad seemed to remedy this, giving more background and personality to the established Champions: Mipha, Revali, Daruk, and Urbosa. The DLC story concludes with a difficult battle against the powerful Monk Maz Koshia, and a heartwarming cutscene of Link, Zelda, and the Champions. For most people, it was the perfect way to cap off Breath of the Wild's story and characters.

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Tears of the Kingdom fans were fully expecting the announcement of an expansion pack. The world of the Zonai and their technology as well as Ganondorf had people at the edge of their seats, hoping for a deeper dive into ancient Hyrule. Unfortunately, the developers of BotW/TotK announced back in late-2023 that there were no plans for developing Tears of the Kingdom any further. While not every game needs to have expansion packs, Tears of the Kingdom still leaves many unanswered questions regarding pre-existing characters (ex: Kass) and lore. It would seem the time to move onto the next generation of Legend of Zelda takes priority rather than building on the world of BotW/TotK.

2 Farming Dragon Materials

Dinraal, Naydra, and Farosh

legend of zelda breath of the wild link gliding farosh

There are three dragons that can be found soaring around Hyrule in Breath of the Wild. Each one is an obvious reference to the goddesses in Legend of Zelda's lore: Din, Farore, and Nayru. These majestic creatures serve absolutely no role in the story of Breath of the Wild, and despite their intimidating size, they're completely harmless... for the most part. However, if BotW players intend on upgrading their better armor, such as the Champion's Tunic, then they'll need to farm Dragon Parts. These can be achieved by shooting an arrow at their body, horn, mouth, or claw. Depending on where the arrow is shot, a different Dragon Part will drop from Dinraal/Naydra/Farosh. The tricky part is that the dragons have a flight path. They will only appear in certain areas of Hyrule during certain times of the day. However, if players know of the dragons' whereabouts (ex: Naydra descends from Mount Lanayru in the morning, Farosh flies through the Faron Region at night, then they can simply set up camp and "wait until morning/afternoon/night" and continue to respawn and farm the dragon.)

Tears of the Kingom retains the dragons' flight paths, but they no longer spawn at specific times. To make matters worse, Din, Farosh, and Naydra's flight paths are split between the Surface and the Depths. Link could look for Naydra near Mount Lanayru, but if he can't find her, then it's likely she's flying about the Depths, and vice versa. Also, while dragons can be "respawned" by waiting in-game, this does not work for Tears of the Kingdom. Each dragon has a 10-minute cooldown before you can farm another part from them. This 10-minute cooldown also uses real-time, meaning that yes, players will need to wait 10 minutes in real life before they can get the next dragon part. Keeping the game on pause will just delay the countdown.

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On the plus side, Link can climb and walk along the dragons' backs, so it's possible to just sit there and wait out the cooldown. On the downside, every dragon, except for the Light Dragon, can unintentionally harm Link. Naydra's body emits ice clouds that freeze Link if he doesn't have cold-resistant gear. Dinraal's body will set Link ablaze and burn up any of his wooden weapons he has equipped if he gets too close. Farosh's body won't harm Link, but storm clouds and lightning always strikes, meaning if Link's wearing anything metal, he's going to get zapped. He'll also have to worry about the spheres of electric energy that occasionally rise up if he stays on Farosh's back. It doesn't help that Link will drop his melee weapons (excluding the Master Sword) or shield if he's shocked. This becomes extremely tedious as players will need to have level 2 heat/cold/shock-resistant gear if they need to get close to the three dragons.

What makes "Dragon Farming" more frustrating in Tears of the Kingdom over Breath of the Wild are the armor upgrades. There are some high quality materials that are needed to upgrade Link's armor, and some aren't even worth a full level 4 upgrade. However, you'll need multiple dragon parts from each dragon if you want a fully upgraded Armor of the Wild Set. Fortunately, the Champion's Leathers that Link wears at the beginning of the game only requires parts from the Light Dragon, and unlike the other three dragons, she won't hurt Link if he gets close.

1 Locked Mementos

Link's Memories

Make no mistake: Rauru, Sonia, and Mineru were extremely vital to the story of Tears of the Kingdom. Many can agree that seeing Princess Zelda get treated with love and patience after being flung into the past was a breath of fresh air from King Rhoam's stern upbringing. The Dragon Tears also gave some background to this version's Ganondorf, who was highly anticipated when TotK's teaser dropped. However, some fans were also quick to point out that while the memories are dear to Zelda, they don't have much to do with Link.

Breath of the Wild takes place 100 years following The Calamity. Those that decide to do the "Locked Mementos" main quest will get more of BotW's story and why The Calamity was considered such a tragedy. Gamers learned about the Champions, the Divine Beasts, and witnessed the growth of Link and Zelda's relationship. Sure, it's possible to complete the Divine Beasts without unlocking a single Memory, but the Memories can make the story feel more personal. Link isn't just fighting Calamity Ganon to rescue Zelda; he's fighting for his friends, too.

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While Tears of the Kingdom showed more of The Zonai, there isn't that connection Link has to Rauru and the others like he did with the Champions (i.e, Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa). It's also given that being a sequel to Breath of the Wild, Link and Zelda's relationship is already-established. Those that didn't play BotW and are going straight to TotK may not get the same impact from TotK's Link and Zelda than players who witnessed their friendship build up from scratch. Despite this, that doesn't stop Link and Zelda from being an iconic duo.