The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom offers quite a different experience than any game in Nintendo's long-running fantasy franchise that came before it. As the direct sequel to 2017's Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom allows players to rediscover familiar locations in Hyrule as they head off on a new adventure in the open-world map.
However, in the intervening years between when the two games take places, a lot has changed. From towns receiving remodels to new threats lurking in the shadows, the version of Hyrule in this game may look the same, but offers much more variety and hidden secrets. These are some of the best, yet biggest changes from between the two games will surprise fans of the first game the most.
10 The Sky Islands
By far the biggest change to the overworld in Tears of the Kingdom, as heavily advertised by the promotional material, is the Sky Islands that float above Hyrule. Though they're not as heavily populated as Skyward Sword's Skyloft, the Sky Islands have captured the curiosity of many Hylians, and can be reached by using Rewind on fallen debris from the sky.
The Sky Islands are not only integral to the story of Tears of the Kingdom, but they also contain the dungeons that Link has to conquer throughout the game's main storyline. While there's more than enough to explore in the standard Hylian overworld, the Sky Islands offer some hidden secrets that adventurous players should not ignore.
9 The Depths
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tears of the Kingdom also introduces the Depths, a vast underworld that spans the entire length of the Hyrule map. These Depths can be accessed by jumping into large chasms that have popped up all throughout Hyrule. However, exploring these won't be as easy for players as exploring the overworld, or even Sky Islands.
For the most parts, the Depths are pitch-dark, only brightened by Lightroots that function similarly to the overworld's Towers. Link is also susceptible to the Gloom, a strange substance that will render his hearts as permanently empty unless he finds a Lightroot or uses an appropriate elixir..
8 Exploring Caves
In addition to the expanded discoveries both above and below Hyrule, the vast open world also contains plenty of caves, which can be found underground and inside mountains throughout the map. These caves often contain rare monsters, clothing items, and weapons, but the way players access them harkens back to the original The Legend of Zelda on NES.
Link can only enter caves by breaking through large rocks with either a heavy weapon or bombs. Glowing blue rabbits known as Blupees will also scamper when Link encounters them in the overworld, leading the player to a potential cave entrance. Players also don't have to worry about getting lost inside caves with the new Ascend ability.
7 Hyrule Castle Town
Tears of the Kingdom features a Hyrule that is still recovering from the aftermath of Breath of the Wild. In that game, the once-thriving Hyrule Castle Town were ruins destroyed by the presence of Calamity Ganon. However, a lot has been improved in the area in Tears of the Kingdom, as the main base of Purah and her investigation of the Upheaval.
Near the investigation of Hyrule Castle, players will find the nearby Lookout Landing as their first base, where they can buy armor, food, and weaponry to prepare for their first adventures in Hyrule. This is also where Purah will introduce players to the Skyview Towers, which replace Sheikah Towers throughout Hyrule from Breath of the Wild.
6 Kakariko Village
There have been many notable changes to the cozy Kakariko Village when players first visit it in Tears of the Kingdom. In the previous game, Kakariko Village was the home of Impa, while also including various shops as well as a nearby Great Fairy Fountain where Link could upgrade his armor. However, even this small town has been affected by the Upheaval.
Upon arriving at Kakariko Village, Link will encounter the new village chief, Paya, who was formerly the granddaughter of Impa, the chief in Breath of the Wild. Paya is initially pre-occupied with a ring-shaped ruin that has collapsed on the canyon above Kakariko Village. However, players will have to advance in the main story before investigating this themselves.
5 Shrines Of Lights
In Breath of the Wild, there were 120 Ancient Shrines that Link could discover throughout Hyrule, not including the additional 16 from the DLC expansions. These mini-dungeons contain puzzles that will net Link a Spirit Orb, which he can collect to increase his Hearts or Stamina. Shrines essentially work the same in Tears of the Kingdom, but with a twist.
In Tears of the Kingdom, Shrines have been completely redesigned as Shrines of Light, with a swirling green magic around them that's easier to spot from a distance. Though they function the same gameplay-wise, bestowing Link with Lights of Blessing instead of Spirit Orbs, their design and locations throughout Hyrule make them feel entirely new.
4 Mipha Court
The center-piece of Zora's Domain in Breath of the Wild was a statue of Mipha, the Zora princess and Champion who was killed by Calamity Ganon years prior. However, in the years since the 2017 game takes place, it has since been replaced by a new statue depicting Link riding Prince Sidon as he did while calming the Divine Beast Vah Ruta.
However, the Mipha statue has only changed locations to somewhere brand-new to the 2023 game. It can now be found in the nearby area of Ploymus Mountain, in an area known as Mipha Court. This location is also where Link re-encounters Sidon in Tears of the Kingdom, where the two join forces to fight off a Sludge Like that's been terrorizing Zora's Domain.
3 Hyrule Restoration Project
Frequently while exploring the Hyrule overworld, players will come across organized piles of wooden planks, wheels, and logs. These materials are meant to be used by Hylian citizens to help rebuild following the events of the first game, but for players it has a different use. These materials can be used with the Ultrahand ability to craft structures and vehicles.
These materials also come in handy for when players encounter Addison, who is located throughout Hyrule struggling to plant a sign for his boss, Hudson. With the use of Ultrahand, Link can help Addison stand these signs up wherever he goes, and he will be rewarded with food items, rupees, and even items that can be sold at shops for a high price.
2 New Monsters
One of the biggest changes to Hyrule's overworld in Tears of the Kingdom are the presence of new monsters who didn't appear in Breath of the Wild. Some of these consist of returning enemies from the Zelda franchise, including Like Likes, Boss Bokoblins, and Gibdo. There are also new creatures, such as the flying Aerocudas and cave-dwelling Horriblins.
Some boss characters that can be encountered in the overworld are also brand-new to Tears of the Kingdom. In addition to the much more threatening Battle Talus and Depths-dwelling Frox, there's also the Gleeok, which originally appeared as a three-headed dragon in the original NES The Legend of Zelda, who are quite terrifying to fight up-close.
1 Geoglyphs
A quite noticeable change to Hyrule players will find while exploring is the existence of Geoglyphs. After retiring from Kakariko Village Chief, Impa has spent her time navigating Hyrule studying these mysterious Geoglyphs, which when encountered by Link will reveal bits of information about what happened to Zelda after she mistakenly traveled through time.
Discovering each of the 11 Geoglyphs located throughout the Hylian overworld, players will unlock Memories, cutscenes that are reminiscent of those from Breath of the Wild. For ease of finding them all, Link can travel to the Forgotten Temple, where Impa and Cado will help him find a map of the Geoglyphs left to discover throughout Hyrule.