I was so excited to start playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, as I had so much fun playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There's so much to experience in this new story for Link and his return to Hyrule. But what if you didn't play the previous game? Should you play The Breath of the Wild before playing Tears of the Kingdom? We got the answer for you!
Do you need to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild before The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom?
While you do not need to play Breath of the Wild before Tears of the Kingdom, it is recommended. TotK is a sequel to BotW, so the story will lead into it. The Legend of Zelda formula has been brought into the new generation of Zelda gaming with Breath of the Wild, and Tears of the Kingdom advances this in numerous ways.
Playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild before Tears of the Kingdom will prepare you for the story and gameplay. You'll recognize places and people as your journey through the game. However, after playing Tears of the Kingdom, only certain NPCs will remember the hero of Hyrule. This is because that newcomers that haven't played the BotW will feel at home.
Story
That said, playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is not required first. The story is relatively simple and can be looked up online, or you can speed-run the game to get the knowledge. Beating the game without completing the side content won't take long, so you can play through the story beats before hopping into the Tears of the Kingdom adventure.
On the other hand, Zelda titles, even sequels, can be played independently as the story is often designed to be standalone. This was true for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. This will likely be true for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
Controls
For those who have played BotW, you'll be able to pick up TotK in no time flat, as mostly everything is the same, apart from some new additions. For those who haven't, a full tutorial takes you through what you need to learn to explore Hyrule safely.
Similarities
However, if you have never played BotW and want to play it, then immediately move on to Tears of the Kingdom; I recommend that you don't. The two games feel the same, albeit different. But it will feel more of the same than different. So prepare for burnout if you play one after the other.
If you choose to dive into Breath of the Wild, set a lot of time aside, as if you focus on exploring, completing Shrines, and side quests, you are easily looking at 100 hours plus. TotK is even more significant, so maybe take a vacation!
For more information on The Legend of Zelda, check out Are there Shrines in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom on Pro Game Guides.
Justin has been diving into fantasy worlds since he can remember. He is a certified nerd who has a deep love of reading, writing, and hiking. He has been writing since his college days, but specifically in gaming for two years. His favorite games are The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Hollow Knight, Celeste, and Banjo Kazooie.