A Tale of Two Hyrules – 10 Subtle Differences in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and BOTW

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has captured the hearts of players and critics since its release. As the direct sequel to the highly acclaimed Breath of the Wild, it had high expectations to meet, and it delivered in full force. Tears of the Kingdom not only expands upon the story of its predecessor but also addresses and improves upon many aspects that may have been lacking in the first game.

Released on May 12, 2023, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is an action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. While it maintains the qualities that made Breath of the Wild so beloved, Tears of the Kingdom introduces a plethora of new features and expertly refines existing elements, offering players a fresh and enhanced gaming experience.

The 10 minute differences observed in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom compared to its previous installment

Concerns arose among many that Tears of the Kingdom might end up feeling too similar to Breath of the Wild. However, little did they know what Nintendo had planned. While the sequel shares the same map as its predecessor, the developers took the opportunity to thoroughly revamp the shrines, geography, and a wide array of features and quality-of-life improvements.

1. Rupee collection: In Breath of the Wild you just had to walk over the Rupee to bag them. This time, you must manually stop and press the assigned button to collect it from the ground.

1. Increased item drop distance: In Tears of the Kingdom, items dropped on the ground persists for a longer distance before disappearing. Compared to Breath of the Wild, the distance is considerably more.

1. Clean HUD: The pro mode in Tears of the Kingdom provides a clean heads-up display (HUD), unlike its predecessor, which showed hearts even in this mode.

1. Humming while cooking: In the previous game, Link used to hum in a generic tune while cooking. However, in Tears of the Kingdom, Link hums classic songs from the Zelda franchise while cooking food, adding a delightful touch. Balland of the Wind Fish from Link’s Awakening, Epona’s Song from Ocarina of Time are a couple of them. 

1. Removed tree log animation: In BOTW, Link used to be cautious while walking on a log as his animation suggested. It looks like he has mastered the art of balancing as his movements in TOTK as the animation has been removed.

Read more: Is Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom at 30 FPS Still a Marvelous Deal?

1. Whistle sprint glitch fix: As much as unlimited stamina sounds like a dream, it can’t go forever. In Breath of the Wild, you could sprint infinitely without losing stamina by whistling while sprinting. This has been rectified in Tears of the Kingdom as Link won’t be able to whistle while sprinting.

1. Individual item discard: In Tears of the Kingdom, when holding multiple items simultaneously, Link now discards only the last selected item upon pressing ‘X’. This is a huge relief compared to the previous game and upon pressing the assigned button, all the items would get discarded.

1. Improved temperature indication: In Tears of the Kingdom, extreme cold or hot temperatures are not only indicated by the gauge beside the map (like in BOTW) but also accompanied by a prompt saying “unbearable cold/hot” when Link enters a location with extreme weather.

1. Refined fall animation: Tears of the Kingdom features a tweaked fall animation after jumping, aiming to provide a more realistic style compared to Breath of the Wild. Compared to the latter, the former has a slight change that shows Link assuming a free-fall posture for landing. The difference is negligible, but there is one. 

1. Horses & water splashes: The fearless companion of Link would not even be bugged by ChuChu Jellies in BOTW. However, the horses have got a tweak this time as in Tears of the Kingdom, as not only do they get startled and run away because of the water splashes, but they also get “drenched” as a result of this

These changes contribute to the unique experience offered by Tears of the Kingdom, ensuring that players can enjoy a new and captivating journey through the vast world of Zelda.

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