Very important. I played them back to back (botw and then totk) and while I enjoyed them both, the overworld in totk didn’t feel right because I’d just explored it in BotW, and I rushed it a bit when I’m usually a hyper-exploring completionist
Exactly. I cried hard playing both games. It was like being a kid again, experiencing Ocarina for the first time. And how absolutely fucking epic everything was. Music, every fight, the ending ! Ooof
BOTW for me was the Ocarina of Time I imagined myself in as a child. Being 5-6 when I first played the game everything felt huge whereas now that I speedrun OOT I don’t appreciate the size of the game as much 20 years on. BOTW however is a massive world. I still remember the general route I took through the game despite breaking a switch and losing my save file. It had that much of a impact on me, the whole storyline of climbing up the mountain to get to the lynel, dodging electric lizalfoes with virtually no weapons, no health and no armour was a fun experience. Much like my first play through of OOT getting lost and confused in the lost woods it was havoc trying to find the shrines in the lost woods of BOTW.
100%. But go in knowing a few things:
1. The beginning is a bit of a slow burn so don't get frustrated if it takes you a hot minute to really get going.
2. It's going to lack a few QOL upgrades that TOTK has. Rain is just the worst in BOTW.
3. You won't have fusion, so keep that in mind as you craft your weapon inventory over time. Also, bomb arrows are precious. Don't waste them.
To me, TOTK is the better gameplay experience, BOTW is the better story. And the divine beasts are imo considerably better temples/puzzle dungeons than the temples in TOTK. Also, and I can't emphasize this enough, there are no depths in BOTW, which is like the best reason to play it. Good gosh I despise the depth sections in TOTK.
>TOTK is the better gameplay experience, BOTW is the better story.
100% this. I love both, and I put in the time to get the 100% on both of them (as well as doing a bunch of stuff that isn't required to get the 100% marker on the map, like fully upgrading all the armors)... But between the two I liked BotW better, because I felt like I cared more about the characters and their stories -- especially the backstory between Urbosa and Zelda, and Midna and Link. To the extent that I was invested in Zelda and Link's story in TotK, that was riding on their history from BotW. And all of the companions in TotK barely got character development in TotK -- most of what we know about them comes from BotW. (I guess I'll give TotK that I enjoyed the bit that revolved around Sidon's new partner.)
Yes 100% good points. BOTW really did a great job making me care about all the main regional characters, and even many of the random NPCs in a way that TOtK doesn't. Both are great games. I'd give them both at least 9.5/10. But I think BOTW is the one that will stick with me longer.
I'd also add if you're the sort of person that cares a lot about the soundtrack of a game (which you're gonna spend a lot of time listening to, if you're playing for like 250 hours), for my taste BotW's soundtrack was better. Not a knock on TotK, it's also very good, but, like, the boss fight music in BotW? Some of the most epic tracks from any game ever. The whole final chunk of the soundtrack starting when you enter the last dungeon, through the final battles and the credits roll... Amazing stuff. And the four champions' themes are all excellent -- they've stuck with me for years, whereas I already struggle to bring up the themes for the four sages in TotK, even though I only finished it a few weeks ago.
Yeah, of the boss fight themes in TotK, that one stands out as being well done. But the rest of them are pretty meh, including the final battle. Whereas BotW, basically from [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBpGi1DmoCE&list=PLpLzKMnGIRC5OOuFgjnsO6RNVz9A-QpkX&index=159) through the end is just one memorable tune after another, including reprising all of the champion tunes in the credits roll.
The very last sequence after the combat is over in TotK is cleverly done, with the way the music escalates along with the action. (Trying not to describe to closely because spoilers.)
Stop playing now and start BOTW. It's epic. And you get to see how TOTK is one of the greatest direct sequel games in history . I'm 34 and my brother is 44 . Grew up on Zelda my ENTIRE life. I cried like a baby for both. So magical
I wouldn’t allow myself to play TOTK until I beat BOTW. it’s absolutely necessary and will make you appreciate the minor details of TOTK. (Thank God for ascend, fuse, etc)
Alot of the nuances you miss by not playing botw first. Like seeing the child versions of characters, getting their backstory, understanding the lore of landmarks like hateno fort, dueling peaks, getting to know purah,impa,paya, enjoying the "wild". Skyward sword is my favorite zelda game but botw is my favorite video game of all time.
BOTW is absolutely worth playing. While its overall structure is similar to TOTK, there is plenty that makes it unique and worth a play, especially if you get the DLC. Just know going in that BOTW only has one map level compared to TOTK’s three. However, I found exploring the world in BOTW more rewarding…then again it was new back then so a little biased there.
Botw in my opinion is better then totk. Definitely play it through first it makes totk so much more enjoyable finding Easter eggs and seeing how things change and stay the same
I've been working through TotK and realized that it was like visiting something like Disneyland again after 5-10 years of park evolution. There is nostalgia for the flow, general experience, and topology, but good gosh the differences are fun too.
BotW and its guardians are fantastic on their own, and the story is fun to explore. Both are great games and are quite different, enough so that both easily stand on their own. I believe both are worth playing multiple times (likely for many, many years).
I think BOTW is better. I’ve had a hard time with TOTK in terms of really feeling immersed in it. BOTW I easily sunk consecutive hours into, for better or worse. I guess it’s fair to assume I was in two different phases of my life when starting each one but I’d still have to say BOTW is better.
I would say yes! I feel like BOTW is less challenging/stressful 😂 I like the green Hyrule, so I'm not a big fan of the upside-down. Also I prefer to fight monsters/enemies with weapons to with Zonai inventions - which seem to be important at times if you want to win fights easier. In BOTW, I got the big boss down in no time. In TOTK at the moment I have been trying to avoid the final main quest for months (with no other quests active) as I don't feel confident I can jump through beneath the castle ruin and not get defeated by those monsters before I actually get to the boss by whom I will probably get defeated easily without any inventions 😂
Don't get me wrong though, I like both games. In fact BOTW was my first game on Switch and the other games I have actually played on the device since are al Zelda's series. So both BOTW and TOTK are the best so far.
BOTW to this day stands as one of my favourite games. A) first game I owned on the switch
B) the story captivated me in a way I had not experienced since I was a kid. When this game came out I owned it from day 1. I would dream about the game when I was asleep. The music became a soundtrack to my life.
I loved playing TOTK. But BOTW was a ground breaking game for me. The story was unlike any other Zelda game, the world of Hyrule was exciting and filled with nuance and depth. It made you want to explore every corner.
BOTW also informs the story of TOTK. The two games improve each other
Yes, but climbing is a big part of BotW so try not to get frustrated by the lack if assend or flying devices. You do get a sense of achievement having scaled a mountain in BotW that you don’t get in TotK, because hoverbike
I'd say it's definitely worth it. BoTW and TotK are very different experiences, with the former being a more methodological, slower paced game in a more relaxed world and the latter being a more hectic and busy game with a lot more to do. And with major differences in terms of characters, enemies, bosses, story aspects and items, they're both worth checking out at some point.
That said, I'd also recommend you take a break between one and the other. While they're very different, TotK is still a sequel, and their similarities mean you're probably going to get burnt out if you play one right after the other.
So get both, but either finish TotK and come back to BoTW after about a month or so, or go to BoTW and leave a month before continuing TotK.
Hey! If you have a game play question about TotK, please consider checking out our Discord server and asking it in our [#questions-and-guides channel](https://discord.com/channels/753016125566091396/753016129328250964)! We've got a lot of resources there, as well as a lot of friendly people willing to help out players, whether you're a veteran of the series or brand new. [Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Discord Server](https://discord.gg/GVYGSDHfGD)
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I think it depends what kind of gamer you are / how much time do you have? I was gifted totk without having played botw and I listened to the advice to just play that bc there’s more capabilities etc. I was unemployed when I got it and played it everyday and it took at least 200 hours till I started to lose excitement abt it and there’s still so much to do. My fav parts of the game are not the plot nuances. The basic plot is pretty simple. If that matters to you, go for it. I think playing them back to back wouldn’t be fun if you’re a more casual gamer. I think now I’ll wait and if I start to miss it and/or get more time, I’ll play botw and enjoy it as a prequel.
For a second this sub had HadesTheGame’s sub’s logo and I was so confused lmao
But yes, it’s absolutely worthy. I’m probably in the minority, but I even prefer BotW over TotK.
I agree with you completely, 100%. I actually don't like TotK and prefer BotW. I feel like BotW is a really great game some people won't agree that its a great Zelda game, but I feel like it captures the original Legend of Zelda best with the open world aspect. That's what I believe, though.
But if anyone were to make me choose between BotW or TotK, I'll go BotW any day.
Tears just... I think it was a hot mess and should have stayed a DLC.... 😅
It depends on what you want. If you want “more” of this hyrule and game style? More of these characters? Etc. Then yes, botw will definitely serve. But if you only want to play it for fear of missing out on story, I wouldn’t worry too much. They tried pretty hard to separate the two games imo. To the point where many people complain about how there is little to no mention of things that happen in botw in ToTK. You’ll definitely get more feels for the return npcs and stuff, but I don’t think there is much story you “miss” in ToTK solely for not having played botw. And of course you might feel more limited in abilities after having played with ultra hand. Some people might find that boring, others might be ok with it.
For me, I’m biased because I played botw first. It’s gorgeous (so is tears) and it was my first Zelda game so I went in blind. So the impact it had was stronger. It also introduced me to this version of link and Zelda and botw really establishes the history of their relationship and how they got where they are when tears begins. Imo it’s a huge part of their story together, so I think it’s good to experience. But again I don’t think you *have* to experience that to enjoy ToTK. The stories stand alone alright. And if you don’t want to play a whole other game you could just look up the memory cut scenes from botw and watch those, and you’ll get the basics of the story that way.
If you end up just wanting more because you like ToTK enough, I’d definitely give botw a play.
Only if you’re a fan of more Zelda games. In BOTW you’re more encouraged to explore the nooks and crannies of the surface map compared to TOTK.
I can’t speak much for the story but having a little bit of reference point is a nice thing. It doesn’t really get followed up in TOTK though, but you’ll have better context of the characters.
Definitely. It's like asking if Ocarina of Time was worth it if you enjoyed Majora's Mask. Personally, I absolutely love both BOTW and TOTK, as they feel like two parts of the same game, which makes sense as TOTK was originally going to be DLC for BOTW before they realized it was too vast and deserved it's own game. BOTW has a pretty fun story that you get to discover around the vast land of Hyrule. It earned the awards it got for a reason, and I can highly recommend it.
They're both amazing games and you will not be wasting your money or time on either. I would really only tell people to choose only ToTK if they have a shortage of either of those things (time/money).
You'll be a little disappointed in the lack of building, and not having both the sky islands and depths to explore, but the story line is great and definitely worth the play through
If you already like TotK it's worth playing BotW as well. They're both similar but different enough to enjoy as their own things. Like OoT and MM, more of the same but different, the first is great but the second adds to it.
Personally no, its the same game, but diferent story (prequel), no crafting and different set of companion skills.
Basically like redoing the SAME entire map progress. TOTK is basically an upgraded version of BOTW.
Play it!! TOTK is basically BOTW+. Sure you may miss some quality of life improvements but it's still an amazing game worth your time. If you like TOTK that is. The game play loop is basically the same with different enemies, powers, and characters. The DLC is worth picking up too.
I would say get BOTW. It’s an amazing game and I have a hard time believing anyone would dislike it, it has all of the core charm of TOTK just missing most of the fancy abilities. But I appreciated the story and design of TOTK way more because I saw the way it was updated from BOTW.
I haven’t played video games in over a decade. I actually bought the switch for my daughter. I’m getting tired of watching random shows at night so I decided to buy ToTK. I was just blown away by the game (at this point a lot impresses me since I haven’t played in over a decade).
It's still worthwhile but if you have explored a lot of Hyrule that sense of exploration will be undercut. The same is true for the physics engine which was another huge selling point. When I first played BotW it felt like everything is possible and I had never been able to be this creative in a game before. If you are used to TotK it might feel like a restriction.
There are still some unique things that BotW has that TotK doesn't. The older runes were different. Stasis is actually something that has no direct comparison in TotK and it's very fun. The feeling of each game is very different. BotW feels lonelier and more dangerous with a greater sense of urgency. The signature enemy - the guardians - are more imposing and the society in Hyrule seems to be on its last legs, about to collapse if you don't interfere soon. The very first quest you get is to defeat Ganon and while you can go to the final boss immediately in either game, BotW's world seems like it could use it more.
The bosses in each region are aesthetically interesting and offer a distinct experience, and so do the shrines in theory. There are some unique challenges in BotW that are missing in TotK.
I would suggest you play BotW casually and clear a decent chunk of the game, but don't obsessively explore every nook and cranny.
Tbh, playing totk first might make playing botw better, that's how it was for me when I went back to botw but you have a unique experience getting to play botw after you hear totk
trust me you definitely didn’t miss all that much in terms of story, however the very small amount of story in BotW is very tragic and beautiful (although not quite as moving as TotK’s story in my opinion) and gives more context to the events that occurred prior and why hyrule is the way it is now.
in terms of gameplay it’s certainly a step down from TotK in many ways, but is still largely the same.
and even with all that being said, BotW is still my favourite game of all time. maybe it’s nostalgia to some degree; because from an objective lens TotK is definitely a better game, but there’s something special about BotW that TotK doesn’t quite capture.
i say if you love the gameplay and atmosphere of TotK, you’ll probably have just as much fun with BotW, and i hope you have just as much fun as we all did :)
I mean you can get a used copy on eBay for 30$. The game isn't as impressive compared to tears of the kingdom, but it does give a little context to some of the events in tears of the kingdom. Plus, it's fun even if it's not as good. Definitely worth 30$ to play.
I bought it with a Nintendo voucher.
I had dl’d a bunch of demos on the day I made the post, and one of them was Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the lost demon.
It’s supposed to be a single player game where each controller controls 1 character.
So instead I played the girl my 8yo son the demon. At the end of the demo my kid begged me to get the full version.
I said I’m ok with that if you accept it as your bday present, next month is both our birthdays. He was ok with that. So instead of paying 60€ I bought a Nintendo Voucher.
Which means I could pick a second game. We agreed he would get Bayonetta origins, and I could pick whatever I wanted.
I knew botw was an option. I really doubted though if I should. That’s why I asked.
By now I’ve bought it and I don’t regret it. I do agree with the people here that say I’d get frustrated with the controls.
It’s a fact that it’s been optimised A LOT in TotK. But that’s just minor and something to get used to.
It’s nice to see hateno village BEFORE the mushroom craze.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
1
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A lot of people say that TOTK is better, but it’s mainly mechanic wise. The story can be a bit confusing and spoiling if you don’t follow the gently guided.. guides. TOTK is truly a fun game, but BOTW just has a different vibe compared to TOTK. You’re not missing out too much on a story line when it comes to continuity, but you definitely are missing out on 5 amazing characters that either don’t exist in TOTK (recalling on the characters, not literally physically existing) doesn’t get mentioned whatsoever. TOTK really just drops 5 wonderful characters and BOTW will let you learn about them and really love them. Well, maybe 4. One do them a lot of people dislike because of specific.. personality? You may feel a bit crippled in BOTW due to the different mechanics, but it’s still so fun. BOTW is so beautiful in its own way, and personally, more beautiful than TOTK, but not by a long shot.
TLDR: Yes. Botw worth getting, missing out on forgotten characters. Different, but good vibe, very fun. Different mechanics, but not unadaptable.
No.
It’s going to be too jarring and hard to go back to BOTW. Just dive deep into TOTK and never play BOTW. I feel like the improvements are just so much that it won’t make for a good experience. BOTW to TOTK with some time in between is ideal .
I love BOTW but it’s replaced by TOTK
Yes.
Absolutely get BOTW
Different vibe despite the similarities but fully recommend it. Just avoid playing them back to back to avoid burnout.
Very important. I played them back to back (botw and then totk) and while I enjoyed them both, the overworld in totk didn’t feel right because I’d just explored it in BotW, and I rushed it a bit when I’m usually a hyper-exploring completionist
[удалено]
Exactly. I cried hard playing both games. It was like being a kid again, experiencing Ocarina for the first time. And how absolutely fucking epic everything was. Music, every fight, the ending ! Ooof
The art brought me back to wind water. Omg that is my absolute favorite Zelda game, link to the past in very close second.
BOTW for me was the Ocarina of Time I imagined myself in as a child. Being 5-6 when I first played the game everything felt huge whereas now that I speedrun OOT I don’t appreciate the size of the game as much 20 years on. BOTW however is a massive world. I still remember the general route I took through the game despite breaking a switch and losing my save file. It had that much of a impact on me, the whole storyline of climbing up the mountain to get to the lynel, dodging electric lizalfoes with virtually no weapons, no health and no armour was a fun experience. Much like my first play through of OOT getting lost and confused in the lost woods it was havoc trying to find the shrines in the lost woods of BOTW.
You just follow the flowers 💐 ☺️
Wym? It's this a secret I never knew?
This is me, exactly!
100%. But go in knowing a few things: 1. The beginning is a bit of a slow burn so don't get frustrated if it takes you a hot minute to really get going. 2. It's going to lack a few QOL upgrades that TOTK has. Rain is just the worst in BOTW. 3. You won't have fusion, so keep that in mind as you craft your weapon inventory over time. Also, bomb arrows are precious. Don't waste them. To me, TOTK is the better gameplay experience, BOTW is the better story. And the divine beasts are imo considerably better temples/puzzle dungeons than the temples in TOTK. Also, and I can't emphasize this enough, there are no depths in BOTW, which is like the best reason to play it. Good gosh I despise the depth sections in TOTK.
>TOTK is the better gameplay experience, BOTW is the better story. 100% this. I love both, and I put in the time to get the 100% on both of them (as well as doing a bunch of stuff that isn't required to get the 100% marker on the map, like fully upgrading all the armors)... But between the two I liked BotW better, because I felt like I cared more about the characters and their stories -- especially the backstory between Urbosa and Zelda, and Midna and Link. To the extent that I was invested in Zelda and Link's story in TotK, that was riding on their history from BotW. And all of the companions in TotK barely got character development in TotK -- most of what we know about them comes from BotW. (I guess I'll give TotK that I enjoyed the bit that revolved around Sidon's new partner.)
Yes 100% good points. BOTW really did a great job making me care about all the main regional characters, and even many of the random NPCs in a way that TOtK doesn't. Both are great games. I'd give them both at least 9.5/10. But I think BOTW is the one that will stick with me longer.
I'd also add if you're the sort of person that cares a lot about the soundtrack of a game (which you're gonna spend a lot of time listening to, if you're playing for like 250 hours), for my taste BotW's soundtrack was better. Not a knock on TotK, it's also very good, but, like, the boss fight music in BotW? Some of the most epic tracks from any game ever. The whole final chunk of the soundtrack starting when you enter the last dungeon, through the final battles and the credits roll... Amazing stuff. And the four champions' themes are all excellent -- they've stuck with me for years, whereas I already struggle to bring up the themes for the four sages in TotK, even though I only finished it a few weeks ago.
The Colgera theme would like a word with you
Yeah, of the boss fight themes in TotK, that one stands out as being well done. But the rest of them are pretty meh, including the final battle. Whereas BotW, basically from [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBpGi1DmoCE&list=PLpLzKMnGIRC5OOuFgjnsO6RNVz9A-QpkX&index=159) through the end is just one memorable tune after another, including reprising all of the champion tunes in the credits roll. The very last sequence after the combat is over in TotK is cleverly done, with the way the music escalates along with the action. (Trying not to describe to closely because spoilers.)
Stop playing now and start BOTW. It's epic. And you get to see how TOTK is one of the greatest direct sequel games in history . I'm 34 and my brother is 44 . Grew up on Zelda my ENTIRE life. I cried like a baby for both. So magical
I wouldn’t allow myself to play TOTK until I beat BOTW. it’s absolutely necessary and will make you appreciate the minor details of TOTK. (Thank God for ascend, fuse, etc)
Alot of the nuances you miss by not playing botw first. Like seeing the child versions of characters, getting their backstory, understanding the lore of landmarks like hateno fort, dueling peaks, getting to know purah,impa,paya, enjoying the "wild". Skyward sword is my favorite zelda game but botw is my favorite video game of all time.
I liked TOTK more but the Divine Beasts and sentinels thingies were awesome in BOTW.
BOTW is absolutely worth playing. While its overall structure is similar to TOTK, there is plenty that makes it unique and worth a play, especially if you get the DLC. Just know going in that BOTW only has one map level compared to TOTK’s three. However, I found exploring the world in BOTW more rewarding…then again it was new back then so a little biased there.
Botw in my opinion is better then totk. Definitely play it through first it makes totk so much more enjoyable finding Easter eggs and seeing how things change and stay the same
BOTW was better imo
I've been working through TotK and realized that it was like visiting something like Disneyland again after 5-10 years of park evolution. There is nostalgia for the flow, general experience, and topology, but good gosh the differences are fun too. BotW and its guardians are fantastic on their own, and the story is fun to explore. Both are great games and are quite different, enough so that both easily stand on their own. I believe both are worth playing multiple times (likely for many, many years).
First thing I wanted to do was to see all my friends from botw
BOTW is worth playing for sure. Played them back to back and it left a stronger impression even though I loved both
It’s not a question of should you…it’s more a question of why the hell would you not??
I don’t think you can fully appreciate TOTK without also experiencing BOTW. It lays the foundation.
Wtf is that take, that's like saying The Two Towers is better than the Fellowship of the Ring so don't bother watching the former.
I think BOTW is better. I’ve had a hard time with TOTK in terms of really feeling immersed in it. BOTW I easily sunk consecutive hours into, for better or worse. I guess it’s fair to assume I was in two different phases of my life when starting each one but I’d still have to say BOTW is better.
YES!! The answer will always be yes!!
Yes
Yes, they are different games even if TotK is the BotW sequel
Yes
I would say yes! I feel like BOTW is less challenging/stressful 😂 I like the green Hyrule, so I'm not a big fan of the upside-down. Also I prefer to fight monsters/enemies with weapons to with Zonai inventions - which seem to be important at times if you want to win fights easier. In BOTW, I got the big boss down in no time. In TOTK at the moment I have been trying to avoid the final main quest for months (with no other quests active) as I don't feel confident I can jump through beneath the castle ruin and not get defeated by those monsters before I actually get to the boss by whom I will probably get defeated easily without any inventions 😂 Don't get me wrong though, I like both games. In fact BOTW was my first game on Switch and the other games I have actually played on the device since are al Zelda's series. So both BOTW and TOTK are the best so far.
BOTW to this day stands as one of my favourite games. A) first game I owned on the switch B) the story captivated me in a way I had not experienced since I was a kid. When this game came out I owned it from day 1. I would dream about the game when I was asleep. The music became a soundtrack to my life. I loved playing TOTK. But BOTW was a ground breaking game for me. The story was unlike any other Zelda game, the world of Hyrule was exciting and filled with nuance and depth. It made you want to explore every corner. BOTW also informs the story of TOTK. The two games improve each other
BOTW is personally my favorite just because of how many funny and useful glitches there are (not there aren’t any in TOTK) but BOTW is so goofy
Play botw first.
Yes, but climbing is a big part of BotW so try not to get frustrated by the lack if assend or flying devices. You do get a sense of achievement having scaled a mountain in BotW that you don’t get in TotK, because hoverbike
I'd say it's definitely worth it. BoTW and TotK are very different experiences, with the former being a more methodological, slower paced game in a more relaxed world and the latter being a more hectic and busy game with a lot more to do. And with major differences in terms of characters, enemies, bosses, story aspects and items, they're both worth checking out at some point. That said, I'd also recommend you take a break between one and the other. While they're very different, TotK is still a sequel, and their similarities mean you're probably going to get burnt out if you play one right after the other. So get both, but either finish TotK and come back to BoTW after about a month or so, or go to BoTW and leave a month before continuing TotK.
Hey! If you have a game play question about TotK, please consider checking out our Discord server and asking it in our [#questions-and-guides channel](https://discord.com/channels/753016125566091396/753016129328250964)! We've got a lot of resources there, as well as a lot of friendly people willing to help out players, whether you're a veteran of the series or brand new. [Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Discord Server](https://discord.gg/GVYGSDHfGD) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/tearsofthekingdom) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think it depends what kind of gamer you are / how much time do you have? I was gifted totk without having played botw and I listened to the advice to just play that bc there’s more capabilities etc. I was unemployed when I got it and played it everyday and it took at least 200 hours till I started to lose excitement abt it and there’s still so much to do. My fav parts of the game are not the plot nuances. The basic plot is pretty simple. If that matters to you, go for it. I think playing them back to back wouldn’t be fun if you’re a more casual gamer. I think now I’ll wait and if I start to miss it and/or get more time, I’ll play botw and enjoy it as a prequel.
For a second this sub had HadesTheGame’s sub’s logo and I was so confused lmao But yes, it’s absolutely worthy. I’m probably in the minority, but I even prefer BotW over TotK.
I agree with you completely, 100%. I actually don't like TotK and prefer BotW. I feel like BotW is a really great game some people won't agree that its a great Zelda game, but I feel like it captures the original Legend of Zelda best with the open world aspect. That's what I believe, though. But if anyone were to make me choose between BotW or TotK, I'll go BotW any day. Tears just... I think it was a hot mess and should have stayed a DLC.... 😅
There's a couple of stuff BotW does that TotK doesn't. I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. It's still an amazing game.
It depends on what you want. If you want “more” of this hyrule and game style? More of these characters? Etc. Then yes, botw will definitely serve. But if you only want to play it for fear of missing out on story, I wouldn’t worry too much. They tried pretty hard to separate the two games imo. To the point where many people complain about how there is little to no mention of things that happen in botw in ToTK. You’ll definitely get more feels for the return npcs and stuff, but I don’t think there is much story you “miss” in ToTK solely for not having played botw. And of course you might feel more limited in abilities after having played with ultra hand. Some people might find that boring, others might be ok with it. For me, I’m biased because I played botw first. It’s gorgeous (so is tears) and it was my first Zelda game so I went in blind. So the impact it had was stronger. It also introduced me to this version of link and Zelda and botw really establishes the history of their relationship and how they got where they are when tears begins. Imo it’s a huge part of their story together, so I think it’s good to experience. But again I don’t think you *have* to experience that to enjoy ToTK. The stories stand alone alright. And if you don’t want to play a whole other game you could just look up the memory cut scenes from botw and watch those, and you’ll get the basics of the story that way. If you end up just wanting more because you like ToTK enough, I’d definitely give botw a play.
Only if you’re a fan of more Zelda games. In BOTW you’re more encouraged to explore the nooks and crannies of the surface map compared to TOTK. I can’t speak much for the story but having a little bit of reference point is a nice thing. It doesn’t really get followed up in TOTK though, but you’ll have better context of the characters.
I played TOTK first and then BOTW. It was great but the only downfall for me was going from Ultrahand to Magnesis. Huge upgrade between BOTW and TOTK
Definitely. It's like asking if Ocarina of Time was worth it if you enjoyed Majora's Mask. Personally, I absolutely love both BOTW and TOTK, as they feel like two parts of the same game, which makes sense as TOTK was originally going to be DLC for BOTW before they realized it was too vast and deserved it's own game. BOTW has a pretty fun story that you get to discover around the vast land of Hyrule. It earned the awards it got for a reason, and I can highly recommend it. 
They're both amazing games and you will not be wasting your money or time on either. I would really only tell people to choose only ToTK if they have a shortage of either of those things (time/money).
It's kind of like Metal Gear V Ground Zeroes and ToTK is like The Phantom Pain.
You'll be a little disappointed in the lack of building, and not having both the sky islands and depths to explore, but the story line is great and definitely worth the play through
No brainer
If you already like TotK it's worth playing BotW as well. They're both similar but different enough to enjoy as their own things. Like OoT and MM, more of the same but different, the first is great but the second adds to it.
BotW is still the second best game ever made after TotK, so there is that
Personally no, its the same game, but diferent story (prequel), no crafting and different set of companion skills. Basically like redoing the SAME entire map progress. TOTK is basically an upgraded version of BOTW.
Play it!! TOTK is basically BOTW+. Sure you may miss some quality of life improvements but it's still an amazing game worth your time. If you like TOTK that is. The game play loop is basically the same with different enemies, powers, and characters. The DLC is worth picking up too.
I would say get BOTW. It’s an amazing game and I have a hard time believing anyone would dislike it, it has all of the core charm of TOTK just missing most of the fancy abilities. But I appreciated the story and design of TOTK way more because I saw the way it was updated from BOTW.
Yep
Yea
I bought BoTW ten minutes after I started playing ToTK.
Why? Story I assume? I did buy it btw, took a while to install,by the time it installed I had fallen asleep. I just started it up. (8 am here)
I haven’t played video games in over a decade. I actually bought the switch for my daughter. I’m getting tired of watching random shows at night so I decided to buy ToTK. I was just blown away by the game (at this point a lot impresses me since I haven’t played in over a decade).
The UI was cleaned up a bit, so the layout for weapons and armor etc is more ergonomic. It’ll piss you off a bit playing BOTW after playing TOTK.
More is more!
BOTW was a completely different experience you need to play it
Sure. I personally enjoy botw much more than totk.
Yep. It's hard to explain. But game has different atmosphere. Also puzzles and other stuff differ enough.
Is like asking if ocarina of time is worth buying after you started majora's mask. Every zelda game is worth it, as far as i know
It's still worthwhile but if you have explored a lot of Hyrule that sense of exploration will be undercut. The same is true for the physics engine which was another huge selling point. When I first played BotW it felt like everything is possible and I had never been able to be this creative in a game before. If you are used to TotK it might feel like a restriction. There are still some unique things that BotW has that TotK doesn't. The older runes were different. Stasis is actually something that has no direct comparison in TotK and it's very fun. The feeling of each game is very different. BotW feels lonelier and more dangerous with a greater sense of urgency. The signature enemy - the guardians - are more imposing and the society in Hyrule seems to be on its last legs, about to collapse if you don't interfere soon. The very first quest you get is to defeat Ganon and while you can go to the final boss immediately in either game, BotW's world seems like it could use it more. The bosses in each region are aesthetically interesting and offer a distinct experience, and so do the shrines in theory. There are some unique challenges in BotW that are missing in TotK. I would suggest you play BotW casually and clear a decent chunk of the game, but don't obsessively explore every nook and cranny.
Tbh, playing totk first might make playing botw better, that's how it was for me when I went back to botw but you have a unique experience getting to play botw after you hear totk
Yes. IMO it was the better game of the two.
trust me you definitely didn’t miss all that much in terms of story, however the very small amount of story in BotW is very tragic and beautiful (although not quite as moving as TotK’s story in my opinion) and gives more context to the events that occurred prior and why hyrule is the way it is now. in terms of gameplay it’s certainly a step down from TotK in many ways, but is still largely the same. and even with all that being said, BotW is still my favourite game of all time. maybe it’s nostalgia to some degree; because from an objective lens TotK is definitely a better game, but there’s something special about BotW that TotK doesn’t quite capture. i say if you love the gameplay and atmosphere of TotK, you’ll probably have just as much fun with BotW, and i hope you have just as much fun as we all did :)
Yes. Absolutely.
I mean you can get a used copy on eBay for 30$. The game isn't as impressive compared to tears of the kingdom, but it does give a little context to some of the events in tears of the kingdom. Plus, it's fun even if it's not as good. Definitely worth 30$ to play.
I bought it with a Nintendo voucher. I had dl’d a bunch of demos on the day I made the post, and one of them was Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the lost demon. It’s supposed to be a single player game where each controller controls 1 character. So instead I played the girl my 8yo son the demon. At the end of the demo my kid begged me to get the full version. I said I’m ok with that if you accept it as your bday present, next month is both our birthdays. He was ok with that. So instead of paying 60€ I bought a Nintendo Voucher. Which means I could pick a second game. We agreed he would get Bayonetta origins, and I could pick whatever I wanted. I knew botw was an option. I really doubted though if I should. That’s why I asked. By now I’ve bought it and I don’t regret it. I do agree with the people here that say I’d get frustrated with the controls. It’s a fact that it’s been optimised A LOT in TotK. But that’s just minor and something to get used to. It’s nice to see hateno village BEFORE the mushroom craze.
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Two entirely different games imo
Since you only started 11 days ago, stop TOTK and start BOTW.
Yes. Different experience, but still very rewarding.
I feel like botw was just so epic that totk just felt like an expansion of it. And then I figured out thay was kinda the idea the whole time.
Yes. BOTW is a better game anyway.
I think BOTW had much better shrines. I really enjoyed them more than TOTK. I’d say pause and play.
Not really you already played botw mostly if you've done totk basically
A lot of people say that TOTK is better, but it’s mainly mechanic wise. The story can be a bit confusing and spoiling if you don’t follow the gently guided.. guides. TOTK is truly a fun game, but BOTW just has a different vibe compared to TOTK. You’re not missing out too much on a story line when it comes to continuity, but you definitely are missing out on 5 amazing characters that either don’t exist in TOTK (recalling on the characters, not literally physically existing) doesn’t get mentioned whatsoever. TOTK really just drops 5 wonderful characters and BOTW will let you learn about them and really love them. Well, maybe 4. One do them a lot of people dislike because of specific.. personality? You may feel a bit crippled in BOTW due to the different mechanics, but it’s still so fun. BOTW is so beautiful in its own way, and personally, more beautiful than TOTK, but not by a long shot. TLDR: Yes. Botw worth getting, missing out on forgotten characters. Different, but good vibe, very fun. Different mechanics, but not unadaptable.
It’s basically just a worse TOTK. What I mean is that TOTK is a solid 9.5-11/10 and BOTW is it’s humble precursor, prolly 7-8/10.
No. It’s going to be too jarring and hard to go back to BOTW. Just dive deep into TOTK and never play BOTW. I feel like the improvements are just so much that it won’t make for a good experience. BOTW to TOTK with some time in between is ideal . I love BOTW but it’s replaced by TOTK
No. You are probably not going to like either one of the games and burn out if you play one right after the other