It goes without saying that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, have changed the series forever, to the point where it might be difficult for it to go back on the ideas the two groundbreaking entries have introduced. While Echoes of Wisdom did depart from the formula somewhat, it still largely only bridged the gap between classic Zelda and the BotW era, proving all the more the impact BotW and TotK have had on the series. In the same way, with Zelda now presumably moving forward to bigger and better things, it can’t abandon what made Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom so revolutionary.
At the heart of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom‘s success is an open world that is as rewarding to explore as it is breathtaking to behold. Embedded in this open-world formula is a philosophy that sees players in charge of their journey, free from the shackles of linearity and map markers. On top of all that, Tears of the Kingdom, especially, showed how the series can’t afford to leave its classic dungeons in the past, although it also shouldn’t move forward with puzzles both within and without those dungeons that can only be solved one way. These are the four pillars of TotK and BotW, now arguably essential to the franchise’s future.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’s most iconic meme took on a life of its own, growing into something far bigger than Nintendo most likely ever intended.
Zelda’s Next Game Must Protect the Four Pillars That Redefined the Series
Open Worlds and Player Freedom Are Now Core to Zelda’s Identity
Ahead of Breath of the Wild‘s launch, it’s likely not many gamers, even hardcore Zelda fans, knew what to expect. This was evidenced by BotW‘s reception, with many critics and players calling its open world the new standard — praise that almost no one might have ever anticipated would be attached to a Zelda game. In fact, Breath of the Wild‘s open world was so influential, it went on to inspire games like Elden Ring, which were also praised for many of the same reasons.
At the heart of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom‘s success is an open world that is as rewarding to explore as it is breathtaking to behold.
Unlike many open worlds that came before it, Breath of the Wild didn’t thrive on the size of its map but on how players responded to it. Rather than guiding players across Hyrule with objective markers and quests, BotW used audio and visual cues to pique player curiosity and gently nudge them from one location to the next. This kind of freedom (and power) made Breath of the Wild the revolutionary entry that it was, and Tears of the Kingdom rightly followed suit. Now, the next Zelda game would be remiss not to incorporate this approach to open worlds and player freedom, though it should find a way to do so without merely being a BotW reskin.
Dungeons and Creative Problem-Solving Are Essential to the Formula’s Future
Zelda‘s classic dungeon gameplay wasn’t necessarily something that Breath of the Wild excelled in, but Tears of the Kingdom brought them back in a more traditional sense. Much of this was due to player feedback after BotW all but abandoned dungeons, proving their importance to the series and the love that Zelda fans have for them. Echoes of Wisdom then incorporated more traditional dungeons as well, so it would be a mistake for the next Zelda game to once again leave them in the dust as BotW did.
Finally, creative problem-solving is yet another element that has become a Zelda staple since the release of BotW, but TotK even more so. Thanks to Tears of the Kingdom‘s Ultrahand ability, players could approach puzzles and other problems in numerous ways, unlike classic Zelda games that largely tied players to one or two solutions for every obstacle. Sandbox freedom of this degree has taken the series to greater heights and allowed players to feel more responsible for their next foot forward, leaving the next game with the tall task of replicating that freedom.
Echoes of Wisdom carried the torch of BotW and TotK‘s legacy by giving players the same kind of sandbox freedom, despite not being a true open-world game.
The next Zelda game can’t afford to treat these pillars as optional features. They’ve become the framework that players now associate with the series, and stepping away from them would feel like leaving part of Zelda‘s new identity behind. Open worlds, rewarding exploration, player-driven problem-solving, and dungeons all work together to give players the kind of experience they can’t get just anywhere else. Wherever the next adventure takes the franchise, these four pillars should still hold it up.
