Do You Start Over in Tears of the Kingdom? A Comprehensive Guide
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Yes, in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK), you do essentially start over in terms of your story progress and inventory compared to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BOTW). While TOTK is a direct sequel, it presents a new narrative, map alterations, and gameplay mechanics that necessitate beginning a fresh adventure. However, this isn’t a completely clean slate as there are some things that carry over, such as your registered horses from BOTW. Let’s delve into the details of what stays and what goes, and explore the nuances of starting a new game in Hyrule’s latest offering.
What Carries Over From Breath of the Wild?
The most notable carryover is your registered horses. If you had loyal steeds in BOTW, they’ll be waiting for you at the stables across Hyrule in TOTK. This is a welcome bonus for veterans of the previous game. However, no other inventory items, weapons, armor, or progress is transferred. You’ll need to rediscover locations, gather new resources, and develop your abilities from the ground up.
The New Beginning
While TOTK builds upon the foundations of BOTW, it offers a unique gameplay experience with its own compelling narrative and innovative mechanics. Starting fresh allows you to fully embrace these changes and appreciate how they reshape the familiar world. The game subtly introduces tutorials and prompts, ensuring players aren’t overwhelmed by the new elements. Even if you have played BOTW, the new abilities, the sky islands, and the Depths give you a completely new experience, making the start worthwhile.
Starting a New Game
Beginning your journey in TOTK is straightforward. From the title screen, you can select “New Game.” This confirms that you’re stepping into a completely new game, erasing any previous save data if you decide to overwrite it. Unlike some games, there isn’t a “New Game Plus” option where you carry over your items or stats. Every playthrough starts from the same point.
Benefits of Starting Fresh
While it might seem daunting to start over after investing so much time in BOTW, there are benefits. TOTK offers a significantly expanded world with new challenges, enemies, and narrative twists. Experiencing these elements with fresh eyes allows you to adapt to the new mechanics and enjoy the game to its fullest. Additionally, it offers a chance to approach exploration and combat with a fresh perspective.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To further clarify the process of starting over and related mechanics, here are 15 frequently asked questions about Tears of the Kingdom:
1. Can I start a new game from the title screen?
Yes, you can easily start a new game by selecting the “New Game” option on the title screen. This option is available every time you boot up the game.
2. Does my progress from Breath of the Wild transfer to Tears of the Kingdom?
No, your progress from Breath of the Wild does not directly transfer to Tears of the Kingdom. Aside from registered horses, you’ll begin your adventure anew.
3. Do horses from Breath of the Wild carry over to Tears of the Kingdom?
Yes, all horses you registered in stables in Breath of the Wild will be available for you to claim in Tears of the Kingdom.
4. Do I need to finish Breath of the Wild before starting Tears of the Kingdom?
No, you do not need to finish Breath of the Wild before playing Tears of the Kingdom. While the controls are similar and the games share a world, TOTK is its own adventure. However, playing BOTW can enrich your understanding of the world of Hyrule.
5. Can I continue playing after beating Tears of the Kingdom?
Technically, no. After the final boss fight, you’ll be returned to the main menu. You can reload your save, which places you right before the final boss fight, allowing you to continue exploring but not to proceed beyond the ending.
6. What should I prioritize when starting Tears of the Kingdom?
Early priorities include returning to Lookout Landing, upgrading your energy cells, exploring the depths under Hyrule Field, and stocking up on arrows.
7. What happens after beating the final boss?
After defeating the final boss, you’ll see the ending cutscenes, and then the game will return to the title screen. You can reload your game to before the final boss fight with a star on your save file, showing you’ve completed it.
8. What changes after defeating Ganon?
After defeating Ganon, the main change is that you receive a completion percentage on your map, showing how much you’ve explored and discovered.
9. Is there a “true ending” in Tears of the Kingdom?
Yes, there is a longer cutscene that serves as a “true ending”. To unlock this, you need to complete all main story quests, get the Master Sword, and collect all Memories.
10. Does Hyrule Castle change after defeating Ganon?
No, Hyrule Castle remains the same after defeating Ganon. The game sets you back to before the fight but marks your save file with a victory star.
11. Is Tears of the Kingdom bigger than Breath of the Wild?
Yes, Tears of the Kingdom is significantly larger than Breath of the Wild. With the addition of the Sky Islands and Depths, the game has significantly more explorable areas.
12. How long does it take to complete Tears of the Kingdom?
A main story playthrough can take around 59 hours, while fully completing the game with side quests, and exploration will increase that by many hours.
13. How much time passes between Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom?
The timeline suggests that roughly five to six years have passed between the events of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
14. How many hearts can Link have in Tears of the Kingdom?
The maximum number of hearts Link can achieve is 38. You will begin the game with a base of 40 hearts, which get reduced.
15. How do I unlock the reward for completing all the shrines?
Completing all 152 shrines will reward you with the Ancient Hero’s Aspect armor set. The reward message will tell you to visit the Temple of Time to get this armor set.
Conclusion
While Tears of the Kingdom requires you to start over, this is not a setback, but rather an invitation to explore a new, albeit familiar, world. The fresh narrative, the new abilities, and the changes to Hyrule make it a worthwhile journey for both veterans and new players. So, embrace the beginning and embark on an epic adventure in Tears of the Kingdom. The vast land of Hyrule awaits your discovery, and the new challenges make the experience feel new and fresh again!