Fans have been wondering whether the Tears of the Kingdom is open world, or if it will bring back the classic Zelda style. Breath of the Wild is one of Nintendo’s most critically acclaimed open world titles for the Nintendo Switch. The new format allowed for creativity, but strayed from the classic Zelda format.
Today we will be looking over the released gameplay for Tears of the Kingdom and discussing how the open world seems to be structured. That way, you'll know what to expect from the game!
Is Zelda Tears of the Kingdom open world?
From the released footage, we can be fairly confident that Zelda Tears of the Kingdom will follow the same open world format we saw in Breath of the Wild. We’ll be exploring the same map as last time, but Hyrule appears to have undergone several changes. The world is set to be larger than before, and will feature a lot more verticality to it due to the newly risen Sky Islands.
Vehicles will also play a much larger part in the Tears of the Kingdom open world, as we’ve already seen several different planes, cars, and even boats throughout the revealed gameplay footage. With the new fusion feature, the types of vehicles seem to only be barred by our creativity.
Nintendo has also confirmed its dedication to crafting a true open world experience in Tears of the Kingdom that isn’t barred by item requirements. This means that most players should be able to enter and clear puzzles with the tools they already have on hand.
click to enlargeWhat areas can you explore in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom?
Besides just being an open world, Tears of the Kingdom is going to have a lot more diversity in its biomes. Not just mountains and open fields, the Sky Islands will also be a major part of the new Hyrule landscape. We will be able to travel across the map and fly in the sky, visiting various islands while also using new vehicles capable of flight.
The Sky Islands are a cool addition, but we’ve also seen footage of large undergrown caverns. These caverns have high ceilings and often house large Stone Talus and other enemy camps. With the addition of the new ascend ability, cavern exploration and dungeon crawling might become staples of the regular gameplay loop.
- Read more: Zelda Tears of the Kingdom controls guide
Another ability we are potentially looking forward to, while not confirmed, is the ability to swim underwater. This would open up a lot of previously unexplored regions, such as Lake Hylia, and would allow for unique gameplay mechanics and exploration.
Tears of the Kingdom is set to be Nintendo’s largest open world game based on the Zelda franchise. Be sure to check out our guides on the new enemies and new weapons in Tears of the Kingdom. For more Tears of the Kingdom content, you can check out the map size and how long it will take to beat the game.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom page.