Zelda fans debate whether Tears of the Kingdom is “harder” than Breath of the Wild

Eleni Thomas
Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom fans are debating whether or not the newest game in the franchise is “harder” than its predecessor, Breath of the Wild.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has already become of the biggest games of 2023. Just weeks after launching, the game has sold 10 million copies and is not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon.

While many were concerned that the game would be too similar to Breath of the Wild, Nintendo managed to completely revitalize the franchise once again. Introducing essentially full creative control to the player through the various new abilities that Link gains throughout the game.

However, fans have noticed that as well as being fresh and new, the game offers up a much harder experience than its predecessor, Breath of the Wild. With new enemies and tougher variants of old ones. Tears of the Kingdom requires more skill and thought when engaging in any and all gameplay encounters.

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom
Tears of the Kingdom is already a massive hit with fans

In a new Reddit thread, one Zelda fan asked the community if they felt that Tears of the Kingdom is “harder” than Breath of the Wild. Based off of the replies, it appears that most players agree that the sequel is a set up.

Tears of the Kingdom players think it is “harder” than Breath of the Wild

One user commented, “Combat feels harder to me too (enemies are more powerful, good weapons are more rare, the window for flurry rush seems smaller) but I actually think the puzzles are easier since most of them have a lot of ways to approach it.”

Another added that, “I have never dodged, flurry rushed, parried, or used a shield. I just sorta run around dodging attacks and them run in and smack them. Rinse and repeat. It works so I ain’t gonna fix it.”

However, part of the fun of Tears of the Kingdom is that players are now able to engage in combat in new and different ways. Online, players have been posting their creations and tactics, with a new website even allowing Zelda fans to share their creations and explain how other can copy them

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About The Author

Eleni is a Melbourne-based journalist. Having completed her Bachelor's in communication (Journalism) at RMIT University, Eleni is now a senior writer for the Dexerto Australia team. A big Nintendo fan (with a Triforce tattoo to prove it) and a lover of the zombie genre, Eleni covers gaming, entertainment as well as TV and movies for the site. She is also passionate about covering Queer and female representation. Contact Eleni at eleni.thomas@dexerto.com