Is Zelda Tears of the Kingdom open world?

Is Zelda Tears of the Kingdom open world? TotK is here – and is no doubt be one of the biggest releases over the years on the Nintendo Switch, if not of the console’s entire lifespan.

The game was in development for around five years. In fact, development kicked off shortly after the first game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, was released. As expected director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, and producer Eiji Aonuma, have returned for the direct sequel to BotW, and their passion for open world games has asserted itself in the gameplay. 

So, how much has changed since BotW? Does Tears of the Kingdom have a more linear experience or open world like the predecessor? We already know that there is no Tears of the Kingdom multiplayer nor Tears of the Kingdom coop, but could they have changed everything the first game was known for?

Is Zelda Tears of the Kingdom open world?

Based on our own experiences playing the game, we can tell you that Tears of the Kingdom is open world. The biggest difference is that rather than being set on the Hyrule landscape, Link will be able to explore the skies above in Tears of the Kingdom Sky Islands. Here, he can find shrines, complete puzzles, unlock new abilities such as Recall, Ascend, and Ultrahand, alongside being able to explore caves and wells.

This has created a more open and less constrained experience than in BOTW. For example, early trailer footage showed Link gliding through the skies above Hyrule, though since the release of the game we’ve seen the sky adventures in all its glory. It’s open world, and it’s even bigger than before. The typical Zelda game formula has seen a huge overhaul with new weapons and vehicles, harking back to Wind Waker, and the expansive map is very much the key to this.

So, all in all, Tears of the Kingdom features a stunning, open-world experience that features similar but tweaked mechanics from the previous game. For more following the release, head to our Is Tears of the Kingdom canon?, Is Tears of the Kingdom a sequel?, and Tears of the Kingdom abilities explainer guides.