The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomare each largely flawless games - althoughTOTKmanages that by largely just being the same asBOTW- which achieve what they set out to do with little hiccups. Of course, no game is completely perfect, but, at least in my opinion, and after well over 300 hours across both entries, I firmly believe that they come pretty close. However, as much as I love both games, there is one crucial feature I believe they’re both missing that ultimately makes replaying them a little hard.
Of course,BOTW’sbest featureshave become a staple of the open-world genre, so it feels blasphemous to suggest it should borrow from other open-world games. However, there’s a staple RPG mechanic thatBOTWandTOTKlargely lack - although not entirely - which, were they to include, would drastically improve the overall experience. While they survive without it,I sincerely hope that if there is to be a sequel toTears of the Kingdom, it implements this much-needed featureand thus adds a significant amount more adventure to the proceedings.
TOTK & BOTW Needed Companions
It Would Make The Adventure More Epic
BothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdomlack companions. To be absolutely clear, I’m firmly aware that they both actually include companions, albeit not in the traditional sense. WhileBOTW’scompanions largely take a backseat,TOTK’sbest companionsplay a major role in certain story missions, fighting alongside Link in the way that is expected of companions in RPGs. However, in both games,these characters only accompany Link during main missions, and never while out exploring the open worldlike they would inThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, for example.
BothBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom’simplementation of companions is relatively disappointing, in my opinion, as it is exceptionally limited and showcases the potential that introducing them to the entire experience would have. It is a genuine pleasure to fight alongside these larger-than-life characters and converse with them during their respective missions. However, once it’s over, and they return home, Link is again alone and forced to trek across Hyrule and solve the land’s problems all on his own. It is a shame, as they could be a core part of his journey from the get-go.
BOTW’sbest NPCs, as well asTOTK’s, should have a more involved role in the player’s quest, especially when the stakes are as high as they always tend to be in Hyrule.
Meeting the likes of Sidon or Riju shouldn’t be to unlock their unique ability to use later on in combator while exploring. It should be to add them to your party, to journey alongside them, to learn more about them as you venture across the rolling fields and dense jungles of Hyrule, to chat over a campfire as Link cooks a meal for him and his friends.BOTW’sbest NPCs, as well asTOTK’s, should have a more involved role in the player’s quest, especially when the stakes are as high as they always tend to be in Hyrule.
Hyrule Can Feel Lonely Without Companions
It Is Largely An Empty Expanse
I found, after my second playthrough ofBreath of the Wildand all throughout my first playthrough ofTears of the Kingdom,that Hyrule often feels exceptionally lonely. I completely understand that it is the point inBreath of the Wild, as its peaceful, haunting apocalyptic tone is a core part of what drives exploration and gives the game its iconic atmosphere. However,inTears of the Kingdom,it felt strange to be journeying alone, especially after all the connections Link had made throughoutBOTWand all the references to him fighting alongside the Champions before his long nap.
The lack of companions in the open world makesreplayingBreath of the Wilda chore sometimes, as I find myself longing for another voice to fill the empty void. There is value in the game’s reflective and meditative tone, butwith an adventure this epic, I always find it best to share it with friends. All the greatest fantasy adventures feature huge casts of unlikely friends journeying together, fromThe Lord of the Rings’fellowship toFinal Fantasy 7’smotley crew. Indeed, no game better illustrates this than thebest RPG of 2024,Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Dragon’s Dogma 2’samazing Pawnmechanic almost perfectly replicates that feeling of a fellowship within a vast fantasy worldby giving the player a handful of lively AI-controlled companions to fight by their side. I always found myself growing immensely attached to each and every one of them, dreading having to leave them behind to take onboard new ones, and creating so many memorable stories with them, even despite their personalities boiling down to their appearance and style of dialogue.
It makes me wonder just how incredibleTears of the Kingdomwould have been had I journeyed alongside any of its memorable characters. It would have given Nintendo an opportunity to flesh them out even more, allowed players to craft unforgettable memories, and gotten it one step closer to replicating the vibes ofDragon’s Dogma 2or even the best road trip video game,Final Fantasy XV.That sense of camaraderie absolutely elevates a story, an open world, and the overall sense of adventure, andTOTK, at the very least, could have benefited greatly from that.
TOTK’s Sequel Should Add Companions
It Would Help Set It Apart
While the chances of getting aTears of the Kingdomsequelany time soon are unlikely, I hope that Nintendo eventually revisits this world so that it can expand upon it with mechanics such as constant companions. My dream would be if it added Zelda - or even Sidon, as I adore him so much - as a playable second character or an AI-controlled companion that would adventure around with Link. Of course,it would be even better if Link encountered numerous characters who eventually joined his party, each with their own unique fighting style or exploration ability.
I come from a background of playing almost exclusively story-driven JRPGs, which are famous for their huge casts of characters and party members, so that may be a core reason why I feel like a sequel toTears of the Kingdomshould implement them. However, I do genuinely believe that they greatly improve an open world experience and help craft unexpected emergent gameplay moments that become their own story.They help make a world feel more alive and reactive, bring color and life to an adventure, and ultimately serve as a friend, if only for a short while.
There’s a lot that aTOTKsequel must change, but if it only adds one mechanic, I hope it’s companions. It is time Link hangs up his lone wolf status and starts welcoming friends. Having those extra characters around for the adventure of a lifetime as they take down the next big bad and save Hyrule from yet another apocalyptic disaster sounds amazing.Breath of the WildandTears of the Kingdommay have missed out on constant companions, but the next game could finally be the one to give Link a friend who isn’t constantly bugging him to listen.
