5 Games Like BOTW To Play While Waiting For Tears Of The Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom DLC: Tears of the Kingdom _ is still a ways off, but there are plenty of games similar to its predecessor, _Breath of the Wild , worth digging into in the meantime. Expanding on the much-loved formula of BOTW has already made TOTK one of the most anticipated games of the year. The sequel promises to incorporate new, inventive mechanics, while also improving on less popular aspects of the old ones. TOTK 's __ Ascend ability can fix BOTW 's climbing mechanic, while the Ultrahand ability allows for creative building to get around obstacles.

Naturally, the excitement surrounding TOTK stems in no small part from the smashing success of Breath of the Wild . BOTW innovated on the generations of open-world, action-adventure gameplay that came before it, but also possessed a unique identity, stressing creative locomotion and unbridled exploration, that inspired countless other developers. While there's no game that's just like Breath of the Wild , there are many games that make use of similar concepts, mechanics, and aesthetic, each offering a comparable but unique experience.

5 Sable

Sable , released in 2021, follows its titular character as she undergoes a rite of passage: a treacherous, but relaxing and beautiful journey known as the Gliding. Much like BOTW and TOTK , Sable makes use of a variety of traversal mechanics: cliff climbing, dune surfing, and hovercraft riding. Players will have to guide Sable through barren desert and crumbling ruins, solving puzzles and using abilities creatively to cross its open world. Friendly NPCs color in the richly detailed world, and often grant side quests. Fishing and bug catching offer amusing diversions from the main story - and will prove irresistible to completionists.

Sable boasts a unique, cel-shaded artstyle that's entirely unlike BOTW 's and TOTK 's, but is beautiful just the same. The ancient ruins and megafauna skeletons dotted around the map lend it an awe-inspiring sense of scale, tempered with a feeling of quiet melancholy. In conjunction with the mellow, ambient soundtrack composed by indie pop musician Japanese Breakfast, Sable creates an evocative, memorable experience on PC, Xbox, and PS5.

4 Tchia

Inspired by the landscapes of the South Pacific archipelago of New Caledonia, __ Tchia offers a lush open-world adventure similar to the one found in BOTW and its sequel TOTK - but it takes inspiration from other Zelda Tears of the Kingdom collectibles games as well. As Tchia, players will brave dark caves, solve puzzles, climb rocky cliffs, and glide above the treetops. In a Wind Waker -like twist, however, Tchia can also play the ukulele to cast musical spells, and sail her raft between the archipelago's islands. Her ukulele is also fully playable; players can learn actual songs or simply jam out.

Like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom , while Tchia draws on games that came before it, it also has its own identity. The detailed world building, based on New Caledonia's folklore and culture, is complemented by cutscenes voiced in the traditional languages of the archipelago. In its most novel mechanic, Tchia allows players to inhabit and control a wide variety of things in the open world, including animals like birds, sharks, and dogs along with inanimate objects. Players can explore the inspired open world of Tchia on PC, PS4, and PS5.

3 Death Stranding

Death Stranding might not be the first title that comes to mind when considering games similar to Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom , but the connections are there. Like BOTW , the genre-defying Death Stranding features a beautiful open world destroyed by apocalyptic catastrophe. Players must navigate weather hazards and environmental obstacles as they explore the world. Creative platforming and use of traversal mechanics are encouraged, and stealth is almost always an alternative to pitched battle. When players encounter an environmental obstacle, they can build structures to overcome it, which can later be used by other players. Some structures require collaboration from multiple players, or occasional repair.

Death Stranding differs from BOTW and TOTK mainly in its darker story and lack of puzzles. Death Stranding is set in a world where the border between life and afterlife has deteriorated. Outdoor travel is impossible for most, owing to explosive, invisible ghosts called BTs, along with rain that ages whatever it falls on. Players control Sam Porter Bridges, a courier charged with building a communication network to reconnect now-isolated American cities. However, the world is not without hope, which comes in the form of cooperation through the asynchronous multiplayer features. Death Stranding is available on PC, PS4, and PS5 - and __ Death Stranding 2 has been confirmed in development.

2 Immortals Fenyx Rising

Immortals Fenyx Rising is an open-world, exploration-based game similar to BOTW and TOTK , but with a greater focus on combat than any of the games covered in this list so far. Much like the Zelda games, its art style strikes a satisfying balance between stunning landscapes and cartoonish character design. Players can explore its vast, diverse open world by scaling cliffs, riding animals, or soaring through the sky. Secrets, optional puzzles, and platforming challenges are scattered across the map, and players may discover them in any order they wish. Wielding sword, bow, and godly powers, players will face off against monsters of myth, including a snarling Cerberus and towering titans.

Immortals Fenyx Rising is based on stories and characters from Greek mythology. It follows Fenyx, a Delian squire who sets out to end the giant Typhon's reign of terror. Fenyx does this by rescuing a series of gods Typhon has rendered powerless, defeating their corrupted forms and returning them to their former glory. It's a story with a lighter tone than BOTW and TOTK , with snarkier characters and a more well-defined, anything-but-silent protagonist. Immortals Fenyx Rising is available on Switch, PC, Xbox, PS4, and PS5.

1 Shadow Of The Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus may not be a completely open-ended game like BOTW and TOTK , but it does put emphasis on atmosphere and exploration. The game is structured in 16 ordered cycles: in each one, players must locate a particular Colossus, learn its weakness, and defeat it. There's very little to be found off the beaten path, aside from items to raise max HP and stamina, but that doesn't mean there's nothing to explore. Finding these bosses is easier said than done, and the game provides scant hints as to their location. Getting to them often requires thoughtful navigation around obstacles, or lonely treks through forgotten ruins.

While there aren't any traditional BOTW -style __ puzzles in Shadow of the Colossus , the Colossi scratch the same itch. It's never enough just to slash away at a Colossus’ feet; each one has a unique mechanic that players must exploit to beat them. Some of the Colossi have weak points on their heads, and the player must find an opportunity to climb up; others lurk near slippery slopes, and the player must goad them into falling off. While it doesn't promise the same freedom as Tears of the Kingdom , Shadow of the Colossus has a similar focus on exploration and puzzle-like combat. Its remake is available only on PS4 and PS5, with the original PS2 version also receiving a port to the PS3.

Breath of the Wild 's unrestricted open-world gameplay, which puts an emphasis on exploration, traversal, and puzzle solving, has made it one of the most influential games in recent memory. Even months before its release, the sequel has dazzled players with previews of new abilities for Link in TOTK , including a mechanic that fuses together parts in order to create vehicles. _The Legend of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom Guide: Tears of the Kingdom _ promises to raise the bar on player freedom and creative problem-solving in open world games, and could very well give rise to its own crop of similar games.