What Is TotK? Story, Gameplay and Who It Is For
A spoiler-free introduction to Tears of the Kingdom: the story setup, the four abilities, sky, surface and Depths, and whether you need Breath of the Wild first.
This page is for people who have not played The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: what kind of game it is, where the story starts and what the world holds. The story section stops at the opening setup and does not spoil what follows.
What kind of game is Tears of the Kingdom?
An open-world action-adventure and the direct sequel to Breath of the Wild. It is set in the same Hyrule, but there are now Sky Islands overhead and, under the ground, the Depths, a whole layer as large as the surface. The biggest change in how it plays is building: almost anything you pick up can be glued to something else or attached to a weapon.
| Genre | Open-world action-adventure, single player |
| Release | May 12, 2023 (Nintendo Switch) |
| Switch 2 version | Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, June 5, 2025 |
| Sales | 22.71 million (as of June 30, 2026) |
| Previous game | Breath of the Wild (2017) |
What is the story of Tears of the Kingdom?
The story takes place a few years after the end of Breath of the Wild. A substance called gloom has started seeping out across Hyrule and making people ill, and its source is under Hyrule Castle. Link and Zelda go down to investigate and, at the very bottom, wake what was sleeping there.
What follows happens fast. Gloom eats into Link’s right arm, the Master Sword is damaged, Zelda falls into the dark and disappears, and Hyrule Castle rises into the sky. The disaster is called the Upheaval. It puts Sky Islands overhead and tears open chasms in the ground that lead down to the Depths.
Link wakes on a Sky Island with a different right arm, given to him by someone named Rauru, and all his new abilities come from it. Back on the surface he has one goal: find Zelda. The leads point to four regions of Hyrule, each with a strange phenomenon of its own.
How does it play?
Climbing, gliding, cooking and breakable weapons all work as they did in the first game. What is new is the four abilities, all earned in the shrines of the Great Sky Island:
| Ability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ultrahand | Picks up objects, moves and rotates them, and glues them together. Cars, boats, bridges and flying machines are all built with it |
| Fuse | Attaches a material to a weapon, shield or arrow. A rock makes a hammer; a monster horn makes a weapon stronger and longer-lasting |
| Ascend | Passes you up through the ceiling above to the level on top |
| Recall | Sends an object back along the path it just took |
Later you also get Autobuild, which rebuilds anything you have made before in one step. Combined with powered Zonai devices such as fans, wings and wheels, you can build nearly anything. See the Fuse guide and Zonai devices.
Companions also join you over the course of the main story, travel with you and help in fights.
What is in the world?
The world has three layers. You can move from any layer to another directly, with no loading screen in between.
| Layer | What it is like |
|---|---|
| Sky | Islands scattered high in the air, reached by launching from a Skyview Tower or by building a flying machine |
| Surface | The Hyrule of the first game, a few years on, with caves, wells and new settlements added |
| Depths | A pitch-dark underground full of gloom, as large as the surface, entered by jumping into a chasm |
| Content | Count | What it is for | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrines | 152 (120 on the surface, 32 in the sky) | Four Lights of Blessing buy one Heart Container or Stamina Vessel | All 152 shrines |
| Skyview Towers | 15 | Reveal the map and launch you into the sky | Skyview Towers |
| Regional temples | One in each of 4 regions | The large dungeons of the main story | Main quest order |
| Lightroots | 120 | Light up the Depths and reveal their map | Lightroots |
| Korok Seeds | 1,000 | Extra weapon, bow and shield slots | Korok Seeds |
| Side Adventures | 60 | Longer side stories | Side Adventures |
Tears of the Kingdom has no DLC. The base game is everything.
How long does it take to beat?
| How you play | Approximate hours |
|---|---|
| Main story only | 60 |
| Main story plus most shrines and side quests | 110 |
| Everything | 230 or more |
The four regions can be done in any order.
Can you play it without Breath of the Wild?
Yes. The game teaches everything from the start, and the story explains what you need to know. What you miss is recognition: this village did not look like that, this character has grown up. To someone who skipped the first game those are simply new places. The differences and the order to play them in are on Tears of the Kingdom vs Breath of the Wild, and the first game is introduced in the Breath of the Wild overview.
Who is it for, and who is it not for?
It suits you if:
- You like building things and asking “would this work?”
- You only have time for one game and want the one with the most in it.
- You played Breath of the Wild and want to go back and see what that Hyrule has become.
It may not suit you if:
- Building sounds like a chore and you only want to explore. Almost every puzzle has a simple solution, but the game does want you to build.
- You dislike darkness and pressure. The Depths are dark and dangerous, most of all early on.
- You cannot stand weapons breaking. That has not changed.
Which version should you buy now?
On Switch 2, buy the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition at $79.99. If you already own the original, the upgrade pack is $9.99 and is included with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. The differences are on Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition differences. On the original Switch, the original version still works.
Where should you start?
- What to do after you land: Tears of the Kingdom beginner tips
- Which of the four regions to visit first: main quest order
- Shrines, Skyview Towers, caves and chasms on one map: interactive map
FAQ
What kind of game is Tears of the Kingdom?
What is the story of Tears of the Kingdom?
Can I play Tears of the Kingdom without playing Breath of the Wild?
How long does Tears of the Kingdom take to beat?
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