Link has returned! (Picture: Nintendo)
Few games have been as hotly anticipated as the latest Legend of Zelda release, Tears of the Kingdom.
Dating back to the 1980s, the Legend of Zelda franchise is one of the most iconic franchises in gaming.
The latest instalment in the series sees Link return for the first time in almost six years, with many gamers eager to get their hands on a copy or a digital download.
Released in the UK today, the wait is finally over for one of Nintendo’s most legendary game series.
But is Tears of the Kingdom a sequel to 2017’s Breath of the Wild?
Read on to find out.
Is Tears of the Kingdom a sequel to Breath of the Wild?
The first thing to consider is that, even amongst hardcore gamers, the lore of the Zelda franchise isn’t always a straightforward thing to understand.
From the very beginning of Skyward Sword, events weren’t exactly made easy to follow. Eventually, the franchise was split into three different timelines – the Decline, the Child, and the Adult.
This meant that, in some of the games, we weren’t always dealing with the same Zelda or Link, with them occasionally being reincarnations, relatives, or versions from alternate timelines. Nice.
However, there is good news if you happen to be a Legend of Zelda newbie – you don’t need to understand all of this to play the new game.
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The only thing it is important for you to take into account is that Tears Of The Kingdom is actually a sequel to 2017’s Breath of the Wild.
This means it is a mainline entry in the series, not a spin-off or alternate, and also means you can even import your horses from the last game.
Nintendo is adamant that Tears Of The Kingdom is suitable for everyone, regardless of whether they are returning Zelda players or not.
Breath of Wind takes place several hundred years after all the other previous instalments of the series.
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While it isn’t clear just how much time has passed in the game since the events of Breath of Wind, that is bound to become apparent as time goes on… or not.
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Link is back, but is the new game a sequel?