As The Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom makes its way to the Nintendo Switch, fans all across the world are curious to know whether the game is a sequel or not.
The Zelda franchise has received several installments over the years, and while all of them have been connected in some way or the other, the timeline has been pretty much all over the place. Nintendo hasn't really followed a chronological order when it comes to the Zelda games time and again, so it's really hard to figure things out unless you are a die-hard fan of the franchise.
Tears Of The Kingdom Timeline
If you are an avid fan, you must have been following the game all the way back since 2019, when it was first announced. Since then, the game has been referred Breath of The Wild 2 for quite a long time, as the trailer didn't really specify the title of the new game, but it was confirmed at that point that it is indeed a sequel to Breath of The Wild. It's been only a few months since the official title was released, and considering the title itself has little similarity with Breath of The Wild, it is easy to get confused.
Should I Play BOTW Before TOTK?
Well, the answer to this question is rather subjective. If you want to totally immerse yourself in the world and be well acquainted with everything, it is probably a good idea to play Breath of The Wild. But is it really a hard requirement? Probably not. Despite being a sequel, there are not many story elements that will connect directly to its predecessors, and there is little likelihood that you will find yourself lost in the narrative. Nintendo had released a really handy recap of the events of Breath of The Wild, and that should serve as a refresher for players who have played the game, as well as newcomers.
The Zelda franchise is primarily known for its world-building and gameplay, and narrative has never really been the prime focus. As a result, it is not as convoluted as something like the Dark Souls franchise. That doesn't mean the story is bad by any chance; it's just that it's quite easy to pick.