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The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the closest Nintendo Switch follow-up to Breath of the Wild because Nintendo identifies it as a direct sequel set in Hyrule. It keeps the open-ended journey but adds floating-island exploration and a creation-focused toolkit built around Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend and Recall.
If you want the same ingredients rather than a Zelda continuation, Immortals Fenyx Rising is the clearest alternative: it combines a stylized open world, seven mythology-inspired regions, combat against mythological creatures and puzzle-solving. Nintendo also lists Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition in its open-world category, but that category placement alone does not make them close mechanical matches.
The closest match: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Nintendo describes The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom as a sequel to Breath of the Wild. That makes it the natural first recommendation when the reader wants to remain in the same world, follow the same broad style of adventure and continue exploring Hyrule rather than start with a merely similar open-world game.
The sequel is not simply the previous game with a different story. Nintendo’s description expands the setting into the skies above Hyrule and emphasizes abilities that let you build, combine and find unconventional routes. You can choose your route through Hyrule and floating islands, so the appeal remains player-directed exploration while the way you solve obstacles changes substantially.
#1 Best Overall
- Enhanced performance and visuals exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2.
- Explore the skies, caves, and vast lands of Hyrule in a massive open-world adventure.
- Wield new and returning abilities to craft solutions, vehicles, and weapons.
- Discover the mystery behind the spreading gloom threatening the kingdom.
- Use the ZELDA NOTES app to share, compare, and earn daily bonuses.
Nintendo’s UK game page lists a Nintendo Switch release date of 12 May 2023. The same page separately notes a Switch 2 Edition, so check the edition shown by the retailer before buying. Physical and digital listings can also differ by store and region.
Why it follows Breath of the Wild so closely
- Franchise continuity: It is an explicit sequel, not an unrelated game borrowing a few open-world conventions.
- Shared setting: The adventure returns to Hyrule, while adding floating islands as a new area to investigate.
- Player-directed exploration: Nintendo presents the journey as one where players choose their route rather than follow one mandatory path.
- Expanded problem-solving: The new abilities make construction and creative traversal central parts of exploration.
What the new abilities change
Nintendo highlights four abilities that distinguish the sequel: Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend and Recall. Together they shift the emphasis from simply finding a route to experimenting with a route.
- Ultrahand: Part of the game’s building toolkit. It supports the construction-oriented approach that Nintendo uses to distinguish the sequel.
- Fuse: A combination-focused ability that belongs to the same creative systems Nintendo highlights alongside Ultrahand.
- Ascend: One of the traversal abilities that broadens how you move through the environment.
- Recall: Another highlighted ability that supports inventive interaction and traversal.
The practical implication is important for anyone choosing a follow-up: if you want the exact feel of Breath of the Wild without any major change, no sequel can provide that. Tears of the Kingdom preserves the open-ended Hyrule framework but asks you to engage with building, combinations and alternate movement as part of ordinary exploration.
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How the main recommendations compare
The two strongest recommendations overlap with Breath of the Wild for different reasons. Tears of the Kingdom offers continuity and a larger, more experimental version of the same adventure framework. Immortals Fenyx Rising offers selected ingredients—roaming, action and puzzles—in a different setting and with a separate identity.
Rank #2
- The Legend of Zelda - Tears of the Kingdom
| Game | Relationship to Breath of the Wild | Exploration and setting | Puzzles and combat | Creative building or traversal | Console information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Direct sequel identified by Nintendo | Hyrule plus floating islands; players choose their route | Nintendo emphasizes exploration and creative problem-solving through the new ability set | Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend and Recall are the highlighted systems | Nintendo Switch release listed as 12 May 2023 in the UK; a Switch 2 Edition is listed separately |
| Immortals Fenyx Rising | Alternative sharing selected open-world ingredients, not a Zelda continuation | Stylized open world divided into seven regions inspired by gods | Mythology-inspired combat against mythological creatures plus puzzle-solving | No specific building system is stated in Nintendo’s product description | Nintendo lists a Nintendo Switch version |
Immortals Fenyx Rising: the best non-Zelda alternative
Immortals Fenyx Rising is the strongest recommendation when the reader’s priority is the combination of open-world roaming, action and puzzles rather than Zelda continuity. Nintendo describes a stylized open world spread across seven regions inspired by gods. That gives the game a clear identity of its own instead of presenting it as a substitute Hyrule.
Choose it for these shared ingredients
- Open-world movement: The seven-region structure supports wandering and discovery across a broad setting.
- Puzzle-solving: Puzzles are an explicit part of Nintendo’s description, making it a better fit for readers who liked using observation and experimentation to overcome obstacles.
- Action combat: The game features combat against mythological creatures, so it suits players who want exploration paired with fights rather than a purely contemplative adventure.
- A different tone and mythology: Its stylized, god-inspired setting is deliberately separate from Hyrule.
The distinction matters when setting expectations. Nintendo’s description supports calling it an open-world, puzzle-and-combat alternative; it does not establish that its movement, progression or combat works like Breath of the Wild. Buy it because those particular ingredients appeal to you, not because it is a one-to-one Zelda replacement.
Broader Nintendo Switch open-world options
Nintendo’s official open-world games category also includes Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition. Their inclusion is useful for expanding a search, but the category is not a mechanical similarity test. The listing does not by itself establish matching combat systems, movement, puzzle design, tone or progression.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Consider this title if your starting point is the desire to investigate a broad game world and you are comfortable moving into a different franchise. Nintendo’s category placement supports its open-world relevance. It does not, on its own, support describing the game as a close match for the free-form traversal, puzzle emphasis or creative abilities of Breath of the Wild.
Rank #3
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom /Switch
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
This is another Nintendo-listed open-world option for readers willing to trade direct Zelda continuity for a different setting and progression structure. The category listing establishes why it belongs on a broad exploration shortlist, not how closely its combat or movement resembles Link’s adventure.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Skyrim Anniversary Edition belongs in the same broad investigation because Nintendo includes it in the open-world category. Treat it as a separate role-playing-world option rather than assume that the category label guarantees the same puzzle, traversal or combat experience.
Pick a game by the part of Breath of the Wild you miss
“Games like Breath of the Wild” can mean several different things. Use the following decision path to avoid choosing a game for the wrong reason.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches- You want the same world and a direct continuation: Choose The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
- You want exploration plus puzzles and action, but a new setting: Choose Immortals Fenyx Rising.
- You mainly want to investigate a large world and are open to a different genre identity: Examine Nintendo’s broader category choices, including Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition and Skyrim Anniversary Edition.
- You specifically want construction and unusual traversal: Prioritize Tears of the Kingdom, because Nintendo explicitly highlights Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend and Recall.
- You specifically want mythology-themed combat and puzzles: Prioritize Immortals Fenyx Rising, whose Nintendo description names those elements directly.
Buying and edition checks
Before placing an order, verify details that can change independently of the game’s core design.
Rank #4
![The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51PuJ83o9KL._SL160_.jpg)
- Ultrahand: Using the new Ultrahand ability, Link can pick up, move, and rotate almost any object, and can even attach objects together to create bridges, vehicles, and more!
- Fuse: Magically fuse almost any object to Link’s current weapon, shield, or arrow to increase durability, damage, or even add a new effect. Experiment with lots of different combinations to come up with surprising—and sometimes hilarious—results!
- Ascend: Add a new dimension to your exploration with Ascend, which gives Link the ability to pass through solid objects above him. Rise up through ceilings, hillsides, and even certain enemies to create seemingly impossible shortcuts.
- Recall: Use Recall to make objects in motion move backward through time, letting Link ride fallen boulders skyward, recover thrown weapons, or send projectiles back where they came from.
- Platform: Confirm that the listing is for Nintendo Switch if that is your console. Nintendo’s page for Tears of the Kingdom also identifies a separate Switch 2 Edition.
- Edition: Read the exact edition name rather than relying on a shortened product title.
- Format: Check whether the listing is physical or digital and whether your account region can redeem the purchase.
- Availability: Store inventory and edition availability can change, so verify the live listing immediately before checkout.
- Region: Nintendo’s 12 May 2023 date for Tears of the Kingdom comes from its UK page; release-date wording can differ by market.
Common selection mistakes
Assuming every open-world listing is a Zelda clone
An open-world label describes scope, not the complete play experience. Nintendo’s category placement for the three broader alternatives does not prove matching puzzles, combat, traversal or tone. Keep those games on a research shortlist, then choose them for their own identities.
Expecting Tears of the Kingdom to be unchanged
The sequel is the closest follow-up, but its floating islands and creation-oriented abilities are major differences. Players who prefer a fixed, familiar formula should know that building and inventive traversal are central to how Nintendo presents the game.
Using “similar” too broadly
Immortals Fenyx Rising overlaps in open-world exploration, puzzles and action against mythological creatures. That is a narrower comparison than saying it reproduces the complete Zelda formula. The more specific your reason for switching games, the more reliable your choice will be.
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Start with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for the closest continuation: it returns to Hyrule, adds floating-island exploration and makes creative abilities part of the adventure. Choose Immortals Fenyx Rising when you want a distinct mythology-inspired world with seven regions, puzzles and combat. Treat Nintendo’s other open-world listings as wider possibilities rather than proven Breath of the Wild equivalents.
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