Current Events > Tears of the Kingdom vs Elden Ring

(+) Yeah! (+)

These games are definitely comparable as they are open world games that are very non-linear, don't hold your hands, and don't suffer from death by map icons. Both games expect you to experiment, fail, and keep going.

Elden Ring has been my favorite game of like the last 20 years or so. Tears of the Kingdom might be challenging that, but too early to tell for sure. I do know that I think it is better than Breath of the Wild.

And be nice everybody. Neither games sucks, or is anywhere close to it, even if not your cup of tea.

No, BOTW > TOTK because it has no dumb crafting gimmick and also its the same world.

ER is better than both though

BlackOmnimon posted...

No, BOTW > TOTK because it has no dumb crafting gimmick and also its the same world.

I was frustrated at first but am growing to like it. And it's not exactly the same world, as it has been changed in many ways, and the addition of the Depths and Sky World adds a lot. Plus, there is simply a lot more to do. BOTW was always slightly barren to me.

I can see some liking BOTW more for being more "fresh" and I can see some liking TOTK more for pushing it further (and better IMO).

bsp77 posted...

And be nice everybody. Neither games sucks, or is anywhere close to it, even if not your cup of tea.

Would be more entertaining if they did suck.

The Switch gen is like Nintendo just discovered collect-a-thons.
Elden Ring is just more Souls with more running around.

I haven't started ToTK but based off what I've played of Elden Ring and BoTW, ER is much better. In BoTW I play for an hour and feel like I've accomplished nothing. Again, I haven't gotten far but I really couldn't be bothered to play it past the first few bits because of that. Meanwhile, in ER if you go almost anywhere you'll stumble across an awesome, unique area that has a cool reward, cool fight or something.

Going into a castle being pillaged then fighting a lion swordsman to pick up a super cool GoT sword is an experience I never found in BotW, and even if I did I'd quickly be reminded that said cool sword would break after 4 hits anyway.

BotW felt very basic and empty to me when I tried playing it, but I went into it right after finishing the first Horizon game, so my view may have been a bit swayed by that.

Not super interested in TotK.

Elden Ring is a game I would never have played or enjoyed as a solo experience, but with the seamless coop mod, it's become a favorite game. Me and the wife are having so much damn fun just exploring and trying things.

If there was a legal way to play TotK or BotW on PC and mod coop into them, I'd no doubt love them too.

IceCreamOnStero posted...

In BoTW I play for an hour and feel like I've accomplished nothing.

I sometimes felt the same, but not as much about TOTK

Senta posted...

BotW felt very basic and empty to me when I tried playing it, but I went into it right after finishing the first Horizon game, so my view may have been a bit swayed by that.

I kinda felt the same, but then the Horizon sequel just made it so much bigger and with so many more icons, that I liked the first better. TOTK has been the opposite experience.

For me, TOTK > Zero Dawn > BOTW > Forbidden West

Elden Ring is a game I would never have played or enjoyed as a solo experience, but with the seamless coop mod, it's become a favorite game.

i guess i just can't understand the mindset. is it really so devastating to lose to another person that your only options are 'play offline' or 'use a mod'?

like, your one chance to roleplay some heroic knight shit. save wifey from the red.

Senta posted...

BotW felt very basic and empty to me when I tried playing it, but I went into it right after finishing the first Horizon game, so my view may have been a bit swayed by that.

Not super interested in TotK.

Elden Ring is a game I would never have played or enjoyed as a solo experience, but with the seamless coop mod, it's become a favorite game. Me and the wife are having so much damn fun just exploring and trying things.

If there was a legal way to play TotK or BotW on PC and mod coop into them, I'd no doubt love them too.

What, you don't like being ganked by random players as intended?

One thing I loved about BotW was the amount of experimentation you can do, but I hated that the puzzles were barely puzzles and in those shrines were too easy to figure out to the point where they became a nuisance than an actual point of interest. TotK crafting "gimmick" makes a lot of these puzzles much more fun imo and allows for much more experimentation on what you can do. I'm loving it so far, but I hope my interest doesn't wane like in BotW because after 20hrs in that game I just felt done and didn't have the same urge to go back and play it.

i havent played totk enough to say its better than elden ring yet, but it's definitely better than botw. the building/fuse system adds a layer of complexity and variety to the game that i really enjoy, botw always felt like it was just missing something.

I overall prefer the variety of the Zelda games. Like figuring out how to climb up somewhere, solving a puzzle and doing the NPC quests. I like stumbling on other travelers walking around in TOTK. It gives the world a bit more life outside of hostiles or cryptic NPC's standing around.

If Elden Ring had more to it outside of combat it would probably be the GOAT but it doesn't really. While playing it I was wishing I got this combat and world with Elder Scrolls NPC's, towns, quests and factions.

TotK by far

Elden Ring and its not even a contest.

Xerun posted...

TotK by far

--Zero- posted...

Elden Ring and its not even a contest.

Yay! Opposing opinions

Each has there own merit.

From what I've heard, TotK has better open-world elements, less trollish enemies and a functional crafting system.

Elden Ring has a multiplayer feature that allows you to fight against or with other players. It also allows you to make your Tarnished anyone in the high fantasy setting will allow.

Heck, I made Hibari from Senran Kagura as one of my characters. That's what you can do with some imagination.

bsp77 posted...

I sometimes felt the same, but not as much about TOTK

Would I need to play BoTW to play ToTK? I'm willing to give it a shot if it has more stuff to actually do.

I've said it elsewhere but while the world and art direction in Elden Ring is spectacular, the actual manner in which you interact with the world around you is quite limited.

Which imo at least puts it below BotW/TotK

Avirosb posted...

Would be more entertaining if they did suck.

The Switch gen is like Nintendo just discovered collect-a-thons.
Elden Ring is just more Souls with more running around.

Um did you not play any N64 platformer?

IceCreamOnStero posted...

Would I need to play BoTW to play ToTK? I'm willing to give it a shot if it has more stuff to actually do.

Not really. It is a direct sequel, and while it is nice to know more of the backstory and characters, it isn't essential to knowing what is happening.

ER is more of a Zelda game than w/e BotW wanted to be.

Then you want to compare that to some $70 Crafting DLC?

Haven't played TOTK but ER was significantly better than BOTW. ER did the open world way better.

Dark-Summoner posted...

Then you want to compare that to some $70 Crafting DLC?

You clearly have no clue

Totk totk totk

Elden ring to me was just similar to borderlands games but requires less grinding/farming and enemies aren't bullet sponges (w/ properly upgraded weapons). Also maps aren't segmented. Overall I think Elden Rings openworld design is pretty overrated tbh. Doesnt offer much of anything outside of combat and occasional platforming.

TotK makes BotW feel primitive imo. I can't say if it's better than ER yet but so far I'm leaning that way. The level of freedom you have in TotK is unparalleled.

Zelda fans playing BotW were like "man this world is too big"

TotK devs: "fans are saying the world is too big. So we're going to double the size."

botw did a very good job of convincing me its an awesome game the first 2 or 3 hours. then i realized that wasnt actually the game. only game i encountered that was similiar was halo 2 where its front loaded with awesome stuff the first couple of hours then its apparent theres nothing else there. you get introduced to all these cool things and mechanics that never actually have any impact the rest of the game.

elden ring was the opposite. just progressively got better and better until my mind was blown with all the content.

havent tried totk yet and probably never will

bsp77 posted...

I kinda felt the same, but then the Horizon sequel just made it so much bigger and with so many more icons, that I liked the first better. TOTK has been the opposite experience.

For me, TOTK > Zero Dawn > BOTW > Forbidden West

Weird how people act like TOTK isnt a million map icon game just because it doesnt initially show them to you

like, its a fantastic game, but its very much a wander to the next map item game whether its shrines, towers, etc

FelineCyborg posted...

havent tried totk yet and probably never will

Have you been reading the various comments about how it rectifies the complaints about BOTW?

TheGoldenEel posted...

Weird how people act like TOTK isnt a million map icon game just because it doesnt initially show them to you

like, its a fantastic game, but its very much a wander to the next map item game whether its shrines, towers, etc

Yes, but finding everything organically vs opening up a new area and having 50 or so icons appear (not exaggerating with Forbidden West) is a massive difference.

the only thing ER does better is the combat so I'll give it to TotK from what I've played so far

TotK is weird so far. I've only got a handful of hours in so far, but it seems like Nintendo took BotW, and tried to make it more "Zelda-y", without actually fixing any of the flaws that existed within the BotW system. There is a way more involved story, which makes the random exploring feel like you're wasting time from the actual story compared to BotW where the random exploring was kind of the main appeal. TotK has had more cutscenes and stuff than I think I saw in the entirety of both my BotW playthorughs, and I have like 5 hours of TotK so far.

Adding the fuse mechanic is a neat gimmick, but it's already annoying because every weapon is garbage now. Making the fun gimmick of fusing items together is now mandatory. The gear/stat system is also still really dumb (not to mention weapon durability) and wasn't fixed in TotK.

The intro to TotK is also so much longer. You have so much more work to do before you even get the Paraglider, which is almost mandatory to actually do any travelling in the world given how vertical everything is.

I'm still expecting it to greatly improve the longer I go, but I'm actually a bit disappointed with TotK so far.

TheGoldenEel posted...

Weird how people act like TOTK isnt a million map icon game just because it doesnt initially show them to you

like, its a fantastic game, but its very much a wander to the next map item game whether its shrines, towers, etc

I think the issue isn't the million map icon game to begin with, but rather a game like TotK having the million map icons, but not making them available to you while also making them somewhat easy to find makes it more exciting to adventure, because you're the one finding everything.

Which doesn't work in every situation, because if you just removed all the icons from say, the last Assassins Creed game, a lot of things you will just literally never find.

Proto_Spark posted...

TotK is weird so far. I've only got a handful of hours in so far... but I'm actually a bit disappointed with TotK so far.

Give it more time. I found the introductory area to be frustrating, as was getting used to the new mechanics. Then it just all opened up and everything clicked. For me, anyway. And scouring online does seem to show that the majority of gamers prefer TOTK over BOTW and most feel that many of the issues were rectified.

I think the issue isn't the million map icon game to begin with, but rather a game like TotK having the million map icons, but not making them available to you while also making them somewhat easy to find makes it more exciting to adventure, because you're the one finding everything.

Which doesn't work in every situation, because if you just removed all the icons from say, the last Assassins Creed game, a lot of things you will just literally never find.

Exactly

bsp77 posted...

You clearly have no clue

It's BoTW with none of the issues fixed (from what I've heard/seen)

Still only a few dungeons and just shrines everywhere.

Weapon durability

Giant empty world. (Sorry, exploring for crafting Mats/shrines bores me, also how verticle everything was with that dumbass stanima/slipping mechanic)

Now adding on all of the crafting stuff (Not a fan of crafting systems in games for w/e reason...ill use them as a means to an end)

Ofc my opinion but I thought BotW was "Ok" and had to force myself to finish it bc it was just a slog after the "newness" wore off.

You did ask the question.

ER for me. Put over 100 hours into both.

They're completely different vibes tho.

It would be funny to hear someone complain about the difficulty balance on ER and then back Zelda tho. The game where either something hits you with baby strength or kills you in one hit with little in-between in the first 30-40 hours

Dark-Summoner posted...

It's BoTW with none of the issues fixed (from what I've heard/seen)

Still only a few dungeons and just shrines everywhere.

Weapon durability

Giant empty world. (Sorry, exploring for crafting Mats/shrines bores me, also how verticle everything was with that dumbass stanima/slipping mechanic)

Now adding on all of the crafting stuff (Not a fan of crafting systems in games for w/e reason...ill use them as a means to an end)

Ofc my opinion but I thought BotW was "Ok" and had to force myself to finish it bc it was just a slog after the "newness" wore off.

You did ask the question.

You aren't entirely wrong with these complaints, but I still feel it is stronger than BOTW, which I liked a lot - more than "Ok" but less than the masterpiece many thought it was.

I just felt that calling it "$70 Crafting DLC" was ridiculously unfair. And untrue, especially because you haven't played it and I could tell you hadn't.

Lost_All_Senses posted...

ER for me. Put over 100 hours into both.

They're completely different vibes tho.

It would be funny to hear someone complain about the difficulty balance on ER and then back Zelda tho. The game where either something hits you with baby strength or kills you in one hit with little in-between in the first 30-40 hours

You already have over a 100 hours on TOTK? Wow.

And yeah, it is a hard game, but it is more about the random enemies and the mobs more than anything that stops actual progression.

bsp77 posted...

You already have over a 100 hours on TOTK? Wow.

And yeah, it is a hard game, but it is more about the random enemies and the mobs more than anything that stops actual progression.

Oops. I meant I played BotW. Haven't played the new one. Got distracted by other posts >_>.

Lost_All_Senses posted...

Oops. I meant I played BotW. Haven't played the new one. Got distracted by other posts >_>.

Oh, well TOTK is MUCH harder than BOTW. And generally better.

Going into a castle being pillaged then fighting a lion swordsman to pick up a super cool GoT sword is an experience I never found in BotW, and even if I did I'd quickly be reminded that said cool sword would break after 4 hits anyway.

Even so, at least you'd get to use it at all. In Elden Ring, you'd go "Oh wow, a cool GOT sword! Too bad I don't have the stats to make effective use of that weapon type, or even if I do I have a +15 weapon that is much stronger and don't have the smithing stones to match . Ah well" and it would just become decoration in your inventory

Elden Ring if you prefer combat, Zelda if you prefer puzzles. Both have excellent world building and exploration. Though so far Zelda has really lacked in character progression and rewards for exploration (loot) in ways that Elden Ring doesn't.