You don't need to have played Breath of the Wild to enjoy Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo says

Counting down the hours this Tuesday, there are just three days until the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The sequel to Breath of the Wild will take us to a much more elaborate version of Hyrule, with incredible new abilities for Link.

It looks set to be a memorable title in every way (our first impressions, for proof). But there will be those who are reluctant to jump into the game at launch if they haven't played its predecessor, but for those feeling this way: rest assured, Nintendo says it's no problem.

In a new edition of his special 'Ask the Developer' volume 9 (now retired, perhaps because it was released too early), Eiji Aonuma said that having played Breath of the Wild is not a prerequisite for enjoying The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, as it is "very easy to integrate into it" and its gameplay systems "are very intuitive".

Tears of the Kingdom director Hidemaro Fujibayashi explained how the team has ensured that the story is "comfortable" for both new and returning players. Still, we'd recommend playing Breath of the Wild first, if only to do justice to one of the most important and defining titles of the last decade.