Games Like Zelda - What To Play After You've Finished Tears Of The Kingdom

Dark souls also reminds me of a Zelda like structure only much more costumisable

You should play Hyper Light Drifter regardless of whether you've finished Zelda or not. It's a masterpiece, pure and simple.

stuff like this is reminder how much i need more time & money....

I was enjoying Okami but got kinda bored after 15 hours :-/ sure, it´s a lot like the old Zelda games, but perhaps that´s the problem? BoTW just changed everything about the old Zelda structure...

"Nintendo obviously took note from Bethesda’s fifth entry in the Elder Scrolls series when creating its latest iteration of Hyrule." Lol that's a bit of an understatement. I love Breath of the Wild and spent 90 hours playing it, but it's seriously just a six years later Nintendo version of Skyrim, a game I've sunk 500+ hours into over the years.

Another game to consider, Reverie. It's a Zelda clone with an Earthbound art style.

Okami was a super fun game.

@Danito Okami takes about 20 hours to really get going. The 2nd half of the game is brilliant.

Dragons Dogma needs to be on here,fantastic game. It's all I've played for the last 10 days. The combat is better than any Zelda game.

I have yet to play Breath of Wild.

Too much Splatoon 2.

I've played plenty of games since finishing Zelda but my recommendations would be Horizon Zero Dawn and God of War if you happen to have a PS4, the latter in particular plays more like a Zelda game than arguably BOTW does, albeit with vastly superior combat

Of these, I've only played Okami HD. It's very... diet Zelda. It's like a traditional Zelda game, except the dungeons aren't good.

I have Darksiders on Steam. I need to get around to that one day.

Really struggling with Okami just can’t get into it. Don’t really like the art style either

Real answer is Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Also Aonuma said he was inspired by The Witcher so maybe that too.

Played most of these. Elliot quest was the one i felt disappointed in but still scratched that zelda itch. As said above, there was little to no indication on what to do or where to go. I was never able to finish it and i got really far.

When you finish BotW, the choice is clear; restart BotW

Your clones are very impressive. You must be very proud.

Okami HD is one of the greatest games I’ve played, highly recommend to anyone who loves Zelda style games and Japanese art/culture.

@OorWullie How many hours would you say Okami is? I also stopped at about 15 hours but maybe I should give it some more love?

I love Zelda, and the clones always make me wish I was playing Zelda.

Looking forward the the Zelda game(s) this year, and still enjoying replaying Wind Waker and others of past years.

Here's an idea - what about a LEGO Nintendo game?
It could have Mario levels, Zelda levels, Starfox levels, and the ability to unlock characters across all the games.
...I think it would be much better than many of these clones...

@Chimaj Between 40 to 50 hours for me. I played it originally on Wii and gave up around the 15 hour mark, I was finding it fun but very slow going and a bit too simple. When I played it on Switch I came close to giving up around the same point but decided to see it through and I'm glad that I did. Eventually, the game just becomes more fun to play. The new areas are more interesting than what came before,you get new moves, dungeons are better and more challenging and there's some really cool bosses. To me, the first 20 hours feels like a tutorial to the 2nd half of the game.

@OorWullie Cool, I'll pick it up again sometime!

Hyper Light Drifter is one of the few games on my Switch I went and played through a second time and would gladly play through a third. I love it.

You forgot Dark Souls, and Dragon's Dogma (especially this one with its 3rd person sword and bow combat - large open world).

Breath of the Wild killed Zelda for me. I hated it that much. However Ittle Dew 2 is so much like the original Zelda which is by far the best Zelda that it more then made up for Nintendo's mistake. Also Elliot Quest is superb. I played through it 6 times since it released on the WiiU. Minit is another excellent choice but it's over too quickly.

I cannot state enough how much of an impact that Okami had on me back in the Wii days. In fact, my enjoyment of the game is what encouraged me to go back and play through Twilight Princess after originally quitting in the first dungeon. TP was my first Zelda game and ultimately played a part in cementing The Legend of Zelda as my favorite Nintendo franchise.

I could expand on the above paragraph, but I don't have time right now to write a novel. XD

If you liked exploring and collecting and cooking in Breath of the Wild but didn't like the combat or the dungeons, look into Yonder: Cloud Catcher Chronicles. It has no enemies and no dungeons but a nice world to explore. I liked it, but it's probably not for everyone.

@OorWullie Guess I have to return and play some more I´ll give it a try again...thanks man!

Don't forget these Zelda clone games...

Sikanda

Oceanhorn 2

Knack

I love open world games but l really couldn't get on with Zelda Breath Of The Wild,I just lost interest despite wanting to enjoy it and putting forty odd hours into it before giving up.
I love this article though as there are a few on here I haven't even been aware of and other ones on this list that I loved!
I'll look out for Hob,Little Dew 2 and Moonlighter.

@Octane Knack will sell millions of Switches when/if it gets ported!Brilliant game!

Good list. I'm sure folks will knock the indies on this, but the indies listed here are worth it for Zelda fans. I played Elliott's Quest on Wii U and it felt like a nice mix of Kid Icarus and Zelda II. Still need to import a physical copy Okami.

I’m currently neck deep on Assassins Creed Odyssey and I love it. It granted not on my Switch

I have fond memories of Moonlighter. If you're even remotely interested, check it out!

@carlos82 spot on Horizon Zero Dawn is eerily similar to BOTW and came out at same time!

Okami, Blossom Tales, Hob and Kamiko were amazing and unforgettable games, but the rest bored me so hard. Ittle Dew 2 is imo one of the worst Zelda Clones ever and Hyper Light Drifter touched me in no way!

how about ace attorney? you should always play ace attorney

Ohhh Myyy Goddd!
I asked if they'd make a zelda clone reccomendation list, and theyyyy maade it!
I feel so special, special special

Nintendo Life staff, thank you very much for this!

I would be into a full version of the NES Breath of the Wild demo. That looked like a lot of fun

@Gravitron
Oh yeah! They did make that NES concept while developing botw. That would be a very cool to see. Agreed.

I've had BotW since release. Sadly, I've only had time to play it for a few hours (5 hearts I think I have).

Okami is a good game, but definitely suffers from some dated features. For the $20, it’s a wonderful price of entry for a top notch title.

I don’t really think Enter the Gungeon feels very Zelda-like (even top-down Zelda-like). It’s a twitchy shooter and a lot of fun, but I’d compare it to a shmup or run n gun over a Zelda adventure title.

If they ever lower the price on Dark Siders to $10, I’ll play it.

God of War is the best Zelda game of the 2010s.

@LegendOfStewart BotW is just like Skyrim, but about 100x better.

Calling Okami a zelda clone is very disrespectful. It's its own game and it's a very great one at that.

So i'd highly recommend Okami by its own merits rather than always being referred to as a zelda clone when it received more praise than the zelda that was out at the time. Twilight Princess i believe? Great game but Okami was overall just better. Only think holding it back was that it was a little too easy.

I don’t get why Blinding of Issac and Enter the Gungeon are on this list? Not that they are bad, quite the opposite, but they are not at all like a Zelda game. But “What if Zelda were a dungeon-based twin-stick shooter?” it wouldn’t be Zelda. Might as well say Mario Kart 8 because “What if Zelda were a kart racer?”. Though that actually has more connection as Link and Hyrule are both in it. But whilst there are many games I have played and described as Zelda-like, Gungeon was no such thing at all. Not in gameplay, art, story or tone.

Still some good games on this list. I can’t recommend Hyper Light Drifter enough!

@carlos82 I found horizon to be mehh and GoW was blah. I love the GoW series but this last one was below mediocre. The storyline lacked a lot. It was pretty boring after a couple hours. I finished it but was very disappointed. Horizon isn't a bad choice for the complete version going for 20 bucks now.

What do I do while I wait for new Zelda games?? I replay all of the old Zelda games again
I finally tried DarkSiders a few weeks ago, but couldn't really get into it. Maybe it gets better later, but the beginning was too linear and bland for me.
Dark Souls is a lot more like Zelda, except they put all the buttons in the wrong places.

Rime should be on the list. One of the most atmospheric games I’ve ever played. If there’s an argument to be made that games are art this game adds to the evidence.

The fact that Skyrim is on here but Pandora's Tower isn't hurts me.

I love the Ittle Dew representation. Far fewer people have played this game than it deserves. The world was a blast to discover, the secrets a blast to uncover. They put the "lore" in 'explore" with this game.

I love Zelda, but get bored with hack and slash combo games like Bayonetta. I keep wondering if Darksiders would appeal to me or not. I watched some gameplay videos, but it looked very hack and slashy.

Forgot about Ittle Dew, wow on Amazon UK its £45.85, damn it should have bought it back when it was £30

Or you know, how about Mario Kart? Or FortNite? Maybe Oxenfree? Good list of good games, but I kind of missed how to make that jump from Zelda to Binding of Isaac and Enter the Gungeon. That said, it’s inspired me to put Ittle Dew back on the wish list. And Minit!

It's not really Zelda, but I cannot recommend binding of Isaac enough

They could've done something more appealing with Blossom Tales' graphics, they are terrible, I don't care if they are taking "inspiration" from Link's Awakening, they should've taken that from ALTTP, it's just so ugly as it is.

Hyper light drifter is one of the best games I've ever play period. Swords of ditto seems like a perfect indie version of Link to the past but with various playthoughs each with different gimmicks and higher difficulty (can't recommend it enough for those who liked Link to the past.)

Where's World to the west? A isometric Zelda-like with a massive overworld, 4 characters with different abilities, and no handholding. I loved it, even if it can be a pain to get certain characters to certain locations. But the game has nice enviromental puzzles and exploration, and finding everything takes quite some time!

Okami is queen of queens. Such an amazing game.

@ilikeike not rlly

@Anti-Matter Thank you for reminding me of ocean horn 2, I forgot about it and it seems like quite a step up from the original!

Breath of the Wild is a 3D open-world action RPG which (thankfully) is not party-based. The only four games that fit that description are Dragon's Dogma, The Witcher III, Ashen, and Skyrim (although Skyrim's combat isn't nearly as fun as Zelda's).

Dark Souls is not open-world. Ys VIII isn't open-world either, even though it may seem that way. The Ys games are really linear and provide little exploration. They probably came up with the idea of an island (instead of a proper world) because they weren't capable of programming a full world.

The problem with Tales of Vesperia, the Star Ocean games, and the Xenoblade games is that their combat sucks really badly. It's just completely nonsensical button mashing. You have to try really hard to lose a battle in those games. Zelda games outsell other action RPGs because they have the best combat, and it doesn't force you to have a bunch of annoying other fighters tagging along and making the combat stupid.

Ok so I don’t really have much time for playing, on the switch I devoured BOTW (twice), played a bit of Splatoon & Smash, got bored of Odissey at like the 5th world.
Also, I loved Astral chain after forcing myself through the first two chapters.
Enjoyed Cadence of Hyrule, kinda.

Which game would you suggest me?

Never played Ookami, but hearing it’s too simple and that even after 20 hours some don’t get going kinda leaves me dubious.

Darksiders looks fun and immediate, but hopefully not too long.

the Iddle thingy looks like the best bet, but I also seem to understand that hyper light bla bla is awesome, even though the trailer isn’t inspiring me much.

Please give me suggestions, for the first time in a while an article made me want to save some time for gaming.

I recently started playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey on my Xbox, because I really wanted something that resembled BotW, but it's only made me appreciate just how great BotW is and what an amazing job Nintendo did refining all the systems so they're transparent and don't get in your way, unlike AC: O which has like 100 systems that all have issues, many aren't really fun, and none are either explained properly or given enough practice to you before requiring you to master them in order to advance.

I think I'm going to give Okami a try instead or afterwards, it's been too long in my backlog.

@TheWingedAvenger okey, this is an old comment and i cannot speak for most of these games but i would consider botw to be more button mashing than the actual Xenoblade.
Xenoblade is just harder to get into, but the combat in botw is spamming the b button in flurry rush or spamming the b button after you hit the enemy with your sword, of course it is also not a pure button mashing game but xenoblade requires you to select the right move in its right order and combine it with many other abilities.
If you get into the combat though, it does feel rewarding if you know what you are doing and well... not button mash every attack without knowing what it does. You are not alone, cause it adds to the strategy, it makes the combat more complicated yes but also more deep.
I can see why xenoblade 2 is poorly regarded combatwise because you still get some tutorials after 40 hours in the game, but it really is no button mashing

@KishinLink old comment but have you tried the bayonetta games? They are quite similar to Astral Chain after all.

Since you don't have too much time, you might wanna try:Crypt of the Necrodancer(since you played Cadence), Katana Zero, Fury, Hyper light drifter, Undertale, Ori and the blind forest, Hollow knight for a slightly longer experience. I feel like these short indie title are really fun and don't take too long, plus they are really cheap.
You might also wanna try Animal crossing, i havent played it but you can put in loads of time but don't have to be too invested in it, meaning you can play it pretty casually i guess.
Since you played botw, maybe you like Xenoblade 2 or 1 as well, although i would recommend 1, since it is a lot easier to get into and like than 2 in my opinion. Its a very long game though and the combat takes time to get used to, meaning it is not an action adventure like zelda.
Hope those still help

@Solaine
Yes thanks,
Maybe I will try bayonetta, I dunno yet.
I didn’t like hyper light drifter, I couldn’t cope with the art style etc... too confusing.
Xeno has always been something that I was somewhat curious to try, but the battle ggameplay seems boring and I think I would just ditch it after a while as I did with okami and hld.
Crypt of the necromancer was fun, I tried the zelda version.
I wouldn’t play more of it though now (dlc etc).
I also enjoyed Ittle dew 1&2 quite a lot.
Now waiting for NMH 3, hopefully a RE4 with gyro implemented and BOTW 2.
Maybe bayonetta is my best bet after all

@Solaine @KishinLink
You're right - the Xenoblade games aren't about button-mashing, so I definitely chose the wrong word. But the combat is not fun. You can say it's complex and rewarding once you learn it through and through, but it's just not fun. It's a chore, and it takes up a huge portion of the game. I don't see how you can call any Zelda game button-mashing: in those games you directly control every movement Link makes. Of course, if you're fighting a very weak enemy when you're very strong, then you can theoretically just mash a button and win, but no one does that because the combat in Zelda is actually fun. Every part of an RPG should be fun, and the Zelda games are among the few that do that well.

@TheWingedAvenger Zelda is fun, absolutely and without doubt. The Combat works well and is easy to learn, my point was that Zelda is more button mashing than Xenoblade and not a button mashing game per se, the combat is just not very deep, fun yes but not too deep is all i am saying.
Ultimately, it comes down to personal opinion and i probably agree with the fun gameplay part here. However, if you want a more complicated but rewarding fighting system, i still consider xenoblade to be above Zelda which does not feature a lot of strategy usually.

Fire up a different platform and go for some cut-rate BOTW with Assassins Creed Odyssey or Horizon Zero Dawn.

@LegendOfStewart They improved upon every thing in it and make revolutionary changes. Understatement not.

It makes no sense to have roguelikes like binding of Isaac, or enter the gungeon on this list. How are they zelda like? Because they are top down view? Then hundreds of other games should be included. Same with witcher 3 & Skyrim, those are not zelda likes. 🤦🏼‍♂️

@TheWingedAvenger agreed, i have bought every Xenoblade game Available on every Nintendo console since wii & haven't had the desire to finish a single one. The combat is such a chore & boring, IMO. Glad I'm not alone in thinking this. I'll skip XC3.

@TheWingedAvenger i haven't played dragons dogma because i heard u had to have NPC with u in battle & train them up, etc? Are u saying that's not true, it's completely single player throughout? If so, i may give it another chance.

I got to this article through the Xel review,t gat says this list is zelda-likes, not BOTW likes, so Skyrim, not witcher 3 fit into that category, FWIW. Zelda games have a specific pattern, to exploring dungeons, where u find new items that are needed to progress. BOTW has a different take on that, sure, but it's still Zelda. Those other games aren't at all, they are full on western-rpg, BOTW is an action-rpg.

I love crystalis, such a masterpiece, the music is so good, I have so many memories of crystalis, I would love to see a sequel

Tunic > everything else on the list

Hyper Light Drifter has become one of my all time favourites. It's the perfect combo of fun, challenging gameplay, and an engrossing world to explore. Death's Door offers a similar experience, but I still prefer HLD.

Lol the funny thing is that im never finished playing zelda 🤣 have it from day one and atill play it.

I consider a lot of metroidvanias to be more like Zelda than Metroid these days, especially any with towns/NPCs littered throughout the map. Actually, they're also more like Zelda than Breath of the Wild is, though for different reasons.

I'm glad Phoenotopia made the list. It seems like the kind of game that could be a cult classic. It has gorgeous pixel art and incredible music. Excellent story-telling and rich deep world. I love games that feel like you are inhabiting the world; that is a real place that goes on after you leave. Phoenotopia feels like that.

The only drawback is that it's hard. Puzzle are fine but enemies are tough and bosses can be insane. It has accessibility options that made it easier but even then it's a challenge.

@Dr_Luigi Death's Door was fine, but Tunic, in my opinion, is truly special. I didn't think DD was nearly as unique or interesting. But to each their own 🙂

I'm currently playing Nier Automata and I'm getting lots of good BOTW vibes from it, If you like rpgs I highly recommend it!

Definitely think that Immortals Phenyx Rising should be on this list. I loved that game on the Switch. I’m not a huge stickler when it comes to graphics though. It was a super fun game to play through and a lot like BotW.

I feel like a lot of indie darlings tend to be a bit overhyped because people have lower expectations to smaller teams. So when I tried Hyper Light Drifter I didn't have high expectations. Howver, wehn I played it, I couldn't put it down. It just felt so good, is perfectly paced, good looking and an has interesting world building.

No list of games inspired by Zelda is complete without a mention of Blue Fire! It takes the structure of a Zelda (vast interconnected world, dungeons with new items) but adds fast and acrobatic 3d platforming. Imagine a 3d Zelda game, but where you a play as a Sheikah (fast and agile) as opposed to a slow and heavy Link (who took 30 years to even learn how to properly jump...)
It is still one of my favourite games, and has the most fun I've had with 3d platforming in any game (the close second being another underrated gem, Glyph!)

You forgot immortals fenyx rising , which by the way is an excellent game.

Finish BoTW? Never. Games far too boring to force myself to finish exploring the vast empty nothingness that is that "Zelda" title.

Immortals: Fenyx Rising is infinitely better in EVERY single aspect.

I would definitely add blue fire to this list. Deserves more attention in a sea of indies.

A Zelda clone I'd like to be able to play on Switch is 3D Dot Game Heroes. The king of a pixelated 2D kingdom decides to make the kingdom 3D to increase tourism. The result looked a lot like The Touryst and played a lot like A Link To The Past. It was available on PS3.

@OorWullie Wolves hunt in packs!

Others may have mentioned it but, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a great BOTW like. Probably the most similar game I've ever played to BOTW and I like it a lot.

Though it gets a shout out since it hadn't come to Switch yet, Darksiders 2 is definitely my favorite in that series. The soundtrack is one of my favorites of all time too. It's more similar to Ocarina or Twilight Princess than BOTW.

The one I play isn't even on the Switch (yet, unless you count an Android emulator): Genshin Impact.

Although, in all fairness, it's not really a Zelda clone. Sure, there are some similar elements to Breath of the Wild, but there are a lot more complex game mechanics in Genshin Impact than there are in Zelda. Things like elemental reactions, building the best team for DPS, Sub-DPS, and support, and more.

Plus, Genshin Impact holds regular events and frequently releases new content to encourage people to keep playing. Once you beat and/or complete a Zelda game, you have very little, if any, incentive to play the game again.

As much as I love the Zelda series, I am coming close to saying that Genshin Impact is the superior game.

Wtf??? Nintend-no Life

Odd feature to do now.

On this list, Tunic gets my choice for favorite. Tunic has my attention like no other right now. I actually feel guilt for buying Nier because I started it, and then tried Tunic because I also had that preordered and I haven’t put it down since. I just love everything about it and that lost-pages-manual mechanic is just so incredibly cool.

Would have been nice to have had Wind Waker HD
to have tied us over until May.
7 months away and would have just been about right before BOTW2.

I know the texts here are just copy-pasted from the original reviews, but it's still kinda funny how a supposedly updated article mentions that Darksiders II "is rumoured to be arriving on Switch soon", when it arrived three years ago.

First choice for me is Immortals: Fenyx Rising.
Engaging from start to end. I completed it on PC.
It's a Zelda'ish game, but still different from all Zelda games.

I wouldn't bother with the 3 DLC' in the game as it's quite different and inferior vs main game.
Play standard edition and ignore the season pass.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Marvelous: Mōhitotsu no Takarajima (Another Treasure Island).
It's the game that earned Eiji Aonuma a leading role on the Zelda series (...whoever he is).

There's also Capcom's Goof Troop, which is kind of a mix between ALttP and Makai Island. I don't think anyone on that team contributed to the Capcom Zeldas, though.

Okami is in my Top 10 games of all-time, so yes play it.
Top great Zelda-likes imo:

• Okami
• Blossom Tales 1
• Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos
• Death's Door
  .. I still have to play Blossom Tales 2 & Tunic, which I will at some point.

Also the best, most Zelda-like to me is 3D Dot Game Heroes by far and away, but it's not on Switch (and it needs another entry!).

... Wun can only hope.

@Ventilator Yeah, Immortals Fenyx Rising was obviously strongly inspired by BOTW. The fact that it was developed by the development team of Assassin's Creed Odyssey is also evident. I don't say that just because of them both dealing with ancient Greece in one way or another.

I didn't finish the game for whatever reason but came close. I need to get back to it and finish it! It was fun.

@Harmonie Yeah. Taking a break is common in big UBI Games as they can be too much in short time.

I think Fenyx Rising sold enough to probably get a sequel.
Switch version supports cloud save with PC and other consoles btw.
Anyways. You should finish it. It becomes more engaging after a break. I took a week break in Fenyx as far as i remember.

I've only played a handful of the games mentioned here, but if I'm being honest nothing has ever been a 'Zelda clone' to me, or captured the essence of a Zelda game.

To me, Zelda is not about the dungeons, the puzzles, or the combat, though I will admit that if any of those three are missing, then the game is lesser for it (looking at you, BotW, with your missing dungeons). For me, Zelda is about the atmosphere and the world. The whimsical child-like charm of the characters and the brooding evil (though not too much) undertones. Games like Tunic NAIL Zelda in just about every way, but fail to have a similar feel to their world.

I would say games like Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life have more in common with Zelda than a lot of these games mentioned. Even Star Fox Adventures (a game hated by most, but loved by me personally) has more in common with Zelda than these games.

As others have said, these games are fantastic, but most of the time they simply make me wish I were playing a Zelda game. I'm here "patiently" waiting for someone to figure out the Zelda formula.

(Eastward comes pretty darn close though, I have to say. My GotY last year next to Deathloop).

@Purgatorium I agree 100%. I absolutely love Phoenotopia: Awakening, but boy is it difficult at times, even with accessibility options.

@Shadowmoon522 you speak the truth.

@Mrkittyhead and its still true, even more so now that my cat broke my N2dsXL, my switch's fan stopped working (using a small external fan to keep it cool), my old pc chairs on its last legs both figuratively and literally....

Honestly, I'm glad TotK isn't on this list. It's a very fun and respectable game, but might honestly have been better if it were unshackled to BotW and Zelda as a whole. Please tell me, who asked for such good building mechanics in Zelda?