Summary
Over a year afterThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwas released, players discovered a connection to its predecessor,Breath of the Wild, that should have been obvious. WithTOTKbeing a direct sequel toBOTW, the parallels between the two are practically uncountable, especially with a vast portion of the former’s map being a one-to-one port of the latter’s Hyrule. One such translation involving the Great Plateau was seemingly hiding in plain sight, going unnoticed by many fans for more than a year.
Reddit userElite4501pointed out thatthe Great Plateau inTears of the Kingdomhas four chasms leading to the Depths, each of which lines up the locations of Ancient Shrines inBreath of the Wild. Various comments echo the sentiment about never realizing the connection, and note that this is almost a unique trait inTOTK’s game world, at least regardingBOTW’s Ancient Shrines specifically.
Users Mr_Noh and BackgroundNPC1213 point out in the comments thatTOTKchasms lining up with where Ancient Shrines were inBOTWis somewhat rare. Aside from the four on the Great Plateau, the Tingel Island Chasm, Hyrule Castle Moat West Chasm, Lake Hylia Chasm, and the chasms in each ofTOTK’s labyrinths opened underneath where Ancient Shrines once stood.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review - Building Excellence
Tears of the Kingdom takes Legend of Zelda into mostly familiar ground, but it remains an excellent, must-play title with plenty of innovation.
TOTK’s Great Plateau Chasms Are Tied Directly To A Side Quest
The Reward Is The Equivalent Of Four Shrines
Despite the Great Plateau shrines being replaced by chasms (andBOTW’s Ancient Shrines being usurped byTOTK’s 152 Shrines of Lightmore generally),they’re connected to a quest that effectively has them operate like shrines still. “A Call from the Depths” sees Link returning the four missing stone eyes to the Bargainer Statue that’s directly below the Great Plateau’s ruined Temple of Time. When the side quest is completed, the Bargainer Statue can bestow Link with either aHeart Container or Stamina Vessel, the equivalent of completing four shrines.
It’s interesting that these four chasms are directly connected to shrines fromBOTW, but ultimately unsurprising given the importance of the Great Plateau Ancient Shrines. TheGreat Plateau served asBOTW’s tutorial area, andthese four shrines gave Link the Sheikah Slate abilitiesthat players utilize throughout the game. There’s actually very little to do on the Great Plateau inTOTK, with “A Call from the Depths” being the most prominent activity, making the chasms a subtle callback.
It’s a testament to the world design inTears of the Kingdomthat what should be an obvious parallel to its predecessor has gone unnoticed by some die-hard fans for so long. The parallels between the Surface and the Depths were noted rather quickly upon release, but these chasms being repurposed has flown comparatively under the radar. With the chasms offering the same reward as four shrines, they’re virtually the only shrines to remain intact betweenBreath of the WildandTears of the Kingdom.
Source:Elite4501/Reddit
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is the anticipated follow-up to Breath of the Wild, released in 2017. A rare occurrence in Zelda titles, Tears of the Kingdom is a direct sequel instead of loosely connected. In Tears of the Kingdom, Link will take to the skies and learn about a mysterious kingdom in the clouds.
