Legend of Zelda’s Biggest Game Ever Was Almost Bigger (It’s Good That it Wasn’t)

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The Legend of Zelda games are well-known for their detailed worlds, but Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom really expanded on that. These games feature a huge Hyrule to explore, encouraging players to forge their own path and discover things at their own pace. This creates a truly epic and immersive gaming experience.

It’s surprising to think that Tears of the Kingdom could have been even bigger, but the developers say a lot of content was actually cut. Enough material from one side story ended up being substantial enough to become the main story for a completely separate game, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, which focuses more on action. The developers believe this was a good call, and the success of both games seems to prove them right.

Tears Of The Kingdom Was Almost Bigger

As a huge fan of Breath of the Wild, I was blown away by how Tears of the Kingdom kept that same huge, open Hyrule, but then added even more to explore with the Sky Islands and the Depths! There were so many challenges, secrets, and puzzles hidden everywhere. Honestly, it’s just massive – way bigger than most games even try to be. And get this – the game could have been even bigger! The director, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, recently shared that they actually cut a lot of world-building details, particularly around the Sages and their history in the Imprisoning War. It’s amazing to think about all the extra stuff they had planned!

Fujibayashi explained to 4Gamer that focusing on the individual personalities and appearances of the Sages would have made the story too complex. He believed adding their backstories would have distracted from the main Tears of the Kingdom narrative, which already featured ancient warriors and time travel. It also would have meant less focus on the older Sages and diminished their importance.

Fujibayashi explained he was pleased the Sages received more attention in Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. This allowed Nintendo to further develop the story, giving Zelda a leading role in a more action-packed game that focused on the Sages and their destinies. Importantly, this also prevented the story of Tears of the Kingdom from becoming overly complicated.

Tears Of The Kingdom Is Fantastic As Is, And Didn’t Need To Cannabilize Another Game

Fujibayashi made a great point about Tears of the Kingdom. Although a huge, all-encompassing game seemed appealing, it was smart to separate the story of the Sages and build another game around it. Tears of the Kingdom is already incredibly large, packed with side quests and secrets that can easily distract you from the main story.

Adding another lengthy historical tale could have made the story too complicated and taken attention away from Zelda’s powerful narrative in the game. Zelda’s story effectively uses time travel to emphasize the ideas of forgotten heroes and inevitable battles. Repeating a similar story with four other Sages would have diminished its impact, as it was a key strength of Tears of the Kingdom. Instead, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment allowed the Sages’ story to stand on its own, giving them the spotlight they deserved while still connecting to the larger Zelda universe.

By telling Zelda’s story and the events of the Imprisoning War in a separate game, it allowed both narratives to connect more meaningfully and enrich the overall lore of The Legend of Zelda. This approach benefited both stories, letting each stand on its own as a compelling fantasy adventure while adding depth to the franchise. It’s a smart way to develop ideas – spreading them across multiple games can be more effective than trying to cram everything into one. Both Age of Imprisonment and Tears of the Kingdom are strong games individually, and giving each story the space it needed was key. Tears of the Kingdom was already expansive, and letting the adventure with the Sages shine on its own was a good decision.

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2026-01-11 19:11