The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will doubtless see the return of some beloved features from Breath of the Wild, but one great item that appeared in its predecessor's DLC would be better off not returning. Tears of the Kingdom faces the lofty task of making a world that felt incredibly new in the first game fresh once more. Including the wrong item, no matter how much it has to offer, could prove to be a negative.

The Legend of Zelda series has never been heavy on downloadable content, but Breath of the Wild featured an expansion pass that contained two DLC packs. The first pack offered several new challenges and modes of exploration, including a higher difficulty setting and a new fast travel tool. The second pack added a story expansion (and Master Cycle) in BOTW DLC The Champion's Ballad, a number of armor sets, and an Ancient Bridle and Ancient Saddle to simplify horseback traversal. Although this last set of items proved beneficial for many players, considering what would be best for Tears of the Kingdom casts a doubtful eye on its future prospects.

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Tears Of The Kingdom Should Leave BOTW's Ancient Saddle Behind

The Ancient Saddle and Ancient Bridle can make Breath of the Wild better by bringing a lot of convenience to horseback riding

The Ancient Saddle changes the way mounts work in Breath of the Wild. The game features a horse whistle, a fairly standard game feature, but generally limits its effects. The whistle can only call for a nearby steed, so leaving a horse behind will require some backtracking to mount up again. The Ancient Saddle, on the other hand, allows the horse to teleport to the player's location when called, removing any consequences for abandoning a rare mount in BOTW and providing a quick getaway whenever necessary. This is an incredible convenience for post-game or repeat playthroughs of Breath of the Wild, but Tears of the Kingdom should ignore it.

The Ancient Saddle Hurts Breath Of The Wild's Exploration

Link on horseback in The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild.

One aspect of Breath of the Wild that makes it stand apart from other open-world games is its sense of space and exploration, which the Ancient Saddle disrupts. Travel in the game never feels like a waste of time, because every trip will call something new along the roadside to the eye. Dismounting to search a ruin or climb a promising cliff often leads to adventures of its own. The inability to call a horse back to Link after these excursions pulls the player back to the road, creating a cycle of exploration that serves as a backbone for the cadence of the game.

By leaving the Ancient Saddle behind for now, exploration in TOTK can recapture BOTW's sense of natural progression and aspire to new heights of player engagement and discovery. Even if the limitation of calling a horse can sometimes feel like an inconvenience, the gameplay benefit is well worth it. If the Ancient Saddle does return to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it would be most welcome as a post-game reward, allowing players to first experience the world in the best way possible.

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Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube