While horse riding makes a return inThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomwith a few improvements, there’s one missing bridle and saddle set that was introduced inBreath of the Wildthat was likely kept out of the sequel for good reasons. Though not included in the base game,Breath of the Wildadded a new side quest that rewarded players withthe Ancient Bridle and Saddle as DLC. But unlike other gear, this particular set provided players with new abilities for their horses, with the bridle adding more spurs while horse riding and the saddle allowing horses to warp when whistling.
Yet while some bridles and saddle sets returned forThe Legend of Zelda:Tears of the Kingdom, the Ancient Bridle and Saddle were nowhere to be seen. Their absence was probably not an oversight, however, not only because their inclusion inTears of the Kingdomwould have conflicted with its story followingBreath of the Wild, but also because one specific ability they granted would have potentially detracted from the sequel’s new Zonai devices. So even though the Ancient Bridle and Saddle were arguably the best set fromBreath of the Wilddue to their utility, their removal inTears of the Kingdomwas likely justified.
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The Ancient Bridle and Saddle Were Exclusive to Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Ancient Bridle and Saddle were not the only Sheikah-related things to have mysteriously disappeared inTears of the Kingdom, as every Guardian, Divine Beast, and shrine have all seemingly been removed bar a few exceptions, such as the remnants of a Guardian atop Hateno’s research lab. Even Link’s Ancient Armor set andSheikah Slate were removed, which suggests that the Ancient Bridle and Saddle were not singled out when it came toBreath of the Wild’ssequel. Given thatTears of the Kingdomhas shifted its focus towards the Zonai, it’s possible that anything associated with the Sheikah was exclusive toBreath of the Wild.
In addition to this, unlike the Ancient Armor set or the Sheikah Slate, the Ancient Bridle and Saddle were specificallyadded toBreath of the Wildas DLCmuch like the Master Cycle Zero as part of The Champions' Ballad. As a result, the Ancient Bridle and Saddle would not have been available to players who didn’t also buy the game’s expansion passes, meaning that their presence inTears of the Kingdommight have led to criticism for the U-turn onBreath of the Wild’spaywall. Therefore,Tears of the Kingdom’stransition away from Sheikah technology helped circumvent what could have been a complicated situation for Nintendo.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Pushed Zonai Vehicles as Its Alternative
ThoughTears of the Kingdomdoes make some effort to showcase its horse riding with a few side quests and mini-games centered around it, many players will soon realize that it’s both faster and easier to travel across Hyrule using the game’s new Zonai devices. ForTears of the Kingdom’sstory, this does make sense, as the recent appearance of Zonai technology sometime afterBreath of the Wildcoincides with the events of Ganondorf’s return. Consequently, just as the Zonai and their history within Hyrule are integral to the game’s story, so too areZonai devices a core part ofTears of the Kingdom’sgameplay.
However, the result ofTears of the Kingdompushing players to use and experiment with these Zonai devices means that other areas of the game have become virtually redundant such as horse riding. While the Ancient Bridle and Saddle were useful inBreath of the Wildto summon Link’s horse anywhere in Hyrule,Tears of the Kingdomhas an abundance of options for building vehicles out of Zonai devices. From the player’s inventory of items, the Depths' Zonai depots, and evenLink’s Autobuild ability, constructing any vehicle is just as easy as it was to whistle for Link’s horse inBreath of the Wild.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomis available now on Nintendo Switch.
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