Can You Keep Playing After Beating Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?

With how much there is to do and explore in , it's only natural that some players may wonder whether it's possible to continue the game after beating it. The events of the newest entry are quite dire, and it would make sense for Link to accomplish his mission as fast as possible — but it can be unclear whether doing so poses the risk of having to start from scratch, should he want to return to the Kingdom of Hyrule afterward.

While it's an important question to ask, it's one that players won't need to worry about right away. Beating 's main story takes approximately 40 to 50 hours, and that's not counting all the side quests and extra activities that can lead them off course. Perhaps the most distracting avenues of all are Link's new powers in , which give him full creative liberty and encourage him to experiment with all sorts of unique builds and combinations. As such, it may take quite a bit longer for players to reach the game's ending.

Just like in, there is no post-game in . After the final boss fight and ending cutscenes, the player will be booted back out to the title screen, meaning that it's not possible to see how the story continues to unfold. However, there's no need to fret about losing progress and having to start a new game entirely. The player's last save file prior to the boss fight will still be available, now with an additional meter tracking the game's total completion, and they're more than welcome to pick up where they left off.

As such,there's no real reason to hold back on beating . Link is still able to participate in all the game's side quests just the same. In fact, the experience might even be more enjoyable without the constant pressure of trying to figure out the mysterious plot. Hyrule will still be able to keep the player busy for hours to come, whether they're hopping from village to village, looking for all the Shrines, or — perish the thought — finding all Korok seeds in .

Even though it's technically not possible to continue past