Why "Tears of the Kingdom" Works For Me

I suspect it’s an impossible task to add anything to the discourse around The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but someone prompted with the thought:

It's odd that [no one has] made a serious attempt to explain what precisely we're missing out on, despite all the time spent talking about it

And my brain, being my brain, took up the challenge:

• First and foremost, these games are "adventure simulators" for me, the same way something like Dragon's Dogma or Elden Ring or even Monster Hunter are. Prepare for an adventure, go on an adventure, return from adventure and prepare for another, is a core loop that works really, really well for me - Tears of the Kingdom gives me a lot of the vibes I like from those sort of games without being completely inscrutable. There is friction, but the friction doesn't rely on me figuring out how to even to play.

• The physics sandbox is something I haven't really seen anywhere else. Other games have delightful physics interactions, but not expanded to the size of these open worlds. These interactions lead to fun, interesting experimentation that's delightful when it works and often hilarious when it doesn't.

• I appreciate the balance Tears of the Kingdom strikes between Ubisoft-style open worlds, where every possible POI is marked on a map for me, and Elden Ring-style open worlds, where there's not even a quest log. Not having POI marked for me helps the feeling of Going on an Adventure, where I'm the one discovering things, not being told where I will discover things.

• The Nintendo Polish and Nintendo Charm are on full-display here. It's wild to me to see a game with this much freedom that doesn't feel like it's held together with duct tape and good wishes. As for the Nintendo Charm - that either works for you, or it doesn't. It works for me!