26 game developers explain why Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be talked about for years

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From technical feats to design masterstrokes, and even a few criticisms, game devs weigh in on Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

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(Update - July 14: I have revised this article to include comments from several additional game developers, who have shared intriguing thoughts on Tears of the Kingdom.

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The number of developers who have contributed to this discussion now totals an impressive 26.)

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Perhaps the greatest accolade one can bestow upon The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is that it renders Breath of the Wild, one of the most significant open-world games of the last decade, if not all time, seemingly quaint.

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The sheer scale and ingenuity of Nintendo's latest open-world masterpiece have reignited discussions on design principles, gaming experiences, the capabilities of the Switch, and a multitude of other topics.

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Despite being a direct sequel that revisits many concepts and areas, it has managed to captivate us once again.

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Since the release of Tears of the Kingdom, I have found the perspectives of game developers particularly intriguing in terms of the critiques they have offered.

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The insights from those working behind the scenes offer a unique and compelling viewpoint in discussions such as these

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With a desire to delve deeper into the game dev perspective, I posed the same query to a diverse range of developers involved at various stages of production: What do you find impressive, enjoyable, possibly divisive, or otherwise fascinating about Tears of the Kingdom?

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