When Breath of the Wild came out in 2017, it essentially created a new type of game that many have tried to replicate, including this year's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Its design has been widely influential throughout the entire gaming industry.
And while some of them haven't quite captured that same magic, there are still some that have been a real delight to play through. Many of them took the formula that was established and offered their own little spin on it.
10 The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Get the most obvious answer out of the way: the predecessor to Tears of the Kingdom is the closest thing you will get to the game, as it's the one that started the whole thing. It shows the basis of the mechanics, gameplay, and story that you will play through in Tears of the Kingdom. And don't worry: just because it's older, doesn't mean it's worse. Breath of the Wild is still a masterpiece in its own right that deserves to be played.
9 Genshin Impact
Probably the most well-known clone of Tears of the Kingdom, Genshin Impact borrows a lot of the same systems, such as a stamina bar and the ability to climb just about everything in the world. However, this free-to-play game brings the gacha system to the game, providing you incentive to unlock new characters and costumes with a steady stream of new content to keep things fresh for players.
8 Pokemon Legends: Arceus
It was only a matter of time before another one of Nintendo's flagship properties, Pokemon, tried to follow the same path as Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor. Pokemon Legends: Arceus brings an open-world twist to the Pokemon formula, putting your character far in the past to explore a time when Pokemon was less-known than they are now. Giving you a variety of environments to explore and plenty of Pokemon to catch, Arceus was a refreshing change to a series that needed a new spark.
7 Elden Ring
It may seem like this 2022 game from FromSoftware could not be further from Tears of the Kingdom, but it makes this list thanks to its level of exploration that matches that of Zelda.
Both games allow you to go anywhere you want, pretty much from the beginning. While that isn't necessarily a good thing, given that some areas are much tougher than others, it's the fact that you have the option that makes it so fun.
6 Immortals Fenyx Rising
Ubisoft threw its hat in the ring for this formula with this game, which saw the company putting players in a wide-open world that was full of silly take on Greek mythology. The game does a solid job of adapting mechanics to suit its own style and narrative, such as the main character having wings instead of a paraglider. It may not reach the heights of Zelda, but it is still a good time that should be played by fans of this style of game.
5 Shadow Of The Colossus
There are few games that can capture the sheer scope of Tears of the Kingdom, and none are quite as unique as Shadow of the Colossus. The feeling of discovering something so much larger than yourself is something that makes both games breathtaking and an experience that keeps you coming back time after time.
4 Horizon Forbidden West
While the Horizon games may not offer the same level of exploration as Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild before it, they do give players the kind of storytelling and world-building that the Zelda games share.
They all offer players a lot of world-building through interacting with the world around them. Finding journal entries or speaking with characters brings the world to life, and both Horizon and Zelda do a fantastic job of doing it.
3 Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima went deep into exploration with his 2019 game, Death Stranding. Putting players in a post-apocalyptic world, the game is all about wandering around the world and seeing what is left of the society we know. This level of exploration is still what brings players back and honestly puts the story on the back burner, just as Tears of the Kingdom does. Tonally, the games are wildly different, but that doesn't mean that they don't have similarities.
2 Tunic
Now, Tunic takes its inspiration more from the Zelda games of old, but it still gives you a sense of mystery and exploration that matches Tears of the Kingdom. Playing as a fox, you will explore a fantasy world overtaken by something evil. It asks you to go one path and, when met with an insurmountable obstacle, explore elsewhere until you find something that will allow you to overcome it. It's a beautiful game with a gorgeous soundtrack and art style that evokes that special Zelda feeling.
1 Sable
The final game on this list is all about puzzle-solving and exploring rather than combat. Sable tells a beautiful story about discovering oneself and gives players a gorgeous world to explore as they see fit. There is little to no hand-holding in Sable, giving you the agency to create the kind of experience you want.