New GameSpot Video Explains How Tears of the Kingdom is a “Technical Marvel,” Applauds Nintendo’s Attitude Towards Developers
Posted on January 18 2024 by Nick Miller
In a video released on December 23rd, 2023, Tom Caswell of GameSpot dives into the details of what makes The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom a uniquely impressive game. In particular, he explains how Tears of the Kingdom is a technical marvel, even when compared to AAA titles on more powerful hardware.
Caswell praises the versatility of game mechanics like Ultrahand and the freedom that Tears of the Kingdom affords its players, with the backbone of these factors being the game’s extensive physics engine. This engine affects how every object in this game interacts with each other and the environment. Its depth makes Tears of the Kingdom unlike any other game that has ever been produced. The physics engine’s “secret sauce”, as Caswell puts it, is that it is realistic, yet takes liberties when needed in order act how the player expects it to.
The depth of these mechanics, especially on “outdated hardware,” Caswell says, is only possible because of experienced developers who are intimately familiar with the game engine. Such familiarity stems from Tears of the Kingdom reusing Breath of the Wild‘s map. This allowed them more time to develop the game’s mechanics and physics, rather than building new landscapes. The developers’ experience likely comes from their history with Nintendo, which boasts a 98.8% employee retention rate. Nintendo’s employee retention is so impressive, in fact, that every developer who worked on the original Zelda game still works for Nintendo in some capacity.
While Zelda Dungeon has covered many of these topics at length, GameSpot’s video provides a concise and informative overview for what makes Tears of the Kingdom great. The highly-anticipated 2023 title is presented as a technical marvel, especially in a gaming landscape that increasingly prioritizes graphics and performance over sheer creativity. At just under eight and a half minutes, it is well worth a watch.
So, tell us what you think. Is Tears of the Kingdom a technical marvel? How has the depth of Tears of the Kingdom‘s physics engine changed how you think about gaming? Why do you think Nintendo has such a high employee retention rate? Let us know in the comments!
Source: GameSpot
Nick is a writer for Zelda Dungeon and a longtime fan of the Zelda franchise. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, archery, skateboarding, and some good ol’ fashioned family time. He’s an advocate for physical media and an avid video game collector. His favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time, though Breath of the Wild and the Link’s Awakening remake are close contenders.
