Honestly, we’re all still chasing that high. You know the one. It’s that exact moment in 2017 when Link stepped out of the Shrine of Resurrection, the camera panned across a painterly Hyrule, and the realization hit: if you can see it, you can go there. It changed everything. Suddenly, the "Ubisoft towers" and cluttered mini-maps of the early 2010s felt like chores rather than adventures. But here’s the problem. Since then, the market has been flooded with games like Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, and a lot of them just don't get it. They copy the stamina wheel or the paraglider, but they miss the soul—that "chemistry engine" that makes the world feel alive.
Finding a true successor isn't just about looking for a sword and a green tunic. It's about finding games that trust your intelligence.
The Physics of Freedom: Why Most Clones Fail
Most developers think the magic of Breath of the Wild (BotW) is just the open world. It isn't. It’s the systemic interaction. Remember burning a field of grass to create an updraft? That’s not a scripted event; it’s a result of the game’s internal rules regarding fire, wind, and physics. When looking for games like Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, I always look for "emergent gameplay."
Genshin Impact is the obvious elephant in the room here. HoYoverse clearly looked at Nintendo’s homework, especially with the climbing mechanics and the elemental reactions. But the vibe is totally different. While Genshin focuses on character gacha and a constant loop of stats, it does capture that sense of elemental synergy. Using cryo on a wet enemy to freeze them feels like something Link would do. However, if you want that lonely, melancholic exploration, Genshin might feel a bit too noisy with its constant menus and notifications.
Then you have Immortals Fenyx Rising. It’s basically Ubisoft’s love letter to Zelda. It has the vaults (shrines), the wings (paraglider), and the stamina management. It’s a "snackier" version. It’s more guided. If you hated the weapon durability in BotW—and let’s be real, a lot of people did—Immortals is a fantastic alternative because it keeps the exploration but ditches the "my sword just exploded" anxiety.
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The Indie Scene is Where the Real Spirit Lives
If you want the feeling of discovery without the billion-dollar budget, look at Sable. It’s a game with zero combat. None. You just explore a desert on a hoverbike. The art style looks like a Moebius comic come to life. It captures the "go over that hill just because it looks interesting" vibe better than almost any AAA game. It understands that curiosity is a stronger motivator than a quest marker.
Tunic is another one that sneaks up on you. At first, it looks like an old-school top-down Zelda, but as you play, you realize it’s obsessed with the same mystery that defined Breath of the Wild. You find pages of a literal game manual written in a language you can’t read. You have to piece together how the world works through observation. It’s brilliant. It makes you feel like a kid again, staring at a game screen in 1987 and wondering what the hell a "Secret is in the tree" means.
Crafting Your Own Path in Open World Design
When we talk about games like Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, we have to talk about Elden Ring. FromSoft took the Zelda formula and dipped it in acid. It’s brutal. It’s dark. But the DNA is there. Hidetaka Miyazaki actually mentioned in interviews that BotW was an inspiration for how they handled the transition to an open world. There is no "correct" order. You see a massive golden tree? Go to it. You see a terrifying knight on a horse? Run away or die trying to fight him.
The difference is the friction. Zelda is about harmony with nature; Elden Ring is about surviving it. But both games share a fundamental respect for the player's agency. They don't hold your hand. They don't fill your screen with icons until you can't see the grass. They let you get lost. Getting lost is the whole point.
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Beyond the Fantasy Setting
Don't limit yourself to swords and sorcery. Outer Wilds (not to be confused with The Outer Worlds) is technically a space exploration game, but it’s the closest thing to the feeling of BotW I’ve ever played. You have a small solar system to explore. Every 22 minutes, the sun goes supernova and resets the loop. You have to use your brain to figure out why.
There are no "upgrades" in Outer Wilds. You don't get a double jump or a stronger laser. The only thing that changes is your knowledge. You learn how to land on a planet, how to navigate a black hole, and how to read ancient text. This is "knowledge-based progression," and it’s the purest form of the exploration found in the Zelda series.
Breaking Down the "Zelda-Like" Mechanics
If you're hunting for a new game, check these specific boxes to see if it actually fits the bill:
- Verticality: Can you climb almost anything? If the game has "invisible walls" or only lets you climb designated yellow ledges, it’s not a BotW-like. It’s a traditional action-adventure.
- Systemic Interaction: If I drop a metal sword in a thunderstorm, does it attract lightning? If I set fire to a wooden shield, does it burn? This "chemistry" is what makes Hyrule feel like a place instead of a movie set.
- Minimalist HUD: Look for games that let you turn off the map. If the game is playable without a compass, the world design is solid.
- Non-Linearity: Can you go straight to the final boss? Maybe not literally, but can you tackle the main objectives in any order?
Sonic Frontiers actually tried this. It was weird. It was polarizing. But for all its jank, the "Open Zone" gameplay was a genuine attempt to bring that Zelda freedom to the Blue Blur. Rail-grinding through a rainy, melancholic island felt strangely similar to paragliding over the Great Plateau.
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The Underdog: Dragon’s Dogma 2
This might be a hot take, but Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a spiritual cousin to Breath of the Wild. It’s a game about the journey, not the destination. You don't just fast travel everywhere. You walk. You get attacked by a Griffin. Your Pawns talk about a ladder they found. It has that same sense of "unscripted chaos." It’s clunky, sure. But it’s an adventure. It captures the feeling that the world doesn't care if you're there or not. It exists regardless of your input.
Why Aesthetics Matter (But Not How You Think)
A lot of games try to copy the "cel-shaded" look of BotW. Craftopia tried it. Palworld (mostly) tried it. But the look is just the skin. The reason BotW looks the way it does is for clarity. You can see a campfire from a mile away because the art style emphasizes silhouettes and light. When searching for games like Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, don't just look for pretty colors. Look for "readability." Can you look at a mountain and understand how to climb it? That’s the real design feat.
The Actionable Pivot: What to Play Next
Stop looking for a clone and start looking for the "feeling." If you want the pure exploration, go get Sable. If you want the combat and the mystery, Elden Ring is your best bet, provided you don't mind dying a hundred times. If you want the cozy, elemental vibes, Genshin Impact is free, so there's no harm in trying it, though the monetization is a different beast entirely.
Practical Steps for Your Search:
- Check the "Physics" tags on Steam: Often, games that prioritize physical interactions will feel more like Zelda than games tagged "Open World."
- Look for "Immersive Sims": Surprisingly, games like Dishonored or Prey share DNA with Zelda because they focus on giving you tools and letting you solve problems however you want.
- Don't sleep on Tears of the Kingdom: I know, it’s the sequel. But if you haven't played it because you thought it was "just DLC," you’re wrong. The building mechanics add a layer of creativity that makes the original feel like a prototype.
The genre is evolving. We’re moving past the era of clones and into an era where developers are taking the "Zelda philosophy" and applying it to different worlds. Whether it's a desert, a space station, or a dark fantasy wasteland, the spirit of the wild is everywhere now. You just have to know what to look for.
Go find a horizon. Head toward it. See what happens. That’s the only rule that matters.
Next Steps:
- Evaluate your tolerance for "jank": If you want a polished experience, stick to Immortals Fenyx Rising. If you want innovation and don't mind some rough edges, download Sable or Outer Wilds.
- Analyze the "Chemistry": Before buying your next open-world title, watch a gameplay video specifically looking for how the environment reacts to player tools. If the world is static, it won't satisfy that Zelda itch.
- Broaden your scope: Search for "Systemic Games" rather than "Zelda Clones" to find titles that respect player creativity over scripted sequences.