I have a little time into Tears of the Kingdom at this point. I like the gameplay a lot. However, in many respects, it looks two or three generations old. The way foliage moves reminds me of the PS2, OG Xbox days. Link's hair looks like crap. The graphics in general feel like a quality indie game from 10-15 years ago.
I know this is all to be expected with Switch. And that is the problem. It was one thing with Breath of the Wild, 6 years ago. It was just cool to have new Nintendo hardware at that point, even if it already felt outdated when compared to competitors. But, we're now at the end of the Switch's life cycle, and well into a new console generation for Sony and Microsoft. And, I find it disappointing that I am playing one of Nintendo's flagship titles on hardware that feels so out of date.
I've used my Switch a lot the last several months, playing Mario Kart and Kirby with my son. Those games are fine on Switch. They don't need great graphics to feel like great games. But, Tears of the Kingdom could clearly benefit a lot from more powerful hardware. I'm finding it hard to feel like it's a truly great AAA game when it is just so graphically behind modern AAA titles
I hope that a Switch successor comes soon, and that it isn't quite as far behind technologically as the Switch was in the eighth generation.
Last edited by VAMatt - on 16 May 2023
