The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom continues many of the design choices established by Breath of the Wild, especially when it comes to open-world content. The non-linear, "open-air" structure of both games allows for a great degree of freedom, allowing players to engage with a wealth of optional side objectives that test players' problem-solving skills and gameplay prowess. Tears of the Kingdom doubles down on boss battles, adding new, mechanically unique encounters to the open-world, which largely works to the benefit of the overall experience.