The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) is a 3D open-world RPG developed by Nintendo as part of the Legend of Zelda series. The player plays as Link, a swordsman exploring the kingdom of Hyrule, which is in ruins 100 years after a catastrophe. I love this game because of its expansive and immersive landscapes, as well as how its story and worldbuilding are grounded in player exploration. I think the aspects of the game, from its semi-realistic art style, realistic physics, to sound design, all contribute to creating a world that feels entirely real and inhabited. One of the most interesting parts of the game to me is how there is a strong sense of the passing of time; it feels like the regions the player explores have existed for thousands of years since they are littered with ruins and giant skeletons.
There were about 300 developers involved in the game, and it took around five years to develop (2012 – 2017). The developers used an in-house game engine and modified an already developed physics engine (Havok) for the game. The game’s director stated that it was inspired by Minecraft and Terraria, and the art style was inspired by plein air / gouache painting, as well as Studio Ghibli films. There is a sequel set for release (hopefully) sometime this year.