>>713727353
It's not a Zelda game. not a true one anyway.
The core of Zelda is the progressive unlocking of items that provide new mechanics, like in Metroidvania, but instead it's a "go-anywhere" open world that technically lets you go where you want, but eventually you can't cross either a bridge or a rock, because you lack the item that can get you over it mechanically.
This was present in Zelda 1 and it was also present in the OoT formula, despite the huge leap between those game formats. It's even present in Zelda 2, which is a side-scroller.
It is not present in BotW or TotK, and low-key lacking in A Link Between Worlds, because you get everything you need in the intro of the game, and thus the rest of the game lacks any kind of real surprise as it goes on.