1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom

Video games are a unique form of art that are conceptually iterated on for years, sometimes decades. The Switch’s Breath of the Wild and its sequel Tears of the Kingdom feel like Zelda in its final form. These games take artistic elements from every adventure that came before them. We see the return of cel shading. The world feels huge, with glorious vistas high above the clouds and dark depths below the surface. Some of the most stunning moments in the game occur when you just stop to pan the camera around Link, watching all the meticulous details of the world sway in the wind.

This is the Hero of Time’s best look to date, too. Link’s blonde locks flow in the wind or tumble down his back as he dive-bombs from sky to land. He even gets a sick arm-sleeve tattoo in Tears of the Kingdom. In both games, Link is our own personal Ken doll that we can dress up in fun outfits. When we put on his classic fits from other Zelda titles, we see how quintessential Link’s design is in all these games.

Both games have dark corners to explore. The first descent into The Depths of Tears of the Kingdom is anxiety inducing; diving into a black void surrounded by poisonous goop. When we enter a shrine in either game, we are introduced to a whole new visual layer: a unique art style at the intersection of magic and technology that presents the player with various puzzles to solve.

It’s hard to imagine any Zelda game looking better than these. It’s easier to imagine this as the final style, a flexible, cel-shaded adventure with various vibes, flora, and locales. Who knows what exciting new art is on the horizon for The Legend of Zelda, but it’s safe to say that lovers of the franchise will come along for any adventure, no matter how Link looks.