The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is celebrating its one-year anniversary today, May 12, 2024. Below, we look at how its playful sense of experimentation is still leading to new discoveries.

There is no single file for "wagon noise" within The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. At no point in your travels throughout Hyrule will you hear a single track that was meant to replicate the sound of creaking wood moving along a dirt path. That's because Tears of the Kingdom's audio system is designed to operate just like its complex physics system. Sounds that happen naturally in the world--wheels turning and hooves stomping, for example--come together just like the wheels and cart themselves. They create a harmonious sound that is made up as you play.

It's a charming example that highlights what makes pretty much everything within Tears of the Kingdom fantastic. Major elements of the game, from moment-to-moment exploration to the clever physics-based crafting system, encourages player-experimentation and provides an amount of freedom that's literally sky-high. For much of their adventure, players make things up as they go.