After hearing users talk about it here on HN in 2020, I bought a Switch just to play BOTW - it was worth it. The sequel isn't as beautiful of a game play though.
The world of BotW felt barren and empty, so maybe that‘s a good thing. It was huge, but not a lot going on. It felt like a lifeless desert with some events sprinkled throughout.
Tears doesn't want to repeat the exact same limited experience of exploration you had with the last game. It tries for something different.