"The things that Tears of the Kingdom is doing, it just shouldn't be possible on the Switch."
Terrible take. It implies that physics simulation for hundreds of NPCs, cars and other static/dynamic bodies in GTA IV on PS3 was run and solved by a very smart fairy.
Even though you can't glue two objects together in GTA IV you still have to "just" simulate a believable physical world.
The level of interaction and possibilities isn’t even close.
You have no physics manipulation tools in GTA.
The model is easier to predict and therefor less likely to break.
If you put an ultra hand ability in GTA and all the parts that are supposed to work it’s highly unlikely it would work.
In fact in an interview this is basically exactly what they did to botw to get the tools into TOTk.
A developer made a car. It worked and they then gave those tools to the player.
This wouldn’t have been possible if the system didn’t already work in the original.
GTA doesn’t have materials, weight, temperature etc etc