Broadly agree with you on what the open-air formula's main issues are - namely, how much you're alienated from the world you're supposed to be engaging with, and how signposted and unmysterious it is. Rain World and Zelda 1 were also on my mind a lot as I played Tears. I'm not sure I agree that Tears is as marked an improvement as you make it seem (I feel like it's as many steps forwards as backwards in a lot of ways, but maybe I'm looking at BOTW with rose-tinted eyes), but I still enjoyed the unique perspective, there aren't many BOTW skeptics who got won over by Tears.