Hi! My name's Mark and this is Downloadable Comment, which is what I'm calling these spin-off
bonus videos where I get a chance to follow-up my most recent episode of Game Maker's Toolkit,
and cover the same topic - but from a different angle.
In this one, I want to talk about the music in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Because, while it does not have the best soundtrack in Zelda history, there's still so much to
love about this game's score.
Now, each Zelda game has a very different vibe, and Nintendo has always reflected this in
the choice of music. Ocarina of Time is heroic.
Wind Waker is optimistic.
And Majora's Mask is foreboding.
So what about Breath of the Wild? Well, Link has woken up in a ruined kingdom, all his
friends are dead or missing, and he has lost his memory, to boot. This is a melancholic
game - and the quiet, slow, and subdued piano music really fits the bill.
Plus, the music often fades out into complete silence, leaving you with nothing but ambient
sounds and Link's footsteps.
As much as this game is about going on an adventure - it's
one that is tinged with sadness and regret. It's a bummer, basically.
While the music is subtle and atmospheric, it does change dramatically depending on where
you are in Hyrule. There's music for the desert, the woods, Death Mountain, snowy areas, ruins,
and other places. It's actually kinda rare for open world games to have scores that fit
the different areas on the map.
Each town also has its own theme, of course, and they mostly echo previous Zelda games
- though, I'm not sure what's going on with Kakariko Village.
Goron City, Zora's Domain, and Gerudo City, though, all reference Ocarina of Time's music,
and the Rito Village references one of my favourite Zelda songs ever - Dragon Roost
Island from Wind Waker.
I had, a bit of a moment when I first got here in Breath of the Wild.
Also, the music in these towns changes depending on the time of day. It's always the same song,
but the tempo and whatnot, shifts down during the night.
Anyway, these aren't the only Zelda songs to appear in the game. Lots of classic tunes
are in there, but hidden away - kinda like how Hyrule has been hidden under the ruins
of Calamity Ganon, wink wink! I just winked at a microphone.
So you've probably heard the fairy fountain music and Epona's theme.
But you might have missed the main Zelda theme, which only appears,
like a ghostly echo, if you ride your horse
for a great distance at night.
During the day, Zelda's lullaby plays instead - though, it's very slow.
Also, this music from Death Mountain...
is the same as the music in Dungeon 9 in the first Zelda game...
And the shrine music, which is just very evocative and otherworldly...
sounds like the light world dungeon music from Link to the Past.
Ganon's castle also references classic Zelda games but is also just an absolute belter.
Super epic. Really gets you in the mood for taking on that end Boss.
Other, just generally rad music includes the Korok Woods...
And the ancient laboratory which is just super weird and good...
The music in Breath of the Wild also helps you find important things in the overworld.
The music for the stables, the Fang and Bone shop, and Kass's accordion can all be heard
from a distance, and lead to you areas of interest.
Plus, the music warns of you impending peril as it shifts to combat tunes when enemies
spot you, or when you stand on a rock monster's head, or when you're being targeted by a guardian,
or when the blood moon is about to rise.
My absolute favourite piece of music, though, is part of the side quest "From the Ground
Up". And if you haven't finished that side quest yet, go check it out - you need to buy
the house in Hateno Village to unlock it.
Anyway, this quest is all about building and populating a small village called Tarrey Town.
You'll be asked to gather wood - lots, and lots of wood - and also find unhappy people
throughout Hyrule, and give them a new life in Tarrey.
Now, when you first visit the village the music sounds like this.
Hopeful, but kinda quiet - just like the town. But as you bring
in more and more people, the music starts to evolve.
When you welcome the Goron to Tarrey Town, the song gains this horn.
When the Gerudo joins the village, you start to hear this sorta Sitar flourish in the music.
The Rito brings in some wind instruments.
And The Zora addition is quite subtle, but it adds some extra depth to the music.
Each additional instrument or melody comes from the main towns in the game - from Goron
City to Zora's Domain. And what you get is this tremendously full-bodied music that represents
this melting pot of different people and races and cultures all coming together.
And this is such a juxtaposition to the melancholy music, found elsewhere in Breath of the Wild.
Because this song, and this town, shows hope that Hyrule can live on, and thrive.
Pretty cool, right?
So, there we have it. Breath of the Wild has some incredible music, and I think composer
Manaka Kataoka shows real restraint in how she withholds these banging tunes and famous
bits of music until the perfect moment. Other times, you're just left with the quiet, atmospheric
echoes of exploring a long-dead kingdom. Lovely stuff.