The Artistic Adventure That is "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"

by Liz Publika

In the virtually boundless world of Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017), Link awakens from his 100-year slumber and embarks on an epic quest to defeat Calamity Ganon, rescue Princess Zelda, and save the Kingdom of Hyrule. The fantastical action-adventure is made that much more engaging by its incredible new features, beautiful music, and spectacular high definition visuals — the inspiration for which may come as a surprise.

Introduced in 1986, The Legend of Zelda became one of the main games to popularize the controlled world formula, with its "large, open map that funneled into standalone dungeons that had to be completed in a specific order with predetermined solutions." Although Hyrule has changed significantly since its first appearance, the designers of Breath of the Wild deliberately removed many of the barriers between player and world, dialing back overt storytelling to give players the freedom to shape their own experience.

Cover Art for "The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild" for Nintendo Switch. Copyright of Nintendo

Aiming to reinvent the series and provide a whole new gaming experience, it took the developers five long years to perfect the astounding amount of details that make Breath of the Wild so very remarkable. But the effort was well worth it. The game's sprawling landscapes, attention-grabbing structures, ancient technologies and weapons that actually wear down with use, as well as reimagined characters — including intelligent enemies — make it a truly interactive work of art.

In a 2016 Time interview, writer Matt Peckham asked producer and longtime series figure Eiji Aonuma about the game’s painterly, gouache-inspired, en plein air visual style. Aonuma explained that the approach emerged as the clearest way to guide players’ attention. When building such a vast open world, he said, that art direction became essential for signaling which elements players should notice and explore.

The Sheikah Slate, shrines, and other ancient objects and structures in the game were inspired by Japan’s Jōmon period. Art Director Satoru Takizawa explained that the team used the period’s aesthetic as a foundation to build the game’s ancient civilizations. Because the Jōmon period is largely unfamiliar to the wider world, its sense of mystery and wonder made it an especially compelling source of inspiration.

Jōmon, which means cord pattern, refers to the style of pottery made by the earliest major culture of prehistoric Japan that emerged around 10,500 BCE. It "was shaped from unrefined low-fired clay [and] because the potter’s wheel was unknown, manual methods were utilized, particularly the coiling method — that is, preparing the clay in the shape of a rope and coiling it spirally upward." Laura Allen, Curator of Japanese Art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, observes that "the elements in the game resemble upside down Jōmon pottery," which features intricate, flame-like designs.

For this game, the background music centers on piano, with compositions designed to enhance and complement the ambient sounds throughout the world, according to Sound Director Hajime Wakai. It was a practical decision. The score, composed by Wakai as well as Manaka Kataoka and Yasuaki Iwata, is intended to underscore the serenity of the scenery and complement the depiction of nature — not to create excitement. And even though piano was never the main instrument in any of the scores previously featured in the series, it is in the Breath of the Wild, where nearly one in four tracks is a recycled melody from a past Zelda game.

To add an extra “wow” factor, the developers released a free update making The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild compatible with the Toy-Con VR Goggles. The idea originated when the Nintendo Labo team first demonstrated the VR Goggles. After exploring several options, the team decided not to alter the game itself, but instead to allow players to experience it through the VR Goggles, letting them view any part of the world they wished while keeping the original gameplay intact.

As video games continue to validate their place within the modern art world, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild serves as a truly impressive example of the creativity and ingenuity that goes into making them.

Nintendo announced that the next installment of one of the greatest video games of all time drops next month. And we are very, very excited to play them all.

Note* The author shares research credit with Abby Wojcik. The article was updated on November 22nd, 2020. | Cover art for The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild for Nintendo Switch, copyright Nintendo.