Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may overlook one of the most significant traditions of the franchise within a host of fascinating new skills.
Magical musical instruments have frequently significantly impacted the story, from the Ocarina of Time to the Goddesses Harp and back to the original Legend of Zelda recorder.
While Link doesn’t perform any music in Breath of the Wild, Kass, a Rito minstrel on a mission to gather all the Ancient Songs that recount Hyrule’s history, does provide players with some musical commentary. Sadly, given everything that has been made known about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, gamers will again be excluded from the game’s musical aspects.
Many Legends of Zelda series customs were upended when Breath of the Wild was released in 2017. Dungeons, unlockable treasures, and a playable instrument were all gone, however in this case, the howling wolf’s voice is counted as a playable instrument for the first time in a 3D Zelda game (excluding the top-down Nintendo DS-exclusive Phantom Hourglass).
Due to this, Link’s voyage lacked classical music, a focus on natural noises, and the sporadic tinkling of a piano while traversing Hyrule. The music treatment in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been hinted at in trailers and previews.
Tears Because of No Music in the Kingdom
Many of the powers that The Legend of Zelda’s music made possible have been mechanically carried over into Tears of the Kingdom. The Travel Medallion and perhaps other fast-travel locations, including the Shrines and Sheikah Towers, are covered by fast travel.
Whistling, as melodic as Link could get in Breath of the Wild, is used to summon a horse. The option to sit by the fire and choose the ideal time of day technically covers even controlling how the sun rises or sets. None of those alternatives feel as wonderful or magical as playing catchy music on a particular instrument to cause an extraordinary event.
The mechanics themselves continue, but something unique is lost in the process. Think of the “Song of Storms,” for example. Its primary purpose when played is to influence the weather. This can hydrate bean sprouts, expose a secret cavern, and occasionally call fairies to replenish mana or health.
Those gameplay elements could be swapped out for non-musical, non-magical alternatives, but that would mean that the player couldn’t call a storm to destroy the windmill and drive the windmill keeper nuts, resulting in the creation of one of the most recognizable Zelda characters ever.
- Zelda Trailer Release Tears of the Kingdom Official Gameplay
- Zelda Tears of the Kingdom New Characters Are Shown in the Switch Download Card
It’s Not Over Until the Great Fairy Sings
The Legend of Zelda has always placed a high value on music. One-third of the mainline 3D Zelda games, including Tears of the Kingdom, is called after the musical instrument Link uses in the game’s title (even though the Windwaker is technically a baton, making it count).
When it was published, many people referred to the Tears of the Kingdom end-tale trailer for its potency as a hype tool. Nintendo is starting a sad pattern for its cherished property by publishing yet another game in the series that minimizes the use of music as a mechanic.
Despite all this, it’s crucial to recognize Nintendo’s extreme secrecy over the game. Tears of the Kingdom’s title, which contains a surprise, were withheld from the public for years after the game’s first announcement since it is unclear what the spoiler is. The length and scope of trailers and previews have been limited.
A mystical, playable instrument might be hidden in Tears of the Kingdom. Given that the word “Tar” properly refers to an instrument, it’s possible that Nintendo accidentally leaked the title, and “Tars” of the Kingdom would feature Persian Lute players in Hyrule.
While that particular result is improbable, Nintendo has crammed Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with intriguing new mechanisms and secrets to uncover, even if those discoveries are unrelated to music.
The release date for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on the Nintendo Switch is May 12.