Welcome to another edition of Paula’s Games Ramblings. You can find the other ramblings here if you like these random thoughts.
Last year, I wrote a ramblings about the music from The Legend of Zelda games. For these ramblings, I want to go back to the music in the Zelda games. However, this time, I am focusing on the music from Breath of the Wild, and mainly the music of Tears of the Kingdom soundtracks, and how, while both have different music, they also have similar music in their soundtracks and how you can hear strains of the Breath of the Wild soundtrack throughout the Tears of the Kingdom music.
Zelda Soundtracks, BOTW and ToTK
Just like BOTW, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom features an extraordinary musical score. Once again, it was composed by Manaka Kataoka, who also scored the BOTW soundtrack. The Tears of the Kingdom soundtrack complements the gameplay with a masterful blend of tones and atmosphere. Kataoka’s music enhances the atmosphere for the player and provides the ideal backdrop for the game’s different moods and environments.
Also, there are iconic themes like the main title and character-specific motifs, such as Zelda’s lullaby, that stick in our minds. These recurring melodies enhance the game’s storytelling overall.
A lot has been said about how quiet the Hyrule Field theme in BOTW is with just the simple piano notes. Personally, I love it. Equally, much of that still holds true for the field music in the sequel.
The sparse, intermittent piano notes create a haunting atmosphere, with the empty spaces between them bringing to mind a sense of loneliness and desolation. These musical pauses emphasise the emptiness of the land of Hyrule, making you very aware of Hyrule’s fallen glory and the long journey ahead to restore it.
However, in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hyrule is being transformed, with new signs of life emerging where there was once only isolation. This transformation is really mirrored in the game’s soundtrack, where uplifting flute swells now accompany the familiar piano.
A Range of Different Instruments
As players, when we explore the new layers of Hyrule, such as the Sky Islands, we encounter a range of different instruments taking centre stage.
On the Sky islands, woodwind instruments, particularly the alto saxophone, play a prominent role. Unlike the energetic main ToTK theme, the saxophone is used in a more mellow and soothing manner, capturing the breathy quality of the high-altitude air atop the Sky islands. The wind choice of instrumentation is genius, and it adds a really unique atmospheric depth to the game’s rich soundtrack.
Descending Piano Sequence and Familiar Motifs
The opposite can be said for the music as you plunge into the Depths. As Link falls into the chasm, a descending piano sequence begins, interspersed with sharp flute trills and the long low blast of horns as he arrives into the depths, all hinting at the sounds and dangers awaiting below, its enough to send chills down your spine.
In the depths, the mood of the music turns much more sinister. The synthesised bass percussion evokes the sounds of something dark and mysterious, like something ominous is waiting in the dark for you, which, of course, it is. The eerie piano fragments blend into that, helping to create a very unsettling atmosphere. Rather than gentle crescendos, the depths bombard you with jarring sounds that pierce the silence and make you wonder what is out there in the darkness waiting to pounce on you.
Continuity in the Soundtrack
Another aspect that makes the soundtrack of Tears of the Kingdom so compelling for me is its continuity. It builds on the iconic themes of the Zelda series, blending nostalgia with fresh, innovative compositions.
Familiar motifs are reimagined in ways that evoke a sense of continuity, while new, memorable tunes stand out on their own. For example, every temple theme in Tears of the Kingdom has samples of the champion’s theme music and that region’s Divine Beast from BOTW.
To summarise, all the music in Tears of the Kingdom totally complements the game’s environment perfectly. Whether you’re exploring a serene forest or facing a formidable boss, the soundtrack enhances the atmosphere and evokes powerful emotions, whether it’s a sense of adventure, nostalgia, or longing. The melodies connect with players on a personal level.
Do you like our content? Support LadiesGamers on Patreon!
Check out our Tiers and Benefits and join us.