For many people, summertime means a break from school or college, but that doesn’t mean the learning needs to stop. Have you ever thought about the educational value of video games?
Let’s consider one of the top-selling games in 2023, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Is this game educational? At one level, it’s about running around a make-believe land, killing fictional monsters and defeating the big, bad boss at the end. However, at another level, it uses principles found in (but not limited to) geography, engineering, physics and economics.
Mapping Hyrule
Not long after you start the game, you are given the Purah Pad, and it comes with a map.
Have you studied the map? Have you noticed the lines and how the shading helps to identify the height? Well, if so, you’re putting your geography skills to use. Understanding the terrain, knowing that lines close together indicate steeper slopes or cliffs, will help plan a route which will not drain Link’s stamina. Recognising the dark brown squares and thick lines as buildings and walls will give you ideas as to where to explore, maybe finding a chest or two. You might even notice the unusual dotted patterns of a Korok.
When the Steward Construct instructs you to find Zelda at the Temple of Time, did you look at the map and think, ‘I need to head north’? These compass point directions might be second nature to you, but it’s still using a geographical ability. Later on in the game, with various side quests, you will be given instructions like ‘bridge in the east’, ‘north-west of here’ – so it’s important to know the eight points of the compass. Map reading and location knowledge is one of the areas of geography in the English National Curriculum at both primary and secondary levels. Once applied in a fictional and fun setting, the skills easily transfer to reality.
For example, have a look at this Streetmap page of a place in the High Peak District. Notice how the contour lines are really close together where the arrow (in the centre) is pointing? I wouldn’t fancy climbing Rushup Edge! But to the west, the contour lines are further apart, and that is where the path (the red dash and cross line) is located.
The Designing and Building
Even before leaving the Sky Islands, you have a chance to test your engineering skills.
Whether that’s building a simple raft or an elaborate sailing vessel complete with a figurehead. This simple act of getting to the other side of the lake is putting your design and technology skills into action. Obviously, the game is giving us the opportunity to test Link’s new powers, but in this relatively safe environment, it’s a great time to experiment. Do the different boats travel at different speeds? My construction was trying to be a catamaran, but the hulls sank below the water level – perhaps tree trunks are not a good material for such an embellished build. Two chopped-down trees and a single sail were definitely quicker!
Paula took a look at some of the amazing and crazy Ultrahand builds being shared on social media.
The Science of Hyrule
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is full of examples of physics in action, from firing an arrow at an enemy to solving the puzzles in a shrine, from using the paraglider to attaching a rocket to a Korok. Have you ever thought about why you have to aim slightly higher to hit a distant enemy? And why does the paraglider save Link from going splat? It’s all about forces, energy and Isaac Newton’s laws of motion.
The Bow
Although a bow doesn’t look like it’s brimming with energy, it is. It’s a form of energy called potential energy. This energy is stored in the string, and when it’s drawn back and released, the bow transfers its potential energy into kinetic (motion) energy in the arrow. This forward force, thrust, sends the arrow towards its target. However, there are other forces at work, namely gravity and air resistance. Both of these forces act upon the arrow, slowing it down and making it curve towards the ground. To compensate for this projectile motion, we aim slightly higher.
Another example of energy transfer is using a giant metal box attached to a moveable arm to hit a large ball. If the box is not raised to the right height, then not enough of its kinetic energy will be transferred to the ball, and the ball will not reach its destination. Too much, and the ball will fly past the target.
The Fall
As Link jumps from the Shrine of Awakening, we can see the effects of air resistance and gravity more clearly. Two forces act in opposite directions; gravity pulls Link vertically down, and air resistance pushes Link vertically up. It all depends on which force is greater and which way Link moves. Falling from the Sky Islands, gravity is a greater force, although the air particles which hit Link will slow him down. In a star shape, Link has more surface area, so there are more air particles hitting him, and hence a greater resistance. But when Link goes into a dive, he reduces his surface area and is more aerodynamic. Hence, there is less resistance, and he goes faster. The paraglider adds to Link’s surface area and thus reduces the speed he falls.
I haven’t even mentioned the puzzles connected with electricity, light, levers or gears. Again, all of them are linked with physics.
Money, Money, Money
It soon becomes apparent that Link will need rupees and lots of them! Whether it’s to buy that necessary ingredient, purchase a clue to some hidden treasure or get clothing to keep warm (or cool). It’s tempting just to sell the foraged items. Apples and shrooms are plentiful. However, have you considered cooking your items before selling them? An apple will sell for 3 rupees, but cook 2 of them together, and the resulting simmered fruit dish is worth 7 rupees. Cook five together, and the meal sells for 27 rupees. That’s an extra 12 rupees compared to selling just the fruit.
In economics, the simmered fruit dish is called a value-added product – raw materials enhanced to make them more profitable. There are more than just products which add to an economy; there are also services.
Services don’t have a physical presence; it’s about paying for a skill or knowledge. Have you helped Addison with his signposts? Have you completed some of the side quests? If so, Link is using his skills to assist someone and will receive payment for these services.
Educational All the Way
So the next time someone accuses you of wasting time playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you can confidently inform them that you are doing advanced scientific verification of Newton’s laws of motion!
Or maybe, you’re just having fun!