From the Ocarina of Time itself to the Godesses’ Harp and all the way back to the recorder in the originalLegend of Zelda, magical musical instruments have often played a significant role in the series. While Link himself doesn’t play any tunes inBreath of the Wild, players are at least treated to the melodious musings of Kass, the Rito minstrel whose quest is to collect all the Ancient Songs that detailthe history of Hyrule. Unfortunately, based on everything that has been revealed aboutThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomso far, it looks like players will be musically sidelined once again in the highly anticipated sequel.
WhenBreath of the Wildcame out in 2017, it turned many of theLegend of Zelda’sseries traditions on their heads. Gone were dungeons, unlockable items, and, for the first time ever in a 3DZeldagame (excluding the top-down Nintendo DS-exclusivePhantom Hourglass), gone was a playable instrument - as in this instance the voice of a howling wolf is being counted as a playable instrument. This, combined with an emphasis on the sounds of nature and the occasional tinkling on a piano while exploring Hyrule left Link’s adventure lacking in the traditional music department. Trailers and previews have indicated thatZelda: Tears of the Kingdomwill treat music in much the same way.
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Tears Because of No Music in the Kingdom
Mechanically speaking, plenty of the abilities thatThe Legend of Zelda’smusic enabled have been carried intoTears of the Kingdom.Fast travel is covered by the Travel Medallionand likely other fast-travel destinations, such as the Shrines and Sheikah Towers. Summoning a horse is accomplished by whistling, which is as musical as Link got inBreath of the Wild. Even making the sun rise or set is technically covered by the ability to sit down by the fire and select the preferred time of day. That said, none of those options feel as good, or as magical, as playing a catchy tune on a unique instrument to activate a supernatural phenomenon.
While the mechanics themselves persist, something special is definitely lost in translation. Take the “Song of Storms,” for instance. When played, its primary function is to affect the weather. This can be used to water bean sprouts, reveal a hidden grotto, and sometimes even summon fairies to restore health or mana. All of those gameplay mechanics could be replaced with non-musical, non-magical options instead - but then the player wouldn’t be able to summon a storm that damages the windmill while also driving the windmill keeper insane, creatingone of the most memorableZeldacharacters of all time.
It’s Not Over Until the Great Fairy Sings
Music has always played a major role inThe Legend of Zelda. IncludingTears of the Kingdom, one-third of the mainline 3DZeldagames are named after the titular musical instrument Link plays (though it’s technically a baton, the Windwaker makes music, so it counts). Whenthe final story trailer forTears of the Kingdomwas released, many people referenced the music for why it was so effective as a hype machine. By releasing another game in the series that downplays the importance of music as a mechanic, Nintendo is setting a sad trend for its beloved franchise.
All that being said, it’s important to note how secretive Nintendo has been about the game.The title,Tears of the Kingdom, was kept secret for yearsafter the game was first announced, as apparently the title itself is a spoiler - though what that spoiler is remains unknown. Trailers and previews have been kept short and contained. It’s possible thatTears of the Kingdomis hiding a magical, playable instrument after all. The word “Tar” technically refers to an instrument, so maybe Nintendo revealed a slightly wrong title and Hyrule will be filled with Persian Lute players in “Tars” of the Kingdom. While that specific outcome is rather unlikely, what is likely is that Nintendo has stuffedZelda: Tears of the Kingdomwith exciting new mechanics and secrets to be discovered, even if those discoveries aren’t music related.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdomreleases May 12 for Nintendo Switch.
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