There is something indescribable about an enticing title screen that really sets the mood for any videogame or entertainment media and The Legend of Zelda franchise is no exception. In fact, it may come to no surprise at all that my favorite title screens come from my favorite videogame series and each one is as fascinating as the last.
Ocarina of Time pans out onto Link riding Epona through a serene looking Hyrule Field followed by shots of the locations and sights that are waiting to be encountered. Majora’s Mask starts with the titular ominous mask rotating in the darkness and the Happy Salesman grasping for it, until the screen changes to an everyday look into Clock Town and the haunting imagery of Skull Kid staring into the menacing face of the moon. Wind Waker opens with its memorable upbeat sailor theme music whilst over-looking the bright sea sky that you will soon be sailing under and an exploration of Link’s home, Outset Island. Even Twilight Princess has the eerie beauty of exploring Hyrule at twilight and ending with the dreamy transition of Link and Epona to Wolf Link howling at the Twilight barrier.
With these striking and unforgettable title screens it was no wonder that my first impression of Breath of Wild’s slideshow art was seriously lack-lusting. Or so I thought. Yes, the load up screen is underwhelming but what I did not realize was that the real title screen is experienced only when leaving the Shrine of Resurrection and cannot be seen again unless you start a new game.
Only when experiencing Breath of the Wild’s title screen for the first time, I fully understood that a standard load-up screen following the tradition of previous Legend of Zelda installments would likely take away how breath-taking the moment truly is. Physically, it gave me not just a wave, but an ocean of goosebumps followed by the emotional balance of nostalgic longing and wonderment.
After being held for one hundred years in a form of suspended animation, Link awakens in the Shrine of Resurrection to a voice begging him to be the hero once more and save Hyrule. As Link leaves the dark, forgotten shrine and enters the bright beaming sun, the voice is replaced by a chorus of chirping birds and a piano score that sounds like it has been taken right out of a Studio Ghibli movie. Link runs up a small slope to the perfect spot that looks over the captivating view of the Great Plateau and beyond.
Shrouded in anticipation of what I was about to experience, I felt fully immersed into this new chapter of The Legend of Zelda and longed to explore the vast land that was teased to me in such a fleeting moment. What I loved most about this scene was that, despite the beautiful scenery displayed in front of me, there was still tell-tale signs of a vast open world and the locations beyond the Great Plateau were still shrouded in undiscovered mystery, adventure and untold secrets.
