Ocarina of Time was the first Zelda title to incorporate a day-and-night cycle into its gameplay, adding a new layer of atmosphere that allowed for deeper immersion into the world of Hyrule. A bustling marketplace by day would fall silent under the watchful eye of the moon, and quirky little shops that shunned the sun would eagerly beckon to lonely night wanderers.
In most of the games that incorporate this cycle, the transition to nighttime will completely silence the exuberant overworld music, replacing it with simple ambient sounds that encourage the player to slow down and relax. Twilight Princess, however, was the one game that broke this tradition, offering a beautifully offbeat piece to accompany us on a starlit stroll through Hyrule Field.
Even the most innocuous parts of Twilight Princess have an odd kind of tension to them, and the “Hyrule Field Night Theme” is no exception. Right away we are greeted with two isolated notes from a plucked cello, followed by a long silence that is eventually punctuated by a startling percussive beat. This immediately sets listeners on edge, as the song wants us to know that this isn’t meant to be a relaxing experience.
Then, an ethereal synth track joins in as the landscape shimmers to life, its otherworldly creatures awakened by the pale moonlight. The vast field, so grand and exciting in the daytime, takes on a new mysterious dimension as the shadows, emboldened by the darkness, finally have their chance to dance.
To top it all off, a woman begins to sing a hauntingly plaintive tune that seems to gently drift on the wind. And if you think the voice sounds eerily familiar, you would be correct: It’s the same voice as that of our beloved farm girl Malon from Ocarina of Time. Could this mean that the ghosts of the past come to life at night as well? The thought alone is enough to send shivers down the spine.
Although this nighttime melody isn’t going to soothe you in the same way chirping crickets and hooting owls would, it encourages a person to open their eyes to the strange beauty of a world wrapped in a blanket of darkness. This is the kind of song that comes to mind when I find myself gazing up at the night sky, contemplating the mysteries of the universe. So I always rejoice when the sun sets on Hyrule Field, and I get to be serenaded by the lovely music of the night.
