At this point in time, I believe that most of us are quite familiar with the opening sequence of Breath of the Wild. When our mute hero drowsily emerges from the Shrine of Resurrection into the piercing light of day, clad in humble peasant garb with a memory bank robbed of all its most precious artifacts, the camera pans out to reveal the magnificent breadth of lush, verdant land that we will be free to explore to our hearts’ content. The sight of rich green foliage greets us as far as the eye can see, from the steep slopes of the Great Plateau to Death Mountain on the distant horizon. We come to quickly recognize this emerald kingdom as the primary setting for our adventures. Sure, combing the peaks and valleys of Hyrule will gradually introduce us to a variety of microclimates, such as the blisteringly hot Gerudo Desert and the bitingly frigid Hebra Peak, but most of our quests will see us romping through grassy fields bursting with life. Aside from weathering the occasional thunderstorm, we more or less get to enjoy an endless springtime with plenty of sunshine and inexhaustible resources.
Now, with all that in mind, let us consider for a moment how vastly different our experiences with this game would be if seasonal shifts were included as a core mechanic. What if the perpetually orange leaves in the Akkala Highlands only appeared for a relatively short period of time, accompanied by crisp mornings and a bountiful (but equally brief) pumpkin harvest? What if certain butterflies could only be collected during the Vernal Equinox, when the delicate winged creatures first emerge from their cocoons? And what if, instead of gazing out upon a world overflowing with vegetation, we caught our first glimpse of Hyrule as a land blanketed in white, with tiny snow flurries peppering Link’s hair as his breath crystallizes before his very eyes?
Well, as those of us in the northern hemisphere retreat to our caves to ride out the darkest day of the year, I thought I would share a familiar melody in which its light, breezy notes have been weighted down by icy frost, drawing us into a Hyrule gripped by the jaws of a wild winter.
An established genre hopper, Australian musician Durrdiss is a true diamond in the rough with an eclectic, thoroughly original collection of musical arrangements that sway to the beat of a deeply poetic heart. He most recently released a magnificent album known as “Idol,” but the piece that first drew my attention to this delightful chap’s channel was a remix of a Zelda tune that captured the hearts and imaginations of people across the world over five years ago, now dusted with a layer of fine powder snow to help usher in this cold yet strangely enchanting season.
As I mentioned before, the original Breath of the Wild theme is buoyant and vivacious, perfectly setting the stage for a lively journey where the player is encouraged to take their time and comb the gorgeous wilderness at a leisurely pace. But in this Joe-Hisaishi-meets-Danny-Elfman remix, an extensive strings section takes the spotlight to infuse the song with new energy and emotion, dampening the spirited mood just as the first cold rainstorm would the sun-baked earth following a long, carefree summer. The atmosphere is thick with tension, the deep, solemn notes signaling the beginning of a dramatic transformation that will render Hyrule virtually unrecognizable. The stakes are now far higher than they were before, as our brave Hylian Champion must act quickly to procure the supplies, sustenance, and shelter he will rely upon when ferocious blizzards tear across the land and make normal travel virtually impossible. With most of his regular food sources dried up and the bone-chilling cold creeping ever closer, basic survival will be a challenge in and of itself for Link.
But don’t lose faith just yet! The gentle tones of piano and flute in this remix, as well as the joyful jingling of sleigh bells, remind us that while winter may seem daunting, Hyrule still radiates warmth and vitality as the landscape adjusts to the changing season. The smooth, flawless surface of a frozen lake shimmers with a reflection of the endless gray sky, and the bare skeletons of trees glisten with beautiful icicles. As the song reaches its climax, I can imagine Link triumphantly cresting a hill, the blades of a sturdy toboggan cutting through the snow as tamed wolves dutifully pull him along. Clad in the finest Snowquill Armor, our hero barely feels the stinging snow flurries that whip across his cheeks; through resourcefulness and grit, he can ride out the season without batting an eye. After all, this is a man on a mission to reignite the flame of hope in his beloved kingdom, and nothing – not the Calamity, not amnesia, not even the iciest of winters – will slow him down.
Stay warm, everyone.
