If it seems like I’m fixated on the ruins scattered throughout Breath of the Wild, it’s because I am. Since I’ve started writing for the Tingle’s Maps column, I find myself reading and interpreting all games totally differently. And let me tell you, it is so frustrating that Breath of the Wild is littered with so many ruins, and so few complete buildings in comparison.
You may be thinking “Breath of the Wild is huge? Isn’t it enough for you as it is?” And my answer to that is both yes and no! Yes, in terms of size and exploration, the world is full enough for me. But also, no, because all those ruins are so enticing, hinting at how much fuller Hyrule was before the Calamity, or even well before pre-Calamity times. At some point in time, Hyrule was full of temples and towns. Now towns are sparse, and travel between them is dangerous.
The world has become smaller, and less connected. Travellers are few. The population sparse.
And then I find yet another ruin.
It drives me to distraction, trying to picture how it looked before it fell to pieces.
Just look at the Ancient Columns, some large ruins south of Tabantha and north of the Tanagar Canyon. On the map we can see the outlines of several buildings, grouped together closely across the levels of this hill.
Were these the foundations of one colossal temple, or a series of interconnected buildings? Were they entirely separate, or a complex similar to Gerudo Town?
Do the developers have a full rendering of what it looked like, or the backstory to it? Or did they have a plot of land, an aesthetic, and a brief to design the land around a Shrine?
To me, this once again looks more like Skyward Sword architecture than the classic Ocarina of Time design of the Temple of Time.
I come to no resolution again. These Ancient Columns were once Something with a capital S. I don’t know what exactly, but the fact that this small area of the game can still ignite my imagination and make me try to sketch out in my mind what it might have looked like — that shows the strength of this game.
The delay of Breath of the Wild 2 may be disappointing, but if it still has me in its grip years after release like Breath of the Wild does, then it’s worth the wait.
