The latest installment in the Hyrule Warriors series may be a controversial one, but its soundtrack has received near universal praise. It took themes and leitmotifs from Breath of the Wild and transformed them into the intense, bombastic, heroic music that many people were expecting from the iconic 2017 game in the first place. While a lot of Age of Calamity’s best tracks reach those energetic heights, others are able to thrive in more subtle ways. The map theme (and its evolution) is one that I’m particularly enamored by.
When you first reach the map screen, you hear the confident march of a snare drum as the Hyrulean army starts to make preparations for the inevitable calamity. King Rhoam, however, worries. He believes the fate of Hyrule rests in his daughter’s ability to awaken her powers. This uncertainty can be heard in the strings, as the chords don’t resolve until the very end. The first several missions focus on building a team, but also on being unsure whether it’ll be enough. I believe this piece perfectly encapsulates that combination of productivity and concern.
But once calamity strikes (spoilers, of course), things change. Hyrule Castle is completely overtaken, and the Divine Beasts have been corrupted. Zelda, as expected, blames herself. The first three notes echo infinitely, as if it’s the princess insisting “It’s my fault.” This is soon joined by another voice that sounds to me like an attempt at reassurance, perhaps from Impa. The two voices talk for a while, both too stubborn to change their perspectives. Then, out of nowhere, comes the rest of the orchestra. The slow, somber cello melody presses on, despite its ever-growing sorrow. Though even in a situation as bleak as this, there are many hopeful flourishes coming from a wide variety of instruments. Our heroes refuse to give up throughout the rest of the story, despite their regrets and their dwindling chance of success.
At last, the warriors of Hyrule have prevailed. The sky has returned to its signature blue. The last bits of malice are disappearing, and peace has returned to the land. The future Champions return to their time, and everyone gets to go home. Of course there’s much work left to be done, but the hardest part is over. Calamity Ganon has been defeated. This final piece of music fills me with a sense of pride, but not the “Ha! I finally beat that Lynel gauntlet, in your face!” kind. It’s the kind of pride you feel after graduating, or landing your dream job, or accomplishing something you’ve wanted to do since you were a kid. It may sound dramatic, but it’s truly one of the happiest emotions that music has ever given me.
We started out preparing for the worst, worrying about whether we’d even make it to the end. We put in all the work, but we failed. So we got back up and did it again. All hope seemed to be lost, but despite all odds, we triumphed. We won. And the map music grew with us along our entire journey.
