In any Zelda game, the area Link begins his quest in is always an important location. In most cases, it is a safe place for the player to learn the controls and to establish some basic world-building to help the player adjust to this new adventure they’re about to embark on with Link. Though the name is relatively blunt in what it achieves, the first island you explore in The Wind Waker is Outset Island.
As the game begins, we’re introduced to both Link and Aryll, two denizens of this small, quiet, and peaceful island. They live here with their grandmother and a handful of other various characters. After Aryll gives Link a telescope for his birthday, the game begins and the player is free to run around and explore all they like.
Outset Island is rife with things to do and people to speak to, as despite its relatively small size, it’s crammed with lots of activity. Here, Link will learn the basics of jumping, he’ll learn how to crawl and sneak up on pigs, and he’ll also learn to run away from snot-nosed children who terrifyingly run up to him as he approaches.
Exploring the island grants Link some helpful rupees, and serves as a good tutorial area. That all being said, I like how this map feels. It has a great sense of peace and quiet, and I could see myself finding a spot under a tree on a lazy summer day to take a snooze. It’s the kind of place where nothing terrible has ever happened, and all of the happy villagers reinforce that fact.
As I played this game at the ripe age of 12, exploring Outset Island was really exciting, especially with the brand new graphical style. I looked around and saw an endless and vast sea all around, and I wondered how the game was going to give me more avenues to explore. I still remember the first time I found that Gold Rupee underneath Link’s home by crawling. I felt like I’d literally hit the jackpot when I did!
As the story advances, Link obtains a sword from the one villager who still learns the way of the blade; an idea looked down upon by the swordman’s brother, as he says there is no need to learn to do so on such a peaceful island, preferring to pursue knowledge instead.
As he had found out earlier, a mysterious girl fell into the forest area at the top of the island. Being the hero that he is, as well as being egged on by his younger sister, Link hurries to the top to the forest to save this mysterious stranger, his new sword in hand.
Upon entering the forest, Link battles various Bokoblins who reside there. This is where the player is given just a small taste of combat, and what a satisfying taste it is, as we see for the first time here how flashy and stylish Link’s combat is, as well as the fantastic sound design to go with it.
After disposing of the Bokoblins, Link manages to rescue this mysterious figure who turns out to be Tetra, a pirate. As they leave the forest, however, disaster strikes this island and a gigantic bird, which had been chasing after Tetra, grabs Aryll instead. This is the catalyst that begins the epic journey, as the pirates reluctantly agree to take Link to his next destination, the Forsaken Fortress.
I spoke a lot about the story for this particular area, and I did so because I think it lends itself well to the island. It gives such a powerful feeling of peace, only for disaster to strike and for it to be catastrophic as a result. Catastrophe befalling a quiet village at the beginning of a game is nothing new, especially around when this game released, but I think The Wind Waker succeeds in this more than most because the catastrophe isn’t the entire village burning down or Link being exiled; he just watches as his sister is kidnapped and there’s nothing he can do about it, which proves to him how weak and helpless he truly is.
This one opening moment portrays that exceptionally well, and I always think of how the pervading sadness that stems from Aryll’s kidnapping is made stronger by the notion of how peaceful Outset Island is. This sense of peace is made even stronger once Link returns to his grandmother and she grants him a shield but then begins to cry as she wonders how something so terrible could happen to someone so innocent. Link doesn’t look her in the eyes for this part, and I always think that his feeling of helplessness in this moment is when he truly resolves himself to save his sister.
Outset Island was originally a place of peace, but once tragedy strikes, the island feels drastically different. You remember the time spent — albeit a short time — with Aryll, and you feel that juxtaposition. Later in the game, you need to revisit the island, but by now you’re well-traveled, and suddenly Outset Island feels so tiny and basic by comparison to everything you have seen. The feeling of peace is shattered because you understand much more about the world around you, and the peace never feels the same when you return. Link’s innocence is lost at this point, and this is driven home even further on his return.
Establishing a strong opening for a story is important for helping your audience to be interested in whatever they’re experiencing. Outset Island is ultimately a tutorial area and the starting point for Link’s adventure, and it excels at both purposes. It provides peace and allows you to learn the controls and mechanics in a safe environment, only for that peace to be, quite literally, snatched away, creating a sense of distress for both the player and Link.
As the Chinese proverb goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” and the beginning of The Wind Waker on Outset Island creates a great step for a fantastic journey for Link and his adventure across the Great Sea.
