P-Vock's Music Box: The Wild Calls
Hello and welcome back to P-Vock's Music Box. I have talked about my favourite OST ever, I have talked about my favourite single video game ever, and I have even talked about the games from which my favourite character ever hails. But what about my favourite series ever??
Oh yeah, I have talked about it many times and I'm going to go ahead and talk about it again.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is FINALLY here and if you're reading this, I'm either playing while fully erect or thinking about it endlessly and becoming fully erect. The long-awaited sequel to one of the most beloved entries in one of the most beloved IPs ever is surely a big deal.
Breath of the Wild is a game that absolutely delivered in every way for me, and while it is not perfect to me, I am so happy with it and can't wait to see how it is expanded upon.
To hype myself for this new release, let's talk about the music from the greatest console launch title ever.
I have watched this trailer numerous times a year for over five years now, and I still NEVER get sick of it. The music alone from this one trailer is so good that it got remixed in Smash Bros. JUST THE MUSIC FROM A DAMN TRAILER WAS SO GOOD THAT IT GOT REMIXED. From the absolutely booming choir, to the emphatic drums that make your heart rate soar, to the incredible allusion to the main theme of the series that makes me tear up, to the absolutely wonderful crescendo we are greeted with as the piece comes to an end, this music absolutely delivers and is a huge part of the reason why this trailer is considered by many to be the greatest trailer of all time.
But what's the music in the actual game like? Varied, to say the least.
My first ever Music Box column contained Dragon Roost Island from Wind Waker. I told myself that if I was still doing this column when the BotW sequel launched, I would play this track. The allusion to Dragon Roost Island also made me cry when I first played Breath of the Wild (this series makes me cry like a baby), but the track is just pleasant on its own and it has been a welcome earworm in my head for years.
It delivers the relatively minimalist vibe present in the majority of the game, it has a memorable motif, and it manages to feel light and airy with its heavenly strings and dulcet tones. Absolutely perfect for a village high in the mountains filled with awesome bird people.
But is there anything from the game that delivers that same vibe displayed in the trailer?
FIRST OFF, it alludes to Zelda's Lullaby (my favourite piece of music ever). SECOND OFF, that allusion has a further allusion as it also hints at the iconic (and controversial) low heart sounds that the series is known for, which absolutely sets the scene for invading a corrupted castle overrun by evil and the dire stakes of such a moment.
Link is met with a nearly impossible task, and has little hope, but he marches on with courage and zeal.
I've talked about a few tracks in this column that perfectly set the beginning tone of a game and motivate the player to play the game. This absolutely sets the mood needed to give the player a sense of "I'm almost there" and make the game impossible to put down.
Truly perfect.
Some call Breath of the Wild the greatest video game ever made with a wonderful world and jaw-dropping moments. Some call it an overrated slog with poor mechanics and an even poorer story.
I call it a worthy entry in my favourite franchise that I absolutely adore, even if it is definitely a significant departure from many of the norms in said series.
I know not yet just how well Tears of the Kingdom will live up to its lofty expectations, nor how much it will speak to a series fanboy such as myself, but I am surely excited to find out.
I hope this auditory introduction to this special game was a delightful read for you all and I hope you have as wonderful a weekend as most Zelda fans are sure to experience as we lock away and explore Hyrule once again.
Thank you, as always, for checking out my content and I hope to catch you back here next time with another suggestion from my Music Box.
Stay Brutal!
PS. I told you the trailer theme got remixed and DAYUM!