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How is the music in Zelda: Breath of the Wild?

Strakt

Member
yes



what?

What do you mean? Theres barely any music in what I've played so far.. unless you like listening to the wind / birds chirping. If there is music, its very very minimal (very light piano keys). I'm sure it gets better, but so far..(3-4 hours in) very disappointing.

Horizon's OST on the other hand is 10/10 and they place the music perfectly throughout their world. But its all opinions.
 

Phatmac

Member
The jingle when you're cooking something is always great. I wish it had more music in the morning and had less at night.
 

Strakt

Member
Considering there's actually 4 hours of music in this soundtrack. No it's not nonexistent.

Well they do a bad job of actually using it. Horizon has 4 hours as well... yet they place it perfectly in the background where its not distracting the player and brings life to the world.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Goddamnit, this thread better not devolve into another Horizon vs Zelda garbage "discussion."
 

megalowho

Member
It's appropriate given the circumstances of Hyrule. The sounds of the environments are allowed space to breathe, so to speak. Motifs and echoes of the past can be heard throughout the piano heavy score but they're calming and melancholic interpretations. Subtle, not immediately memorable but also enchanting.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
Goddamnit, this thread better not devolve into another Horizon vs Zelda garbage "discussion."

Come on boss, you know it will. Despite what we might like to think most of us gaffers never really moved on from our old console warrior habits back at gamefaqs.
 

rhandino

Banned
It is excellent.

I loved the subtle hints towards Hyrule Field, Epona Song and Zelda's Lullaby.

I don't really care that there is not much music on the fields because the sound design is excellent and really inmersive and that would go to waste with a bombastic score like in Twilight Princess or Wind Waker.

It fits perfectly for the game and almost every track I heard is kind of engrained on my mind rn while working... would love to seek the songs but I don't want to spoiler me lol

EDIT: You all crazy, the battle music is godly! smdh
 

bomblord1

Banned
It does exactly what it needs to do when it needs to do it and nothing else.

It spurs the correct feelings and emotions subtly in the background but never jumps out at you and gives you something that you would maybe be humming down the line. No strong melodies just ambiance.
 

UrbanRats

Member
It's nice but i hope the whole "music has to be really subtle, almost invisible" fad dies pretty quick. I didn't like it in FFXV neither.

I like the idea of music linked to places, that's a strong idea. I like when i can remember a place by its music.

I agree, though FFXV had some pretty good tracks.
Though i hated the country style tracks you'd listen at gas stations, the campfire zones music: https://youtu.be/6x2D5z672m4 is in my top 10 from the franchise in general, i just love it.
Too bad when you actually made camp, some other music would come on.
 

Putosaure

Member
From the few hours I spent on the game, I heard ambient noise most of the time. And I like it. Wind, grass, birds, with some subtle piano touches from time to time. Really help me to immerse me in the world. I can't even imagine walking in the open world with a loop of music.
 

TheJoRu

Member
I've played around 10 hours, my favourite music right now is the one when you're close to a Sheikah Tower. It's such a magical feeling climbing that tower and then standing at the top looking out with that soothing, atmospheric score in the background. It's even better if it's raining at the same time.

Incredible game, and the music direction and execution (this includes when to have music in the first place) is one of the reasons why.
 
Music is handled completely differently to past Zelda games for the most part, as such no roaring overworld themes, you still get some more traditionally implemented tracks for village areas and the like.
This one Zora character had a neat recurring character theme, as such i'm expecting more like this when I reach the other races.
 
I'm early on but yeah it's subtle, and that's pretty disappointing for me.

At least I have Nier: Automata to look forward to for its OST.
 

Artdayne

Member
I'm not much of a fan of the music in Zelda at all, particularly the weird jazz battle music. I'm loving nearly everything else about the game but the music puts me off a bit.
 

LeleSocho

Banned
Sound design is amazing, ambience sounds follow you wherever you go and it's great to have as background instead of the usual pieces of music.
Landmark areas have their own traditional bgm and it's mostly serviceable.
 

jviggy43

Member
Imo, its the worst part of the game. The fight music is so out of place for this game. I love BoTW, one of my favorite games already but the music, outside of some rearrangements on previously loved melodies, is pretty awful.
 

Alfredo

Member
I've only played it for a couple of hours, but I really do miss having some adventurous overworld music.

The huge open world reminds me of how big I thought A Link to the Past was back in the day, so I kinda wish the Switch had custom soundtrack support so I could just play the LTTP overworld music in the field, lol.
 
It's very minimalist...Until it isn't. There's certain things that happen around the map and the music changes accordingly and it's fantastic.
 
As someone that really loves free-form/improvisational music of all styles this game has truly blown me away. I think it fits the idea of the game extremely well. Almost like telling the story through the music-not just grand epic tracks that set the mood.
 

Caelus

Member
Any of the classic Zelda themes noticed yet? Kakariko, Fairy, Zelda, overworld theme etc.

Kakariko - sort of
Fairy - Yup
Zelda - Yup
Overworld theme (like from the NES game?) - Yup

Also a couple of other callbacks, and cool new tracks.

lol at the music being "awful", but opinions are opinions. Probably not the best OST in Zelda overall, but still.
 
Would it be controversial to suggest that most Zelda games post OoT* have fairly standard OSTs anyway with a handful of great tracks overshadowing the more forgettable stuff?
Because BotW seems par for the course, just missing a notable overworld track.

(*ALBW is tops but it's cribbing about 85% of its music from the SNES game)
 

TheJoRu

Member
The thought of playing this game with your typical Zelda bombastic overworld music is seriously making me sick to the stomach. It would ruin so much of the overall vision and direction for this game that it's not even funny (EDIT: In terms of atmosphere in particular, I should mention).

I'm playing this with headphones on and the combination of amazing sound design with the recurring musical moments is extremely immersing. I love stuff like walking around on the field and then hearing the beautiful stable theme fading in slowly as you come near it.
 
It's subtle and minimalist, but good.

It gets heavier where it needs to be.

Some of the village have REALLY great music.

This. It complements the game VERY well, which is what a soundtrack should do. It reminds me a lot of Flower. Beautiful and cheerful, while sometimes melancholic and discordant.

To those that are disappointed, I'm not really sure what you expected. It would be BEYOND annoying if there was bombastic music at every turn. I don't need 30-50 hours of that.
 
Its great overall but maybe a little too subtle. I love the actual music but kind of wish we had had exploration themes like Xenoblade or even past Zelda games.
 
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