What’s Missing in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom?

It took me some time to adjust to the new version of The Legend of Zelda. While I really enjoyed Breath of the Wild and I still missed the classic dungeons and equipment that the series was known for. By the time Tears of the Kingdom was released. I was completely okay with what Nintendo was doing with the series.

I miss some classic Zelda elements like the dungeons that were solved with equipment found inside but there are other games like Death's Door and Tunic that offer a similar experience. However there is one thing that no series has been able to do correctly since The Legend of Zelda abandoned its traditional structure and adopted an open-ended design: music.

The Legend of Zelda no longer has the music that was a key part of every game since Link. It used to be a big part of the games soundtrack. Now that the series has moved to a new era. it feels like something important is missing.

The Legend of Zelda Is Quiet on Purpose

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are designed to be quiet games on purpose. Both abandon the bombastic scores of previous entries in the series in favor of calm piano melodies that complement the scattered ruins of Hyrule. I get why the games sound the way they do but I think adding a musical instrument to Link's tools would help tie the music together making it feel more connected and emotional for the player.

Take The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, for example. The game had many songs you played on the ocarina, making each one memorable. Some songs were tied to different areas and important moments in the story helping set the mood. A similar idea can be seen in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker where Link uses a conductor's baton and in Majora's Mask, where Link uses different masks.

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The Zelda series is closely connected to music both through its soundtrack and the songs players must play. It is a shame that the recently published books have abandoned this element and adopted a more calm less musical style.

I don't think the music in Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom is bad, but it's not memorable for me either. I can remember the loud piano when you meet the Guardian, but overall and I do not feel a strong connection to the soundtrack. If there was an instrument or sound that I could relate to, it might stick with me more.

Why Musical Instruments Matter in The Legend of Zelda

In earlier Zelda games music also played a key role in the games functions. Playing a specific song could allow you to travel faster or chant a spell to make the wind blow faster in a specific direction or heal the sick for story purposes. I understand that in Tears of the Kingdom it is very easy to select Skyview Towers on the map and get there faster, and I am not suggesting this should change in future games, but the music played by the player had a real impact on the world and gave Link another tool to use.

Previous games also had a strong connection between magic and music. In Hyrule, there are many magical beings but the Hylians, Gorons, and Zora were the most powerful and accessible. Music played an important role in the world and Link, along with the player, got to be part of that tradition. With its absence in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, it feels like something vital is missing from the series.

I am not sure what place musical instruments will have in the series now that it's abandoned its classic structure and adopted a new one. but I am sure Nintendo will be able to find an interesting way to incorporate them into the next main Zelda game.

I am hoping Link is going through a phase right now where he's ashamed of the music he listened to and made when he was younger. However if he's like me, he'll come back and realize that it is actually still pretty great. Who knows, maybe he'll spend hundreds of dollars to see My Hylian Romance when they come back on tour. Or maybe it's just me?