The 2017 release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild marked a significant shift in how open-world environments help the discovery of landmarks and hidden rooms. Developed by Nintendo EPD for the Wii U and Nintendo Switch, the game presents a rendition of Hyrule that is almost entirely unstructured, allowing players to engage with its geography in a non-linear fashion. By removing traditional barriers to exploration, the game encourages the location of exclusive landmarks that are often tucked away in remote corners of the map, such as ancient shrines and hidden chambers within the ruins of a fallen kingdom.
Set near the conclusion of the franchise's timeline, the story follows Link as he attempts to prevent Calamity Ganon from finalizing the destruction of the world. The landmarks scattered throughout the field are not merely decorative; they serve as functional sites for puzzle-solving and character progression. The discovery of these sites is facilitated by a strong physics engine and a set of traversal tools that allow players to climb nearly any surface, transforming the entire world into a series of accessible, if hidden, rooms.
At a glance
- Developer:Nintendo EPD
- Platforms:Wii U, Nintendo Switch
- Genre:Action-adventure, Open-world
- Core Objective:Defeat Calamity Ganon and save Princess Zelda
- Key Mechanic:Unstructured exploration and experimentation
- Release Year:2017
The Architecture of Ruin and Discovery
The landmarks of Breath of the Wild are primarily defined by their state of decay. The 'Great Plateau,' where the game begins, serves as a microcosm of the larger world, featuring abandoned temples and hidden chambers that introduce the player to the game’s core mechanics. As players move into the broader world of Hyrule, they encounter a variety of architectural styles, from the mechanical interiors of the Divine Beasts to the minimalist, crystalline design of the Shrines of Trials. These shrines, numbering over one hundred, function as the game's primary 'hidden rooms,' often requiring the player to solve environmental puzzles just to reveal their entrances.
Non-Linear Storytelling Through Space
The world is unstructured and encourages exploration and experimentation; the story can be completed in a nonlinear fashion, allowing the player to visit major landmarks in any order.
This design philosophy means that a player might discover a critical piece of lore or a hidden weapon in a remote location that another player might never see. The narrative is fragmented, delivered through 'memories' associated with specific landmarks. To 'unlock' the full story of Link and Princess Zelda, players must handle the world to find these specific spots, which are often hidden in plain sight or protected by environmental hazards. This creates a loop where exploration is the primary driver of narrative progression, rather than a sequence of scripted events.
Technical Integration of Landmarks
The technical achievement of the game lies in its ability to maintain a consistent logic across a massive, seamless world. The visibility of distant landmarks, such as the glowing towers or the smoke-emitting volcano, provides constant points of reference for the player. However, the true depth of the world is found in the smaller, 'exclusive' spaces—caves hidden behind waterfalls, rooms buried under rubble, and shrines tucked into the sides of cliffs. These locations use the game's chemistry and physics systems, requiring players to use heat, cold, electricity, or kinetic force to gain access. For example, a hidden room might only be accessible by burning away a thicket of thorns or using a magnetic tool to move a heavy metal door.
The Impact of Exploration on Gameplay
The encouragement of experimentation extends to how players interact with the environment to reach these landmarks. The absence of a rigid quest structure allows for creative traversal, such as using a paraglider to descend into hidden valleys or using the 'Stasis' ability to launch objects into barriers. This sense of agency makes the act of visiting a landmark feel like a personal achievement rather than a requirement. The game's version of Hyrule is a space where the history of the world is etched into its geography, and every hidden room provides a tactile connection to the events of the past.
Sources and further reading
- Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Breath_of_the_Wild
