The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Nintendo’s latest and greatest Zelda success story, and as with the previous titles, this one’s audio design is truly superb. The different sounds you hear in Zelda: Breath of the Wild can greatly affect how you play the game, and by listening carefully, you can get a greater appreciation for this masterpiece, and also improve your gaming experience!
One way you can improve your Breath of the Wild experience is by recognizing the audio cues you hear, as they will give you important details about what is occurring around you. Firstly, the general atmosphere in Breath of the Wild is one of calmness, with relaxing music as you travel around Hyrule. Whenever you hear this calming music, you know that you’re safe and you shouldn’t feel concerned.
Credit: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
By having calming music when you’re safe, Breath of the Wild subtly enforces the importance of its audio, because when this music stops, you know something is changing around you. Take for instance when you come across a group of Bokoblins or Moblins, the gentle tunes you hear as you’re exploring are replaced by the sounds of music designed to increase your adrenaline – putting you in a fighting mood!
To truly take advantage of these shifts in the music, you need to be using a headset that can fully immerse you in the experience. The Turtle Beach PX24 headset offers this level of immersive experience through its use of Virtual Surround Sound and Superhuman Hearing. No matter what’s going on around you, the 50mm speakers will be able to relate to you exactly what is happening, whether it’s a Moblin behind you or a Guardian waking up.
Credit: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The advantage of the Virtual Surround Sound is its ability to let you know when dangerous enemies are nearby. Take for instance the dragons that inhabit Hyrule, without hearing their specific sound you will be unaware of their presence or how to find them. As you get into closer proximity of a dragon, the music will change, cluing you in on their location.
And with Superhuman Hearing, you’ll be able to pick up on the faintest of audio cues, like the wooden rattling of the Korok pinwheels scattered throughout the land. Gotta get those Korok seeds!
Credit: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Another way you can use the sounds of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to your advantage is by limiting the noise Link creates when moving around. Just like how enemies have sounds and music when nearby, Link can also generate noise, which can reveal his location to enemies. By avoiding noisy movements, you can keep Link hidden from the minions around Hyrule.
Credit: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
There is a sound sensor mechanic in Zelda: Breath of the Wild that informs you how much sound you are creating, the more sound you create the more of an effect it will have on the sensor. You can also hear the sound you are creating through your headset, which is a good way of tracking how sneaky you’re being!
One way you can keep Link’s movement sounds to a minimum is by learning how to creep correctly. By clicking the left stick, you can make Link crouch, reducing the amount of noise he makes. If you manage to remain hidden, you can perform sneak strikes on enemies for extra damage!
Credit: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Finally, while rain makes it difficult to climb, it’s also a gorgeous backdrop to the world of Hyrule. The sound of the droplets hitting the ground around you isn’t just relaxing, it can also be used to muffle Link’s movement!
Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of those games you can get lost in, wandering across Hyrule, exploring, discovering secrets, and just listening to the world around you. While it can be relaxing, it’s almost important to remember the subtleties of the audio, as a change in pace or tempo can give you clues about what enemies are nearby. The next time you’re exploring the rivers and grasslands of Hyrule, take a moment to just listen and soak up the sounds, because it might just help you in your quest.
