The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BotW) revolutionized the long-running franchise by introducing a vast open world filled with mystery, danger, and countless opportunities for exploration. One of the game’s most impressive features is its masterful use of environmental storytelling, which immerses players in the rich history and ecology of Hyrule without relying heavily on traditional narrative techniques. This blog post will delve into how BotW uses its world to tell stories, creating a uniquely engaging player experience.

The Power of Silence and Space

BotW‘s approach to environmental storytelling begins with its use of silence and space. The game’s director, Hidemaro Fujibayashi, explained in an interview that the team wanted players to “truly experience freedom in an expansive playfield” while offering them “a new sense of adventure.” This philosophy is evident in the game’s vast, often quiet landscapes.

Unlike previous Zelda titles, BotW features minimal background music, instead emphasizing ambient sounds. This design choice allows players to feel the vastness and emptiness of the post-apocalyptic Hyrule. The occasional piano notes that punctuate the silence serve to heighten the emotional impact of discovering a new location or witnessing a breathtaking vista.

The sparseness of the world itself tells a story. Ruins scattered across the landscape speak of a once-great civilization now fallen. The relative scarcity of NPCs reinforces the sense that this is a world recovering from catastrophe. As one first-time player noted, “The lack of NPCs (I counted roughly over 200) makes the world feel lonely, reminding the player that the only people left are the families that survived.”

Ruins as Storytellers

The ruins of Hyrule are perhaps the most potent tools of environmental storytelling in BotW. Each crumbling structure, abandoned village, or overgrown path tells a part of Hyrule’s history. Players can piece together the events of the past century by observing how nature has reclaimed once-inhabited areas.

For example, the destroyed Hyrule Castle Town serves as a constant reminder of the devastation wrought by Calamity Ganon. The juxtaposition of high-tech Guardians among medieval-style ruins tells the story of an advanced civilization brought low by its own creations.

The game’s art director, Satoru Takizawa, mentioned that the Jōmon period inspired the ancient Sheikah technology and architecture. This influence is evident in the mysterious shrines and towers dotting the landscape, hinting at a long-lost advanced civilization that players can slowly uncover through exploration.

Dynamic Systems as Narrative Tools

BotW‘s innovative physics and chemistry engines do more than just provide interesting gameplay mechanics; they’re integral to the game’s environmental storytelling. The way objects interact with each other and the environment helps create a living, breathing world that reacts to the player’s actions.

For instance, the game’s weather system isn’t just a visual flourish. Rain makes surfaces slippery, affecting Link’s ability to climb. Lightning is attracted to metal objects. These dynamic systems create emergent narratives as players navigate the world, adapting to its ever-changing conditions.

The game’s technical director, Takuhiro Dohta, explained that by basing the world on a set of consistent rules rather than handcrafted set pieces, they were able to create a more stable and believable environment. This approach allows players to experiment and discover stories through their interactions with the world.

Visual Storytelling Through Landscape

The varied landscapes of Hyrule each tell their own stories. The volcanic Death Mountain speaks of geological instability, while the tropical Faron region suggests a more hospitable climate. The stark contrast between these areas hints at the diverse ecosystems that have evolved in Hyrule.

Interestingly, Fujibayashi revealed that the game world was partially based on his hometown of Kyoto. He used a map of Kyoto to help design the game world, using familiar landmarks to gauge distances and create a believable geography. This grounding in real-world geography contributes to the authenticity of Hyrule’s landscape.

The Story of Absence

One of the most powerful storytelling techniques in BotW is the story of absence. The game is set 100 years after a great calamity, and the world bears the scars of this event. Players encounter empty villages, abandoned outposts, and ruined castles. These locations prompt players to imagine what life was like before the calamity and to piece together what happened.

This technique is particularly effective because it engages the player’s imagination. Rather than explicitly telling the player what happened, the game invites them to interpret the evidence they find and construct their own narratives.

Environmental Puzzle-Telling

The shrines scattered across Hyrule serve as both gameplay challenges and storytelling devices. Each shrine, with its unique puzzle, tells a story about the ancient Sheikah civilization and their technological prowess. The solutions to these puzzles often require players to think creatively and use their understanding of the game’s physics, further integrating the storytelling with the gameplay.

Character Stories Told Through Environment

While BotW has been criticized for having less direct character development than previous Zelda titles, it compensates by telling character stories through the environment. The homes of the four Champions, for instance, provide insights into their cultures and personalities. Revali’s Landing in Rito Village speaks to his pride and skill as an archer, while Mipha’s statue in Zora’s Domain tells of her people’s love for her.

The Central Environmental Narrative: Hyrule Castle

Perhaps the most potent piece of environmental storytelling in BotW is Hyrule Castle itself. Visible from nearly anywhere on the map, the castle serves as a constant reminder of the player’s ultimate goal. Its corrupted state, wrapped in Malice, tells the story of Ganon’s power and the ongoing struggle of Princess Zelda.

The castle’s interior is a masterclass in environmental storytelling. Each room tells a story of the royal family’s life before the calamity, from the opulent dining hall to Zelda’s study filled with ancient tech. The state of these rooms – destroyed, overgrown, infested with monsters – narrates the fall of the kingdom more effectively than any cutscene could.

Conclusion

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild‘s approach to environmental storytelling represents a significant evolution in video game narrative. By allowing the world itself to tell the story, Nintendo has created an experience that is both deeply immersive and respectful of player agency. The game trusts players to explore, observe, and draw their own conclusions, resulting in a uniquely personal journey through the ruins of Hyrule.

This approach is not without its critics. Some players, accustomed to more traditional storytelling methods, found BotW‘s narrative too sparse or understated. However, for many, the environmental storytelling in BotW has set a new standard for open-world game design, influencing titles like Ghost of Tsushima and Elden Ring.

As we look to the future of the Zelda series and open-world games in general, it’s clear that BotW‘s approach to environmental storytelling will continue to be influential. By letting the world itself be the storyteller, games can create experiences that are both more immersive and more respectful of player agency, allowing each player to uncover the story at their own pace and in their own way.