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Breath of the Wild The music of BoTW

Dio

~ It's me, Dio!~
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I feel the music is very lacking in this game. Aside from the main theme there are two other memorable pieces I have encountered whilst playing so far, those are the Stone Talus and the Guardians theme. There are a couple of other decent ones which I have heard when I listening to the soundtrack online but overall I think the soundtrack to BoTW is pretty forgettable.

One of the most obvious areas lacking a good tune is the overworld. It doesn't have a catchy theme to it like OOT, MM and TP. As for the regular enemy music (just like I found with SS) That is something that fails to excite or create any sense of danger.

The Zelda series is well known for its music and I'd say at least a couple of entries would have soundtracks that rank amongst the best gaming soundtracks of all time. This one has a soundtrack which is far from that. When in the future I think of great Zelda music there will unlikely be many I bring up as examples from this entry.

So what do you think of the music in BoTW?
 

Theaterke

Is this just fantasy?
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I agree with you. For years I've listened to LoZ music from all the different games, as they are relaxing and I utterly enjoy listening to them.

Highly disappointing that BotW unfortunately hasn't got that "catchy" tunes, as you also describe it. I've noticed even some areas where the music is completely. Like no music at all, especially while exploring the overworld.

I also feel like they could've used a wider variety of tunes. It seems that all the tunes have got the same base line of notes, just altered in pitch.
 

Justac00lguy

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I see it more as the music has evolved with the new style and pace of the game. The game is more slow paced with key locations spread far apart. It would be hard to integrate past Zelda soundtracks at this scale and not have it feel odd and repetitive. I love atmospheric ambient soundtracks.

I'm not gonna lie to myself though, I do prefer old school Zelda soundtracks.
 

Jamie

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Yeah, there aren't many memorable tunes in BotW. Music is one of the few areas holding the game back. Though I have to add the shrine theme to your list. Maybe it's from exploring all these shrines, but it's stuck in my head.
I agree, this is stuck in my head. But there isn't any new music (some older tracks still fit the bill) that get me going like Dragon Roost, Song of Storms, Gerudo theme, etc.
 
I like the music, when its more than just a little piano flourish, and the Guardian encounter music barely qualifies as music.

Though the actual tunes during cutscenes and semi-often in the world are really powerful and really suit the defeated, tired and weary world. Like Hyrule itself the music seems to be struggling to claw back its own sense of self. Its like synapses firing trying to make sense and every now and again there are sparks of beauty.

I think the music does what it needs to do, its not prominant like in previous entries but i think that's fine.

The theme in Hyrule Castle though, bloody hell its amazing. Gets my heart and emotions surging.

I like the main theme as well but my god when it suddenly stops and then comes in half way through a note of a crescendo. It just feels like really crap editing. It sounds ugly and always pulls me out of the moment.
 
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Link Floyd

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Sep 23, 2014
I agree with you, although I think no music in the overworld is fitting for this game. I think they wanted us to experience 'the wild', which is why we're only hearing nature sounds and only occasional piano notes when we enter a new area.

The music in each of the villages are good, but forgettable, yes. In fact, the only one coming to mind is the Rito village theme, but it already has elements from the Dragon Roost Island theme which I've already known for years.

I did however enjoy the Rito accordian player playing Eponas song in front of the Rito stable. ^^
 
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Tompatuk

Living the dream
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Dec 26, 2016
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I like the music, when its more than just a little piano flourish, and the Guardian encounter music barely qualifies as music.

Though the actual tunes during cutscenes and semi-often in the world are really powerful and really suit the defeated, tired and weary world. Like Hyrule itself the music seems to be struggling to claw back its own sense of self. Its like synapses firing trying to make sense and every now and again there are sparks of beauty.

I think the music does what it needs to do, its not prominant like in previous entries but i think that's fine.

The theme in Hyrule Castle though, bloody hell its amazing. Gets my heary and emotions surging.

I like the main theme as well but my god when it suddenly stops and then comes in half way through a note of a crescendo. It just feels like really crap editing. It sounds ugly and always pulls me out of the moment.
I like the music, when its more than just a little piano flourish, and the Guardian encounter music barely qualifies as music.

Though the actual tunes during cutscenes and semi-often in the world are really powerful and really suit the defeated, tired and weary world. Like Hyrule itself the music seems to be struggling to claw back its own sense of self. Its like synapses firing trying to make sense and every now and again there are sparks of beauty.

I think the music does what it needs to do, its not prominant like in previous entries but i think that's fine.

The theme in Hyrule Castle though, bloody hell its amazing. Gets my heary and emotions surging.

I like the main theme as well but my god when it suddenly stops and then comes in half way through a note of a crescendo. It just feels like really crap editing. It sounds ugly and always pulls me out of the moment.

I think you are spot on there. The music responds to the environment and the activity. A sound track of old would be irritating when exploring the world especially once the games been done a few times and you are chasing down every last item.

And that music cut in the theme from the first BoTW trailer, I thought someone had messed up the video edit and they had to cut something out last minute, but that's apparently how it was written and it basically ruins it.

And that
 

Azure Sage

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I completely disagree, I think this game has some of the most amazing music in the series yet. A few of my favorites:
  • The Hyrule Castle music. Oh my god is that amazing or what? Easily the best in the game.
  • The Lost Woods/Labyrinth theme. Very mysterious and has an air of suspense. I love it.
  • The Rito Village theme is possibly the best village theme in the game. Such an amazingly soothing remix of Dragon Roost Island.
  • The tune that plays when you recover a memory is absolutely gorgeous and one of my favorite tunes in the entire game.
  • The music for when the Divine Beasts take aim at Ganon is epic. Gotta include that one.
  • Hateno Village is my favorite village in the game and its music is very tranquil and lovely. I love hanging out there.
  • Lurelin Village also has a great tune.
  • The tune that plays when the blood moon rises is absolutely chilling.
  • The music that plays when you battle Molguda is fantastic and fitting.
  • The Guardian battle theme is also excellent.
  • The music that plays in high places is very beautiful as well.
Okay so that's more than a few but gosh I love the music in this game a LOT.

EDIT: How could I forget Kass's accordion music? Good stuff.

EDIT AGAIN: The dragon theme is also great. Sounds like something out of Legend of Korra.

EDIT YET AGAIN: The music that plays when you ride your horse is also gorgeous.

There are so many tracks that I love that it's hard to think of them all at once so I keep going back and editing this post lol.
 
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Pen

The game is on!
I agree completely with Azure Sage. I don't think BotW has a weak OST at all. In fact, I think it's up there with the better Zelda soundtracks. In addition to the awesome musical pieces that Azure listed I also really like the games main theme, the Kakariko Village music, the Stone Tallus battle music, the Gerudo Town music, the Korok Forest Music, and all of the four Champions' respective themes. A terrific musical performance overall. :^^:
 

Turo602

Vocare Ad Pugnam
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Jul 31, 2010
Location
Gotham City
The soundtrack is very weak. I get why the overworld doesn't have exciting and adventurous music like past games, but they couldn't come up with better music for specific areas and villages? Or at least give the overworld a softer more relaxing soundtrack like The Great Sea, instead of chopped up piano notes referencing better music. I don't even recall there being shop music. It's not even that the music bothers me, it's just very forgettable.
 
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BoxTar

i got bored and posted something
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Apr 13, 2009
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Pacific Northwest
I disagree, honestly.

I for one am a sucker for well composed piano pieces, and BotW delivered in spades in that regard. I like how there's no overworld theme, for the most part. I don't think I'd be able to handle a looping track of music as I walk across fields and valleys. It sorta adds to the tranquility of everything when there's just nature sounds.

The Rito theme is a great callback to the Dragon Roost Island theme. The Horse ranch theme is a nice Lon Lon Ranch remix, and when Kass is there, he'll even play it on his accordion. The Shrine theme is strange and mechanical, it sets the mood for the setting. And man, the Lost Woods/Maze theme is so nice to listen to. One of my favorite tracks in the game, right next to the music that plays once you get to Hyrule Castle. The music in battle also changes and gets more intense depending on how hard the fight is. Its all pretty intelligently designed. The Guardian music that plays instills a nice sense of panic as well.

For me, as a musician myself, I've learned that one of the most important aspects in music isn't always that its catchy. If it can fit a mood, especially in the setting of a movie/game/what have you, THAT'S what's more important. I might not be able to hum along, for the most part, but the music isn't distracting me or taking me out of the game either.
 
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Jan 23, 2015
i hate the music at the stables. that flute or whatever on a 10 second loop sucks.
 

Tompatuk

Living the dream
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Brighton, England
I like that BoTW has moved away from a purely orchestral score. Some parts are almost a bit jazz in how they are scored and the sparsity hides some really nice secrets as well as fitting differing environments.

Also it feels like rhythm drives a lot of the music as opposed to being all chords, harmonies and choral singing.
 

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