Research: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Legend of Zelda:

The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild is a great game in many ways, but it excels in the art industry. So I took a look at the art making book of the game called: " The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild Creating a Champion". I will take a look at the character design and development, armory development and world art in this post. 

Character Art:

Link:

Link is the main character of the game and the protagonist. "we need to make him look cool. Yet if we overdo it, the people playing the game might feel like they're playing an already accomplished hero." (Aonuma, p.61). From this statement it's clear that it was important to the producer of Link that he looks good, attractive and cool however with a limit so that the players feel the need to upgrade him and improve him. I think this is a good concept that I should and can incorporate with my protagonist.

We can see that Link is dressed up in a form of an ancient tunic, one which represents the magical lands of Hyrule. I believe this is a great fit for the game as it shows the medieval magical world the game coneys rather well. 

Armory:

The Master Sword:

The world's most powerful sword which is used to defeat the main antagonist. It was designed with sturdiness and power in mind, that it can withstand the test of time. As we can see, it was also drawn with rust and dirt as if it was stored away for a long time. "The legendary sword that seals the darkness. Its blade gleams with a sacred luster that can oppose the Calamity. Only a hero chosen by the sword itself may wield it."(Reynolds, 2021). This makes it very interesting for the player as it adds a big sense of achievement and makes the sword very sought after. It has become an iconic staple throughout all the Zelda games. 

 It is clear simplicity and premium looking materials were used in mind when we producing this sword. There is a clear amethyst tint to the blade of the sword, making it seem all mighty, powerful and expensive. It has a stronger hue of green on the handle which can represent growth and wisdom, this only makes sense as the sword chooses the hero that be wields it. Meaning the hero surely will be wise if not anyone can wield the sword. 

The game has a very large set of armory ranging from swords to bows. Below is just one of the examples Link can acquire in the Hyrule world.

They have a very clear medieval style of weaponry however they are also quite colorful which represents the magic in the world of Hyrule once again. There is also a clear touch of gold in some sets of weaponry, this could represent their strength and power because they are made of real gold. I will keep this mind when producing my own armory, the material used goes a long way and can represent the power within one weapon. 

Castle:

The first thing that caught my attention with the concept art for the castle, it was produced in multiple segments. Afterwards connected, This could be useful to do for my Japanese castle. Furthermore, there is a use of purple/magenta to represent the calamity of the antagonist, this links back to purple being the color of ruin in video games. There is also clear blue used for the castle, blue is seen as a color of royalty so it fits the produce. Blue typically represents truth, peace and authority which fits this setting of the castle perfectly. Once again, I notice when looking at the process of art making, it is clear that the colors chosen represent a lot and are thought into very much every time. 

Reference List:

The legend of zelda breath of the wild creating a champion : Free download, Borrow, and streaming (no date) Internet Archive. Available at: https://archive.org/details/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWildCreatingAChampion/mode/2up 

Reynolds, M. (2021) Zelda: Breath of the wild master sword - location of the legendary weapon and how to complete the hero's sword, Eurogamer.net. Eurogamer.net. Available at: https://www.eurogamer.net/zelda-breath-of-the-wild-master-sword-location-the-heroes-sword-4857#:~:text=Its%20blade%20gleams%20with%20a,enemies%20and%20the%20end%20game.