WILD THING

The move to an open world has forced Nintendo to rethink its approach to audio; with no control over how the player moves through the world, a linear audio track no longer works. The result is a beautiful dynamic score that steadily builds – new layers flow into the mix as you progress through the innards of a Divine Beast, for example – but is at its best when nothing’s really happening. The soft whistle of the wind, the rustle of tall grass, the barks and chirrups of nearby wildlife, and the persistent, gentle clank of the items in the jogging Link’s backpack: this is game audio of delightful subtlety, and a key component in the rich sense of place that permeates this bewitching vision of Hyrule.