The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

While perhaps difficult to believe, it has now been six years since we covered the original trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a game which would go on to win the coveted Game of the Year award and has accumulated over 29 million unit sales. Part of the reason for its success is undoubtedly its cinematic presentation, which is fairly standard for so-called “triple-A” titles on competing consoles, but still relatively rare for Nintendo IPs. (Case-in-point: The success of the television adaptation for famed PlayStation series The Last of Us, often relying on one-for-one recreations of its scenes.)

The second trailer for the latest Zelda game, a direct sequel subtitled Tears of the Kingdom, doesn’t stray from this cinematic vantage point. We begin on the low end of the piano and a dark, ominous landscape strewn with lightning. Eerie chords in the strings further enhance scenes such as a deep underground cave (which doubles as advertising a gameplay feature, as caves weren’t in the previous title). An unknown voice (presumably the series’ main villain, Ganon) implores his minion to “sweep over Hyrule” as percussion enters along with a flurry of woodwinds. The harmonies and motifs are chromatic and dark, often resolving by a minor second.

This leads us into the second part of the trailer, which shows off more of the gameplay and action rather than scenery; a chanting choir ups the ante along with the strings playing in double time. At 1:09 we hear a new descending melodic motif using triplets that’s recurred through the trailers for this game, along with a jarring harmony in the upper brass. At 1:15 the music pauses for a one-liner by Zelda (“but, Link… I am not sure you’ll be able to stop him”). By virtue of being a preview of a video game rather than a film, it makes sense that the dialogue would be relatively simple, spare, and focused not on plot development but rather gameplay and spectacle. This is not to say there isn’t a plot, or that the characters and their development are completely flat or simple, but rather that allowing prospective players to imagine their interaction takes precedence. This emphasis will probably always mark a key difference between most trailers for video games versus those for cinema.

At 1:19, the mood and atmosphere changes entirely after Zelda’s line. The dark skies are traded in for daylight ambiance, and a new heroic theme specific to the trailers for _Tears of the Kingdom _plays, with a strong, triumphant brass line. After a gameplay montage showcases new abilities for the player to explore, the trailer ends with the sound of mysterious, distorted voices that almost sound reverse tracked—but not quite. The syncopated brass line from the first half of the trailer returns with the lingering title card for one final scene. After an audiovisual blackout, it ends with the striking image of the series’ protagonist, Link, leaping in an effort to catch Zelda. Notably, this scene plays out in slow motion, silently for a moment, before a single, low piano note accompanies the release date title card. Finally, part of a famous theme from the series, “Zelda’s Lullaby”, rounds out the trailer, played on solo violin. It’s a touch of the nostalgic and familiar after a trailer full of new themes and ideas, despite the series’ long musical history.

Nintendo is surely aware, given unit sales, that this is a world that players already know quite well. Moreover, this is surely why more time is given to new gameplay ideas, more of a tease of the plot rather than any kind of outright exposition. Further, despite over 35 years of musical history, it’s notable that the trailer largely opts to introduce and explore new musical themes rather than retread any known entities (the moment at the end with “Zelda’s Lullaby” notwithstanding). It’s a credit to the trailer editors’ belief that the title can stand on its own. Further, it serves as a sign that it’s more important to signal that the sequel to the best-selling Breath of the Wild can distinguish itself as an entry to the series with fresh ideas.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom arrives on Nintendo Switch May 12th.

— Curtis Perry