Invisible Sound Design in Breath of the Wild by Scruffy is a video that delves into the minute details of the sound design in the popular video game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The video starts with the speaker's personal experience of playing the game and being enthralled with how much there was to explore, the new approaches to combat, and the charm of the big world. The speaker then goes on to explain how crafting a world to explore involves being very specific about what stands out in the world, and how the developers can hide secret details that even subliminally designed sounds.
Sound Director Hajime Wakai states in the official video series about making Breath of the Wild that they created sounds for several footfalls per the many types of terrain and based on what footwear you have, to the sounds of grabbing and holding items and weapons, to the sounds of weapons and bows. The volume of those sounds will go down if you change your level of stealth, which is quantitative in this game. In full stealth armor, your weapons and footsteps make no sound, and they actually re-recorded themselves handling weapons more quietly.
The video also discusses the many sounds revolving around the chemistry engine in the game. There are sounds for different objects falling in water based on their shape and weight, including Link. There are different sounds for a brush fire, a torch or weapon on fire, a fire arrow, and even for the sound of a launched fire arrow submerging in water. Differentiating different types of fires subtly gives you information about how one fire offers different uses than others. The speaker also explains how there are different versions of music in the game, such as a day version and a night version that seamlessly blend into each other. The combat theme, which plays when there are enemies engaging you, actually starts in and cycles between three possible keys, equidistant from each other, along with an extended, elaborated, more intense version in three possible keys for tougher enemies.
The video also discusses the sound design of the summit music when you reach the top of a snowy mountain. The speaker invites the viewer to clear their mind, relax, and listen closely to the music as the weather changes. During this tiny moment when the weather changes to clear, the hi-pass being rewarded the richness of the piano in this theme makes it absolutely worth searching for. The video concludes by stating that there is a lot to be gleaned from this game, even in the tiniest choices of how to mix in sound and music, and once you get stably used to the game, you can focus in and discover these technical details just like discovering new Korok seeds or little locations on the map.
Overall, the video provides a fascinating insight into the invisible sound design of Breath of the Wild, showcasing the attention to detail and creativity of the developers. The speaker's knowledge and passion for the game are evident throughout the video, making it an enjoyable and informative watch for fans of the game and sound design enthusiasts alike.
