Daily Debate: What Is Your Favorite Wintry Area In The Zelda Series?

Wintertime is nearly upon us. For many, this time of year is filled with fun and happiness. Holidays, family functions, and parties abound as we move toward a new year. Winter can be very harsh, however, bringing cold weather, icy conditions, and tempestuous winds. These atmospheric phenomena can create landscapes that are equal parts beautiful and barren, serene and savage. Like most fantasy franchises, the Zelda series has crafted a number of winter wonderlands and wastelands, but which do you think is the best? What is your favorite wintry area in the Zelda series?

The first location that comes to mind for me is the Snowhead Mountain in Majora’s Mask. Specifically, I’ve always felt a lonely chill while in Mountain Village. The single homestead, while not quite constituting an actual village, lends a sense of isolation as the soft drone of the music creeps in the background. Snow crunching under Link’s footfalls, it never feels as though Link is as truly alone as he is here. Everything is dead or dying, the few survivors are holed up indoors, and the frigid expanse seems to stretch out endlessly. Even defeating Goht and ending the perpetual winter always feels bittersweet to me. It restores the mountain and allows life to continue on, but it all returns to glaciers once Link has to turn back the clock.

My favorite region in Breath of the Wild is Hebra and it isn’t particularly close. Venturing through the massive range is always an arduous trek. Hebra is actually a decently varies landmass despite being entirely ensconced in a winter storm. To the west are impressive mountain peaks and deep, yawning chasms. There are a number of frigid lakes and rivers. My favorite place is the vast, empty tundra to the northeast. Blanketed in snow and fog, it feels like Breath of the Wild‘s most apocalyptic location. I’ll never forget blindly forging into the emptiness for what seemed like forever, only to finally see something on the horizon. It wasn’t until I was too close for comfort that I realized it was a powerful Lynel and that I was out there all alone with it. It was a genuinely chilling experience.

What about you? What is your favorite winter-themed area in the Zelda series? Would you want to explore that region? Let us know in the comments below!

Comments
Sorted Under: Breath of the Wild, Daily Debate, Games, Majora's Mask, Original Content
Tagged With: No tags were found for this entry.