There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of the best-looking games around - following in the footsteps of its predecessor. However, another feat the sequel has under its belt is its immaculate sound design from Hajime Wakai, which makes many throwaway tasks an ASMR lover’s dream.
Sound design is an often overlooked quality overshadowed by story or visuals, but it’s a very important feature to make the world you play in come alive. From walking through the tundra to simply pulling on your bowstring, here are some of the best sound designs in Tears of the Kingdom.
10 Link Eating
When Link is low on health or near freezing to death, hearing the hero munch a few delicious meals or fruits is a welcome sound. Chewing sounds can often be irritating, but the short simplicity of Link’s indulgence is enough to make the player feel hungry.
Accompanied by the satisfactory sigh Hyrule’s protagonist makes after consuming some Steamed Fish or Cheesecake, Link’s chow time is a precious action and earns at least a low mention on this sound design list.
9 Carrying Weapons
In order for Link to sneak up on enemies or horses quietly, he needs to get rid of the weapons on his back. That’s because when he’s carrying weapons made of wood or metal, they clink and thud accordingly on his back when he walks, climbs, or runs.
The sound of Link’s movements will vary depending on what weapons he carries, and many of these materials rattling together are pleasing and have great attention to detail. The Bokoblin arm fused to a weapon is one of the more satisfying rattles of bone, which deserves to be honored in the ranks.
8 Koroks
Love them or hate them - even though it’s still widely unknown why players are crucifying them - Koroks have a gentle rattle alerting you of the seed they're carrying in hiding, and it's a subtle sound design that would make any explorer stop in their tracks to investigate.
Accompanied by the iconic “Yahaha,” the stone-hiding Koroks also have a brief burst of smoke as they make themselves appear, and it’s a comforting ritual to go through when you’re isolated in the far reaches of Hyrule and earns a place on the list.
7 Shrines
The Zonai Shrines not only provide one of the best themes of the game, but they also supply crisp sound design when Link touches the symbol to stand before the statues of Rauru and Sonia. Before the Light of Blessing is given, the Zonai barrier shatters, which is another ethereal sound design to accompany this worthy entry.
The shrines' sound design emulates that of the Sheikah Shrines in Breath of the Wild, except the piercing blue barriers are replaced with green ones here. Nevertheless, both shrines include excellent sound bites.
6 Zonaite
Usually found clumped together in caves or in the Depths is Zonaite, Zonaite is used to forge charges. While the glowing green blocks and shards of this material are pretty to look at, the crumbling sound design it makes when you hit a clump is heavenly.
You’ve got duller rock crumbles mixed with the sharp ringing of glass shattering when your hammer makes contact with the shards, and it’s a match made in heaven that awards it sixth place on our list.
5 Stone Talus
The Stone Talus bosses may have one of the more memorable themes in the game, but the heaving of large rocks being pulled up from the ground to begin stomping around you is one of the better sound designs in Tears of the Kingdom.
The creamy crumbling of rocks, big and small, around the Talus is enough to make you think one is standing in front of you in the comfort of your living room. Its final timpani explosion at the end is pleasing to hear through headphones, and it’s the perfect entry for the halfway mark.
4 Snow
Whether Link is sprinting over rock or grass, the sound design is always engaging, but navigating through the snowy plains in Hyrule, or on the Great Sky Island, is a perfect dose of in-game nostalgia.
Memories of thick snow crunching and compacting under your feet as a kid are emulated whenever Link takes a step on the untouched snow in Tears of the Kingdom, and it's a novelty that never really wears off, earning it a fourth place on our list.
3 Bowstring Pull
Out of all the second-hand weapons and fused weapons Link can create, the sound design of pulling the bowstring is unmatched. Whether you're launching Brightbloom Seeds into the expanse of the Depths or attacking Bokoblins from a vantage point, the bowstring creak is always satisfying.
When Link is holding aim, and you are trying to find that sweet spot when shooting from a distance, the strain of the bow as the protagonist holds the position is perfectly captured in the sound design, and it’s a worthy, third-place entry on our list.
2 Paraglider
Everyone’s favorite tool in Tears of the Kingdom is the Paraglider, which comes in handy countless times. The sound it makes when it’s opened in mid-air is one of the best sound designs you’ll hear in the game.
The flap of the Hylian fabric - whether it be leather or Chuchu material - catching the air is well-rounded and very realistic, prompting you to drop and open it many times in quick succession. Second place is the perfect spot on our list for one of the best tools and sound designs in the game.
1 Horse Galloping
It may be Epona or a host of other wild horses you’ve taken under your care in Tears of the Kingdom, but every steed produces the best sound design in the game when galloping across the plains of Hyrule.
The sound of hooves thumping, particularly on pre-existing paths in grassy terrain, is one of the most satisfying sound designs from within the sequel and the predecessor and accurately conveys the weight of the animal with a design that actually sounds better in-game than in real life.