Review: Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer Featuring The Legend of Zelda – A Beat-Based Wonder

Striking a chord.

From the opening menu that uses not the rousing Zelda overworld music but the understated theme from Ocarina of Time‘s title screen, you know you’re about to go on a special journey. Cadence of Hyrule (we won’t bother with its ludicrously long official moniker) takes the music we all know and love and remixes it with the gameplay itself, sewing those tunes into the fabric of Hyrule in a way that feels totally natural, but also energetic and fresh.

Music has always been an integral part of the series. Mute the volume while you’re playing the original Legend of Zelda on NES and the difference Koji Kondo’s overworld theme makes is immediately apparent. That game, like many 8-bit classics, relied on music to stir the player and make their adventure feel ‘epic’ in a way the visuals simply weren’t capable of. As time and technology advanced, those themes became less necessary – part of the reason why the Hyrule of Breath of the Wild has only incidental motifs and a more ambient soundtrack. The landscape itself and the wind through the grass tell the story nowadays; a romping overworld tune would get on your nerves after a few hours. What Brace Yourself Games does by fusing the kingdom of Hyrule with gameplay from its hit indie game Crypt of the NecroDancer is make those treasured melodies vital once again.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

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