Nintendo’s 2017 masterpiece The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BotW) is a game that requires almost no introduction. The game completely redefined open world games, so much so that a game like Fromsoft’s 2022 Elden Ring, a masterpiece in its own right, is often called a Souls-like Breath of the Wild. While much has been said about how the game works, from its systems, to the exploration, or its very controversial weapon degradation system, I’d like to focus on the progression system. The progression in the game feels so natural to the point where I rarely, if ever, thought about it. I believe what makes this system of progression so natural is that it mirrors something talked about so long ago, in ancient Greece. That’s right, we’re talking about Plato’s tripartite soul and its reflections in BotW.
First let’s look at how the progression system works in BotW. As you explore the lands of Hyrule, you come across shrines. These are little mini dungeons that require you to maneuver physics puzzles, solve platforming challenges, and beat enemies. These feel the most like classic 3D Zelda dungeons, but condensed down to bite-size chunks that make them so rewarding. At the end of them, you are rewarded with a spirit orb, a currency in the game used to buy health and stamina upgrades. This all works together to create a very natural feeling upgrade system. You solve a logic puzzle, get a reward, and make yourself stronger. The price never changes for the upgrades, so any time you find and solve four shrines, you get to upgrade your attributes. In addition to this, part of the magic is finding the shrines. They are found everywhere across Hyrule. Every nook and cranny has the possibility to contain one of the shrines, making you look absolutely everywhere for them. This helps tremendously for the natural feeling of exploration found in the game.
Plato?
Right. So. The tripartite soul. In the Republic 4, Plato theorises that the soul can be divided into three separate parts. These are the logos, thumos and epithumia. These correlate to the rational or logistical element, the spirited or emotional element, and the desiring element. For Plato, the way to better yourself relies on the balancing of these three elements. How do you do this? Well, you do it by training your logical element, and using it to help balance and better the other two elements. “Then isn’t it appropriate for the rationally calculating element to rule, since it is really wise and exercises foresight on behalf of the whole soul” (Reeve, 2017). Because of the foresight, it helps you think through your decisions, leading to a better and more balanced life. Intuitively this seems true to an extent. Personally, the moments I feel best are the moments I’m actively engaged. When I make a decision to do something as opposed to letting the desire or emotional part of me take over, I am more often than not going to be more rewarded for it. Think about it this way: how often do you feel rewarded when you are just going through the motions? Living on autopilot strips away the satisfaction from these moments.
So how does this tie into progression in Breath of the Wild?
Let’s go back to the progression loop in BotW. You explore to find a puzzle, you solve it, do this three more times, and then trade in your soul orbs for an attribute upgrade. With shrines everywhere at first, this starts quickly. You learn where shrines are located. You start to learn how the physics in the game function. With this, you can use these new skills elsewhere in the world. They fit beautifully in with the rest of Hyrule. Not only this, you are increasing your attributes, be it health or stamina so that your trek through the land is easier. We can see the shrines as a mini test for your logos. You figure out a puzzle or interesting way that the world works around you, your knowledge of the world increases. The thumos is your stamina, it is your drive to keep you climbing up the next wall or swinging your sword at the next enemy. Your health is your epithumia. This is your desire to stay alive. By eating good food, you restore your health, or satisfy your desires.
So back to the shrines; because you are training your mind with the discovery and completion of the puzzles, it prepares you for the decision of which attribute you wish to increase and where to go next with your newfound balance.
This seems to me to be why the progression feels so natural and so rewarding. Through the natrual method of balancing and bettering ourselves set out by Plato, we can better ourselves in the game. Thanks Plato!
By Lucas Hackl