Few video games are able to capture the spirit of adventure as much as the Zelda series. Whether it’s venturing into the then expansive Hyrule Field of Ocarina of Time or leaving the Shrine of Resurrection for the first time in Breath of the Wild, there are just some moments that hit you with a sense of awe at the vast quest before you. The moment you first start to sail in The Wind Waker isn’t often mentioned in the same breath as these other two iconic moments, but it should be. The moment you unfurl the sail and leave the shores of Windfall Island behind is iconic because you know that an immense world lies open before you, promising dangers, puzzles, and quests. In their art, “Waves of Nostalgia”, ApotheosisAdoptables uses color, scale, and composition to capture this exact moment of promised adventures.
There is no getting around the fact that the audience’s initial reaction to this piece will likely be to marvel at the sheer amount of blue. It seems all the shades of cerulean are present with multiple featured in both the waves, the clouds, and the sky. While some viewers may take issue with this blue tidal wave, it perfectly fits this beginning moment from The Wind Waker. When you first start sailing, there is mostly just open sea with only the slightest foggy outline of landmasses for you to sail towards. By focusing so much of the space on the waves and sky rather than Link, it emphasizes the vastness of the land and inspires a sense of wonder.
This scale of a teeny, tiny Link and King of Red Lions set against a fathomless ocean backdrop adds to the sense of a grand trial about to happen. Link is so small that I actually had to check that the hero was onboard his chatty vessel. Even the King of Red Lions itself is only a wee point of interest among the rolling waves. This bold choice of using scale to emphasize the waves rather than the more traditional hero only makes the experience seem bigger and Link’s eventual triumph grander. This tiny speck of a hero will eventually master the winds, conquer multiple dungeons, defeat Ganon, and save Hyrule.
The last big point of interest lies shrouded at the left of the piece, sandwiched between the sky and sea on the horizon. If I hadn’t started replaying The Wind Waker recently, I might not have recognized it, but that’s the silhouette of Dragon Roost Island. This art is capturing the starting line of this escapade, and even the composition hints at it. Link’s boat is pointed straight towards the land mass. A clear line of sight is drawn between the two, similar to how if you follow the direction of the wind in the game, there can be no doubt that the island housing the Rito is your destination.
I am an absolute sucker for big quest moments. I am also easily won over by clever uses of technique in art. ApotheosisAdoptables has both. Their use of color, scope, and composition freezes a moment in time. It’s almost like Link sits at the starting line of his adventure and all we need to do is view this piece to press start.
