Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Art Director Says "Cretaceous Period-Like World With Dinosaurs" Inspired the Depths
Satoru Takizawa's vision for the location was inspired by myths and movies.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom greatly expanded on the world introduced in Breath of the Wild. The developers gave players two new areas to explore: the skies above Hyrule, and the Depths below the surface. In the recently released book The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Master Works, Nintendo has offered details about the development of these new locations, and what inspired their creation. In an interview in the book (translated from Japanese by Nintendo Everything) art director Satoru Takizawa discussed his initial vision when he first heard plans for the Depths.
Takizawa: "When I hear 'the underground world', what comes to mind is an old sci-fi movie on Earth, where underground there is still a Cretaceous Period-like world with dinosaurs or the mythical underworld. It is a very natural association for my generation (laughs).
We did an experiment in which we created a Cretaceous Period area with large plants and animals walking around in it, but ultimately I thought the art would change based on the gameplay."
Takizawa went on to note that "we had to confirm the playstyle of the Depths before we could create specific art." Once the developers decided on the direction that the Depths would take in the game, it gave Takizawa and the art team a chance to begin designing the world players would see deep below the surface of Hyrule. Thankfully, the gameplay decisions did not force Takizawa to alter his initial vision. While there aren't any dinosaurs stomping around the Depths, the finished world attempted to blend "the framework of an ancient world with dinosaurs meeting with the image of the underworld."
Takizawa does not elaborate on what movie inspired that visual, but it's possible he's referring to Journey to the Center of the Earth, or something similar. Regardless, it's interesting to see what ideas helped shape Tears of the Kingdom into the finished product on Nintendo Switch. Following up a game as well-regarded as Breath of the Wild clearly took a lot of work, and there was much consideration that went into every facet of the sequel. Given how well-received the game was, it's clear that all those efforts paid off!
Are you surprised by these inspirations for Tears of the Kingdom? How did you feel about the Depths? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
