My website aims to find and examine all the cultural references found in Breath of the wild and New Horizons. I also heavily analyzed these references for their impact on the game's story, plot and characters. The way culture is represented in both these games is so unique and remarkable which is why I hope to show how differently cultures are represented in these two games through my product.
The website features the following sections:
Home
Breath of the wild
New Horizons
Conclusion
Works cited
The home as would be obvious, is an introduction to the platform. It explains how my interest sparked and my decision to cover this topic.
The videogames are further split up into certain subdivisions. Each of these subdivisions cover a different aspect or feature of the game that is linked to real life culture.
For Breath of the Wild they are:
Jōmon period influence- this covers how the overall aesthetic of the game is based of an ancient period in Japan.
Sheikah monks- monks inhabiting the game are inspired by Buddhist monks and the process of 'sokushinbutsu' .
Kakariko village- This humble, traditional town residing in the game has several references to early Japanese towns from the architecture of the houses to the statue deities that the townsfolk worship.
Sheikah folk- An ancient race within the game whose people are based of various aspects of Japanese history such as the clothes and divine beings the people pray to
Hateno village- A small quaint village contains European themes which can be seen through the buildings and houses and clothes within
Lurelin village- The overall seashore aesthetic is emphasized by using traditional art known as Māori originating from New Zealand.
Gerudo town- The town in the far southwestern part of the game surrounded by sandy dunes attempts to represent Middle Eastern culture.
For New Horizons they are:
Festivals and celebrations- Festivals celebrated throughout the game are based of real life traditional celebrations. The website further gone into each specific festival and what it is meant to represent.
Non playable characters (NPCs)- Some of these characters are associated with and specifically appear on the date of the cultural event to make them more fun and enjoyable and some of the other characters are based of Japanese folklore creatures.
Paintings and sculptures- The museum in the game holds an artworks exhibit where players can collect and display historic creations from around the globe.
Music- A singer within the game known as K.K slider produces 20 to 30 second tracks as portable CDs the player can insert in a stereo to hear. Some of these pieces are inspired by music originating from different places over the world.
Clothing- The clothing within the game have taken inspiration from clothes worn by people from many cultures.
Special limited furniture- The game allows the player to purchase special furniture items which are based off items used in traditional celebrations in the world.
The conclusion then sums up all my findings from my research