Welcome to another episode of Armchair Gaming. The goal for this show is simple: I want to help you learn more about philosophy, and I’ll be using video games as an instrument to help teach it.
Today we are continuing to explore The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The newest entry into The Legend of Zelda franchise offers a bold new world for Zelda fans to explore, with a non-linear story, and a large map filled with secrets and surprises.
Unlike other installments in the franchise, Breath of the Wild provides a brief tutorial followed immediately by an open world for Link to tread through. While guided by a main quest that is required to “beat the game” , players are free to explore the world in any way they choose. This different approach to The Legend of Zelda formula is at the root of today’s episode. Traditionally, we the player have simply guided Link along his narrative journey on his quest to save Hyrule (and often the lovely princess Zelda), but this time, Nintendo teases us with a sort of free-will for Link.
Following on from the previous episode, we will continue exploring how the lack of a mandatory linear story creates an opportunity to explore free will. We will also begin exploring the role of Gods and Goddesses in this game, as well as touch briefly on how religion plays a quiet, but important role in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
About Armchair Gaming
I had the chance to explore philosophy in high school and I loved it so much that I went on to study it at Trent University, where I obtained a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in philosophy. I feel so strongly about the subject that I often find myself going through the books I had purchased over my university career, as well as adding to the collection regularly.
Philosophy is an amazingly exciting subject that can teach us not just what to think, but how to think. Unfortunately, a lot of people see philosophy as some intimidating monster, with difficult concepts and theories to grasp. Conversely, some see it as a waste of someone’s time and intellect. As someone who has dedicated their life to the subject, this Scholarly Gamer wants to bring philosophy to you in a way that is approachable, sometimes funny, and presented through a medium of great importance to himself and millions of other people around the world: Games.
I hope you’ll join us on this journey. And remember, you never go a day in your life without living some philosophy.
