Nintendo takes us through the four-year process of making 'Zelda: Breath of the Wild'

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is at once the most daring take on the decades-old series and incredibly loyal to the core of the series, blending tried-and-true Zelda conventions with fresh and innovative ideas. Just over a week after its release, Nintendo is giving us a look behind the curtain of Breath of the Wild's development in a three-part video series.

The video series, called "The Making of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," goes through the development process from the planning stages to the game's story and characters and the concept of the open and expansive world.

The Beginning

The first video, "The Beginning," dives into how the development team started thinking about Breath of the Wild right from the start in 2013 with the catchphrase: "Break the conventions of the Zelda series." Developers talk about how core game mechanics were developed and became an important piece of Breath of the Wild's rich and interactive world.

Some of the game's early concept art is also shared in the video, including a mock-up of a giant spaceship launching an assault on Hyrule from the skies.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Story and Characters

Warning: very mild spoilers

In "Story and Characters," developers discuss how they came up with the story of Breath of the Wild and some of its memorable characters, how they made the story unfold over the course of the game, as well as how they used the world as an extension of storytelling to bring more depth to the game.

Open-air Concept

Breath of the Wild's huge and expansive world is the subject of "Open-air Concept," which explores how developers built the open world of Hyrule, determined its size and created its feel through world design and music. Along with that, developers share insights on some of the game's mechanics like combat and cooking.