Collecting every possible item in a game can often be a gratifying experience, giving players a genuine sense of achievement from tackling tasks that aren’t strictly necessary. However, it can also become an exasperating and tedious ordeal. Developer Joe Morrissey, who has a wealth of experience in the gaming industry, recently shared his insights on the characteristics that can elevate collectibles from mundane to memorable. Interestingly, he pointed out that the animated Korok Seeds from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are not prime examples of good collectibles.
Morrissey, known for his work as a designer on titles such as Ghost of Tsushima, inFAMOUS: Second Son, and the Diablo series, expressed his views during a discussion at this year’s Game Developers Conference, as highlighted in PC Gamer.
According to Morrissey, there are eight essential qualities that make collectibles engaging and worthwhile: discoverability, the rewards provided, the inclusion of enjoyable skill-based mechanics, contributions to worldbuilding, logical context within the game narrative, emotional connections to characters, as well as consistent distribution and a sensible number of items available for collection.
Morrissey asserts that the first three aspects are particularly crucial; he emphasizes that “discoverability” pertains to how players can locate these items. He argues, “If the answer is, ‘Well, you just gotta search for them’… that’s not gonna be a good time. Nobody is gonna have fun with that. They’ll just go online and find wherever the stuff is,” directing his critique squarely at the infamous Korok Seeds: “I’m lookin’ at you, Korok Seeds.” He proposes that using visual indicators or implementing environmental scanning systems can significantly enhance the thrill of the collectible hunt.
The notion of “appropriate rewards” speaks for itself, yet Morrissey mentions having spoken to numerous creative directors who, despite believing that collectibles don’t need rewarding, later discover during testing that players express frustration over the lack of meaningful incentives.
Although he doesn’t specifically mention the Zelda games, it’s reasonable to infer that the rewards in both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are somewhat lacking. Although collecting items helps to increase inventory space, gathering all 900 in the original game (or 1,000 in its sequel) ultimately yields a rather uninspired reward: a literal pile of feces, which is undeniably underwhelming for dedicated explorers.
The additional traits that Morrissey highlights include whether collectibles are compelling to gather (which could involve an enjoyable mechanic that encourages skill development), how they provide insight into the game world, and if their existence feels justified within the narrative. While he acknowledges that the Korok Seeds manage some of these aspects, he notes that their overall execution falls short.
The aspect of “character attachment” pertains to how the collectibles connect to the overarching story, while the criteria for consistent placement and reasonable quantity are self-explanatory. It’s easy to see why the Korok Seeds are lacking in these areas—they are widely dispersed across the expansive game world, resulting in players encountering hundreds of them.
When it comes to what Morrissey considers exemplary collectibles, he cites both Marvel’s Spider-Man’s backpacks and inFAMOUS’ Blast Shards as top-tier examples. Each only falls short in one area—specifically the “fun, skillful mechanic” and “consistent location” respectively.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild trickster finds the weirdest way to get the first Korok, all by luring a bokoblin to its untimely, parkour-filled death.