5/5 ★ – LadaFanboy's review of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Ocarina of Time is considered by many as the best game of all time and not without reason, the game defined every 3D adventure game onward while being an incredibly solid experience. Today I am going to review The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, going to separate this review into various sections so you can have a better grasp of my opinion, now let’s do this. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Story Zelda games story’s before Ocarina were normally made to be an excuse so that Link could go on a epic journey through Hyrule, Ocarina is interesting because is here where an element was added to these games: lore. It’s here where we discovered the origins of the triforce and see the origins of the evil beast know as Ganon, this time on his human form know as Ganondorf. Do to how the story is presented and told, the game was the most immersive Zelda yet, and the story itself is pretty solid, having memorable characters and moments. The game story is the most famous of all the Zelda games, Link a boy who lived in the forest ends up being in charge of saving Hyrule from the malevolent Ganondorf with the help os various people. A classical adventure where the chosen one most save the world from evil, while in his journey he meets a colorful cast of characters and have to even travel through time to save the world. With the classic Zelda charm, the story is carried by its setting and world that is magical to explore and know, all of that while delivering a very solid narrative. The characters are memorable as hell, carrying a delightful sense of humor, and the setting can become really dark and oppressive when it wants to. It’s hard to forget that this is one of the darkest Zelda games of all time, specially in the adult timeline where Hyrule was devastated by Ganon, with the Market completely destroyed and undead roaming the street. The game has themes of maturing and lost of innocence, Link is forced to become an adult fast in the game so that he can defeat Ganon, this is represented by how in the child timeline everything is happy and bright, while in the adult timeline everything is grim and darker. Ocarina of Time has a great story due to its simplicity and charm together with the dark themes the game carries and is overall really solid. Gameplay The gameplay is very solid, Zelda is at its core an adventure and exploration game of the highest quality. It’s here that Link moveset became more complex and the game innovated with the introduction of the lockdown mechanic, that allows Link to focus on certain objects, enemies and npcs,. It’s useful and allows link to battle against enemies more efficiently making him more agile, he is also able to use a variety of items better. Speaking of which, Link carries a variety of different items, be shields, swords, long range weapons and more, each can be used in its own unique way to explore the world and interact with it. There are two separate timelines in the game, the child and adult timeline, in both Link has access to different items and locations, but the biggest difference comes in the form of the missions and characters Link can access. The gameplay is solid and complements with the level design perfectly. Level Design This is where not just Ocarina, but the majority of Zelda games shines the most, the game has a world that begs to be explored, and the best part is that it’s completely worth it. The game is a semi-open world where your free to explore and go wherever you want, but always with a clear indication of where to go to progress the story. Just like any Zelda game there are various locals to explore, be the lively Market to the beautiful zora’s domain, every place you visit feels very distinct, not just visually, each location has different races and people who make these places very unique and memorable. And just like any Zelda game they are incredibly designed, each location is a joy to explore so that you can find the various secrets lurking behind in the game. The highlight of the level design however are the dungeons, each one here is very different from the other, not to mention well designed, with the Water Temple (from the 64 version, the 3DS version is pretty good) and Jabu Jabu Belly as an exception(who thought that an escort mission in a dungeon was a good idea). The rest of the dungeons are pretty great, the puzzles are really fun to solve and they can be very atmospheric, the Forest Tenple is the highlight, having this feeling of dread and loneliness, together with lots of creative puzzles and just being really memorable and unique. Side content The game has lots of side quests and things to explore, and 99% of it is worth doing it, everything that you do is worth something, be rupees to empty bottles (God bless them), exploring feels rewarding and satisfying. The side quests are top tier too, be completing minigames or catching chickens, everything is fun to do (with the grave robbing stuff being an exception). The game will always reward you when completing those, this is one of the games that is completely worth it doing 100% (excepte the golden spiders, to hell with those). Technical/Sound design The 64 version has your typical polygonal graphics from any 64 game, but there is a certain charm to it (specially as an appreciator for old games). The 3Ds version looks really good for a 3ds game, especially the character models, they look way more distinct and are just better here. But the highlight is the soundtrack, by far the most iconic soundtrack from any Zelda, or even any Nintendo game. These songs are so good, they vary from being catchy and energetic to atmospheric and dreadful, one of the best soundtracks of any Nintendo game and definitely deserving of one of the best osts of all time. Final thoughts This was the first Zelda game I played and what an experience it was, if I have any negatives it would be that the hub world is empty and boring as hell, specially when you don’t have Epona (best horse) unlocked. There is also the fact the gameplay here although good is not as fun as the other 3D Zelda games, and I think some dungeons could be a little more creative with its puzzles sometimes (spirit temple). Other than that this game has not many flaws which I think demonstrate why this game is so beloved and high regarded, for all of that this game deserves all the love it receives. 5/5