The first playthrough of it's story is perfection. Music is lovingly composed and diegetic and every world is a blast to just run and jump through with its exceptional controls. But then comes completion and the task of 100%. It is not fun. I know I don't mind the green stars in galaxy 2 which seems hypocritical, but this is because they are outright labelled as a different collectable. I feel far more compelled to 100% a game where I have been collecting moons for its entirety as in any Mario game you should want to complete every main objective. But some are simply too short or repetitive and by moon 699, you begin to ask, is this really satisfying anymore? Amazing game, badly designed post-game.

As a game, I struggle with this one. There are some very tedious moments as the difficulty feels unjustifiably increased from its predecessor. I think I made it to Great Bay Temple last time and had about 2 hours left before the moon hit, so I have not returned to it since. Unfortunately, it doesn't even benefit from its remaster, it technically does from a gameplay perspective but it loses something else.
As a piece of art, nothing comes close to the surprising emptiness, despair, melancholy, and relieving metaphor that it portrays. They had less than 2 years to make this game and while I think it shows in its gameplay for worse, there is no denying it produced a beautifully tragic journey that can never and will never be replicated by any art form.

The atmosphere and story come as close to majora as is possible to get, not in terms of tone or themes, as while they are both darker, this game opts for more traditional gothic themes; of horror, shock, fear, but above all, love and courage. The opening for this game is criticised too heavily for its sow gameplay, but THAT IS EXACTLY THE POINT. One day you are hearding cattle and in the space of a single cutscene you are now a wolf in a prison cell and your world is being torn apart. The game is filled with moments like this; beating the 3rd dungeon only to be confronted with Zant and Midnas' lament, the kidnapping in Kakarikko village followed by a joust on the bridge of Eldin, the atmosphere and implied history of every single dungeon. Beating this game, watching Ganon die still standing with the crack of Zant's neck, feels absolutely monumental.
Oh yeah and the gameplay is very solid. tons of side content, some a bit better than others. I actually enjoy the twilight sections, there are relatively short if you know what you are doing, I see why they could be upsetting but I find it incredibly satisfying to dissipate its effects. I will say while all the dungeon items are very cool in concept, some are too rarely used, particularly the ball and chain/ spinner and the dominion rod section is tedious.
But I do not care. The story drives the gameplay immensely. An excellent spiritual successor to the n64 titles.

This game has some objective faults. I believe it has the worst dungeons in the series. The gameplay is satisfying enough if a bit short and I enjoy the entry sequences. But they are the worst because every single one is exactly the same. That is a crime in this series. The shrines carry the same burden but I do enjoy them more as they are supposed to be short and sweet. The interiors are very hit or miss but finding them in the overworld is by far the best part.
Which leads me to why I still give it 5 stars: I don't care. Like I said these parts, bad or mediocre, are minuscule. Especially compared to everything else. This almost feels like a parody of every other open-world game simply for its astonishing beauty. People often criticise the music for not having the triumphant fanfares of something like TP, but I believe it may have the best sound design in the series. I've been brought to tears by endless vistas and impressionist compositions countless times, as early as the temple of times broken but vaguely recognisable melody.
It has other flaws but again I simply do not care because this game is liberating, I do not have to do what I do not want to do anymore. I can simply open it up, climb a peak, and stare in awe at the world, once filled with objectives, now filled with satisfying memories and bewildering passion.

I am so fucking close to beating this asshole of a game, even with save states. And you know what, it's pretty damn good. I don't even have any nostalgia for this and I still like it. I've never liked Zelda 1 for one straightforward reason; it controls like dog shit. Yes, it is influential and inspired perhaps the most critically acclaimed series in the industry. But personally, if it does not feel satisfying to perform basic functions (moving, turning, attacking, the god-awful shield) then I am going to struggle to care. This game, however, for all its many, many faults, controls superbly! The combat and progression system are so compelling for an NES title that I feel a real drive to get through its hilariously impossible moments. I agree with some of the cryptic parts being bullshit, but I actually managed to find most of them without a guide. I feel if you go into it knowing a few tips (do a victory lap of temples for the last level-ups, write down cryptic hints and be overly thorough, search every fucking tile) rather than outright using a guide, you CAN really enjoy this.
Currently still stuck on the approach to the final temple. Will update this when I have finally completed this wacky piece of shit that I love for some reason.