This was my first Zelda game, yeah, I wasn't originally a Nintendo kid, but this game holds a lot for me. It represents my game skill in a way, I mean, I had no idea what I was doing when I first started it, barely got past the first sequence. It was only when I got into high school that I actually tackled it and I was on fire, I got all the way to the water temple and that's when I stopped. No real reason, just daunting. That and I had other things to occupy myself with.
The story is something else. You know something's rich when you can see yourself creating stories and fanfictions in your head from every little aspect and the lush variety of characters. Just the idea of being in that world is enough to be satisfying which is enough to say that you've achieved something great. And because of that, it's satisfying no matter what port you're playing.
In part, some of that is due to its similarities to Ocarina of Time. There were a lot of points where things felt really familiar but I've never gotten that far before but at the same time, in other ways, it challenges your perspective. Take Midna, she's probably one of the most enjoyable companions in the series, they even make it as bold as to say she's the new Zelda. Picture this, a mysterious being, unlike you've ever seen before floats into your cell and offers to help you out but asking for repayment, telling you you're going to be some big hero in the end. Creepy but ok for now, she's on our side and we become human again. They even show how cute she is by having her eek whenever you dash, yawn every once in a while, do little gestures and pat your side when you don't use the controller for a while, she really wins you over.
Well, one of the spirits tells you that this power she seeks (and has been having us get), is probably quite evil so you start to question her methods, maybe she's with the baddie afterall. Then when you finally meet the main baddie (which isn't Ganondorf) face to face after hearing stories of him, he turns you back into a wolf but Midna saves you from death. You feel bad for doubting her and take her where she requests as she's dying, which happens to be off to Zelda who then in turn sacrifices herself because she sees the good in Midna and wants to…for lack of a better term, exploit that and give her light and being so she's no longer trapped in the twilight and can move freely. The same princess that surrendered to the baddie hoping to save Hyrule but only made things worse, where she failed, she saw an opportunity for others to prosper. Midna now having the approval and light of Zelda herself, the name of the game, the one that you know from the other games. That's some A-level commitment and payoff. And there're so many moments like that, that's not even to say the Princess is bad, she's actually one of my favorites.
The gameplay reinvents itself and always shows you something new, you can tell how masterfully crafted it all is just from the opening segment alone and how much it teaches you. It never felt dull or repeitive despite how memory served with the tears of light. I actually almost expected more of that to be honest. And it's a bit of an outdoorsman simulator, canoeing, horseback riding, herding, bug collecting, archery, fishing and let me just say I did not expect snowboarding in my Zelda game today but here we are and I'm in love, how could I not? It can be action packed then cozy. And there's a ton of stuff to collect to reach completion so play time can be anywhere you want.
I understand why they changed Zelda now though, I could see so many of these other elements from other games all basing themselves around Ocarina and its system but since it has most of what I like about Ocarina and most problems I had with it are easy-ish fixes that any updated version would be able to fix then this technically is my number one Zelda game right now and not just that but-
Ok, I'll actually finish the sentence this time because I'm shocked yet scared to admit it. This isn't just my favorite Zelda game now but one of my favorite games of all time, like no joke a top 3 candidate, it's that good. Easy 5/5. I think this is a once in a lifetime game where we may never achieve this type of Zelda game again.
The story is something else. You know something's rich when you can see yourself creating stories and fanfictions in your head from every little aspect and the lush variety of characters. Just the idea of being in that world is enough to be satisfying which is enough to say that you've achieved something great. And because of that, it's satisfying no matter what port you're playing.
In part, some of that is due to its similarities to Ocarina of Time. There were a lot of points where things felt really familiar but I've never gotten that far before but at the same time, in other ways, it challenges your perspective. Take Midna, she's probably one of the most enjoyable companions in the series, they even make it as bold as to say she's the new Zelda. Picture this, a mysterious being, unlike you've ever seen before floats into your cell and offers to help you out but asking for repayment, telling you you're going to be some big hero in the end. Creepy but ok for now, she's on our side and we become human again. They even show how cute she is by having her eek whenever you dash, yawn every once in a while, do little gestures and pat your side when you don't use the controller for a while, she really wins you over.
Well, one of the spirits tells you that this power she seeks (and has been having us get), is probably quite evil so you start to question her methods, maybe she's with the baddie afterall. Then when you finally meet the main baddie (which isn't Ganondorf) face to face after hearing stories of him, he turns you back into a wolf but Midna saves you from death. You feel bad for doubting her and take her where she requests as she's dying, which happens to be off to Zelda who then in turn sacrifices herself because she sees the good in Midna and wants to…for lack of a better term, exploit that and give her light and being so she's no longer trapped in the twilight and can move freely. The same princess that surrendered to the baddie hoping to save Hyrule but only made things worse, where she failed, she saw an opportunity for others to prosper. Midna now having the approval and light of Zelda herself, the name of the game, the one that you know from the other games. That's some A-level commitment and payoff. And there're so many moments like that, that's not even to say the Princess is bad, she's actually one of my favorites.
The gameplay reinvents itself and always shows you something new, you can tell how masterfully crafted it all is just from the opening segment alone and how much it teaches you. It never felt dull or repeitive despite how memory served with the tears of light. I actually almost expected more of that to be honest. And it's a bit of an outdoorsman simulator, canoeing, horseback riding, herding, bug collecting, archery, fishing and let me just say I did not expect snowboarding in my Zelda game today but here we are and I'm in love, how could I not? It can be action packed then cozy. And there's a ton of stuff to collect to reach completion so play time can be anywhere you want.
I understand why they changed Zelda now though, I could see so many of these other elements from other games all basing themselves around Ocarina and its system but since it has most of what I like about Ocarina and most problems I had with it are easy-ish fixes that any updated version would be able to fix then this technically is my number one Zelda game right now and not just that but-
Ok, I'll actually finish the sentence this time because I'm shocked yet scared to admit it. This isn't just my favorite Zelda game now but one of my favorite games of all time, like no joke a top 3 candidate, it's that good. Easy 5/5. I think this is a once in a lifetime game where we may never achieve this type of Zelda game again.