What a game, huh?

The Great Deku Tree conditions you to think spatially. You look up and down, use Link’s weight and movement in creative ways, loop in and out of rooms, all to solve puzzles that span the entire dungeon. This forms the basis for an assortment of dungeons that don’t test your ability to solve puzzles so much as they do test your ability to intuit your surroundings. This empty spot looks strange… I bet you I need a longer hookshot to access that part… then I can push that block out of the way… I probably have to do this section first… I wonder if my jump can reach that ledge… I know exactly what to do here! Each new hurdle is like a test or a question of spatial awareness that the game primes you to be ready to answer. A lot of the game’s most cryptic “puzzles” are in Hyrule proper, where you’ll have to start a time paradox to enter a well so you can get a magic monocle that helps you get through the desert. Despite how bizarre that last example was, the game’s overworld is a reprieve from the oppressive atmosphere of the dungeons. It almost never has you asking “what do I do next?” Instead, the game plays with your expectations of what’s to come, and gives you all of the tools necessary to figure things out, even through that last example!

You’re also eased into combat with this same level of finesse. Kokiri Forest is a safe haven for you, until you’re asked to kill some stationary plant monsters, then block projectiles with your shield, then exploit the weakness of a dungeon boss to defeat it. It never gets complicated, but the game is constantly introducing new enemies and new scenarios for those enemies. Boss fights are maybe a weak part of the game, being kind of monotonous to fight. But it’s impressive how many of them continue to be fun even after understanding what their weakness is and how to exploit it. Because often, knowing when to react to enemies is just as important as how to react to them. Twinrova is a fight that doesn’t have much going on, and it’s easy to realize what’s going on and dodge attacks, but there’s something so satisfying about absorbing 3 blasts of one of their fire attacks whilst avoiding the ice ones so you can blast it back in their face. Z-targeting centers whichever element you’re locked onto, and allows you to focus less on positioning, more on reaction-time, movement, and which tools from your arsenal will be best for the job. Do I jump now? Or jab? I wonder what my hookshot does to this enemy… The more humanoid enemies tend to hop around you all crazily and it can be fun to parse which of your actions will yield which responses from your opponents. This was especially fun with the Gerudo Swordswomen and the Stalfos. Just like how dungeons focus more on spatial awareness and intuition, combat doesn’t ask anything complicated of you, it just asks you to approach each scenario with curiosity, and rely on instincts.

Dungeon crawling, where most of the puzzling and combat will take place, is contrasted with the beautiful world of Hyrule. The Fire Temple and Water Temple can be completed in either order, which is the same case for the final two dungeons. You might not even be aware that you can make these decisions at first! Other than the dungeons, you’re able to travel virtually anywhere in Hyrule, even if it won’t yield any results. You can miss vital upgrades to your arsenal, which kind of sucks, but a part of me likes that! Something I absolutely love, though, is that players can completely miss acquiring the horse that the game’s beautiful title screen all-but-promises you’ll be able to acquire. It makes the fantastic sequence that results in Epona being your trusty steed, all the more satisfying. It’s nice that with such a defined structure, players can still experience the game in very different ways. It’s a gratifying world to see more of, I loved the game’s sole escort mission for how stupidly charming it was, I loved the sequence that results in taming that elusive horse from the title screen, I savoured every conversation with Sheik, and I savoured every sunset over Hyrule field. If I were to describe each aspect of the game so far, it’d be with the word “space.”

A fantastic use of colour & lighting, and a soundtrack that’s maybe the most deserving of any game’s to be called “iconic,” both add to this mystifying feeling that Ocarina of Time upholds. I think Ocarina of Time shines the brightest in the little details that pile up. Ganondorf refers to the pieces of the Triforce as “toys.” You’re sent off on your quest in part because none of the adults in Zelda’s life take her concerns seriously. Princess Ruto tells you to “man up.” Ganondorf refers to the pieces of the Triforce as “toys.” The words “kid” and “child” are often used as insults. This paints a portrait of youth being a time to prove yourself, and the halfway timeskip cements growing up as a harrowing process, the world’s gone to shit and you don't need any character to tell you, you immediately know how much responsibility you're now burdened with. In the end, when the day is saved, it almost seems idyllic, you proved a lot of people wrong, rose to the occasion, and became a man, right? What do you think? What do you think Link says to Zelda at the very end of the game? Despite whatever interpretations I might have, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time gives you the space you need to answer these questions for yourself.