Game Review: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
| Title: | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time |
| Platform: | Nintendo 64 |
| Genre: | RPG/Adventure |
| Developer: | Nintendo |
| Publisher: | Nintendo |
| Release: | November 23, 1998 |
Introduction: In 1987, a game was released that with time would change the entire gaming business. When you ran to the store to buy the game, it was enough with one glimpse of the box to see that this was something different. The box and the cartridge was colored gold. 'Zelda' was printed on the front in big, red letters. Eleven years later, Zelda's fourth sequel has been released, this time in 3D, which again changed the entire gaming business.
Review: Chronologically, this is the first game in the Zelda series. Here, the background story is revealed, and Link is only a boy. He is a member of the Kokiri tribe, who are half-elves living deep in the forest. Everyone in the village knows that he's not one of them. That's maybe because he doesn't have his own fairy. One day, a fairy called Navi comes to Link and tells him that the Great Deku Tree, the guardian of the forest, wants to see him. Link has to save Hyrule from the evil Ganondorf, who wants to take over the land. To accomplish this task, Link has to travel in time, and you will control him both as a kid, and an adult. The game is even sort of real time, as time passes and day becomes night. Shops and so on are, of course, closed at night and some events take place at a certain time of the day. Each day only lasts about five minutes for you, though. So what's good about this game? To put it short: Everything. The game is so complex you will sit with it for weeks, and it's a nearly perfect game all around.
Conclusion: This is perhaps the best game I've ever played. It has a great story, and it's a very nice game. You will have to learn the different sword-techniques, and Link can also perform many different manuevers. There are many ocarina songs to learn as well. One's you must play at the right places, or nothing will happen. You really have to think often and keep your eyes peeled.
Ratings: (scale of 0.0 - 5.0)
| Gameplay: 5.0 | Graphics: 5.0 |
| This game is a very great challenge and you don't just need to move fast. You must use your brain to use the right items in the right places, and talk to the right people. You will have to beat races and open caves to move on. Finding Rupees (Hyrulean money) all over the land is common, so it's no problem to get enough money to buy the most expensive items. The Ocarina, a very nice flute-looking instrument, will come in handy to open shortcuts and small sideways. And all of that is just a few tasks you need to do in order to solve riddles and trudge through the game. To be concise, the game is very big and complex. | It's not just the story and the gameplay that is good in this game. The graphics just rock the world. It's very realistic, and there are many cool-looking characters. The animations run smoothly, and it's a very pretty game. The different worlds are very colorful, and the lighting effects/shadows make the graphics just perfect. When you're under water, a cool wave-effect will fluctuate across the screen, or when you're in the hot volcano, the sky will be red and cloudy. When it's dawn, the sun will make great swirling colors in the sky. And the camera angles are just great. |
| Sound: 5.0 | Overall: 5.0 |
| The sound is very important in this game. Every location has its own special music, and all the enemies have their own sound effects. The music is everywhere, and is a big part of the mood. When an enemy is in the area, the music turns creepy. When you kill it, the music becomes normal again. Even though the game doesn't have voice acting, all characters have their own 'sound' (Have you played Banjo-Kazooie? It's nothing like that at all). | This game is a must. If you haven't got it yet, or haven't even PLAYED it, you're really lagging behind. In my opinion, this is really the best game for this platform. And, if you use a guide to beat the game, you're a jerk. Using a guide will eliminate the fun. Therefore, there is no reason to buy it, but if you don't have it you're out. So, don't use ANY Zelda guide!!! ;-) |