The Greatest Game Ever Made

I am not sure if everyone agrees but, in my humble opinion there is one game that no other game can compare, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo 1998). This game follows all of the basics of gaming theory, use of time, space, music, emersion, rewards and epic wins. This installment of Zeldafranchise was the first to take place in a 3D environment, and it is also considered the father of the modern action/adventure game. Many of the aspects of Ocarina of Time became industry standards for the genre like target locking, free moving camera, spacious environments, and the great attention to detail given to each dungeon.  

I have played this game on four different consoles and beaten it dozens of times. It is a game that brings joy to me every time I play it (except for that stupid owl). Many other players and critics have shown that they love the game also because it has been voted number one on multiple list of great games ranging from Edge Magazine to IGN. Ocarina of Time also has consistently scored perfectly when held to the tests of critics. It was one of the first of its kind and it set the bar at a flawless height.

Ocarina of Timestarts the player out as a young version of the protagonist, Link. The story then proceeds with the introduction of Link’s first fairy, Navi. Navi the guides Link through the land of Hyrule where he learns that he has to save Princess Zelda from Ganandoff by collecting the three pieces of the Triforce of power. During the adventure the player is given the ability to change time, weather, and travel through playing music with Link’s Ocarina.

That is an extremely cut down synopsis of the game. A full retelling of the story and plot and game in general could fill its own novel with all of the intricacies and detail in the story.

Another great achievement of Ocarina of Time, was its use of music. In the article “Play Along - An Approach to Videogame Music,” author Zach Whalen analyses the use of music in videogames starting with the earliest and monitored the evolution as the game industry progressed. Whalen considered Ocarina of Time to be a major turning point in the use of music in games. Ocarina of Time has the ability to shift music flawlessly depending on where the player is, what they are doing and if they are in danger. Whalen points out that this use of music helps the player immerse themselves into the game with greater ease. The music causes certain feeling that the developers wanted the player to feel at that point in the game, sadness, happiness, urgency, all of these, plus many others, are brought out of the player with the use of music. 

Because of its innovativeness, originality, and progressiveness, Ocarina of Time has been a game that can last through the ages. Originally released in 1998 it sold millions, released again in 2012 on a new console, it sold millions more. A new generation is being exposed to greatness, for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, is the greatest game ever made.