- A wild tl;dr appeared! -
Well, considering that Ocarina of Time, in my opinion, was the best game ever created - on any console, I guess it takes the cake for first place. Honestly, every aspect was so flawlessly and innovatively tied in, that it was structurally perfect. The storyline was deep enough for an interesting game, though always clear enough to remember vividly. The Logic in the game is nearly perfect; puzzles are often simple, yet perplexing and there was always something to do. There was no shortage of things to do, in which I am refering to collectables and mini-games. The reason these were so successful as they were not only interesting (unlike some 'collectables' side-quests in most games), but rewarding.
The graphics were ahead of their time. They may not look like much now, but consider how 'replayable' it is after playing TP. Most old games are unclear and painful to play after getting used to the crisp images of this generation. OoT remains colourful and clear, yet simple enough to look nice, even now. Without such a powerful 3D engine, it wouldn't have been able to display the game's vital moments with such prowess. Remember the awe inspiring march onto Hyrule field for the first time? Or the scene with Ganon chasing Zelda and Sheik out of Hyrule Town? Or perhaps the relief coupled with a grin on your face when Link finally claims the Master Sword from the Temple of Time? No game manages to get the player as involved - sucked into a completely different world.
The actually gameplay is just incredible, it's simple and intuitive, although it never approaches the borders of repetition. The 'Sword and Shield' combat system is so comfortable, that I begin to miss it when playing other games. What I've come to love about it, is that it doesn't limit you when using these tools. From an unarmed state, you can pull out your shield to block an incoming attack or unsheath your sword into an enemy in the blink of an eyelid. At the same time, you can take on a defensive fighting stance, Shield up, targeting an approaching Stalfos. Already, it's flawlessly surpassed nigh every game from a combat perspective - and I haven't got started on the other equipment, yet.
The Bow is an iconic piece of equipment, at that. It gives Link not only a diverse weapons, but it creates countless puzzles with the ability to hit ranged switches, cut rope, etc. The way arrows light up if you shoot them through fire is ingenious. Nintendo also gave the players some upgrades in the form of Fire, Ice and Light Arrows. But, I don't thinks there's a more iconing tool than the Hookshot. It came out of nowhere, with no precedent to mimic. The abililty to imitate Spiderman, by slinging Link over a bottomless crevasse or by shooting down those irritating Keese - it took practice, but became a trusty buddy when tackling on of the game's monolithic temples.
...Which brings me to another part of the game's unique chemistry. The immense length of the game. Link treks to every edge of Hyrule, discovering new things and meeting new enemies. With something like 10 full-sized temples, it takes 70+ hours of gameplay to actually complete the game. It would be an huge without the instant teleportation offered by the...
...Ocarina. Just woah. No other similar game has incorporated a musical system quite as well. It not only fits snugly into the storyline, but it creates a chance for self-expression from the player - you even get to produce one active song for the scarecrow. The music, both from the Ocarina and the epic background music are masterpieces worthy of praise in their own right.
You can tell how high I hold this game. It, to me, is the peak of gaming. I am both proud for it, yet disappointed that there will never be a game that meets these standards. Not in my lifetime.
