Summary
Released in November 1998,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Timebecame the quintessential 3-D action-adventure game. In the early days of 3-D games,Ocarina of Timestood out as being not only revolutionary forThe Legend of Zeldafranchise, but the entire video game industry as a whole. As the fifth release in theZeldaseries, it completely innovated everything done up to that point and opened the door for what would be possible in the future. After 25 years,Ocarina of Timestill stands as the pinnacle of whatThe Legend of Zeldarepresents. Even the most recent titles,Breath of WildandTears of the Kingdom,pull inspiration from what was established inOcarina of Time. Although the series has always reinvented itself and brought something fresh with each entry, in many ways no game will be able to topOcarina of Time.
Often widely regarded as one of the greatest video games of all time,The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s influencecannot be overstated. It defined what players can experience in a large, open game world by providing multiple towns and varied species to interact with as they search for temples. These NPCs each offered unique “side quests” and secrets to uncover that were sometimes completely separate from the game’s main story. All of these elements are tied together with an epic storyline, unique and memorable characters, innovative action gameplay that builds as the game progresses, and a beautiful Koji Kondo score to establishOcarina of Timeas the blueprint for a modern adventure game.
The Most Influential Zelda Game To Date
EachZeldagame that has come afterOcarina of Timehas in some way been inspired by the game. 3-D games postOcarina of Timesuch asMajora’s Mask,Wind Waker, andTwilight Princessdid all bring something very new to the table in their own respect, but they also more or less followedtheOcarina of Timeformula. They all contained a set amount of dungeons that included a unique item to be unlocked in each, segments of traveling to the temples and doing side activities to access them. The basic elements ofThe Legend of Zeldahave been around since the first installment in 1987 and further developed inA Link to the Past, but it wasOcarina of Timethat set the trend for the 3-D era.
Updates to theZeldaformula did come over time.TheZeldaside gamesoffer another unique approach to the franchise’s universe, such as inFour Swords,The Minish Cap, orPhantom Hourglass.In terms of mainline games,Skyward Swordwas really the start of the refresh.Skyward Swordbroke tradition in a lot of ways, namely the dungeon progression, item management, and the way weapons are approached.Skyward Swordlaid the groundwork for what would be the largest innovation sinceOcarina of Time,Breath of the Wild.
Breath of the WildsawThe Legend of Zeldafranchise make the leap into the realm of modern open-world games. Stripping down the story-telling aspects of the series to only the bare essentials made for a more mysterious approach. Most notable was theBOTW’sprogression and customization, which allowed for more variety in the way the game is played.Breath of the Wildis easily the closest toOcarina of Timein terms of renown and innovation in the gaming industry, however it arguably still hasn’t quite topped it.
Even the most recent releaseTears of the Kingdom, with its ground-breaking freedom to build and customize as well as its bold story decisions, is still unable to dethroneOcarina of Timeoverall.Zeldagames are still pulling elements fromOcarinaall these years later. At this point in time, it seems that although futureZeldagames may be able to innovate and forge a new legacy of their own, they will never be able to overshadowOcarina of Timeas the most beloved entry in the series.
