Ocarina of Time is... Kinda overated.

The Smoking Gun

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So I just recently had a chance to play through the entirety of Ocarina of Time (I played a bit of it when I was 8 but don't remember much and didn't get very far...ReDeads made damn sure of that) and while it is undeniably a fun game it isnt the life changing "oh ma god this is the most amazing thing since sliced bread" experience I though it would be.


Now I'm fairly new to the escapist forums so I'm not exactly sure what the overall opinion is over "the best game ever made" that everyone seems to think OoT is, but I'm gonna go ahead and risk being strung up and flayed alive and say that Wind Waker is far farrrr better.
 

hazabaza1

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Nov 26, 2008
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General opinion here seems to be that it's not as great as people say it is.
Keep in mind that many people play it when they were younger, and as we know, there's that cursed nostalgia making people see it better than it really is.

That being said, it is a great game, even after all these years, but other games in the same genre, and even in the same series have far outpassed it.
 

Scrustle

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At the time it was released OoT might have been the greatest game of all time, and it was hugely influential to future game design. But it's been a very long time since then. The fact that the game is still really fun is testament to it's quality, both then and now, but it's no surprise that it has been surpassed in 15 years.
 

PrinceOfShapeir

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Few games that gain the reputation of being the greatest of all time can really truly live up to it. Not Ocarina of Time, not Final Fantasy 7, not even Portal.
 

endtherapture

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Here we go. It's like the Half Life threads all over again.

The game is 15 years old. It was great at the time. It's not so great now (just very good) because it's 15 years old.

The Wind Waker stands the test of time better I think however TWW was very much influenced by Ocarina.
 

eggy32

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I agree. I've always thought it's one of the most over rated games I've ever played. It might be worth noting that I only played it for the first time a few years ago. I still think it's a good game but it's not the best. It's not even the best Zelda game.

I always thought Zelda 2 was better. That game made me feel like I was on a real hero's adventure. Having to talk to people to find out where to go next and finding the wizards to learn new magic spells to progress was awesome. I also thought the combat was better. In OOT you just had to lock on and slash at things, occasionally dodging out of the way. In Zelda 2 there were enemies you couldn't even hurt and all you could do was jump around them. Timing your jumps while also fighting those knights and trying to hit them past their shield was awesome.

There weren't as many frustrating puzzles either. There were certainly places to get lost but I never felt like I was doing anything wrong because getting lost in the dungeons was all part of the exploration. OOT didn't have any decent exploration since there was just 1 way through each dungeon. I also liked how you could use fair magic in Zelda 2 to bypass locked doors instead of having to get every key.

So yes, in conclusion, Zelda 2 is better in every way except the graphics and sound. I must admit that OOT had an excellent soundtrack.
 

SajuukKhar

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Ohh shit, A Zelda game that is overrated? Never would a guessed, next people will be saying final fantasy 7 is over rated......

Na I'm Jk with ya, it is pretty overrated IMO, much like FF7.... or any FF for that matter.

Zelda is one of those series, like Mario, that the bad games get more praise then they deserve, not that OOT is bad, and the good games get WAY more praise then they deserve.
 

ChildishLegacy

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The fact that the game is still better than a lot of games you can compare it to after being out for 15 years is a testament to how good it was for it's time. Sure there will be better games come out, but that's because although miyamoto and co were good, they're not time travelers.
 

DJ_DEnM

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Dec 22, 2010
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The Smoking Gun said:
Now I'm fairly new to the escapist forums
Welcome newfriend~!

OT: An opinion is an opinion, and you're entitled to it. I was younger then you when I had the chance to play it, and while it is good, it's not in my top ten. I guess it's just an acquired taste of those who were able to play it when they were slightly older.
 

Dr. wonderful

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Dec 31, 2009
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Of course, not.

It's 15 years old. Some people love it, some people hate it. some people are indifferent to it.
 

Mirroga

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The feeling of overrated is always subjective. Sometimes you just don't enjoy what the masses enjoy.

And I think it's about the best Legend of Zelda game for them being Ocarina of Time rather than it being a standalone masterpiece that embodies the entire series. I just find the Legend of Zelda games to be underwhelming.
 

Triforceformer

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It's a good game, but to paraphrase Yahtzee: it's a good game where pretty much every single sequel it's had has taken its formula and refined it for over a decade, improving its blemishes, writing more interesting characters and lore, and having better technology, which led to them being inherently superior due to it.

For now at least, palpable and overwhelming nostalgia is what Ocarina of Time has over the recent games. But give it 10 or so years, and chances are Wind Waker/Skyward Sword will be the new OoT.
 

sobaka770

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Try to play the Original Doom and Half Life or let your teenage son/brother/whoever try to do it and see what happens. Unfortunately some games cannot evoke the same feelings as technology advances just like black and white movies (until the weird The Artist renaissance) are not something anyone born in 80s or 90s would be likely to watch and appreaciate or even consider good.
 

Ljs1121

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I like Ocarina of Time a lot but it is not the absolute greatest game of all time ever made. That title falls upon Majora's Mask. :D

[sub][sub]absolutely joking everyone praise the Portal gods et cetera please don't kill me[/sub][/sub]
 

oplinger

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Well, I'll be honest, I think it would be impossible to grasp the reasons OoT is the best game ever if you didn't experience it when it came out. The timing of the game was pretty important. It was the first 3D zelda, and it looked pretty good at the time. The story was much more engaging than LttP or LA. It was full of things to do, places to explore, secrets to find.

Afterward everything it did that was new and inspiring, became common in everything. So I think it would be very hard to understand without experiencing that specific time in gaming too.

Otherwise you're right. It is a little overrated, because its sort of generic now. And looking back, many games that came out around the same time did similar things.

But, Majora's Mask is still the best. >.>