Often you'd see people say "this is the greatest game of all time", and of course you'd get those who disagree. The saying is subjective, not objective, and many factors can ruin this down the line. Age, for one. So, while Ocarina of Time may not be the greatest game of all time, it is still my favourite game of all time.

Part of it is nostalgia, yes, but I believe there's more to it than that. I think there's a certain thematic link (lol) that ties the N64 Zelda titles together, that makes them special even after all these years. It's got some of the darkest content in a Zelda series (hello Shadow Temple) and yet throughout the game there's a real sense of hope to be had. Of course, due to the N64's limitations, it's hard to get thematic points across properly, which is why its story doesn't seem to hit as hard as say, Skyward Sword or Twilight Princess'. But that doesn't mean it don't work.

Firstly, the child section - the first section of the game. The first three dungeons. Everything here - well, almost everything - is a typical light-hearted hero's story. Link goes out from the forest and enters a world much larger than him, but despite this there's still a sense of wonder to be had. The colourful cast you meet as you explore Hyrule, from the Zora to the Gorons to Zelda herself, help set up the story and serves as a prelude to the switch we encounter later on. Ultimately, it's the story of Zelda and Link playing Hero, which has dire consequences for Hyrule.

Then, the adult section. Where the world is ruined, and it's your fault. Suddenly, the theme of the story is switched up, muddled up, fucked up, however you want to say it, and it's up to you to fix it. From the haunted mansion of the Forest Temple - haunted by Hylians foolish enough to enter the Lost Woods - to the torture chambers of the Shadow Temple - a reminder of the Royal Family's corruption, something that's often overlooked in the future games (looking at you, BOTW).

There's a fantastic video on the themes and story of OOT if anyone is interested. The story is darker and more interesting than you might think.

Now, onto the more technical stuff.

The controls of this game are - while some parts (cough camera cough) are dated, Link's movement is still as fluid as ever. For the first 3D game, they clearly put a lot of effort into how Link feels when he's moving, and they nailed it straight out. When walking, Link can choose to simply walk forward, roll, sidehop, backflip, or backwalk. Tilting the analog stick slightly forward or back causes a slight turn that's very useful in speedrunning. Epona is a great tool for traversing the land faster, and the movement of swords + items is fantastic.

Also, despite what some people may say, this game's combat isn't just about waiting. Maybe they're just bad at the game. But the point of the game's combat is to use the items in your inventory - deku nuts to stun, arrows for long ranged combat, sword for melee, etc.

Also, the sound department did a fantastic job in both music and foley for the game. So many tracks in this game are iconic and I bet you can't get the Gerudo Valley theme out of your head.

Randomizer and romhacks are a great way to experience this game again, by the way.

Finally, I want to give a quick shout out to speedrunners of this game. This might just be the most broken game of all time. Cool.