Usually, I am not inclined towards superstitions and beliefs, but at the end of Ocarina of Time, Princess Zelda asked me to return to my time. Whether it's prophecy or sheer coincidence, we must admit that the princess’s exit is quite ironic when you’ve just spent several dozen hours on a game released over 25 years ago. What did she mean by returning to my time? Maybe I should simply enjoy current games? Like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Tears of the Kingdom? Stop stubbornly playing old games? I remain without an answer.

Anyway, we should normally keep quiet about never having played Ocarina of Time. It's the classic of classics. The "Citizen Kane" or "In Search of Lost Time" of gaming. If you skip this game, your gamer card gets revoked. Yet, like the aforementioned classics, I admit there's a strangely off-putting aspect to diving into the "genre's canons." As a critic, you find yourself in an uncomfortable position. Should you praise the game? Everyone has already done that (and better than you). Should you, on the contrary, bash it and make "hate content"? No, thank you. I have no desire to do either. I can only share my experience, which is the only "unique" thing that could be said about this game.

Ocarina of Time is not "just" the transition from 2D to 3D for a series; it's the "vanilla" experience of the 3D adventure game that remains the standard and, even today, an enjoyable experience. I find it crazy to think that this game is both the "universal tutorial" of 3D gaming while also being at the forefront of revolutionary mechanics: targeting, streamlined inventory management (compared to CRPGs of the time), dungeon level design, etc. I was impressed by how playable a 3D game controlled with a single stick remains without too many camera problems.

And yet, narratively, the game stays in a total classicism that I find, in this case, too "vanilla." I have trouble integrating into this world that lacks bizarreness. Everything is a bit too smooth for my taste. If the story didn't captivate me, it's the overall atmosphere of the dungeons that particularly stood out: the music, the enemies, the lighting effects, and the camera work, all are impressively mastered. The "open world" is very limited, and I admit I rushed through the dungeons without paying much attention to the side quests (I didn’t even get Epona). This didn't spoil my enjoyment.

Playing classics also raises the question of the platform on which to play them. After completing a third of the game on 3DS, I borrowed an N64 with an original cartridge. After spending a lot of time trying to get a decent image on my OLED screen, I eventually followed the path of reason by listening to @Katsono and @Armakeen and playing the version made by the Ship of Harkinian team with 4K textures added. I recommend anyone wanting to embark on this adventure to do the same: the game is beautiful, smooth, and you can assign the boots to the "C" button (which makes the Water Temple a bit less tedious). Hats off.

I look forward to diving into Majora’s Mask soon, probably in its "decompiled" version.

Usually, I am not inclined towards superstitions and beliefs, but at the end of Ocarina of Time, Princess Zelda asked me to return to my time. Whether it's prophecy or sheer coincidence, we must admit that the princess’s exit is quite ironic when you’ve just spent several dozen hours on a game released over 25 years ago. What did she mean by returning to my time? Maybe I should simply enjoy current games? Like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Tears of the Kingdom? Stop stubbornly playing old games? I remain without an answer.

Anyway, we should normally keep quiet about never having played Ocarina of Time. It's the classic of classics. The "Citizen Kane" or "In Search of Lost Time" of gaming. If you skip this game, your gamer card gets revoked. Yet, like the aforementioned classics, I admit there's a strangely off-putting aspect to diving into the "genre's canons." As a critic, you find yourself in an uncomfortable position. Should you praise the game? Everyone has already done that (and better than you). Should you, on the contrary, bash it and make "hate content"? No, thank you. I have no desire to do either. I can only share my experience, which is the only "unique" thing that could be said about this game.

Ocarina of Time is not "just" the transition from 2D to 3D for a series; it's the "vanilla" experience of the 3D adventure game that remains the standard and, even today, an enjoyable experience. I find it crazy to think that this game is both the "universal tutorial" of 3D gaming while also being at the forefront of revolutionary mechanics: targeting, streamlined inventory management (compared to CRPGs of the time), dungeon level design, etc. I was impressed by how playable a 3D game controlled with a single stick remains without too many camera problems.

And yet, narratively, the game stays in a total classicism that I find, in this case, too "vanilla." I have trouble integrating into this world that lacks bizarreness. Everything is a bit too smooth for my taste. If the story didn't captivate me, it's the overall atmosphere of the dungeons that particularly stood out: the music, the enemies, the lighting effects, and the camera work, all are impressively mastered. The "open world" is very limited, and I admit I rushed through the dungeons without paying much attention to the side quests (I didn’t even get Epona). This didn't spoil my enjoyment.

Playing classics also raises the question of the platform on which to play them. After completing a third of the game on 3DS, I borrowed an N64 with an original cartridge. After spending a lot of time trying to get a decent image on my OLED screen, I eventually followed the path of reason by listening to @Katsono and @Armakeen and playing the version made by the Ship of Harkinian team with 4K textures added. I recommend anyone wanting to embark on this adventure to do the same: the game is beautiful, smooth, and you can assign the boots to the "C" button (which makes the Water Temple a bit less tedious). Hats off.

I look forward to diving into Majora’s Mask soon, probably in its "decompiled" version.