[Played with the Project Restoration mod]
Having heard so much about this game since I was a kid, and admittedly mostly because of BEN Drowned, I've been excited to finally get around to playing the game. Having played it, I'm pretty certain my younger self would not have beaten it, but having completed it as my current self I can confirm Majora's Mask ultimately deserves the legendary status it's maintained for decades.
Majora's Mask is unabashedly weird in it's aesthetics, and a lot of the game's charm comes from how it embraces it's weirdness. The design of the giants, the (kind of scary) moon glaring down upon the world, Odolwa's ghastly chanting and the fight with Majora are some glaringly wacky elements that not only lend the game a unique charm but are so telling for what Majora's Mask is as a work.
The story's subtleties and how it looks at the impending doom of the world and the people's reactions to it is not only mature for a game of this style but presents its own intriguing take. Majora's Mask plays into the individual stories of the residents that live in Termina Field and their daily lives. All the characters you meet experience their own lives within the 3 days, and their stories can range from miniscule to something expansive and serving as commentary on the game's themes. These side quests serve as one of the game's strongest suits with ambitious side quests that are somewhat cryptic yet provide some zany questlines. Whether it's an alien abduction, lining up a chicken troupe, or getting a couple together over the course of 3 days, it's a blast and beating all of these side quests were very rewarding. One way or another, everyone is dealing with the fact that their death is not far away, but you as Link can at least spare acts of kindness to be the hero that he was always meant to be. I went out of my way to attain every mask and getting the Fierce Deity mask as a symbol of heroism and the unity of all Termina Field under Link to save the world is such an awesome addition to the game. Knowing that you actively went out of your way to listen to everyone's stories, to solve their troubles and to then fight for them made the final fight so much more satisfying. The game's exploration of imminent death is initially depressing but the game never ceases from being hopeful no matter what.
Yes, I know this is a 2015 remake, but it's still a remake of a N64 game and it's mechanics are largely the same with project restoration so I'd say that the game has aged well regardless. Exploration is one of the game's strongest points & the way the mechanics all intertwine together to make exploring the world rewarding is so satisfying. Story progression is linear, but acquiring different masks & going back to different areas you couldn't access before is always something I love doing. Of course, can't talk about Majora's Mask without talking about how goddamn good the 3-day system is. The time management required to complete certain story events on time is a very fun way to keep you on your toes. The excitement of completing stuff on time or the rush of missing out on something out of distraction or well, there's a lot going on here. I just love this mechanic so much and combined with the ocarina and time manipulation, there's so much depth to how you can approach the game. Once again, it ties into the story and the idea that (realistically) you can't save everyone in one day before you beat Majora, especially the first time you play the game.
On top of that, the dungeons are mostly great. At some points progression felt a littttlleeeee jank at points (namely the Zora temple) but I enjoyed the game through and through. There's nothing that felt glaringly bad, the combat & the puzzles are both superb and don't toe a lie between too difficult or too easy. I appreciate how much the game doesn't hold your hand much, the bosses aren't crazy hard but they aren't super easy either (apart from Goht and the 4 wizrobe renditions). I do think the targeting system got frustrating at points but thats my only nitpick.
The game's aesthetics, like I mentioned, are incredible. The soundtrack is awesome, especially during the 3rd day where the impending sense of doom really kicks in. The game has a layer of creepiness (especially with mask transitions) but it's also pretty funny and endlessly charming. There's just so much heart put into the world of Termina and it's so captivating, the world truly feels alive in every way thanks to not only the NPCs but the feeling of Termina.
I talked about the game enough, there's a lot more that I could say. I really love this game, it fucking rules, ambitious in scope & scale yet never loses its charm throughout. Fun as fuck, endearing & a very fun gameplay experience. Top tier.
Having heard so much about this game since I was a kid, and admittedly mostly because of BEN Drowned, I've been excited to finally get around to playing the game. Having played it, I'm pretty certain my younger self would not have beaten it, but having completed it as my current self I can confirm Majora's Mask ultimately deserves the legendary status it's maintained for decades.
Majora's Mask is unabashedly weird in it's aesthetics, and a lot of the game's charm comes from how it embraces it's weirdness. The design of the giants, the (kind of scary) moon glaring down upon the world, Odolwa's ghastly chanting and the fight with Majora are some glaringly wacky elements that not only lend the game a unique charm but are so telling for what Majora's Mask is as a work.
The story's subtleties and how it looks at the impending doom of the world and the people's reactions to it is not only mature for a game of this style but presents its own intriguing take. Majora's Mask plays into the individual stories of the residents that live in Termina Field and their daily lives. All the characters you meet experience their own lives within the 3 days, and their stories can range from miniscule to something expansive and serving as commentary on the game's themes. These side quests serve as one of the game's strongest suits with ambitious side quests that are somewhat cryptic yet provide some zany questlines. Whether it's an alien abduction, lining up a chicken troupe, or getting a couple together over the course of 3 days, it's a blast and beating all of these side quests were very rewarding. One way or another, everyone is dealing with the fact that their death is not far away, but you as Link can at least spare acts of kindness to be the hero that he was always meant to be. I went out of my way to attain every mask and getting the Fierce Deity mask as a symbol of heroism and the unity of all Termina Field under Link to save the world is such an awesome addition to the game. Knowing that you actively went out of your way to listen to everyone's stories, to solve their troubles and to then fight for them made the final fight so much more satisfying. The game's exploration of imminent death is initially depressing but the game never ceases from being hopeful no matter what.
Yes, I know this is a 2015 remake, but it's still a remake of a N64 game and it's mechanics are largely the same with project restoration so I'd say that the game has aged well regardless. Exploration is one of the game's strongest points & the way the mechanics all intertwine together to make exploring the world rewarding is so satisfying. Story progression is linear, but acquiring different masks & going back to different areas you couldn't access before is always something I love doing. Of course, can't talk about Majora's Mask without talking about how goddamn good the 3-day system is. The time management required to complete certain story events on time is a very fun way to keep you on your toes. The excitement of completing stuff on time or the rush of missing out on something out of distraction or well, there's a lot going on here. I just love this mechanic so much and combined with the ocarina and time manipulation, there's so much depth to how you can approach the game. Once again, it ties into the story and the idea that (realistically) you can't save everyone in one day before you beat Majora, especially the first time you play the game.
On top of that, the dungeons are mostly great. At some points progression felt a littttlleeeee jank at points (namely the Zora temple) but I enjoyed the game through and through. There's nothing that felt glaringly bad, the combat & the puzzles are both superb and don't toe a lie between too difficult or too easy. I appreciate how much the game doesn't hold your hand much, the bosses aren't crazy hard but they aren't super easy either (apart from Goht and the 4 wizrobe renditions). I do think the targeting system got frustrating at points but thats my only nitpick.
The game's aesthetics, like I mentioned, are incredible. The soundtrack is awesome, especially during the 3rd day where the impending sense of doom really kicks in. The game has a layer of creepiness (especially with mask transitions) but it's also pretty funny and endlessly charming. There's just so much heart put into the world of Termina and it's so captivating, the world truly feels alive in every way thanks to not only the NPCs but the feeling of Termina.
I talked about the game enough, there's a lot more that I could say. I really love this game, it fucking rules, ambitious in scope & scale yet never loses its charm throughout. Fun as fuck, endearing & a very fun gameplay experience. Top tier.
2 Comments
thank you vrodie🥹
kediny
9 days ago