The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

 Nintendo 64
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 8290 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7,394 out of 8290
  2. Mixed: 307 out of 8290
  3. Negative: 589 out of 8290
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  1. nubigye
    Aug 31, 2023
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm gonna be honest, I played the game having never played it before just recently, completed it to the max, and was fairly disappointed in the game, and the sole reason being the reviews most people here are just hyper nostalgic about a game they used to love and while yes the game has interesting mechanics and good dungeons designs it just didnt grip me because of the graphics and controlls (I know very old game) but not just that, the movement felt slow at times and combat unsatisfying, some parts just seem very underwhelming like the difficulty and puzzles which were way to easy in the game, I would of rated it higher but the build up and anticipation from all I have heard about made me crash hard.… Expand
  2. Sinabuns
    Aug 12, 2023
    5
    Game is so old, I can barely remember it. I'll give it a 5 though, cause I'm sure it was fun back then.
  3. Zelton
    Jul 21, 2023
    7
    OoT is a good game. No one in their right mind would say it isn’t. But to give it a 99 is steep. The game is fun and the story is great, but I think clouded by nostalgia. I understand that it was revolutionary for its time, but it isn’t it’s time anymore. The fact that it still is enjoyable 30 years later is an achievement, but I think this game is heavily overrated looking back at it inOoT is a good game. No one in their right mind would say it isn’t. But to give it a 99 is steep. The game is fun and the story is great, but I think clouded by nostalgia. I understand that it was revolutionary for its time, but it isn’t it’s time anymore. The fact that it still is enjoyable 30 years later is an achievement, but I think this game is heavily overrated looking back at it in 2023. This doesn’t mean I don’t like the game though, I especially enjoyed the adult link portion of the game. But I don’t understand how majora’s mask is rated lower, it is so much more fun and the mechanics are better in my opinion.
    I still give OoT a 7.5/10    … Expand
  4. Robert8
    Jun 28, 2023
    6
    The game is Good but I dont see it as one of if not the best game of all time the gamplay lacks but the tracks are all bangers I cant dissagree with the music that is the best part of the game hyrule Field is empty it was not really a fun time the story is good but when I play the game I dont enjoy playing the combat is oițdated dont forget about the water temple and jabu jabu belly uh isThe game is Good but I dont see it as one of if not the best game of all time the gamplay lacks but the tracks are all bangers I cant dissagree with the music that is the best part of the game hyrule Field is empty it was not really a fun time the story is good but when I play the game I dont enjoy playing the combat is oițdated dont forget about the water temple and jabu jabu belly uh is a good game and if you are a zelda fan wich I am why not its ok… Expand
  5. JosePorta
    Jun 3, 2023
    6
    El trabajo del crítico es sencillo en más de un sentido. Arriesgamos muy poco, y sin embargo usufructuamos de una posición situada por encima de quienes someten su trabajo y su persona a nuestro juicio. Prosperamos gracias a nuestras críticas negativas, que resultan divertidas cuando se las escribe y cuando se las lee.
    Pero la cruda verdad que los críticos debemos enfrentar es que, en    El trabajo del crítico es sencillo en más de un sentido. Arriesgamos muy poco, y sin embargo usufructuamos de una posición situada por encima de quienes someten su trabajo y su persona a nuestro juicio. Prosperamos gracias a nuestras críticas negativas, que resultan divertidas cuando se las escribe y cuando se las lee.
    Pero la cruda verdad que los críticos debemos enfrentar es que, en términos generales, la producción de basura promedio es más valiosa que lo que nuestros artículos pretenden señalar. Sin embargo, a veces el crítico realmente arriesga algo, y eso sucede en nombre y en defensa de algo nuevo.
    Anoche experimenté algo nuevo, una comida extraordinaria hecha por alguien único e inesperado. Decir que ese plato y su cocinero pusieron a prueba mis preconceptos equivaldría a incurrir en una subestimación grosera, cuando lo cierto es que ambos lograron conmover lo más profundo de mi ser.
    Antes de este suceso, nunca escondí mi desdén por el lema del Chef Gusteau: “cualquiera puede cocinar”. Pero, me doy cuenta, recién ahora comprendo sus palabras. No cualquiera puede convertirse en un gran artista, pero un gran artista sí puede provenir de cualquier lugar.    … Expand
  6. Thibaudelaire
    Mar 28, 2023
    5
    Vjgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggvgvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
  7. Emerald3ME
    Mar 24, 2023
    7
    A really great game that has an even greater soundtrack as well as atmosphere. Whilst I do not agree with the general consensus of the game being flawless. I do agree that this is a pretty damn good game.
  8. Poki281
    Mar 6, 2023
    5
    Its definitly not the best Zelda game ^^
    I like it, but ecery sequel is a lot better in my eyes
  9. PanchaMiguela
    Mar 3, 2023
    5
    Unironically, the only part I enjoyed was the Water Temple, it has aged a lot and it is obvious. Was my first Zelda game and really struggled to understand the appeal.
  10. Danilosilva9786
    Feb 26, 2023
    5
    Simplesmente o melhor jogo de todos os tempos.
    Marcou a infância de milhares de fãs e merece logo nota 100
  11. jimlake
    Feb 26, 2023
    6
    its an ok game but I've recently seen nostalgic biases giving the game a 10 out of 10, but good game id say pretty buggy and it was good like 20 years ago, and this is the best rated game on Metacritic. you based biased critic babies. sorry for going a little crazy on ya'll but 6 out of 10. But stop being bias baby critics ok please for our sake
  12. GamerXD
    Feb 22, 2023
    7
    This game is great and all and I love The Legend Of Zelda series but this one in particular never stuck with me mainly the controls Link just feels so bad to control now i'm not one to complain about a game's control but this is just bad control feeling for me. The graphics i can't complain about, they are alright for the time but the dungeon design and this is an issue I have with modernThis game is great and all and I love The Legend Of Zelda series but this one in particular never stuck with me mainly the controls Link just feels so bad to control now i'm not one to complain about a game's control but this is just bad control feeling for me. The graphics i can't complain about, they are alright for the time but the dungeon design and this is an issue I have with modern Zelda games every time a new generation of consoles release the graphics and power increase meaning you need to start paying attention to every little thing if you want to get through the dungeon. I am mainly a fan of the pixel Zelda games, they are simple and complex at the perfect balance. But the game's good none the less but I personally can't give it higher or lower than 7/10.… Expand
  13. VSLazer360
    Jan 6, 2023
    7
    Let me preface this review by saying that I do have massive respect for this game and the innovations it made for gaming as a whole. It is irrevocably a good game and I'm not here to deny that. All this being said though, does it truly deserve the title of Best Game of ALL Time? I seriously doubt that. I get the idea of not judging games from the past to modern standards and I'm not gonnaLet me preface this review by saying that I do have massive respect for this game and the innovations it made for gaming as a whole. It is irrevocably a good game and I'm not here to deny that. All this being said though, does it truly deserve the title of Best Game of ALL Time? I seriously doubt that. I get the idea of not judging games from the past to modern standards and I'm not gonna try and do that here, but to say this was where gaming peaked, that no game that has ever come after this has ever come close to Ocarina of Time's heights would be a severe disservice to 24 years worth of absolutely incredible games. I could go on about this point alone except for the fact that it wouldn't be much of a review if I didn't discuss the merits of the game itself, so let's get into those.

    Graphics- I wasn't alive in '98 when this game came out so I have no idea how "Great for the time" the graphics in the game are. Playing it today though, they hold up pretty well and you can generally tell what everything in its blocky glory is supposed to be. to have any complaints here would simply be foolish and ignorant.
    Music- I think Ocarina of Time's incredible music is by far its strongest trait. The music is always fitting of the kind of environment it's trying to portray at any given moment. Moreover, every track is excellent and about 90% of the soundtrack will get stuck in your head and never leave. I have no complaints here at all and am willing to admit that the people who praise this game's soundtrack as one of the best of all time are right.
    Story- To be honest I've never seen the appeal of Ocarina of Time's story. It's a simple hero's journey story of a boy with tremendous courage who's forced to grow up too fast, it's a simple story but works in favor of the world and gameplay. Some would argue that the story is masterfully told and drenched in depth and symbolism and that's a big part of what makes it the best game ever made, honestly though even within its own series Ocarina of Time is beat out in that department by great stories like those seen in Majora's Mask or Link's Awakening. The story in Ocarina of certainly is good, but heavily overrated when compared to much stronger ones.
    Gameplay- This is where most of my gripes with Ocarina of Time come from. Zelda games have always had big and lively versions of the titular Hyrule to explore and such is the case in Ocarina of Time, the only difference here being that this Hyrule feels like the blandest and most empty in the entire series. Outside of it's key locations, Ocarina of Times version of Hyrule just feels empty. For Instance, many have cited the first moments of leaving Kokiri Forest and entering Hyrule Field as the magical first steps of an incredible journey, but in my first playthrough and experience with this moment all I felt was underwhelmed. Before me laid a completely barren field that I was expected to traverse by walking or rolling until I reached the next location where the story would continue, and rinse and repeat this for whenever you need to reach another key location. In terms of the dungeons, they have certainly been far better in the series history, sure there are unforgettable ones like the forest temple of the shadow temple, but the rest are either tedious in their puzzles or just plain forgettable. There are moments where the game feels lively, like when entering a new town and meeting all the charismatic and fun NPC's there but apart from these shining moments the game leaves a lot to be desired.

    Overall, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a landmark game in the history of gaming and deserves respect from all those who enjoy modern open world adventure games of the same vein, but the claims that it's the "Best Video Game Ever Made" are unfounded and deserve a serious and critical second look.    … Expand
  14. camoz
    Nov 19, 2022
    5
    Shockingly overrated. This game is impressive in that it took the series into 3D. That is where the positives end. Otherwise it is the standard Zelda affair. Nothing of particular note. Not only that the visuals age horribly (as most n64 games do) I would never recommend this to anyone besides a diehard Zelda/N64 fan.
  15. Mr_Kong
    Sep 5, 2022
    6
    I mean... It's fine I guess. I get why people like it, it's just that it needs MORE. DIDDY KONG.
  16. GoldenSilver
    Aug 23, 2022
    6
    For the modern generation, this was the first proper Zelda (and for veterans, the first not-Zelda). The game’s strength is in its precision-tooled design of the world, with exceptional attention to detail in the presentation of its purposeful and beautifully shaped narrative; obviously every situation and event in this game is the product of deep consideration. But despite these merits,For the modern generation, this was the first proper Zelda (and for veterans, the first not-Zelda). The game’s strength is in its precision-tooled design of the world, with exceptional attention to detail in the presentation of its purposeful and beautifully shaped narrative; obviously every situation and event in this game is the product of deep consideration. But despite these merits, the pacing is very slow. The labyrinths, a main draw of this series, are over-designed to a fault, with excessive emphasis on solving puzzles—something that was much less significant in the earlier Zeldas. It becomes tiring after a while, and as a result later entries like The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess are more relaxing and enjoyable to play.… Expand
  17. SoskaKoyama
    Jul 5, 2022
    5
    Easily my favorite game of all time
    It really ended up forging my childhood
  18. Mahrio
    Jun 25, 2022
    5
    The game that redefined the innovative way to play. The game that made me a fan of the franchise! The game where I listened to the songs non-stop.
  19. Tanky86
    May 1, 2022
    5
    “its open world, so it must be good!” -every gamer ever
    yeah yeah it’s revolutionary or whatever but this game does nothing to captivate my interest.gameplay is boring. donkey Kong 64 better.
  20. rogge
    Apr 15, 2022
    6
    It's a good game and I understand why people like it. But I think it's time for them to move on...
  21. Spleenicus
    Mar 16, 2022
    6
    To anyone living in the 90's: this game is a 10/10 masterpiece and you need to play it right now!

    To people living in 2022: This game, like Half-Life and Halo, are great games, but have, since their release, begun to show their age. The rapid improvement of the medium means that everything from aesthetics like sound quality and controls to game content itself has been exponentially    To anyone living in the 90's: this game is a 10/10 masterpiece and you need to play it right now!

    To people living in 2022: This game, like Half-Life and Halo, are great games, but have, since their release, begun to show their age. The rapid improvement of the medium means that everything from aesthetics like sound quality and controls to game content itself has been exponentially scaled in the past 20 years, and though Ocarina of Time is a masterpiece for its time and still is a showcase of excellent game design, its age makes it difficult to place among the greats of the current generation without admitting to some level of nostalgia blindness. Tl;dr if you love zelda games, this is one of the best, and worth your time despite its age.    … Expand
  22. Pinkaminks
    Feb 23, 2022
    7
    I'm thoroughly convinced everyone who still gives this any score higher has not played another game in their life, not even future Zelda titles, because both Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess are much, much better games, not even mentioning stuff like Okami. Despite being one of the first games I ever got to play, I thankfully avoided the ruby quartz prescription lenses, and don'tI'm thoroughly convinced everyone who still gives this any score higher has not played another game in their life, not even future Zelda titles, because both Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess are much, much better games, not even mentioning stuff like Okami. Despite being one of the first games I ever got to play, I thankfully avoided the ruby quartz prescription lenses, and don't subscribe to the idea that games can coast forever on "well it was cool at the time". OoT prototypes a lot of mechanics and concepts that have extend to today, and many of them are reviled, but for whatever reason people don't acknowledge those simply because it was the first one to do it. That said, I wont pretend the game isn't enjoyable, cause it certainly is far and away better than a lot of games you could dump dozens of hours into (assassins creed) but there's also plenty of MUCH better games you could also be playing, including ones that have aged far more gracefully than this game. If you want a good comparison, OoT is the video game equivalent of the OLD classic disney movies like Snow White or Cinderella. There's a lot to like, and it was groundbreaking at the time, but in the grand scheme of things you're really just there to see how things used to be.… Expand
  23. Disaster_1991
    Feb 22, 2022
    5
    I can't understand why I loved this game as a kid. Maybe because we didn't had much. The story is lame, gameplay is meh and replay value isn't there...
  24. thehairyscreame
    Jan 18, 2022
    5
    i don't think it's as good as people say it is, it hasn't aged as well as people say it has and the 3ds version is an example of that. the gameplay is not better, it feels combat oriented when it should be puzzle oriented. it's really ok in my opinion
  25. lidwang
    Jan 8, 2022
    7
    The pass from 2d to 3d was almost flawless in terms of mechanics, but sadly the world feels extremly empty(i am looking at you hyrule field) and the story is nothing to celebrate.
  26. lennyi
    Jan 5, 2022
    6
    Game sucks ass bro idk how people say that this is the best zelda game. Game functions, it is pretty impressive for n64 but oh my god is it not fun.
  27. Magic_Matt
    Dec 28, 2021
    7
    It is a solid game and still holds up quite well.

    I played oot on the switch so there could have been some controls that maybe were better on the N64 but I didn't encounter any issues really. For example the water temple is tedious because of the switching in your inventory with the iron boots. Jabu Jabu's belly was also an annoying dungeon 'cuz you had to carry princess Ruto    It is a solid game and still holds up quite well.

    I played oot on the switch so there could have been some controls that maybe were better on the N64 but I didn't encounter any issues really.

    For example the water temple is tedious because of the switching in your inventory with the iron boots.
    Jabu Jabu's belly was also an annoying dungeon 'cuz you had to carry princess Ruto around.
    I generally don't really enjoy Zelda dungeons that much, they are sometimes confusing and difficult or it is not clear what you have to do to progress the game.

    The day night cycle is a little on the short side which is just a nuisance (yes the song of the sun helps but it is still annoying to have to play it every 2 and a half minutes.

    The side quest for the Biggoron sword is difficult with the timed delivery quests, but worth it in the end.

    The time travel mechanic is unique but I would've loved to see it be explored more like in the spirit temple where you do half as a child and the other half as an adult.

    I had to look up a bunch of stuff like for example how am I supposed to know that you can only enter the well as a child or how do I know that you have to drop a fish in front of Jabu Jabu.
    I feel like it was normal to not know what to do in older games the first Zelda has this very much, but it is just annoying that i had to do the water temple while having a tutorial open.

    I do love the story in this game and the characters like Zelda, Sheik and Ganondorf of course.

    This game is very much the basis of other 3D Zelda games and I loved finding stuff that was referenced from this game.

    The music for the game was fantastic: Hyrule field and Gerudo desert being the most iconic.

    The wallet mechanic that was introduced in this game I absolutely despise because if i would collect rupees my wallet was immediately full even with the giants wallet there was just nothing to do with your rupees except for buying the occasional fairy or arrows.

    The bosses were original but many didn't have a second phase or multiple attacks which is understandable for a game made in 1998.

    Oh and than you have Ganons castle, from the point you beat the last the dungeon the game starts to become really fun.
    The 6 barriers that had to be broken was an actually fun dungeon and the climb to the top was very atmospheric and exciting, and then there is Ganon...
    playing his own theme song! And him turning around throwing his cape is the most epic thing.
    I absolutely love Ganons character in this game just how he is delivered, this is something botw misses in my opinion.

    It is a good game but just doesn't hold up to botw for instance.
    It shouldn't be a fair comparison between oot and botw but it is very close.
    Though for me botw is better game even though many people swear by ocarina of time as best game of ever made.

    Standard setting Zelda game
    7/10    … Expand
  28. TheRAIDANSTARK
    Dec 7, 2021
    7
    Глупая игра на сотни вечерков, сюжет и характер недораскрыты. Ещё и самая лучшая игра за всю историю. Да пошли вы
  29. Mooprs
    Dec 4, 2021
    5
    Maybe I have seen too much praise for this game but I found myself disappointed and bored senseless. BOTW is the first Zelda game I have played and TP was the last one I beat, which I quite liked. This game just doesn't stand out and there is little good I can say about it. It has good music, the story is okay, decent characters and atmosphere. Obviously this game is an achievement forMaybe I have seen too much praise for this game but I found myself disappointed and bored senseless. BOTW is the first Zelda game I have played and TP was the last one I beat, which I quite liked. This game just doesn't stand out and there is little good I can say about it. It has good music, the story is okay, decent characters and atmosphere. Obviously this game is an achievement for it's time but that's really all that is. A trophy or a success that would have inevitably been earned by a different game if it weren't for this one. That's about all I liked. It's so sad that a lot of games have to live in the shadow of this and cannot compete for the greatest. This game is not timeless and not a masterpiece. The controls and gameplay are clunky, useless and obnoxious companion "Navi", unsatisfying puzzles/dungeons, really poor progression solutions, boring and empty map, very poor graphics... By poor progression I am referring to the pure randomness to the game. Use that one item you certainly obtained as young link from bombing that one specific rock in that area you only visited once. When you didn't have access to bombs. This game is impossible to beat without Youtube guides. "Bad graphics criticism for a 1998 game". True this is not a highly valid criticism. However, there are other games with graphics that aren't necessarily better but much easier on my eyes. Half-Life 1 and FFVII. They do not try too hard just to fall flat on their face but rather have interesting visuals, atmosphere, and world building. Both of these came out before OOT. That's about it. I hope you enjoyed my very needed review. Maybe I'm biased. Maybe I played the game wrong. This is how I will always feel regardless. Please stop trying too hard to be a critic and giving this game titles it doesn't deserve.… Expand
  30. greninjaX
    Nov 21, 2021
    7
    bleh, kind of over rated. it's a good first step, but majoras mask is the better game
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best N64 Game of 1998
1
#1 Most Discussed N64 Game of 1998
1
#1 Most Shared N64 Game of 1998

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
99

Universal acclaim - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. My Gamer
    Mar 24, 2016
    94
    The player will be drawn into the Zelda fantasy world from the moment the opening sequence bursts onto the screen, and the game won't let go-not even after finishing the quest.
    Read full review
  2. Happy Puppy
    Mar 24, 2016
    90
    Realism is one of the major reasons this title is so amazing. After playing for a while it feels as though you have actually been to Hyrule.
  3. Gaming Age
    Mar 24, 2016
    95
    Featuring unparalleled 3D environments, a deep and involved quest, brilliant and intuitive play controls, and a well-developed cinematic quality that enhances rather than overwhelms the whole game experience, Miyamoto's latest soon-to-be-classic title deserves to be played by each and every person who might deign to consider themselves a fan of great games.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »