Editor’s Note: The following editorial contains no spoilers.
The remake for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time recently released, and yet it has already taken my spot for Game of the Year this year, or at the very least, shamelessly sharing it with the Witcher 3 Remastered.
Nevertheless, my experiences with this title have been very vivid and poignant; Bringing back memories from some of the most memorable periods of my youth when I got Ocarina of Time 3D for my Nintendo 3Ds in 2012. Back during a time when the more subtle and mature themes of this otherwise fairytale-like fantasy adventure would fall upon deaf ears, especially without the experiential knowledge you can only possess as you mature into adulthood. Even beyond the cliched plot elements people always talk about, the themes and philosophies of Ocarina of Time go so much deeper, and this remake has been illuminating what I love about this game so much, even more so as I play it as an adult who works professionally and is trying to weave the life I find meaningful together. In this article, I’ll be making a brief case for why the Ocarina of Time Remake should win Game of the Year.
The first point I want to touch on is that remakes themselves have been nominated for Game of the Year a few times. The Final Fantasy 7 Remake project games, the Resident Evil 4 Remake, and the Resident Evil 2 Remake. This already means the Ocarina of Time Remake has a strong chance of nomination, and given its status as being one of four titles that have received a Metacritic score of 96 this decade from critic outlets, and a Metacritic user score of 96 which counts as being the highest user score in history, this isn’t insignificant, and merits the Ocarina of Time Remake being put it in strong contention with the other obvious Game of the Year contender, Grand Theft Auto 6.
The Ocarina of Time Remake is authentic to the original, with some added context and additional text from certain scenes. There are brand new, cinematic and beautiful cutscenes peppering the narrative with newly composed tracks for these scenes specifically. There are quality of life improvements added to the gameplay which makes the flow of it far more crisp than it ever was, while still maintaining its unique identity in both narrative and gameplay. The visuals are gorgeous, and is now one of the most beautiful Zelda games. The OST has been redone, now being orchestrated alongside some notes and references to the N64 sound design that gives the original its powerful identity among art mediums.
On top of that, this remake gives the Zelda team more insight into a clear direction they can take the next mainline game in. Two camps of Zelda fans have been fighting the past few years on whether the next one should be much more plot focused, with larger, more intricate dungeons like those pre-Breath of the Wild, and the other camp hopes that we’ll get worlds just as large, with freedom that is just as expansive as the previous two, with plot and proper dungeons being the sacrifice to the Demon King. However this remake allows them to assess the path and bring the best of both worlds; It is entirely possible to craft a large, living Zelda world that you can explore to your hearts content while filling the game with some reasonable restrictions and a more involved plot, as well as the fully fledged dungeons of old to boot. Not many would object, and it seems like this medium ground which borrows the best of both is the right way forwards. This gives the Zelda team the insight needed to craft the next mainline title.
Does merely making all the qualities of an old game “better” and then adding a few quality of life updates necessitate that it’s better than anything else? No, but it doesn’t have to be. In my mind, The Game Awards, faulty as they may be, can be symbolic rather than being a predetermined showcase on which game has the best graphics or the most cutting-edge technology. It can be about paying homage to a remake of a game that revolutionized the video game medium in a way not even Breath of the Wild fully accomplished, and the scale of that, paired with its nuanced and rich storytelling, and sense of celebrating the series as a form of excellent art and storytelling is enough of a reason for me to think that the Ocarina of Time Remake should win Game of the Year.
What do you think? Should the Ocarina of Time Remake win Game of the Year? Let us know down in the comments below!
Featured Image: Nintendo (via Games Radar)
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