The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Nostalgia attack imminent.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is considered by many gamers to be the greatest video game ever created, so where better for me to begin? I personally have many fantastic childhood memories associated with the game so my objectivity may be compromised for this post. But that's what narrative is all about, creating a unique experience for each individual. It's then our job as gamers to interpret it as we see fit. I am going to try to approach the game with as much objectivity as possible and will be giving it scores in three categories: story, characters and dialogue.

Overview

Ocarina of Time is an epic narrative that spans many different locations. The player can also travel through time and play as either adult Link on young Link. Doing this changes the environment and the cast of characters you encounter. This "time travel" mechanic serves to artificially lengthen the plot even further, again bringing out the epic. Well conceived epics have historically been well received. From Homer's Odyssey to Spenser's Faerie Queene to J.R.R. Tolkien, history smiles on the well written epic. Ocarina of Time is no exception.

Story

OoT's story is an example of the classic "inverted check mark" story progression. The inciting incident occurs when Link is summoned by the Great Deku Tree. The rising action is essentially the entire game, temples and all, with the climax being Ganondorf's castle and the final battle. The denouement is disappointingly short, taking place entirely within the span of a cut scene which runs for less than four minutes. Sure, there is another cut scene during the credits, but it does nothing to enhance to story's conclusion.

What a twist!

The story doesn't take any huge risks and travels a safe path through the hours of gameplay. One must consider, though, the historical context in which the game was created. This was a time when just making a three dimensional game was novel. The creators were trailblazers in their own right, but the story doesn't break any conventions. The ending is predictable, but that doesn't detract from the cheer enjoyment of the journey. 8/10

Characters

The world of Hyrule is populated with an immense cast of characters, each with his or her own unique personality. These characters or very inventive and pretty humorous, for the most part. Zelda seemed too flat. I was never given enough insight into her to actually care enough about her. The only reason I cared about here was because I cared about Link and he cared about her. I was caring for her vicariously though Link. But then again who doesn't want to be the hero and save the princess? I suppose some of my empathy came from that frame of mind. I say again, though, that the limitations of the time were such that it may have been to game-consuming to delve further into Zelda's psyche. Everybody knew Link was going to rescue her anyways, she can afford to be stock and uninteresting. What impressed me the most was the sheer volume of one-hit-wonder characters. What I mean is that the characters that populate the world are all very novel, but what you see is seriously all you get. I didn't care that much though. I ended up absolutely loving Link and absolutely hating Ingo. 8/10

Everyone's favorite guy.

Dialogue

OoT was created in a time before voice acting an entire game had really come into vogue, but it certainly is a step up from the text-based dungeon crawlers that came before it. For the most part, the dialogue fit the speaker perfectly. Certain characters had a distinct way of speaking that set them apart from others, even without the character model. The chatter between Link and the character that he was talking to was most often humorous, if it wasn't integral to the plot, and sometimes even then. The lightheartedness of dialogue surrounding young Link is beautifully juxtaposed with the more somber tone that the characters take on around adult Link (because Hyrule has been besieged by Ganondorf). The text is accompanied with moans, grunts, cheers and laughter which only serves the further the effective communication of emotion from character to Link.

Exclamation marks and a tee hee are Malon's trademark.

One of the writers' better decisions, in my opinion, was to make Link a silent protagonist. This tactic allowed the player to become Link. Because he didn't have a distinct personality the player was able to fill in the blanks. This created a more intimate experience and had me really feeling like I was a hero, while all the time increasing my empathy for Link. None of the dialogue drew me out of the experience, in fact most of it reeled me in further. Reviewing the dialogue in a modern time, though, I must consider that the telling of the story hasn't held up as well as it could have. The lack of voice acting in a modern game is generally seen as lazy and the lack of it in OoT means that as time continues to go by, the game will become exponentially more dated. 8/10

Wrap Up

Ocarina of Time is my favorite game, but I have tried to see the narrative from as objective a standpoint as possible. The story is a little too "cookie cutter" for modern standards and the dialogue would be seen as inadequate. But concessions must be made for such a historically significant title. There is a reason that people today consider OoT to be the greatest game ever and I believe that the narrative played a pivotal role in the game achieving its current status. I give the narrative in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 24/30.

In the Beginning...

Hello, my name is Will Jorgenson and I created this blog after having played one too many video games with poor narrative, characters or dialogue. Video games are an art form, and more and more people are recognizing this every day. Art augments culture and creates new ways of looking at complex issues, ideas or emotions. Being recognized as art means that games, and the people who make them, now have a responsibility to elevate the content and messages of these video games. Gone are the days of pure entertainment value and aimless enjoyment.

Think of any truly memorable game you've every played. The reason you remember it is because something about it resonated within you, be it the message, the characters or the visuals. Something about that game hit the mark for you and that is what art does. The Mona Lisa wasn't a fluke and The Shawshank Redemption didn't stumble upon its success. These were carefully crafted works, created by geniuses in their own right, and they were recognized by people as truly great. An exceptional video game is no different.

I'm passionate about games. I play a lot of them. I'm passionate about writing. I don't write as much as I should, mainly because I'm playing video games, but I do care about the craft. There are some games that make my chest tight and my ambition soar. There are others that make me cringe and wish I hadn't spent the money. Sometimes this has to do with the gameplay, but more often than not it has to do with the narrative. When I say this I don't just mean the story, I mean the story, the characters, the dialogue, the tension, the energy, the pacing, and all of that good stuff. That's the stuff that every good game narrative needs and it's when a player starts questioning the quality of these aspects that a writer has not done his/her job well enough.

What I will be doing in this blog is reviewing games. These may be older games or games that have just recently been released. But I won't be doing a general review, I will be looking specifically at the quality and significance of the game's narrative. Writing is (usually) an integral park to making a memorable game, even if that game doesn't have any characters or dialogue. I take issue with developers who feel the need to adhere to precedent and tack on a narrative or add cheesy, unnecessary dialogue. I'm here to unmask the perpetrators. I'm here to recognize the visionaries. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy it!