Cover artwork I generate from the game data. I do not use publisher artwork.
Game profile
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
This N64 title is regarded by many as the greatest video game ever made and first translated the Zelda formula into a 3D world, playable today through Nintendo Switch Online. Hyrule, the time travel concept and the Z targeting lock on system shaped the entire action adventure genre.
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What kind of game this is
At its core this is Action / Adventure, set in a fantasy world. Visually it is leaning into a retro look, and the overall tone stays somewhere between light and heavy. The structure is guided rather than open, so you are moved along instead of dropped into a map. It rewards long uninterrupted stretches more than quick check-ins.
The difficulty is moderate and fair, demanding attention without punishing you for it. The narrative carries the whole thing, and the mechanics serve it. It is a single player experience from start to finish. It is available on one platform. It sits in the budget bracket.
What stands out
- Transition to 3D Zelda
- Time travel narrative
- Z targeting system
This fits you if
- exploring for its own sake is the point for you
- you want to live through a story, not just play a system
- you can sit down for a proper long stretch without interruptions
- the writing matters more to you than the mechanics
- you play alone and want a complete experience without other people
- you are watching your budget
Look elsewhere if
- you skip cutscenes and want to get to the gameplay
- you only ever get short bursts of play time
- you specifically want an open world to roam
- you want to play it side by side with someone
What it costs you in time
About 32 hours in total. At three evenings a week and two hours each, you will be busy for roughly 5 weeks, or 16 sessions.
How the rating ranks
Critics settled on 99 out of 100, which puts it above 100 percent of the 1206 games here and at rank 2 overall. That is top tier. Only a handful of games here score higher.
For comparison, Action averages 83 points across the database, so this one sits 16 points above its own genre. The figure rests on 2132 collected ratings.
Released in 1998, which makes it 28 years old. A genuine classic, and worth checking how the version you buy holds up today.
The facts
- Release year
- 1998
- Genres
- Action, Adventure, RPG
- Playtime
- approx. 32 hrs.
- Difficulty
- Moderate, fair
- Story weight
- Carries the whole game
- Play with
- Solo
- Setting
- Fantasy
- Visual style
- Retro
- Price bracket
- Budget
- Platforms
- Switch
- Critic rating
- 99 / 100
Direct comparison
| Genres | Release year | Playtime | Critic rating | Price bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | 1998 | approx. 32 hrs. | 99 | Budget |
| Realm of Ink | 2026 | approx. 40 hrs. | 84 | Mid price |
| The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask | 2000 | approx. 25 hrs. | 95 | Budget |
| Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 | 2025 | approx. 30 hrs. | 73 | Full price |
If you liked this, try these
- Realm of Ink Shared: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Shared: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 Shared: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Crimson Desert Shared: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, longer
- Hogwarts Legacy Shared: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- Avowed Shared: Action, RPG, Fantasy