6 Reasons Why Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Is The Highest Rated Game Of All Time

2. The Music

How could we talk about Ocarina of Time (or any Zelda game for that matter) without mentioning the brilliant music and the way in which it is so cleverly and seamlessly weaved into the game? Going as far as to name the game after a musical instrument, the writers clearly built on the popularity of the music from previous games. In addition to this, they made it so central to the story that by the end of it, you're defeating demons and opening century-old doors with a simple yet beautiful melody. Not only are the songs learnt on the ocarina so well written and orchestrated, but the themes for each setting, character, boss or event throughout are characterised and composed with equal levels of ingenuity and perfection. Throughout the game, the player is introduced to unique little melodies that have capabilities such as opening secret doors, controlling Link's beloved horse Epona, and even taking him back in time. The amazing thing about this is that each little melody is so well written and so captivatingly beautiful, that the player cannot help but get enveloped in the ocarina's captivating power. Even to this day, I (embarrassingly) remember as an undergrad whistling Saria's Song in the library and someone whistling it back. I didn't see who but had a smile to myself at the longevity of the game's music. True story. And it's not just the exceptional ocarina songs that make the music of this game so enticing. The composers have intricately designed the soundtrack so that it sparks the appropriate emotive reactions throughout the game, making it key to the outstanding success of this heavyweight title. The strength of the compositions, with such stark contrast, allows the gamer to go from ecstatically happy to terrified for your life in one foul swoop. The wide variation of characterised tunes to match specific villains and allies alike infuses the gamer with motivation to succeed and overcome great challenges in doing so. Successfully guiding us through the highs and lows of Link's emotional mission to save the world, the soundtrack has been immortalised in the work of many who have paid homage to its brilliance in recent times, most notably the ZREO (Zelda Re-Orchestrated) concert which received high praise worldwide. It is fair to say that without the brilliance with which the music was written, this game would just not be the same.