The Legend Of Zelda - Ranking Every Gameplay Gimmick
6. Majora’s Mask - Transformations And Time
Years before Super Mario Odyssey did something similar (and much less grim) Majora’s Mask saw Link use transformation masks to steal the appearance and abilities of those around him.
Twilight Princess is sometimes seen as the darkest Zelda game but Majora’s Mask is more deserving of this title. The masks which Link used to transform were based on dead characters and seemed to put Link through physical and emotional pain the first time he put them on.
Link gained three masks which allowed him to transform his appearance, each based on the series’ primary races. The masks gave players abilities appropriate to each species, allowing them to explore the different environments of Hyrule like never before.
As well as giving players a chance to explore the culture of Hyrule’s inhabitants, Majora’s Mask was full of sidequests, a key part of the game’s time mechanic. Players had only 72 in-game hours to complete the game before the world ended, though thankfully time could be controlled as necessary.
The tense, apocalyptic countdown and possession of dead characters mark Majora’s Mask as a brilliantly dark and twisted remix of Ocarina of Time. This is a game which never needed to try to be edgy.