Am I really going to watch this? A four hour review of my favorite game ever made? A game I’ve watched hundreds of hours of reviews on? A game I’ve practically memorized? You better believe it.
I've watched a lot of videos like this, and my first thought was " is there really another 4 hours worth of stuff to say about this game??" And it turns out there was! A very refreshing level of analysis here.
After 4 days of watching and stomaching this absolutely massive review of one of the best Zelda games OAT, I wanted to share my appreciation. I have watched every review of every Zelda game under the sun because of how much I appreciate this series and enjoy people’s take on each individual game. Your script writing and storytelling skills are phenomenal and it’s evident in this video. I appreciate you going into detail of each individual part of the game and giving a detailed analysis for each thing. A lot of Zelda reviews or retrospectives are clouded by nostalgia and strong biases and a lot of videos just go over basic details and say it’s good etc, but you did the opposite and I appreciate that. Obviously you have a lot of love for this game and hinted towards your dislike for future iterations in the series, so I’m excited to see the next game covered in abt 2 years haha. You did a great job on this retrospective and I can’t wait for you to critique my favorite game, twilight princess.
Thank you. I try really hard to explain my points effectively and without bias, so it means a lot to get a compliment like that. And don’t worry: I’ve already started work on the next review. The monumental response this video has gotten is fueling my passion for this work, so I hope to have it out in at least a couple months. We’ll see haha.
I will admit, there are plenty of things I disagree with, but that does not at all take away from how well crafted this video clearly is. Thank you for your hard work, I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to more.
I think I've played through OoT at least 7 times and I had no idea Bongo Bongo had a reaction to having the ice arrows used against him. That's so cool.
Ganondorf actually playing his own theme song on an organ for Link and Zelda to hear is such a power move. I wont lie, this is definately one of the best versions of the King of Evil in the entire series.
you actually can bribe the guard to let you past the hyrule castle gate if you pester him enough. you have to get thrown out at least once first, and it won't work after zelda flees the castle. he'll ask you for 10 rupees, open the gate, and tell you to keep it a secret.
Seeing a 4+ hrs review of my favorite game and done really well is like pulling out the Master Sword and being a child again. Thanks for providing that to us that need a break from being in our adult timeline.
I really liked the whole review, thank you so much for reliving my childhood game. The Ganondorf multi-orb attack can be deflected with a swordwhirl-attack. Thank you so much for this four hour experience!
It took me a couple playthroughs to discover the Dodongo Cavern skip, but yeah I don’t think I ever used the boomerang for the Zora’s river heart pieces before recording that footage lol
After 25 years of playing this game, I just learned about the boomerang heartpiece thing myself. My girlfriend was doing her very first playthrough, and instinctively grabbed the heart piece with the boomerang. She said it just seemed like the logical thing to try. Blew my mind.
@@jamesgravil9162 As somebody who watched it and isn't a particularly big star wars fan: It's alright. Got some pacing issues. Not as attention grabbing as the first of the new ones. Not nearly as horribly paced as the latest one. Had some cool visuals, like the star ship collision I gather a lot of people aren't fond of . I'd say it was an alright trip to the cinema, all in all.
Literally my #1 favorite game ever, of all time. Truly a masterpiece and second to none. So many memories! I love Legend of Zelda overall but Ocarina of Time holds a special place in my heart.
You earned my subscription by not only making a four hour long video, but you made a well-crafted and coherent four hour long video. Excellent work, now talk about Majora's Mask for five!
I just found your channel yesterday and binged all your Zelda reviews I really enjoy these in-depth videos on games I love especially when you have very different opinions then a lot of people I’ve seen. I’ve found myself thinking wow I haven’t thought about it that way before but he’s totally right. So thank you for bringing us these and for continuing on this journey. I can’t wait for the rest of these reviews and to see what other stuff you have done.
I’m 24 and at 50 I’d still be talking about OOT from time to time. It’s almost like the Manolisa, it’s timeless. And to me it’s not just a game but a piece of art. It’s truly amazing how perfect they made it
I really liked your take on the timeline. The "Link fails" timeline is pretty upsetting, because then the Hyrule he failed to save thrives when the Hyrule he saved becomes an underwater thomb.
If I could only watch one form of content on this platform it would be people gushing about and breaking down what a masterpiece Ocarina of Time is. It's my favorite game. I'm so happy this popped up in my recommendations. Ready for a cozy four hours of Zelda talk 💚
I swear the official temple order was forest - fire - water - spirit - shadow when i played this in the late 90s. Idk when it switched to spirit being last.
I always love revisiting LoZ with essays like this. It's really nice to feel like someone has experienced similar emotions while playing these games. The overall analysis of this game and how the themes wrap up will into the metaphor of growing really makes me feel like the generational band I grew up in had some astonishingly respectful media about growing up, Digimon Adventure, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Avatar the Last Airbender, and Ocarina of Time.
Every time one of these come out, I replay the Zelda game in question and then watch it. Thank you so much for these and I hope you never stop making them!
Underrated Zelda channel. You blew my mind with the note in a bottle revelation. I can’t think of any other reason why, when the text is read in the game, it’s in that shade of light purple, only reserved for text with an evil or dark context (i.e. when Sheik mentions the House of the Dead)… I can’t imagine why they’d choose that color if Ruto truly did write that letter 🤯
This review itself is a masterpiece holy shit, I’ve been dying to find someone you digs as deep into these games as you do. Since I first played this game I have firmly held it as not only my favourite game, but my favourite piece of art in general. Can’t wait to see the rest of this channel
Damn dude, i hope this channel blows up! You earned a sub and once things settle down for me, a likely patron. I hope this finds you well and you always hold to that passion for your projects. Bravo Sir
Honestly probably my 4th OOT review KingK started me on this journey. But yours may be the best yet, you put your own spin on it and look at it in a completely different lens compared to everyone who also puts it into the scope of the hyrule historia. Honestly amazing f'n work man and I hope to see more! Even if it takes years 😅
One thing I've seen mentioned about Windwaker is something you mentioned here - both Link's aren't just 'the chosen ones' but they proved themselves as courageous heroes. It's a thought that constantly reappears in my head at various times and I'm glad you brought it up in regards to this Link
This is such an awesome video. Having been a long time Zelda fan (OoT was my first game... I think that makes me a veteran?), I knew a lot of what was in here. That being said, you tied it all together in a way that really brings new life to OoT. You've changed my perspective on the current Zelda timeline (although I was already sour towards it), and created a new appreciation for storytelling in Zelda games. Man, that was a really, really good video. I am so glad you persevered to make it. Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Honestly, I can never be too sure how people will react to my work before I hit publish, so it means a lot to me when I read detailed comments like yours.
This is amazing, truly. Listening to this is a perfect blend of an honest review, and what feels like replaying the game itself. Thank you for the work you put into this video. Now I'm off to watch all your other videos
The spirit element seems to be all about duality. First there is the yin and yang symbol on the medallion. The spirit temple is symetrical which each half corresponding to past and future Link. There are two items, one of which is a PAIR of gauntlets, while the other one MIRRORS light. Then you have the bosses as twins using fire and ice, perhaps emblematic of hot desert days and cold desert nights. Also the spirit element is called "soul" in Japanese which fits the whole child/adult section layout as well. So the light puzzles were probably just added in as an afterthought when the Light Temple was scrapped.
That being said I agree with your assessment. The spirit temple feels a lot less thematically cohesive than the other dungeons and not being able to use the elemental arrows in the final battle has always bothered me as well. I can see why people like it for its atmosphere but I always find my motivation for completing the game quickly waning when I arrive at the gerudo section. Especially in master quest I just don't enjoy this temple even though I like the other dungeons (except the fire temple) a lot.
Probably. I could definitely tell that they were going for some sort of "duality" theme - for all the reasons you just pointed out - but the light elements absolutely conflict with that theme. Unless if we were to argue that the Shadow Temple is the twin of the Spirit Temple, and as the last two dungeons of the game, they were meant to complement one another - still, that's a bit of a stretch, especially considering that there already exists a scrapped Light Temple. It's certainly odd, and I doubt those oddities are anything but the product of looming deadlines.
@@octorokreviews Well, I don't see the spirit temple as an opposite to the shadow temple in terms of the light/shadow dynamic but I do think they complement each other by how they portray the concept of mortality. The shadow temple represents the cruelty of the world and the finality of life. It depicts death as something horrid, something to be afraid of. The spirit temple meanwhile seems to be more about trancending your earthly existence and entering a sort of afterlife. First there is the "benevolent spirit" which guides Link to the desert colossus, showing that by no means all of the undead are mindless monster devoid of any of their former personality. Then we have to use time travel to complete the temple which essentially means that Link must at least mentally enter a state outside of time where his awareness is no longer restricted to what is going on at the moment unlike with all the people around him. This to me sounds like the first step of achieving trancendent wisdom. And there is also the huge amount of snake symbolism which signifies, among other things, divinity, rebirth and omniscience. Getting to know both of these perspectives is a part of growing up too and thus fit your explanation that each temple symbolizes a step of Link reaching adulthood very well.
The thing about the biggoron sword being too powerful is funny, because they had the perfect excuse to remove it from the equation, Ganondorf/ Ganon are Evil so you need the sword that banishes evil , it would make sense the game didnt let you use the biggoron in the last fights, but sadly thats not what happens.
Oh absolutely. I think the Biggoron Sword needed to be put out of commission one way or another, because otherwise it really hurts the theming of that fight. It’s my only gripe with the Ganon fight.
@Trianull Actually that would have been PERFECT. Because it's literally the final battle so you're not going to need it anymore, might as well let it hit once then break. There's nothing post game, you have to reset the console after the credits so it's not like you even lose the sword.
I was a stupid 7 year old and it took me weeks of off and on playing to figure out how to get past the great deku tree. After i defeated gohma i thought i almost beat the game already and i was gonna go to ganondorf next. Coming out of kokiri forest into the wide open hyrule field and finding out how much bigger this game is is still a core memory
Well done. I will always appreciate someone being so passionate about something that they need to just make a 4 hour video. Let alone structure one this succinctly. Well, done.
That was nothing short of exemplary work and effort put into the greatest review I've ever had the pleasure to watch and enjoy for 4 hours. Thank you so much for all your hard work. Stand tall n proud regarding your efforts here. Incredible passion, details researched, and respect given to (one of my favourite games/narratives/nostalgia hits and memories) of all time. Thank you so very much for this. 🙂
This is without a doubt the best review on this game I have ever seen. You literally went over everything. This was 4 hours of absolute joy and nostalgia. Earned a sub and my respect, brother.
Man, how come this video has only 20k views? I only watched a few minutes and it's magnificent. The reason I'm not gonna watch it entirely rn is that I didn't play the game, but it'll be on my watch later for sure. Subscribed!
I appreciate you giving me something to listen to for 4 hours of my night shift. Really got me through with minimal frustration. I love the Zelda series, and, miraculously, I've been able to pass that love on to my son. He used to just love watching me play OoT when he was only four. And that was 8 years ago. He loves TLoZ to this day, and I think he will continue to love it for the rest of his life. Retrospectives for me are a way to participate in this series while I can't actively play. If I'm not already subscribed (I'll check as soon as I'm done typing this comment), then you, sir, have gained a new Subscriber.
The greatest review to one of The greatest games of all time. You kept me company at my temporary but really shitty job as a train maintenance technician.
Just finished and there were some hot takes in this one. After watching a lot of OOT reviews it's refreshing to hear some new thoughts. Thanks for the hard work putting this together!
I dont comment on videos very often but this video gave me enough emotions to leave one. I first found your channel through your comment on a video about the assassin creed yasuke controversy and decided to check you out after you said that you made multi-hour long anime and game analysis and reviews, i've only watched a few videos of yours but ive loved each and every one. I am currently in a rapid period of change going into my first year of college, my entry to independence in life and with it are new hardships and also new experiences and it has honestly been a heavy weight on my mind, but through your analysis and the message about adulthood near the end, maybe i can make it through too. Thank you for this video and i will be a long-term viewer of this channel, oh and I will also try playing ocarina of time after this. Cheers mate, youll probably never see this but in the case that you do: thank you again and i hope you can continue making these works of art and find big success doing it.
Alttp might have laid the foundation for how Zelda generally flowed, but Links Awakening introduced a strong narrative aspect to the series, and OOT builds upon that with environmental storytelling masterfully.
Just stumbled upon your channel. You, Sir just got a new and earned subscription! Edit: watched the whole thing twice now. When I first played through OoT in 1998 the Gerudo Fortress was seen as a very fun but easy part. The last part of the game is just Bellissimo because it is so diverse and uses sooo many Items etc u have collected, u get a few optional upgrades and the Spirit Temple is just cool (using the time changing mechanic is the cherry on top)
Just played it 100% on the switch. Still had the itch and decided to blast through it on the 3DS. Was probably my 8th and 9th times playing through it all the way. Still great after all these years
Your dedication is genuinely admirable. This is probably one of the best retrospective on any video game let alone Ocarina of time. You've earned a sub from me I've always bing watched the rest of your vids and I have to say, your channel has the quality to exceed a million subs. At least. Keep doing what you're doing. P.S have you ever tried a game called Astlibra? I would love to see your thoughts on it. It's very reminiscent of Chrono Trigger but...wackier. It's a fun ride.
New viewer here! I watched the first 2 hrs last night and immediately started it again in the morning and am now finished. Those years that you put into this game doing research was absolutely worth it 100%. This video made me appreciate this game even more and has made me interested on the rest of your reviews for this series, so I'll definitely check it out. Just like this game the video in its entirety is also a masterpiece, Z-tier video!
I watched this video all the way through and you've made me think about my favorite game in a way I never have before and I want to thank you for opening my eyes to just how great this game is.
4 hours, 10 mins and 19 seconds later... what an amazing love letter to this amazing game. On principle I have not to this day been able to call any other game the greatest video game of all time since playing this one when I was a kid; both nostalgically and objectively. The ending of this video essay hit me hard on an emotional level and has inspired me to revisit this game for the first time in 7 years, and I have a feeling that it is going to hit different.
I just found your channel and I can't describe with words how much I admire your work on creating these meticulously crafted retrospectives 👏👏Even after having watched a dozen of Ocarina of Time retrospectives your analysis is far superior from all of them ❤I can't wait for your upcoming videos 😁
What an amazing review. I really love OOT and while its not my favorite zelda game(MM is) this game truly is a timeless classic and a masterpiece. Great video!
Despite its recent popularity on TH-cam, the term "retrospective" has been traditionally applied to analyses of an author's work over a certain period of time, rather than a focused critique of a singular art piece. Thus, "review" is the technically correct term. Am I splitting hairs? Absolutely. But I'll be dead and buried before you see me change the name of this Zelda series lol
@@octorokreviews I can respect that. Thank you for the reply :) I’ve been binging Oot and MM retrospectives/long-form reviews lately and I bookmarked yours to listen to at work. Do you think you’ll do one of these for MM?
@@octorokreviewsNot at all splitting hairs, you just have the properly understand the definitions & usage of the terms. Thanks for not jumping on the "retrospective", "critique" or "analysis" jargon bandwagon & sticking to the simplicity of review.
You are absolutely correct about how dog water the platforming in the fire temple is, but for your own future sanity I suggest using Farore’s Wind. If you fall down in the same room you can use it immediately to go back to your last entrance and I always set one up in advance just in case I fat finger the thin platform walkways and fall down the floor.
Oh believe me: I learned that lesson after my third or so playthrough. That still doesn’t erase the problems with that dungeon’s level design - but it seems we’re in agreement on that matter.
This analysis helped me understand if I love this game because of blind nostalgia personal to me and others who played it back then, or if there's some objectivity to the notion that it's a masterpiece and I'm glad it seems to lean toward the latter.
Finally finished it! I specially the like you commented about about how obviously Ocarina of Time is a prequel to A Link to the Past. Although I do believe this was the first game to introduce the idea of a timeline in the mainline Zelda games without being a direct sequel like Zelda II, Link's Awakening or Majora's Mask, so I do think you can still blame this game for the confusing, unplanned timeline that ended up forming when every dev wanted their game to be an Ocarina of Time sequel.
This took several viewing, I normally watch videos like this to fall asleep, thus I miss much of the video, this video however I watched every min, so glad you made this, I just saw this video is only a couple weeks old had no clue! Thank you so much!
Agreed, I never had a problem with the Water Temple. To me Jabu Jabu was always the worst part of the game because it's so visually unappealing to look at.
I've not played OoT all the way through since I was a kid, so it was great to see it so thoroughly covered in this video. While I remember my youthful playthrough of it as positive, over the years, I've opened myself to hearing criticisms of it and in the absence of the game to refer back to, it was easy to get caught up in their reasoning. However, with this review, I feel like this fits my feelings of it the most. A great game with a few small nitpicky bits that are less than great, but overall an excellent, revolutionary game that deserves every bit of praise it's earned.
It is actually insane that you called out exactly what I was thinking in the beginning. Like I literally thought about making an ocarina of time video JUST because I wanted to spoof on this intro but you got me and now I feel stupid :( LMAO
This review made me teary eyed at the end of the game, the symbolism and the journey he takes is so impactful as a sad/happy adult 😂 Thank you for creating this!!
![เขามัทรี - เอ็กซ์ ศุภกฤต - จอนนี่มิวสิค [ Official MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/AS9ufKuQIVs/mqdefault.jpg)
Am I really going to watch another review of Ocarina of Time due to childhood nostalgia?
OF COURSE I AM!
Why not? Plus it’s nice to watch a review of something I’m familiar with and have an interest in!
Big mr Krabs energy here
Is the sky blue? Is water wet? Was this a good idea? 🤔
*YES*
Hell yes!
4+ hour review? OH YEAH
I SAID THE SAME THING🤣🤣
Here for the same reason lol
Same here. Let’s review every piece of this gem
I've been hiding in a unused rail train at work for the whole video. Got my cot, chips, and ,2 liter.......
Am I really going to watch this? A four hour review of my favorite game ever made? A game I’ve watched hundreds of hours of reviews on? A game I’ve practically memorized?
You better believe it.
I've watched a lot of videos like this, and my first thought was " is there really another 4 hours worth of stuff to say about this game??" And it turns out there was! A very refreshing level of analysis here.
After 4 days of watching and stomaching this absolutely massive review of one of the best Zelda games OAT, I wanted to share my appreciation. I have watched every review of every Zelda game under the sun because of how much I appreciate this series and enjoy people’s take on each individual game. Your script writing and storytelling skills are phenomenal and it’s evident in this video. I appreciate you going into detail of each individual part of the game and giving a detailed analysis for each thing. A lot of Zelda reviews or retrospectives are clouded by nostalgia and strong biases and a lot of videos just go over basic details and say it’s good etc, but you did the opposite and I appreciate that. Obviously you have a lot of love for this game and hinted towards your dislike for future iterations in the series, so I’m excited to see the next game covered in abt 2 years haha. You did a great job on this retrospective and I can’t wait for you to critique my favorite game, twilight princess.
Thank you. I try really hard to explain my points effectively and without bias, so it means a lot to get a compliment like that. And don’t worry: I’ve already started work on the next review. The monumental response this video has gotten is fueling my passion for this work, so I hope to have it out in at least a couple months. We’ll see haha.
Just watched the entire video and quite like the game itself it's a masterpiece bro, God bless ya and Jesus loves ya! @@octorokreviews
I will admit, there are plenty of things I disagree with, but that does not at all take away from how well crafted this video clearly is. Thank you for your hard work, I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to more.
I think I've played through OoT at least 7 times and I had no idea Bongo Bongo had a reaction to having the ice arrows used against him. That's so cool.
I saw that footage and almost couldn’t believe it 😂
1:23:45 "The Malon of the present is chronically depressed and always overworked."
I can relate to that.
that timestamp is satisfying as heck
Ganondorf actually playing his own theme song on an organ for Link and Zelda to hear is such a power move. I wont lie, this is definately one of the best versions of the King of Evil in the entire series.
you actually can bribe the guard to let you past the hyrule castle gate if you pester him enough. you have to get thrown out at least once first, and it won't work after zelda flees the castle. he'll ask you for 10 rupees, open the gate, and tell you to keep it a secret.
Seeing a 4+ hrs review of my favorite game and done really well is like pulling out the Master Sword and being a child again. Thanks for providing that to us that need a break from being in our adult timeline.
you are right the water temple themes and design are iconic.
I really liked the whole review, thank you so much for reliving my childhood game.
The Ganondorf multi-orb attack can be deflected with a swordwhirl-attack.
Thank you so much for this four hour experience!
It never even occurred to me to not backflip for the Dodongo cavern heart piece or use the boomerang for the Zora river one
It took me a couple playthroughs to discover the Dodongo Cavern skip, but yeah I don’t think I ever used the boomerang for the Zora’s river heart pieces before recording that footage lol
I straight learned, a month ago, that the boomerang collects heart pieces from Mopoclops. I've been playing this game for 25 years lmao
@@vancodling4223 collects heart pieces from what?
@vancodling4223 Wait what? The boomerang collects heart pieces???
After 25 years of playing this game, I just learned about the boomerang heartpiece thing myself. My girlfriend was doing her very first playthrough, and instinctively grabbed the heart piece with the boomerang. She said it just seemed like the logical thing to try. Blew my mind.
A man that loves Zelda and hates The last Jedi. A man after my own heart. F that movie.
Is there anyone who _liked_ The Last Jedi?
@@jamesgravil9162 yeah but they are just edgelords that like the post modern spin on star wars festering in the current lucasfilm management.
@@jamesgravil9162 As somebody who watched it and isn't a particularly big star wars fan: It's alright. Got some pacing issues. Not as attention grabbing as the first of the new ones. Not nearly as horribly paced as the latest one. Had some cool visuals, like the star ship collision I gather a lot of people aren't fond of
. I'd say it was an alright trip to the cinema, all in all.
@@designator7402Nah it was pure shit.
there's many of us, it comes quite naturally if you appreciate quality and dislike a lack thereof 😉
Literally my #1 favorite game ever, of all time. Truly a masterpiece and second to none. So many memories! I love Legend of Zelda overall but Ocarina of Time holds a special place in my heart.
You earned my subscription by not only making a four hour long video, but you made a well-crafted and coherent four hour long video. Excellent work, now talk about Majora's Mask for five!
I just found your channel yesterday and binged all your Zelda reviews I really enjoy these in-depth videos on games I love especially when you have very different opinions then a lot of people I’ve seen. I’ve found myself thinking wow I haven’t thought about it that way before but he’s totally right. So thank you for bringing us these and for continuing on this journey. I can’t wait for the rest of these reviews and to see what other stuff you have done.
4 hour OoT review in 2024. We get these😎👊
I’m 24 and at 50 I’d still be talking about OOT from time to time. It’s almost like the Manolisa, it’s timeless. And to me it’s not just a game but a piece of art. It’s truly amazing how perfect they made it
The Mona Lisa?
"You can probably guess what they have planned for these guys."
Death by snu snu?
I really liked your take on the timeline.
The "Link fails" timeline is pretty upsetting, because then the Hyrule he failed to save thrives when the Hyrule he saved becomes an underwater thomb.
If I could only watch one form of content on this platform it would be people gushing about and breaking down what a masterpiece Ocarina of Time is. It's my favorite game. I'm so happy this popped up in my recommendations. Ready for a cozy four hours of Zelda talk 💚
I swear the official temple order was forest - fire - water - spirit - shadow when i played this in the late 90s. Idk when it switched to spirit being last.
You could inverse fire & water too
I always love revisiting LoZ with essays like this. It's really nice to feel like someone has experienced similar emotions while playing these games. The overall analysis of this game and how the themes wrap up will into the metaphor of growing really makes me feel like the generational band I grew up in had some astonishingly respectful media about growing up, Digimon Adventure, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Avatar the Last Airbender, and Ocarina of Time.
Let’s go! I love your Zelda videos keep it up!
Every time one of these come out, I replay the Zelda game in question and then watch it. Thank you so much for these and I hope you never stop making them!
Underrated Zelda channel. You blew my mind with the note in a bottle revelation. I can’t think of any other reason why, when the text is read in the game, it’s in that shade of light purple, only reserved for text with an evil or dark context (i.e. when Sheik mentions the House of the Dead)… I can’t imagine why they’d choose that color if Ruto truly did write that letter 🤯
Amazing review. Thank you so much for all of your effort with this. It was great to relive this timeless game in your perspective.
This review itself is a masterpiece holy shit, I’ve been dying to find someone you digs as deep into these games as you do. Since I first played this game I have firmly held it as not only my favourite game, but my favourite piece of art in general. Can’t wait to see the rest of this channel
Damn dude, i hope this channel blows up! You earned a sub and once things settle down for me, a likely patron. I hope this finds you well and you always hold to that passion for your projects. Bravo Sir
Honestly probably my 4th OOT review KingK started me on this journey. But yours may be the best yet, you put your own spin on it and look at it in a completely different lens compared to everyone who also puts it into the scope of the hyrule historia. Honestly amazing f'n work man and I hope to see more! Even if it takes years 😅
I never get tired of listening to hours long Legend of Zelda Reviews, this was absolutely fantastic to listen to and I look forward to more.
One thing I've seen mentioned about Windwaker is something you mentioned here - both Link's aren't just 'the chosen ones' but they proved themselves as courageous heroes. It's a thought that constantly reappears in my head at various times and I'm glad you brought it up in regards to this Link
Am I going to watch a 4 hour long nostalgia trip to fall asleep to? Hell yeah! Even after watching countless oot related videos already!
This is such an awesome video. Having been a long time Zelda fan (OoT was my first game... I think that makes me a veteran?), I knew a lot of what was in here. That being said, you tied it all together in a way that really brings new life to OoT. You've changed my perspective on the current Zelda timeline (although I was already sour towards it), and created a new appreciation for storytelling in Zelda games. Man, that was a really, really good video. I am so glad you persevered to make it. Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Honestly, I can never be too sure how people will react to my work before I hit publish, so it means a lot to me when I read detailed comments like yours.
This is amazing, truly.
Listening to this is a perfect blend of an honest review, and what feels like replaying the game itself. Thank you for the work you put into this video. Now I'm off to watch all your other videos
While I don't entirely agree with your opinions, still fun to watch your enthusiasm for something you really like
The spirit element seems to be all about duality. First there is the yin and yang symbol on the medallion. The spirit temple is symetrical which each half corresponding to past and future Link. There are two items, one of which is a PAIR of gauntlets, while the other one MIRRORS light. Then you have the bosses as twins using fire and ice, perhaps emblematic of hot desert days and cold desert nights. Also the spirit element is called "soul" in Japanese which fits the whole child/adult section layout as well. So the light puzzles were probably just added in as an afterthought when the Light Temple was scrapped.
That being said I agree with your assessment. The spirit temple feels a lot less thematically cohesive than the other dungeons and not being able to use the elemental arrows in the final battle has always bothered me as well. I can see why people like it for its atmosphere but I always find my motivation for completing the game quickly waning when I arrive at the gerudo section. Especially in master quest I just don't enjoy this temple even though I like the other dungeons (except the fire temple) a lot.
Probably. I could definitely tell that they were going for some sort of "duality" theme - for all the reasons you just pointed out - but the light elements absolutely conflict with that theme. Unless if we were to argue that the Shadow Temple is the twin of the Spirit Temple, and as the last two dungeons of the game, they were meant to complement one another - still, that's a bit of a stretch, especially considering that there already exists a scrapped Light Temple. It's certainly odd, and I doubt those oddities are anything but the product of looming deadlines.
@@octorokreviews Well, I don't see the spirit temple as an opposite to the shadow temple in terms of the light/shadow dynamic but I do think they complement each other by how they portray the concept of mortality. The shadow temple represents the cruelty of the world and the finality of life. It depicts death as something horrid, something to be afraid of. The spirit temple meanwhile seems to be more about trancending your earthly existence and entering a sort of afterlife. First there is the "benevolent spirit" which guides Link to the desert colossus, showing that by no means all of the undead are mindless monster devoid of any of their former personality. Then we have to use time travel to complete the temple which essentially means that Link must at least mentally enter a state outside of time where his awareness is no longer restricted to what is going on at the moment unlike with all the people around him. This to me sounds like the first step of achieving trancendent wisdom. And there is also the huge amount of snake symbolism which signifies, among other things, divinity, rebirth and omniscience. Getting to know both of these perspectives is a part of growing up too and thus fit your explanation that each temple symbolizes a step of Link reaching adulthood very well.
The thing about the biggoron sword being too powerful is funny, because they had the perfect excuse to remove it from the equation, Ganondorf/ Ganon are Evil so you need the sword that banishes evil , it would make sense the game didnt let you use the biggoron in the last fights, but sadly thats not what happens.
Oh absolutely. I think the Biggoron Sword needed to be put out of commission one way or another, because otherwise it really hurts the theming of that fight. It’s my only gripe with the Ganon fight.
@@octorokreviews Would've been funny to have Biggoron's Sword break like the Giant's Knife when used against Ganon lol
On the other hand, Biggoron just being that good of a smith that his swords compete with the divine is fun worldbuilding.
@Trianull Actually that would have been PERFECT. Because it's literally the final battle so you're not going to need it anymore, might as well let it hit once then break. There's nothing post game, you have to reset the console after the credits so it's not like you even lose the sword.
I’ve seen a lot of these video reviews. However, since it’s concerning my first and favorite game, I enjoy watching hours more of it. Keep it coming!
Gods yes more long form content finally blessed my feed
I was a stupid 7 year old and it took me weeks of off and on playing to figure out how to get past the great deku tree.
After i defeated gohma i thought i almost beat the game already and i was gonna go to ganondorf next.
Coming out of kokiri forest into the wide open hyrule field and finding out how much bigger this game is is still a core memory
Lol. First game I ever played. I was also 7. Born in 1991. This is a very special game to me.
Well done.
I will always appreciate someone being so passionate about something that they need to just make a 4 hour video.
Let alone structure one this succinctly.
Well, done.
All 4+ hours were seen.
This review is legendary. Congratulations.
That was nothing short of exemplary work and effort put into the greatest review I've ever had the pleasure to watch and enjoy for 4 hours.
Thank you so much for all your hard work. Stand tall n proud regarding your efforts here.
Incredible passion, details researched, and respect given to (one of my favourite games/narratives/nostalgia hits and memories) of all time.
Thank you so very much for this. 🙂
This is without a doubt the best review on this game I have ever seen. You literally went over everything. This was 4 hours of absolute joy and nostalgia. Earned a sub and my respect, brother.
Man, how come this video has only 20k views? I only watched a few minutes and it's magnificent. The reason I'm not gonna watch it entirely rn is that I didn't play the game, but it'll be on my watch later for sure. Subscribed!
Lmao you totally caught me with the intro because I literally thought word for word what you assumed.
I appreciate you giving me something to listen to for 4 hours of my night shift. Really got me through with minimal frustration. I love the Zelda series, and, miraculously, I've been able to pass that love on to my son. He used to just love watching me play OoT when he was only four. And that was 8 years ago. He loves TLoZ to this day, and I think he will continue to love it for the rest of his life. Retrospectives for me are a way to participate in this series while I can't actively play. If I'm not already subscribed (I'll check as soon as I'm done typing this comment), then you, sir, have gained a new Subscriber.
I listened to this while at work too and the time flew by.
@@residentfortress420 I'm still listening currently. I love retrospectives. Especially when they're deep and well thought out.
Just the boot up from OOT is iconic
I saw the 4 hours in the bottom right and really asked my self if i wanted to watch this, i'm glad i did
I’ve got a flight coming up, so thank you very much for this!
apparently this game wanted me to believe sheik is a boy even though they are packing an entire bakery on their back
Can’t wait to watch this whole thing, appreciate all the work that this must’ve taken!
The greatest review to one of The greatest games of all time. You kept me company at my temporary but really shitty job as a train maintenance technician.
Just finished and there were some hot takes in this one. After watching a lot of OOT reviews it's refreshing to hear some new thoughts. Thanks for the hard work putting this together!
Great video. Ocarina holds a special place in my heart. There was truly a sense of wonder and grandeur when I played this as a kid.
I dont comment on videos very often but this video gave me enough emotions to leave one.
I first found your channel through your comment on a video about the assassin creed yasuke controversy and decided to check you out after you said that you made multi-hour long anime and game analysis and reviews, i've only watched a few videos of yours but ive loved each and every one.
I am currently in a rapid period of change going into my first year of college, my entry to independence in life and with it are new hardships and also new experiences and it has honestly been a heavy weight on my mind, but through your analysis and the message about adulthood near the end, maybe i can make it through too.
Thank you for this video and i will be a long-term viewer of this channel, oh and I will also try playing ocarina of time after this.
Cheers mate, youll probably never see this but in the case that you do: thank you again and i hope you can continue making these works of art and find big success doing it.
Thank you for that; your words meant a lot to me. I hope my future videos can continue to bring you and others joy.
This was awesome! I love seeing the depth that hardcore fans will go to!
I keep coming back to this video. It's done so well.
Alttp might have laid the foundation for how Zelda generally flowed, but Links Awakening introduced a strong narrative aspect to the series, and OOT builds upon that with environmental storytelling masterfully.
Well done... A fitting tribute for a game most deserving. subscribed.
Just stumbled upon your channel. You, Sir just got a new and earned subscription!
Edit: watched the whole thing twice now. When I first played through OoT in 1998 the Gerudo Fortress was seen as a very fun but easy part. The last part of the game is just Bellissimo because it is so diverse and uses sooo many Items etc u have collected, u get a few optional upgrades and the Spirit Temple is just cool (using the time changing mechanic is the cherry on top)
Just played it 100% on the switch. Still had the itch and decided to blast through it on the 3DS. Was probably my 8th and 9th times playing through it all the way. Still great after all these years
Awesome video! Great analysis of a timeless masterpiece.
Your dedication is genuinely admirable. This is probably one of the best retrospective on any video game let alone Ocarina of time. You've earned a sub from me I've always bing watched the rest of your vids and I have to say, your channel has the quality to exceed a million subs. At least. Keep doing what you're doing.
P.S have you ever tried a game called Astlibra? I would love to see your thoughts on it. It's very reminiscent of Chrono Trigger but...wackier. It's a fun ride.
New viewer here! I watched the first 2 hrs last night and immediately started it again in the morning and am now finished. Those years that you put into this game doing research was absolutely worth it 100%. This video made me appreciate this game even more and has made me interested on the rest of your reviews for this series, so I'll definitely check it out. Just like this game the video in its entirety is also a masterpiece, Z-tier video!
I never knew about the gossip stone admitting the ice arrows sucks 🤣🤣At least they were redeemed in Majora
Lets go! Love your Zelda deep dives!
I watched this video all the way through and you've made me think about my favorite game in a way I never have before and I want to thank you for opening my eyes to just how great this game is.
4 hours, 10 mins and 19 seconds later... what an amazing love letter to this amazing game. On principle I have not to this day been able to call any other game the greatest video game of all time since playing this one when I was a kid; both nostalgically and objectively. The ending of this video essay hit me hard on an emotional level and has inspired me to revisit this game for the first time in 7 years, and I have a feeling that it is going to hit different.
I cannot fathom the amount of time and work that went into this video. Nice work, enjoyed watching the whole thing.
I just found your channel and I can't describe with words how much I admire your work on creating these meticulously crafted retrospectives 👏👏Even after having watched a dozen of Ocarina of Time retrospectives your analysis is far superior from all of them ❤I can't wait for your upcoming videos 😁
I like how he took a clip form the Anor Londo snipers lol
Excellent review to my favorite game of all time. Your insights are amazing!
What an amazing review. I really love OOT and while its not my favorite zelda game(MM is) this game truly is a timeless classic and a masterpiece. Great video!
This is the best Zelda video I've watched
4 hour review that i can sleep to? Sounds good! Im sleeping tonight!!!!
Love watching videos like this at work
you called me out on that intro damn lmfaoooo gonna watch the whole thing tho :)
Why do u call this a review and not a retrospective
Despite its recent popularity on TH-cam, the term "retrospective" has been traditionally applied to analyses of an author's work over a certain period of time, rather than a focused critique of a singular art piece. Thus, "review" is the technically correct term. Am I splitting hairs? Absolutely. But I'll be dead and buried before you see me change the name of this Zelda series lol
@@octorokreviews I can respect that. Thank you for the reply :) I’ve been binging Oot and MM retrospectives/long-form reviews lately and I bookmarked yours to listen to at work. Do you think you’ll do one of these for MM?
@@octorokreviewsNot at all splitting hairs, you just have the properly understand the definitions & usage of the terms. Thanks for not jumping on the "retrospective", "critique" or "analysis" jargon bandwagon & sticking to the simplicity of review.
You are absolutely correct about how dog water the platforming in the fire temple is, but for your own future sanity I suggest using Farore’s Wind. If you fall down in the same room you can use it immediately to go back to your last entrance and I always set one up in advance just in case I fat finger the thin platform walkways and fall down the floor.
Oh believe me: I learned that lesson after my third or so playthrough. That still doesn’t erase the problems with that dungeon’s level design - but it seems we’re in agreement on that matter.
Very well done. Thanks for the effort of making and posting this /o/
I’ve watched a lot of OOT videos. And this one is one of the best I’ve seen. Great work
This analysis helped me understand if I love this game because of blind nostalgia personal to me and others who played it back then, or if there's some objectivity to the notion that it's a masterpiece and I'm glad it seems to lean toward the latter.
Finally finished it! I specially the like you commented about about how obviously Ocarina of Time is a prequel to A Link to the Past. Although I do believe this was the first game to introduce the idea of a timeline in the mainline Zelda games without being a direct sequel like Zelda II, Link's Awakening or Majora's Mask, so I do think you can still blame this game for the confusing, unplanned timeline that ended up forming when every dev wanted their game to be an Ocarina of Time sequel.
YOU READ MY MIND WITH THAT INTRO
Coming back to this video and consuming it in chunks, when I have the time, is really enjoyable. I love zelda!!! And this guy.
It's finally here ...
I like that you purposefully mentioned Majora’s Mask very LITTLE. Can’t wait to hear your analysis on my favorite game
So glad to see another review from you!
Dude zelda has an arm on her to throw that ocarina that far while riding on a horse insane!!
First thing I think when I see an Ocarina review with the opening scene, “Oh yeah, now we’re gaming”.
He read my mind in the beginning DAMN
This took several viewing, I normally watch videos like this to fall asleep, thus I miss much of the video, this video however I watched every min, so glad you made this, I just saw this video is only a couple weeks old had no clue! Thank you so much!
Finally someone white knights for The Water Temple!
Agreed, I never had a problem with the Water Temple. To me Jabu Jabu was always the worst part of the game because it's so visually unappealing to look at.
I've not played OoT all the way through since I was a kid, so it was great to see it so thoroughly covered in this video. While I remember my youthful playthrough of it as positive, over the years, I've opened myself to hearing criticisms of it and in the absence of the game to refer back to, it was easy to get caught up in their reasoning. However, with this review, I feel like this fits my feelings of it the most. A great game with a few small nitpicky bits that are less than great, but overall an excellent, revolutionary game that deserves every bit of praise it's earned.
It is actually insane that you called out exactly what I was thinking in the beginning. Like I literally thought about making an ocarina of time video JUST because I wanted to spoof on this intro but you got me and now I feel stupid :( LMAO
Man, this was just what I needed. Fantastic work! Thank you so much! ☕️
This review made me teary eyed at the end of the game, the symbolism and the journey he takes is so impactful as a sad/happy adult 😂
Thank you for creating this!!