Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) vs. Breath of the Wild (2017)

Aside from the obvious increase in quality of graphics in Ocarina of Time versus Breath of the Wild, the two games share many similarities in their features and gameplay. Even the main stories of the games, while different, parallel each other in many ways. This blog post will explore the differences and similarities in the two games.

Graphics

Breath of the Wild was released 19 years after Ocarina of Time (2017 and 1998), so obviously there were significant advancements made in the quality of graphics. However, it is important to note that Ocarina of Time was the first Legend of Zelda game to use 3D graphics and was the largest capacity cartridge Nintendo released at the time. Players may be blown away by the quality of graphics in Ocarina of Time compared to other N64 games as well as the sheer size of the game’s open world. Despite the game’s graphics being incredibly advanced for its time period, players may still find themselves getting confused due to some of the lack of detail in the dungeons and open world. The advancements in game development in the 19 years between the two games did wonders for Breath of the Wild. The game’s huge open world has breathtaking high-definition visuals, a detailed physics engine, and voice acting. In playing the game, players may find themselves more focused on exploring the open world and its physics engine more than completing the main quest. The world, while still cartoony, appears incredibly realistic from the sky with its dynamic weather patterns and time of day, down to the level of detail in the individual blades of grass. The detailed physics engine also may leave players in awe. Besides just having to deal with gravity in things like “bullet drop” when firing arrows the player also has to be cautious while climbing in the rain because it becomes slippery.

Game Mechanics

Both Breath of the Wild and Ocarina of Time possess many of the same core mechanics. One of the most important mechanics the games share is the target lock. When a player taps or holds Z in Ocarina of Time (L trigger in Breath of the Wild) the camera will automatically fix itself behind the player and ready Link, the main character,  in the direction of the nearest enemy. The mechanic is essential in combat for both games as it allows the player to quickly view any enemy 360 degrees around Link. A simpler mechanic the games share is the ability to pick up and carry certain items such as small rocks and barrels. Since both games center around solving puzzles to open certain doors, being able to place items like barrels or rocks on weighted levers or in a special pattern is a vital component to the game. Another mechanic the games share is the ability to crouch for stealth purposes. In both games, the crouch mechanic can be used to get around unsuspecting enemies to avoid battle or get in close to deal an attack that will yield extra damage. A key mechanic unique to Ocarina of Time is the ability to play the ocarina. Throughout the game, the player will learn 12 melodies that can be played using buttons on the controller. These melodies are used to solve various puzzles and teleport the player to previously visited locations. Two important mechanics introduced in Breath of the Wild are the ability to move metallic objects and freeze an object in time. The ability to freeze time is especially interesting because while an object is frozen in time the player can hit the object causing it to store the impacts in the form of potential energy. When the object is released from the time stasis the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy and the object will take off flying in whatever direction it was last hit. Both mechanics are used to solve various puzzles and allow for fun interactions with the environment or clever techniques in combat.

Story

Although Ocarina of Time is the 5th game in the Legend of Zelda series it actually takes place before all the rest. Breath of the Wild, on the other hand, takes place after all the other games. This is interesting because while the stories are for the most part different, they have many parallels. In both games, Link is awakened from a long sleep to help save Hyrule which is in desperate need of its champion. Link is then tasked with visiting important members of the other races of Hyrule to retrieve something that will help him in his quest to save Hyrule. Even the main antagonist in both games are actually technically the same being just in different forms. In Ocarina of Time Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo people, seeks a holy relic that will give him god-like powers and ultimate control over Hyrule and all its people. Ganondorf is what his physical humanoid form is referred to but he possesses dark magic capable of helping him transcend into a magical beast-like form then referred to as Ganon. In Breath of the Wild the antagonist, Calamity Ganon is a monstrous dragon-like form of Ganon that has been wreaking havoc on Hyrule for ten millennium. After defeating the 4 champions of each race, Calamity Ganon fatally wounds Link and takes control of Hyrule.

The games also share an equal amount of ambiguity when it comes to explaining what to do when it comes to the main story. In both games if a player misses any part of an NPC’s explanation of what to do with the main questline they will be lost and confused. This is both one of the most frustrating and most enjoyable parts of the Legend of Zelda games. Having less stress on the main storyline allows players to explore and appreciate the open world the developers have created in both games. However, when a player does wish to complete the main storyline they will often find themselves very confused. While at first this can be frustrating to players it makes it all the more rewarding when they solve the challenge/puzzle themselves rather than it being spoon-fed to them by the game or guide book. Players are often left to their own problem-solving skills because the games will not offer any direct waypoints to the next task. They instead must rely on riddles and other clues to decipher where specifically on the large open map they should go.