ZI’s Exclusive Ocarina of Time 3D Preview

Oh Ocarina of Time, how I’ve missed you. Many long time follower will know that Ocarina of Time is far from one of favorite games in the series – it doesn’t even crack my personal top 5. That being said, it’s been 8 years since I played the game, and 9 since I last beat it. Some may call that blasphemy, but honestly I really love the “stories” in Zelda, and once it’s complete and I have 100% the game one time, I truly find no real reason to replay the game.

To me, I am the crowd Ocarina of Time 3D is trying to convince to buy the game. Having had such a long break from playing the game, I can safely say some things have happened, and these things have given the game a fresh feel. This is not a review, but rather an initial impression preview based on my experience with our press copy of Ocarina of Time 3D.

Gyroscope and 3D Effects:

Many people have said over the last several months that the Gyroscope is simply not as useful as the thumbstick control. I would argue the Gyroscope aiming is not only more accurate, but it’s faster as well. This makes for much smoother transitions in my experience, and thus it’s actually a notable improvement over the classic aiming we all are accustomed to. Seriously, I tried to use the old way after gyroscope aiming for a bit and simply felt archaic by comparison. The only time I used it at all was when I laid on my bed, since I didn’t have a 360 degree area to move the 3DS.

3D itself doesn’t necessarily improve game play or the look of the game in the slightest, but it does one thing I actually didn’t expect it to: improve the feel of the game. The game is simply better experienced in 3D than in 2D. People worry how the gyroscope and aiming works with 3D, and honestly you’re moving your head with the 3DS anyways… so I didn’t experience any distortion or refocusing issues. Of note, I have been primarily playing in the manner Miyamoto suggested: On an office chair that spins. It has given me a lot of freedom with aiming, and has allowed my head to maintain the proper distance when moving the 3DS around.

Atmosphere:

Maybe the most important impression I want to get across is the atmosphere of the game. A lot of gamers have expressed that the atmosphere of the game is a bit lost with the brighter colors, and many comment wars have ensued over the issue. I have not beaten the game, and my final verdict wont be given until our review on June 17th.

However, I can safely say that, so far (2 temples down), the game, especially in 3D, really captures the atmosphere I felt in the original, and even enhances it. Is it as dark? Of course not, but it finds other ways to give off what I feel was the original intended feelings. Be it simply from the textures and art itself presenting itself in new ways, or stuff floating in the air and the like. The point here is that this was one of my main concerns, and so far everything has been, in my opinion, better.

Oh, and the Sunset and Dawn is absolutely gorgeous.

Conclusion:

While my initial impressions are just that, the game so far is shaping up to be more fun than I expected, and that’s before I even played the Master Quest part. While I didn’t bring up the graphics specifically, it’s obvious that they are superior to the original, regardless of if you like the look of Link or not. Everything just feels more alive, and Castle Town is just buzzing. Here I go getting back into the atmosphere again.

In the end, based on initial impressions, it’s worth a purchase. However, initial impressions may change as the game wears on. For those wondering, I have played the entire game so far with 3D on full blast. Be sure to check back on June 17th for a full review.