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avera's Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
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| [February 9, 2008 12:21:47 AM]
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GameLog Entry #2
GAMEPLAY
In my second demo of Majora's Mask, the game became even more open and I finished with no clear objectives. This left me a little frustrated. After about an hour of gameplay, you can get link back to his former self with a new ability to transform back into the shrub, and I imagine, into other forms and creatures. This is an integral part of gameplay, since you use the special abilities of each form to accomplish certain goals. You're also reunited with your magical ocarina that can heal and manipulate time.
The play became less and less interesting as it seemed more and more like Ocarina of Time 2, but with a darker theme and more difficult to find objectives. The "flow" had slowed and I quickly got lost. Once you can become human Link, the world opens up very broadly, allowing you to travel to four expansive areas outside the town.
While moving back in time to the beginning (to avoid the apocalypse) is an interesting concept, it makes some of the gameplay repetitive. Some of the objectives not only need to be completed by the shrub Link but also by human Link. Overall, my experience was mediocre.
DESIGN
The manipulation of time and ability to transform into different forms with different abilities is definitely an innovative element. However, that seems to be the only innovation. The time element make the storyline original, but the gameplay somewhat repetitive. Transforming into other characters and acquiring new abilities is not incredibly original but allows for more puzzle solving challenges.
The world is highly reminiscent of Ocarina, with a less lighthearted twist. The town is not as brightly lit, does not sport bright colors, and there is a sense of doom felt among the characters within the town. The conflict created is a bit new. Link has not been charged to save the princess, but was first challenged to help himself. After discovering what's happening in the town he's stumbled upon, he becomes obligated into attempting to recover a mystical mask, and thus, save the town.
If I had any influence on the design, I would allow for more direction for the player by either more communication from key characters or opening less areas of the world at a time. Also, the reward structure is not as pleasurable as other games in the series. The rewards do not seem to come as frequent as necessary. It's a reminder for me about the importance of making the game a "pleasurable" experience for the player through the use of significant rewards.
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avera's Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Friday 8 February, 2008
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