Which Zelda Game Is Better: Ocarina Of Time Or Breath Of The Wild

Since the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it has been debated whether or not this installment is better than the other games in the series, like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Both games have enjoyable qualities and series-defining traits that make them stand out against other titles, but determining which one is the best requires a deeper look. There are specific aspects of each game that are better than the other, however, there is also a clear winner.

Although these titles came out nearly three decades apart, they are both regarded as two of the best games in the Legend of Zelda series. Each one has categories in which they excel, like side missions, puzzles, or music. There are a lot of other strong installments, but none are as highly regarded or game-changing as Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild.

To determine which of the two is the better overall title, there are a few things to consider. One of the biggest aspects of any Legend of Zelda game is its replayability and the quality of its puzzles. Solving complex mysteries has been a large part of the series since the beginning, along with having a number of side quests, an interesting overworld, and intriguing bosses to defeat. Both Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild have areas where they shine, and some where they are more lacking.

The Better Legend Of Zelda Music: Ocarina of Time

It should come as no surprise that Ocarina of Time has better music and sound effects than Breath of the Wild. Many of the iconic melodies associated with Legend of Zelda came from Ocarina of Time, such as Song of Storms or Saria’s Song. There are also memorable sounds in Ocarina of Time, like the scream that’s heard when a ReDead is triggered. Breath of the Wild is lacking in this category. It has some lovely background music and the expected sound effects, but nothing that stands out as much as the sounds in Ocarina of Time.

The More Replayable Legend Of Zelda Game: Breath of the Wild

Ocarina of Time is definitely a game that players can enjoy experiencing more than once, but Breath of the Wild has much to discover; each playthrough can be a new adventure because there is no linear path to follow, and its systems-based nature means players are still finding new facets, even years after release. Ocarina of Time is more structured, so while going through the game multiple times may lead players to things they missed, the overall experience feels pretty much the same every time. A lot of Ocarina of Time‘s replayability is linked to nostalgia, or to simply following the beats of its excellent story again.

Breath of the Wild is so vast that it’s unlikely players will find every secret or complete every quest on their first playthrough. There is also no particular order that the Divine Beasts or shrines need to be completed in (or even a requirement that they must be done at all), so players have complete control to change their experience each time. One of the biggest draws is the constant flow of new techniques and glitches being discovered in Breath of the Wild. The game’s variety of hidden mechanics lets gamers have a new adventure each time they play.

The Better Legend Of Zelda Side Quests: Breath Of The Wild

Even when ignoring the fact that Breath of the Wild beats Ocarina of Time in the number of quests, the game also wins in the quality of its side missions. Having unique events and areas like the labyrinths or Breath of the Wild‘s Eventide Island makes it the clear winner when comparing optional activities. The collectible missions are better as well, because finding the Korok Seeds gives players more options than collecting Golden Skulltulas. To get every prize associated with the Skulltulas, players need to find all 100. In Breath of the Wild, there are 900 Korok Seeds, but not all of them need to be found to unlock every inventory spot offered in exchange for them. This lets players pick and choose which areas to explore thoroughly.

The Better Legend Of Zelda Bosses: Ocarina Of Time

There are many unique bosses in Ocarina of Time, including Volvagia, Bongo Bongo, and Twinrova. Each boss has a different appearance and the mechanics for winning are specific to each one. For example, Volvagia needs to be stunned with the Megaton Hammer, while Morpha has to be grabbed with the Longshot. Ocarina of Time even has a few popular minibosses, such as Dead Hand, but Breath of the Wild‘s biggest battles have more forgettable opponents.

Each major boss in Breath of the Wild is a variation or piece of Calamity Ganon. The only exception is the leader of the Yiga Clan, Master Kohga. The Yiga Clan’s mission is to eliminate all who oppose Ganon, making this boss just as ordinary as the Ganon variants. Unlike in Ocarina of Time, there isn’t a lot of variation in the boss fight mechanics in Breath of the Wild, and the final fight with Calamity Ganon features more of the same fights players have already completed.

The Better Legend Of Zelda Overworld: Breath Of The Wild

Although Ocarina of Time has some variety in the areas to explore, it doesn’t really compare to the massive open world of Breath of the Wild. Exploring every region in Breath of the Wild can take a very long time, and players will likely continue to discover new areas after completing their main quests. Ocarina of Time can be fully explored fairly quickly once each area is unlocked. The overworld in Breath of the Wild is also much more important to the game because players will need to find memories, shrines, towers, and gear by adventuring outside of the dungeons.

The Better Legend Of Zelda Puzzles: Breath Of The Wild

Puzzles have been a staple of the Legend of Zelda series since the first game. With each iteration, more complex and hidden puzzles are added to challenge players. Breath of the Wild has various puzzles with intriguing mysteries to solve. Although Ocarina of Time has a few difficult puzzles, there are many more in Breath of the Wild, like shrine challenges or finding the Eighth Heroine Statue, and there are also more ways to go about solving them.

The puzzles in the newer game require players to be a bit more clever, and, due to the size and scope of Breath of the Wild, these challenges are frequent and can span multiple regions. The issue with the puzzles in Ocarina of Time is that, while the game has clearly stood the test of time, the puzzles aren’t all that hard compared to newer games. Mysteries like figuring out Ocarina of Time‘s Water Temple have reputations that make them seem more difficult than they are, but once the mechanics of the puzzles are understood, they can be rather simple to solve.

The Better Legend Of Zelda Game: Breath Of The Wild

While Ocarina of Time may stir feelings of nostalgia for long-time fans of the series, Breath of the Wild is, overall, the better game. A lot of its features beat The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time‘s in both quality and quantity. Breath of the Wild offers players a more intricate and modern adventure with much more to discover, including new ways to play the game. When it comes to which is the best game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the definitive winner.

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