The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time – a close reading of level design

by Lerako on Feb 15th, 2012

While its real life counterpart is often associated with that of a sanctuary, the aptly titled Temples in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are host to a variety of tricks and traps that will test your mettle and playing skill as you progress through the game.

If a player hopes to clear the area sufficiently, they must explore every room and exhaust every secret by battling monsters and solving elaborate puzzles within; doing so will allow them to advance to the Lair of the Temple Boss, which harbors a large foe that must be defeated under certain conditions.  If the player can manage this they will gain a significant item that will advance the plot and allow them access to further areas of the game.

Each Temple in the game is comprised of several rooms that span a few floors of the area; some rooms can be openly explored the moment the player has set foot inside, while other rooms are locked or otherwise require a specific item or event to gain entry inside.

Regardless of requirement, each room plays host to a puzzle or sorts, which are broken down to present a logical problem or combat challenge that the player must solve.

In the event of a logical problem, a player is tasked with developing a strategy utilizing the supplies found within the room which can consist of moving a square block elsewhere to lighting a series of torches in quick succession. Often these challenges have a time sensitive nature which requires players to think and act quickly once the events are set into motion.

The combat challenge works on quite a different level of skill, rather than evaluating the room and solving a puzzle at hand, players will be expected to hack and slash their way through a barrage of enemies until the room has been cleared. While this scenario provides an exciting break from strategic thinking, certain enemies can only be defeated with specific weapons in the players inventory which adds another level of challenge to an already heated match.

Once the player has managed to complete the task at hand, they’ll find their incentive for doing so in the form of a treasure chest that suddenly appears following a congratulatory tone. Items that appear inside the chest can vary from monetary gain with ranging amounts of ‘rupees’, maps and compasses to aid with navigation, and keys that will allow them to unlock the barred doors that appear throughout the Temples. In rare circumstance – usually after a player has solved a particularly heady challenge – they will be rewarded with a new item to add to their inventory.

With these new items in hand a player will soon discover that they possess an ability that otherwise hindered a good portion of the Temple inaccessible. Whether this involves using a torch to burn down a thick coat of cobwebs that block an entrance, or an item that exposes unseen platforms, there’s a feeling of gratification when you’ve used the item to discover a hidden area.

In this way, the Temple is set up in a nonlinear fashion wherein you’ll need to return to several areas after you’ve passed them a dozen times during your first walk through. As you progress through the game the distance between these two points become greater, and you’ll find yourself traversing entire floors to locate the correct area. In this regard the action is kept fresh while the difficulty in navigating the Temple while you’ve got a handful of places to remember to return to is increased tenfold.

Once a player has managed to conquer each challenge presented inside the Temple, they will be tasked with navigating their way to the Boss Lair with their newfound items in tow. While one might expect a hack and slash affair as executed previously with the other enemies, each boss is only vulnerable to a key item that is found in their respective Temples – usually obtained after completing the most difficult room. Administering a blow using this item will effectively stun the daunting foe, allowing the player to run up and flailing wildly at a certain weak spot while the Boss lay incapacitated.

Once the Boss has succumbed to enough damage they’ll collapse in defeat allowing you to pluck an extremely helpful item from their carcass; notably an extra unit of total energy, before being whisked away to the Temples entrance where the plot will take the reigns.

Categories: Features