Games — Consumed

2000 · Nintendo EAD

Majora's Mask operates on a fundamentally different design philosophy than its predecessor. Where Ocarina of Time presented a hero's journey across expansive spaces, Majora's Mask compresses everything into a dense, repeating three-day cycle. The game's central mechanic—the ability to reset time with the Ocarina—transforms the entire experience into a puzzle of scheduling and resource management. Every NPC follows a predetermined schedule, creating a living world where observation and note-taking become essential gameplay elements.

The mask transformation system adds mechanical depth by allowing Link to inhabit three distinct forms, each with unique movement and combat properties. The Deku Scrub offers mobility through water-skipping and flower propulsion, the Goron enables high-speed rolling and explosive attacks, and the Zora provides aquatic agility and ranged combat. These aren't cosmetic changes—each transformation fundamentally alters the player's approach to environmental navigation and problem-solving.

What makes Majora's Mask remarkable is its willingness to foreground dread and melancholy. The game presents a world already lost, where every character faces their mortality with varying degrees of denial, acceptance, or desperation. The side quests—particularly the Anju and Kafei storyline—demonstrate sophisticated environmental storytelling through NPCs who remain compelling across multiple loops. The moon's ever-present descent creates genuine tension, making every action feel weighted by consequence. It's a game about futility and repetition that somehow argues for the meaning found in small acts of kindness within an indifferent system.