The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time-Inspired Games that Are Worth Playing

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time inspired gamers and developers the second it was released in 1998, and it has continued to blaze a trail for adventure games in the ensuing quarter-century. Ocarina of Time introduced a novel sense of exploration, combat, and progression into several different genres.

Nintendo continues to look back to this game when they release new Zelda titles, and other companies are indebted to its greatness. These Ocarina of Time-inspired games all owe at least one mechanic or quality to the original's legacy.

1. Ōkami

This breathtaking title, originally released in the mid-2000s, immerses gamers into a world of Japanese history and appreciation for the region’s art and style. The third-person perspective and combat feel like Ocarina of Time-inspired elements. It has been re-released on several more recent consoles.

2. Shadow of the Colossus

Shadow of the Colossus became one of the landmark titles in Sony lore when it was released in 2005. The game allows players to explore the mysterious intrigue of new environments told through battles with terrifying beasts. Combat features more heavily here than in Zelda, but the lifeblood of the adventure feels Ocarina of Time-inspired.

3. Star Fox Adventures

Fox McCloud and his anthropomorphic, intergalactic heroes typically seek justice with lasers in space. Star Fox Adventures benefited from Nintendo’s decision to plaster the Star Fox brand onto a different game, initially titled Dinosaur Planet, and the result became an excellent adventure on foot. Enemy encounters copy the lock-on system from Zelda, but players still get to play short on-rails sections similar to previous games in the Star Fox series.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild mirrors the revolutionary path of Ocarina of Time by expanding on the template provided by the Nintendo 64 game. Nintendo understood it was time for the franchise to get larger while maintaining the item collection, side quests, and character interactions of the previous 3D entries in the series. 

5. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time perfects the adventure/platform/action model from Ocarina of Time but with a different environment and much more precision jumping. Zelda veterans will love the atmosphere and the effect of a player’s surroundings on the gameplay. This classic already celebrated its 20th anniversary recently!

6. Red Dead Redemption

Rockstar’s most underrated game drew on ambitious concepts that sought to throw players into a living, breathing Western setting. Red Dead Redemption involves thoughtful, meticulous combat and plenty of exploration on horseback. Ocarina of Time inspired the need for equestrian transportation.

7. Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto feels bigger than video games at this point. The fifth entry has been played for over a decade now. The blending of free exploration and strict mission segments definitely draws from Ocarina of Time’s ability to shift between side quests and mainline objectives. GTA V is a modern successor in every way imaginable.

8. Metroid Prime

Even though Metroid Prime strays from the third-person perspective in Ocarina of Time, the beloved GameCube title incorporates fresh ideas and even provides a more immersive environment to learn about and tinker with, depending on each player’s preference for adventure.

9. Dark Souls

Dark Souls is the most copied adventure game in the medium today, but ideas in this classic seem Ocarina of Time-inspired. The fantasy elements and character building, while darker, advance the genre into the next evolution of role-playing fun and excitement.

10. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

After changing the feel of 3D Zelda with The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess was Nintendo’s attempt at providing an Ocarina of Time-inspired sequel. A mature setting and adherence to sprawling dungeons make the game one of the best and most underrated games in the Zelda series.

11. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts

Banjo-Kazooie initially relied on platforming for most of its action in the first two games. Nuts & Bolts was Rare’s response to the series shifting from Nintendo to Microsoft, and the open world and exploration resembles Zelda quite a bit.

12. Immortals Fenyx Rising

Immortals Fenyx Rising scratches the itch for Zelda fans who want more of the same third-person fighting and exploration from the Nintendo series. All the typical fixings of an adventure game are here, from boss fights to item inclusions.

13. Elden Ring

Elden Ring parallels Dark Souls, therefore it also feels Ocarina of Time-inspired. This fantasy adventure, with input from George R.R. Martin, ambitiously dives into new types of exploration and leveling up of characters.

14. Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact came out in the wake of Breath of the Wild, and its adherence to fantastical storytelling and a variety of worlds to adventure through can be traced back to Ocarina of Time. A focus on elements like water, fire, etc., certainly gives it a different feel from Zelda, though.

15. Beyond Good & Evil

Beyond Good & Evil doesn’t take place in a fantasy setting, instead opting for a modern backdrop with technology, aliens, and similar tropes at the center of the story. The protagonist, Jade, destroys her opposition with a camera instead of a sword. The game focuses on puzzles and smaller levels, making it a direct symmetrical Ocarina of Time-inspired ode.

16. Epic Mickey

Epic Mickey benefits from Disney’s vast world and incorporates adventure and platforming elements into the equation. The game feels like a nice bridge between 2000s gaming tropes and more recent developments in the industry, such as unique art styles and colors.

17. 3D Dot Game Heroes

3D Dot Game Heroes combines the dungeon-crawling of the 3D Zelda games with the aesthetic and graphical style of the old-school titles from the NES era. The game is a great example of paying homage to a beloved series while giving players fascinating spins on age-old mechanics.

18. Kameo: Elements of Power

Kameo feels stuck between Nintendo and Microsoft’s gaming principles because Rare was sold from one to the other in the mid-2000s. The adventure still presents plenty of fun and colorful ideas with a fantastical backdrop and magical weapons. Zelda fans will enjoy the races of characters, like the main elf character.

19. The Hobbit

While The Hobbit video game doesn’t necessarily have the sharpness of Ocarina of Time, it adopts the fantasy storytelling techniques of Tolkien’s novels with Nintendo’s classic adventure games. Decent combat and solid environments helped this game lead the way for future Lord of the Rings games.

20. Castlevania (1999)

The first 3D Castlevania game came out only one year after Ocarina of Time. Castlevania uses many of the revolutionary aspects of its predecessors while transitioning the franchise into the next dimension with advanced jumping mechanics and weaponry.

21. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Skyrim’s longevity and template for open-world gaming can be attributed to Ocarina of Time-inspired patterns and examples. The sheer weight of the world and the sense of wonder that washes over gamers when they play Skyrim still holds massive appeal in the genre.

22. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3 adopts aspects from several different action-adventure games and RPGs. The open-ended storytelling resembles Chrono Trigger, but the importance of side quests and NPCs started with Ocarina of Time.