Only 3 Fantasy Video Games Are Better Than 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'

1 day ago 4

Published May 29, 2026, 7:36 AM EDT

Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts.

Video games are a growing medium, which is weird to say, since they are the most profitable form of media at the moment. However, they continue to get better each year with masterpieces such as Red Dead Redemption 2. Despite modern games having massive open-worlds that take years to make, many fans agree that the greatest video game of all time is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a title from the 1990s. Part of the critically acclaimed Legend of Zelda franchise, this game follows Link in the kingdom of Hyrule, who must save the Princess Zelda from Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo, who captured the young princess for his own goals. Link must travel between the present and future, taking on dungeons to summon the sages, which will bring about enough power to create part of the Triforce.

Ocarina of Time is a classic game, bringing the franchise into the 3D realm and also innovating the industry as a whole by popularizing many design elements and creating Z-targeting. It proves that fans and critics value the classic games that pioneered the platform, but a handful of modern entries give Ocarina of Time a run for its money. That is why this list will feature the only three fantasy video games that are better than it. Based on elements such as gameplay, narrative, design, art, originality, influence, popularity, scale, polish, fan opinion, critical acclaim, and overall quality, these three titles are among the greatest games ever. It is hard to compare indie masterpieces and sci-fi spectacles to Ocarina of Time, which is why this list will only include fantasy games, to stick within the same genre.

'Elden Ring' (2022)

Fans can argue about how many games are better than Ocarina of Time, but when it comes to fantasy, there aren't many titles that rival its legacy and impact. But out of the modern games, one studio stands out: FromSoftware. This prolific company has delivered a handful of fan-favorites, including Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Dark Souls, which feature their staple Soulslike gameplay, dark style, and challenging combat. However, their magnum opus is also their most recent game, Elden Ring, which is a collaboration with George R.R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones. The Lands Between is a dangerous place ruled by Queen Marika, who shattered the titular object when learning that one of her sons had been murdered. Now that the rest of her demigod children have claimed these shards, the world is in an even worse chaos than before. However, there is one hope: the Tarnished, a lost soul who is reborn to travel around the kingdom, battle the demigods, collect the shards, and restore the ring to become the Elden Lord.

Ocarina of Time was a defining video game that influenced all other fantasy titles that came out after it, including Elden Ring. However, Elden Ring furthered its legend by advancing everything great about the fantasy genre. The two offer completely different core experiences, with one being an imaginative, charming, and puzzle-based adventure, and the other being a dark, combat-focused adventure. Whatever fans view as the better game may come down to preference, but there is no denying that Elden Ring is better in regard to graphics, scale, polish, and modern design. Moreover, it far exceeds Ocarina of Time in terms of storytelling and narrative, displaying a dark, gritty, compelling, and gripping plot. Not to mention, this game has a magnificent environmental message, deeper worldbuilding, and more complex lore, adding an intriguing layer to this fantasy masterclass. However, Elden Ring didn't become one of the greatest video games of the past 20 years just because of its narrative; it also used its rewarding exploration and challenging combat to give fans some of the best gameplay ever. By encouraging players to explore outside the beaten path, gamers experience whatever the world throws at them, which can be scary, fascinating, or rewarding. The combat is tight, unrelenting, difficult, and based around practice, where players must lose and die to learn, slowly improving as the game progresses. Elden Ring is a modern masterpiece and one of the best games of the 2020s, with its influence already being felt in the past few years.

'Baldur's Gate 3' (2023)

Astarion and Lae'zel in 'Baldur's Gate 3'

Elden Ring is an open-world adventure sensation, and Ocarina of Time is a tightly designed, innovative masterpiece, but there are so many different types of fantasy that gamers love equally. One such modern classic is Baldur's Gate 3, a vastly different experience from the other two, but still a fantasy masterpiece. Made by Larian, this game is set within the world of Dungeons & Dragons, where players can create their character in whatever image they want. When the player is infected by a mind flayer tadpole, they must travel out into the world and search for a cure or become a mind flayer themselves. But, during this time, a war starts to brew between mortals and gods, creating a chaotic adventure where the player must take down cults and make difficult decisions.

The beauty of the fantasy genre is that completely different games can have the same or different appeals, and that is exactly true for Baldur's Gate 3 and Ocarina of Time. But, like the situation with Elden Ring, the modern advancements, time spent making the game, and new techniques easily make Baldur's Gate 3 a better video game nowadays, even if it isn't as iconic or important. Also, like Elden Ring, its narrative is much better, and that gives it the edge when deciding the greatest game of all time. For fans who prefer a greater sense of agency where each choice changes the narrative, and players can interact with almost anything, then Baldur's Gate 3 is the way to go. As one of the best fantasy video games of all time, this title is a masterclass of agency where players can use whatever solution they concoct to solve problems, and there are thousands of ways to tackle issues. This scale of choice and freedom is unprecedented in video games, and is the main reason why it won Game of the Year. Baldur's Gate 3 is an ambitious effort and a magnum opus of fantasy, cementing itself as a modern influence and staple of this generation of gaming. Every choice ripples through the narrative, making every decision matter. Its sense of scale makes players truly believe anything is possible, and that is one of the wonders of games. With all these aspects, immersion, agency, choice, scale, worldbuilding, narrative, and gameplay, Baldur's Gate 3 is better than Zelda.

Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be
Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt

Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn't work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.

🎖️Rambo

🍸James Bond

🏺Indiana Jones

🔧John McClane

🎭Ethan Hunt

FIND YOUR PARTNER →

You're dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.

ASomeone who already has three contingency plans running and is calmly working through all of them. BSomeone who reads the terrain instinctively and knows exactly how to use it against the enemy. CSomeone who keeps their nerve and their sense of humour when everything is falling apart. DSomeone who knows the history of wherever we are and what we're walking into. ESomeone with the right contact, the right cover identity, and the right exit already arranged.

NEXT QUESTION →

You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.

AOn foot through terrain no one else would attempt — I move where vehicles can't follow. BOn a motorcycle, a cargo plane, or anything else that gets me there before I think too hard about it. CIn something that belongs to someone else — borrowed, stolen, or improvised under fire. DFirst class, with a cover identity and a gadget that does something I won't explain until it's needed. EBy whatever means are available — I've driven, flown, and once arrived by camel. The destination matters, not the method.

NEXT QUESTION →

You're pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.

ADisappears into the environment, flanks them silently, and ends it before I've reloaded. BCracks a one-liner, grabs a fire extinguisher or a chair, and improvises something that somehow works. CProduces a gadget specifically designed for this exact scenario and uses it with infuriating precision. DPulls out a whip, a pistol, and an archaeological insight that somehow gets us out alive. ENeutralises the threat with maximum efficiency and minimum words — they were already three moves ahead.

NEXT QUESTION →

The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.

AA bar with terrible lighting, cold beer, and absolutely no questions about feelings. BThe finest restaurant in the city, a bottle of something expensive, and a conversation that is equal parts brilliant and exhausting. CA local dig site, a museum after hours, or a long story about why that particular artefact matters to human civilisation. DPizza. Bad TV. Falling asleep halfway through a movie neither of you were watching anyway. EA debrief that turns into three hours of contingency planning that somehow becomes the most fun you've had all week.

NEXT QUESTION →

How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.

APrecise and minimal — tell me what I need to know and nothing else. Every word has a cost. BDeadpan and dry — keeping it light keeps me sharp, even when everything is on fire. CEnthusiastic and slightly chaotic — but always with useful information buried somewhere in the noise. DCalm and controlled through an earpiece, with a plan that covers every variable I haven't thought of yet. EBarely at all — silence is a language and they speak it fluently.

NEXT QUESTION →

Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.

AInfiltrate their inner circle, learn everything, and dismantle them from inside out before they know we're there. BStudy the historical pattern — every villain of this type has a weakness written somewhere in the past. CGet them talking. The more they monologue, the more time I have to figure out how to beat them. DGo through them. Directly. With as much force as the terrain allows. EFind the one thing they haven't accounted for — there's always one thing — and make sure we're holding it.

NEXT QUESTION →

Things go badly wrong and you're captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.

ACome in alone, quietly, and get me out before anyone knows they were there. BHave already been working on the extraction since the moment I disappeared — the plan is already running. CCome in loud, come in fast, and worry about the collateral damage later — I'd do the same for them. DUse every resource, every contact, and bend every rule until I'm out — they don't leave people behind. ECharm their way in somehow, bluff through the hard part, and still manage to look good doing it.

NEXT QUESTION →

What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn't replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn't know you had.

ATechnology that shouldn't exist yet and the training to use it under any conditions. BSurvival instinct so refined it borders on supernatural — and the scars to prove it's been tested. CKnowledge of history, language, and culture that makes them invaluable in places where force is useless. DThe ability to walk into any room in the world and immediately become the most trusted person in it. EStubbornness that refuses to accept a situation is hopeless — and the improvisational skill to back it up.

NEXT QUESTION →

Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.

AA partner who never fully switches off — always watching exits, always calculating threats, even at dinner. BA partner who gets the job done brilliantly but has the emotional availability of a locked filing cabinet. CA partner who makes everything ten times more complicated than it needs to be — but who always comes through. DA partner who gets personally attached to every relic, ruin, and artefact we encounter, which slows everything down. EA partner who was not built for this and knows it — but shows up anyway, every time, without being asked.

NEXT QUESTION →

It's the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.

AOne line. Absolutely dry. Delivered like the world isn't ending. Then we move. BNothing said at all — just a look that means we both already know what has to happen. CA plan I don't fully understand that somehow accounts for everything, delivered in thirty seconds flat. DA piece of historical context that reframes the entire situation and tells us exactly what to do next. ESomeone who steps forward instead of back — because that's who they've always been.

REVEAL MY PARTNER →

Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…

Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.

Rambo

Your partner doesn't talk much, doesn't need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you've finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You'll never need to ask if he has your back. You'll just know.

James Bond

Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it'll take you a moment to remember what's actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You'll never be bored. You'll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.

Indiana Jones

Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar's eye and a brawler's instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn't matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you'll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.

John McClane

Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren't so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.

Ethan Hunt

Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you've finished reading the briefing, and the plan he's settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn't exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' (2017)

If there was any other game better than Ocarina of Time, it is only natural that it would be another The Legend of Zelda title. This franchise never puts out a bad title, but one game in particular is revered as one of, if not the best, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Knowing she won't be able to defeat his overwhelming power, Princess Zelda seals Ganon away, also sending Link into a coma to make sure he survives. A hundred years later, Link finally wakes up to an overgrown Hyrule taken over by nature and monsters. Finally able to fight again, Link goes on a quest around the kingdom to beat divine beasts and gain enough strength to defeat Ganon once and for all. From finding Korok seeds to completing shrines to battling Lynels, players have a lot to get through in order to save the world and remember lost memories.

Nintendo is now moving on with the Nintendo Switch 2 with fantastic results, but the previous console has gone down in history as one of the greatest of all time, being home to even more iconic titles, such as Breath of the Wild. As the greatest video game on the Nintendo Switch, Breath of the Wild innovated the typical Zelda format and open-world design by introducing an open-air world that allowed players to run, climb, and glide anywhere, completely reinventing traversal and enhancing exploration. Like Elden Ring, Breath of the Wild also rewards exploration through its many puzzles, challenges, enemies, loot, items, and beautiful landmarks. Players are encouraged to get lost in this world and go wherever their curiosity takes them. The devs designed it so that there are always three points of interest wherever players stand, keeping the curiosity and sense of wonder alive at all times. Not to mention, Breath of the Wild features an impressive physics system where gamers can interact with the world in imaginative ways. The runes are creative and add systemic gameplay, meaning new personal moments stem out of everything the player does. The weapon-breaking system is controversial and polarizing, but it forces the players to experiment, a core pillar that the game encourages players to do. Breath of the Wild and Ocarina of Time are very different Zelda experiences, but both have their charms. One focuses on adventure, exploration, and experimentation, while the other has a better story, dungeons, and puzzles. However, Breath of the Wild is a modern experience with smoother gameplay, better graphics, an expansive world, and modern design techniques that Ocarina of Time can't compete with. Breath of the Wild is a triumph of gaming and one of the best video games from the 2010s, delivering an innovative masterpiece that is arguably better than the franchise's first 3D entry.