The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a beloved 1998 Nintendo classic, has long been hailed as the best game ever, with a Metacritic score of 99. However, Did You Know Gaming (DYKG) has recently challenged this claim, arguing that the calculation for Ocarina's meta-score is deeply flawed. In my opinion, this controversy highlights the limitations of aggregate review scores and the importance of individual taste in gaming.
What makes this particularly fascinating is the scrutiny of Metacritic's own standards and protocols. DYKG points out that Metacritic didn't pull scores from all its usual approved publications, including the official in-house Nintendo publication, Nintendo Power, which gave Ocarina a 95. This could be seen as cherry-picking, but it also raises the question of whether Metacritic is truly representative of the critical consensus.
From my perspective, the inclusion of more arguable scores, such as write-ups that merely call the game 'perfect' without a numerical score, is also problematic. These scores may be subjective and not reflect the true critical consensus. In my view, Metacritic's score should be degraded from 99 to 98, which would knock Ocarina down to second place, tying it with Grand Theft Auto IV, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Soulcalibur.
One thing that immediately stands out is the influence of Metacritic on games. Since the early 2000s, it has been a go-to resource for critical consensus, but it may not always be accurate. In my opinion, players should not solely rely on Metacritic to determine the best games, but rather should explore a variety of critics and outlets to find the ones that speak to their sensibilities.
What many people don't realize is that aggregate review scores can only fit loosely over truth. While Metacritic may be a decent starting point for critical consensus, it is not a perfect representation of the gaming landscape. In my view, the true measure of a game's quality is the individual experience of playing it, not just the average of a few critics' scores.
If you take a step back and think about it, the controversy around Ocarina's Metacritic score highlights the importance of individual taste in gaming. While aggregate review scores can be useful, they should not be the sole determinant of a game's quality. In my opinion, players should explore a variety of critics and outlets to find the ones that speak to their sensibilities, and ultimately, trust their own instincts when it comes to gaming.
