Link’s Awakening – A Dream I Dreamed

Matt Simmons of Zentendo has put together a cleverly written article looking back at what might be one of the greatest game stories ever told, the Legend of Zelda Link’s Awakening. The article contains a deep analysis of the symbolism found throughout the game and points out how dark the story really could be interpreted. It’s a really in-depth article and it is definitely worth a read. Shown below is a small portion of one of the key points in the article.

You may not know it, or even believe it, but what separates the hero from the villain, particularly inside a video game? The hero is usually the one saving the world, or perhaps conquering it. The ending of “Link’s Awakening” leaves you with nothing less than total and complete destruction of the entire game world itself. This is not an avoidable consequence either. The only way to complete the title and see the end credits is to go through with awakening the Windfish from its slumber. The real beauty of the narrative is that you are given warnings without blatantly stating the cause of your actions.

Be sure to check out the full article over at Zentendo. Let us know what you think by posting in the comments below.