When it comes to the Legend of Zelda franchise, it's always expected that you play the part of the hero, almost every time in the form of Link, who has to undergo a perilous journey to save the world from whatever danger it's facing. It is a formula older than Nintendo itself, but one that works, which is why it's no surprise that it's reused over and over again.
Entries from the first Zelda title to Tears of the Kingdom have proven how successful it can be, as nearly everyone wants to experience the feeling of being the savior who overcame all obstacles and suppressed the evil. However, there is one game that challenges that notion: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
Playing it still involves being the hero who ultimately has to do something to stop the evil from achieving its goal. The big difference between this game utilizing that formula and the others is that at a certain point during the journey, a big revelation unveils itself that makes you question whether you want to prevent it or not. To better understand this, it's best to get a little into the plot.
At the beginning of the game, Link finds himself washed ashore on a mysterious island after a horrible shipwreck. He is saved by a girl named Marin, who explains that he has ended up on Koholint Island, a place with many friendly faces but also dangers. While becoming close to the island's inhabitants and trying to find his belongings, Link eventually comes across a mysterious owl that tells him the only way to return home is by waking the Wind Fish, which is a sort of deity that governs over the whole area.
To do that, all eight Instruments of the Sirens are required, which are guarded by creatures known as Nightmares. Knowing the goal, Link sets out to gather them all, becoming stronger and getting closer to the island inhabitants during his journey. However, after acquiring the sixth instrument, Link learns that the entirety of Koholint Island, from its residents to its environments, is nothing but a dream world created by the sleeping Wind Fish.
The Nighmares are doing everything possible to prevent it from happening, as allowing it to happen means playing the song which erases everything. So, Link can continue to acquire them all and wake the deity, but it brings about the heavy consequence of having to say goodbye to everyone he has formed connections with if he succeeds.
Through that single revelation, it gives Link's Awakening's hero formula more depth than nearly all the other Zelda games. Since you're playing the role of Link, you're expected to still push through with awakening the Wind Fish, as it's still the right thing to do given that the deity will be stuck in eternal slumber if you don't.
However, knowing what will happen afterwards raises the concern of whether you should push through with it. Because while it's true that the entirety of Koholint Island is nothing but a dream, its friendly inhabitants feel so real that you might be set against seeing their existence being wiped out. These are people that you have conversed with, who have their own charming personalities, and who've helped you on your journey, so it's only natural that you would not want to lose them.
Aside from the potential loss, waking the Wind Fish also makes you, the player, feel more like a villain, as it grants a new perspective on the Nightmares that are guarding the Instruments of the Sirens. Throughout the entire journey, these creatures are seen as the typical bad guys who are just trying to stop Link and ensure that evil triumphs.
However, with the revelation regarding Koholint Island, they can now be seen as inhabitants who are just doing everything possible to prevent what's trying to ruin their lives. Getting closer to your goal guarantees everyone's demise, so it now makes sense as to why they're desperately trying to stop you. It makes you want to sympathize with them, as even though they're essentially trapping the Wind Fish in an eternal prison, they're only doing it to preserve their own and all other lives on the island.
So, you could choose to gather all the instruments and play the song, but knowing all of that, you are now in a dilemma of whether to do so is the right thing or not. I believe such a thing makes Link's Awakening one of the best Zelda games of all time, as it helps you realize that you could fulfill your role as the hero, but doing so doesn't always mean that only good results can come out of it.
Hopefully, Nintendo creates more entries in the franchise that offer such an interesting take on the good vs evil formula, because if it made one game so memorable, I'm sure it would be the same for others that follow in its path.
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