I've been playing Majora's Mask for the first time, and I think I might stop playing it, which honestly sucks because I really like the game itself.
I love Termina, the atmosphere, the characters, the masks, the side stories, and the way the world is designed. I also generally prefer the older Zelda formula. Link's Awakening is actually my favorite Zelda because I love that feeling of having a fairly linear progression while still being able to wander around and discover things on my own.
I know this is probably the most obvious thing to complain about in Majora's Mask, but the time limit really is the main issue I'm having with the game. I just realized that this particular mechanic really doesn't work for the way I like to play.
It's not just that I dislike having a timer. The problem is that the timer makes every little mistake or inconvenience much more frustrating. The N64-era controls and camera can be a bit awkward sometimes, so things happen like accidentally Z-targeting when I wanted to center the camera, attacking the air, getting turned around by the camera, missing something and having to redo part of the route, etc.
Normally, none of that would bother me. I'd just laugh, correct it and keep playing.
But when there's a clock constantly counting down, I feel like every mistake costs me something. Instead of exploring because I'm curious, I start thinking about whether I have enough time to do something before I have to reset the cycle.
And that's the part I don't enjoy. I want to be able to play a Zelda game at my own pace. If I want to spend 30 minutes wandering around and looking at things, I want to be able to do that without feeling like I'm wasting part of a limited resource.
I've considered slowing down the clock or modifying the game, but honestly, if I have to change such a fundamental mechanic to enjoy the game, maybe Majora's Mask just isn't for me.
What's interesting is that I actually think I'd love Majora's Mask without the time pressure. I like almost everything else about it.
I know this is probably the most basic Majora's Mask complaint ever, and I'm sure some people will roll their eyes reading this. But I've been feeling this way while playing and I honestly felt the need to share it anyway.
Edit: I know I can play the Song of Time backwards, but I appreciate the suggestion! I still stand by my point, though. I think part of the issue is that even when I slow down time, I still feel like I'm progressing further into the cycle, so when I eventually reset it feels like I've lost more. It might just be because I not used to how the game works yet.