It is rare that a game can make us think about something said, sure past our time with a game we have something’s that stick with us that we begin to interpret in our own little ways whether it is a theme in a game or often a random quote or comment made. In the Last of Us the game often made us think, whether during or past the game about what we have seen and how exactly we as the player interpret the situation. This I would say is a testament to the amazing game presented which has presented me with hours of thoughts about the game itself and the themes, sadly this has even led me to sympathize with bad guys of the world as I begin to understand them more. There is just so much to think about in regards to the game and as a tie in Majora’s Mask faces a similar thing but this is more in line with the presentation of its world and its themes or even an opening line. Near the games beginning you encounter the Happy Mask Salesmen (you know the creepy guy from the mask shop in Ocarina of Time, who is even more creepy here) he was quite quick to comment to Link one sentence that haunts many of us, and this sentence is:
You have met with a terrible haven’t you
These words haunt us in a way that is almost impossible to explain but it isn’t because of the line, it is something more, something hidden behind the sentence beyond the original assumption. To a first time player we assume that it is our transformation that the salesman is referencing, it seems like the most logical answer doesn’t it, but the haunting side is something else, a reference to a potential issue, could we be dead, could this world we are beginning our journey in be nothing but an illusion, Links own personal purgatory if you will. The Mask Salesman’s potential meaning behind his comment is further evidenced within the world as we face things Termina, the stone tower and even the stages of grief. Just think about it Termina, does that not sound familiar to a thing about death, it should think about Terminal. Then we look at the Stone Tower, this place is your final dungeon in the game and what are we doing, we are climbing up towards the heavens, we can consider this Link’s ascent beyond the physical world. Again we can look at the stages of grief and how each part of the world faces this issue.
In case you don’t know the stages of grief is a five stage thing that is born from a loss where we struggle to come to terms with the loss of someone we are close to and the five stages stand as:
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
Every section of the world presented in Majora’s Mask faces at least one of these issues about the fate of the world and instead of Link experiencing this issue himself he acts as a witness, instead trying to solve each issue for the person. Clock Town faces the issue of Denial with its residents facing the problem of denying the moon is falling, Woodfall faces anger with the Deku King trying to persecute a monkey for his daughters disappearance, Snowhead is where we see depression experienced from the dead leader of the Goron’s who begs Link to bring him back to life and whats it so bad. Depression is found in the Great Bay where we see Lulu a Zora facing the problem of losing her babies, and finally Acceptance is found in the Ikana Kingdom where death is basically all there is and Link finally makes his way up to the heavens in the Stone Tower.
When you think about it the Mask Salesmen might just be referencing the fact Link was transformed into a Deku Scrub, but there is enough evidence to support the alternate meaning that truly makes us think about the game itself ad that is why it is my quote of the week. It has no life meaning but for the game it makes you think and it is very interesting.
