I felt the exact same way, but I don't think we're allowed to say that here. for soooooome reason, people don't like being critical of their favourite game of all time.

You can say it, but I don't see how it's relevant.  If we were talking about what is the better game between Wind Waker and Ocarina of Time, that would be a relevant point.  But here, it doesn't seem relevant.

Like, I feel that Bravely Default does turn based battles far better than FF7... but does that somehow make FF7 worse than Ocarina of time?

Where have you been ?

Wind Waker is better than Ocarina, I agree.  Hell I feel Skyward Sword is better than Ocarina too (fight me).

While Ocarina's successors on GameCube/Wii did naturally improve on its framerate and thus control responsiveness, I really feel that it wasn't until BOTW that another Zelda game managed to match the epic sense of adventure that made Ocarina so memorable and compelling.

I feel the same way, BotW captured a feeling I had not had since Ocarina.  But there is one thing I would like to elaborate with that...

Timing....

For me, Ocarina landed when I was around 10 years old.  To 10 year old me playing the FIRST Legend of Zelda game that took place in a 3D space, and on top of that revolutionized the 3D gaming space itself as a while, it was the most epic feeling I had ever felt.  But thats just it...it was 10 year old me experiencing something that was new and fresh, in a way none of us ever imagined.  Sure I had played Zelda 1, 2, and ALttP...but taking the adventure to 3D space changed everything.

And that is why it FELT so epic.  It does not mean WW, TP, or SS was any less of an epic adventure.  But they were expanding and improving on something that we had all felt before.  That fresh factor was missing.  They used the formula that was established in ALttP, then took it into 3D space by expanding on Ocarina.  That epic sense that you remember from Ocarina is more due to the timing of the game, rather than the game itself.

The reason BotW captured that, is because it took the formula and turned it up on its head.  It was even far more open than Zelda 1, which still had limitations due to items and enemy strength.  BotW took aspects of Zelda as well as blending them with aspects of other great games, and then put it all together in a way that had never been done before (or at least as effectively).  It brought back that fresh feeling, and that is why it captures a similar feel of the epicness that Ocarina had during its time.

While its freshness for its time is definitely a factor, I feel like even through the lens of 2020 Ocarina's world and creature design and music evoke a more epic feeling than WW/TP/SS.

I disagree, but that is the thing when it comes to such a large and beloved franchise like Zelda (and Final Fantasy for that matter).  With so many quality games that offer their own unique experiences, not everyone is going to see eye to eye on everything.  Ocarina had a huge impact on me as a child, but looking at it in retrospect compared to other Zelda games, I would consider it a mid tier game...like around number 10 TBH.  However I accept that not everyone will agree with me on that.

For reference my top 10 are...

BotW

Majora's Mask

Twilight Princess

Skyward Sword

Link's Awakening

A Link to the Past

Four Swords Adventures

Wind Waker

Ocarina of Time

A Link Between Worlds

This again, will vary from person to person.  From there, I would have trouble ranking the rest as they are too close to count.  Well...other than the original Four Swords, Phantom Hourglass, and Triforce Heros being my LEAST fav Zelda games that is.

Fair enough; my top 5 would probably be BOTW, Ocarina, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, Link to the Past.

I'm not going to fight you, but I definitely disagree. Skyward Sword is one of the infamous "Games I hate in a franchise I otherwise love" alongside Mega Man 1, Mega Man X7, Final Fantasy XIII, Dark Souls II, Assassin's Creed Unity, and Grand Theft Auto IV.