I got this game when it came out. I played it, loved it, and the ending had a huge impact on me as I'm sure it did on most others who played through it.
I just played through it again recently. I knew it was good, but wow. I'd forgotten that it was THAT good. If I ever hear people complaining about a game having no voice acting (ahem, Zelda), I'll point them to this game. What a story it weaves with no text, let alone voice acting! Subtle visual cues manage to tell a tale more powerful than most modern games can ever dream of.