Nintendo’s decision to remake The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 in celebration of the franchise’s 40th anniversary was hotly anticipated, if not a little anxiety-inducing. Like legions of fans, I share fond memories of inventive puzzles that turned hardware limitations into creative opportunities, revolutionary mechanics that defined 3D action-adventure for years to come, and, of course, one of the most beautiful and well-written storylines in the video game hall of fame. Review info
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: November 5, 2026
28 years on from the release of the original Ocarina of Time , a lot has changed in the world of gaming. Hardware limitations, even on the Switch 2, are far fewer than ever before, and there’s a game for everyone. So in a world that now includes everything from niche interests in PowerWash Simulator to AAA giants like GTA 6 to Fortnite’s bizarre multiverse of pop stars and anime icons, can a remake of a decades-old game that now feels relatively simplistic find its footing, or even be one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games going? Do you see that man with the evil eyes? (Image credit: Nintendo) It’s natural that the phrase ‘don’t mess with perfection’ springs to mind when thinking about Metacritic’s best-ever-scoring video game, but a remake without meaningful changes is always going to feel like a nostalgia-baiting cash grab. Flying in the face of that narrative, Ocarina of Time ’s remake proves classic Zelda still has a place in current gaming, bringing meaningful additions and alterations across the board from level design to voice acting and even some juicy new lore while still staying faithful to the source material. All areas of Hyrule have been revisited and retouched, with few drastic changes but plenty of improvements. A rich tapestry of flora and fauna, thick fog swirling at Link’s feet, organic terrain, and detailed furnishings bring every location to life. The storybook visual direction of the remake comes together beautifully with this new detailed world, making its own mark on the Zelda franchise. Its vivid style might not be to everyone’s taste, but it’s certainly immersive, as is the rich, re-orchestrated soundtrack. Best bit
(Image credit: Nintendo) Walking into Zora’s Domain post-Water Temple and seeing it restored to its original glory felt like such a full-circle moment, but my favorite interaction I don’t remember from the original game was approaching King Zora from the side repeatedly and being granted special ‘standing close to the King’ privileges. It runs beautifully too, with its buttery-smooth locked 60fps and no visible lag in my experience. While loading screens are still in place these barely create any friction, controls are snappy and it’s bug-free barring one occasion where I noticed a texture glitch in a waterfall. The world is more alive in more ways than one. I do miss the mad panic of racing to Hyrule Castle gates before night falls in the original, but thanks to the constant day-night cycles within towns, you now see a lot more of the lives of non-player characters (NPCs). While still fairly two-dimensional, the supporting cast are full of character, especially so thanks to a new feature of the Mask of Truth you earn through the Happy Mask Salesman quest line. Now, when wearing the mask, you can find the hidden truths behind folks around Hyrule; the Dancing Couple dropped a bombshell I won’t spoil for you, but it adds whole new dimensions to some of the people Link encounters on his quest. Nintendo Nintendo Nintendo Nintendo You’re encouraged to explore the world and its secrets with new mechanics like Fairy Messages (which replace some of Navi’s hints and reward you with Rupees, Mana, or Hearts, generally) as well as old favorites like Golden Skulltulas and Fairy Fountains, but most of all I found myself frequently looking for viewpoints from which to take in the world just for the sake of it. Quite a lot of the collectibles, grottos, and boulders are in the same or very similar places, but if you don’t have a photographic memory from the original, there’s plenty of fun to be had in rediscovering Hyrule. As I expected from my preview, some of the vocal performances did win me over by the end of the game, and Matt Mercer reprising his role as Ganondorf absolutely nailed it (of course). Others, unfortunately, missed the mark; Navi’s original sound bites were so iconic and plucky, but it’s a fairly flat performance here, by comparison. Even then, every cutscene was a delight. I loved some of the extended dialogue and how it adds depth and personality to the world, with more beautiful cinematography than ever. I laughed, I cried, I paused and googled if some small line was a reference to a deep lore video I watched the other weekend; the narrative is richer than ever, and it celebrates the original game in all the right ways. Can Hyrule’s destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?! (Image credit: Nintendo) Especially if you’ve played the original any time recently, there’s an immediate sense of liberation when you load into Kokiri Forest for the first time; even having played the same area at a preview event several weeks before receiving my review code, I couldn’t resist the urge to jump, dash, and swing around the camera like a lunatic in celebration of unhindered freedom to move. Combat also feels more fluid and fun. While there’s still a fair amount of waiting around for an opening, gone are Link’s sluggish movements, painstaking in-menu item swapping, and cumbersome crowd control. I love small details like how the camera focus shifts to blur the background when you target enemies, which also means other baddies politely waiting their turn to attack you don’t stick out as much. Overall, it’s great; jumping and dodging around, quickly switching between weapons with the right trigger, and aiming projectiles with the gyroscope improve pacing massively. (Image credit: Nintendo) That pacing improvement carries over to Temple design too, none more so than the dreaded Water Temple now that you can quick-equip Iron Boots with the D-pad…
