Ocarina of Time remake review deep dive: why critics love it, and why it isn't a 99

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake reviews arrived on November 4, a day before launch, and they put it at the top of 2026. At the time of writing it has a 96 on Metacritic, from 86 Switch 2 critics, with none mixed or negative. OpenCritic has it at 95, with 100% of critics recommending it. It didn't catch the original, though. The 1998 N64 game has a 99, the highest Metascore there is.

The disagreement is small, and it's mostly about caution. Critics agree this is a beautiful, faithful version of a great game. The lower scores say that faithfulness has a cost: little challenge for veterans, no Master Quest, and only one manual save file.

Ocarina of Time remake review scores: 96 on Metacritic, 95 on OpenCritic

The review count is still moving. On November 4, GamesRadar+ counted 42 reviews and VGC counted 70, and the Metascore was 96 in both. It leads Metacritic's 2026 chart, three points clear of Sektori and Resident Evil 2: Deluxe Edition at 93, and ranks 28th all time at the time of writing. That rank will keep shifting, because VGC notes a long run of games on the all-time list share a 96.

The original's 99 rests on 22 reviews and the remake's 96 on 86, so they aren't quite the same measurement. Our guide to how Metacritic and OpenCritic scores work explains why.

RPG Site's 8/10 is the lowest score we found. When Kotaku rounded up the first 48 reviews, none on Metacritic were below 8.

What critics love about the Ocarina of Time remake

The visuals come first. Nintendo Life's Ollie Reynolds calls it "a staggering upgrade over the original," and VGC's Andy Robinson lists "a sublime visual and audio upgrade" among his pros. Game Informer's Kyle Hilliard calls the game gorgeous and marvels that it fits in under 25 GB.

Then there's how the old design holds up. GameSpot's Steve Watts writes that it "is still a wonder of game design and a thrilling adventure." VGC's verdict is that "rather than reinventing a masterpiece, Nintendo has carefully refined what made it special."

The controls are the other big win. Hilliard names "the new full camera control and active jumping" as the most important changes. Reynolds says combat feels transformed even though the moves are basically the same, because every hit now lands with such force. Mapping the Iron Boots to the D-pad takes much of the sting out of the Water Temple.

Where reviews split: safe, easy and short on saves

The complaints come from people who still scored it highly.

• It plays it safe. Reynolds calls it "a very safe remake." Hilliard says "it all looks new, but doesn't feel particularly new," and that he was "rarely surprised" on his playthrough.
• No Master Quest or hard mode. Nintendo Life calls the missing Master Quest "a real bummer" and says veterans will find very little challenge. RPG Site says bosses lost the most challenge, and that it "bums me out" there's no Hero Mode or Master Quest.
• One manual save file. This is the complaint with the most heat. RPG Site says having to make a new Switch profile to replay without losing a file "actively turns me off" from replaying it. Nintendo Life calls the limit a shame, and Kotaku's round-up calls it "idiotic."
• Character designs and voices. Forbes' Ollie Barder says "the character designs are off-putting." Hilliard never came around to child Link and Zelda, and says Nintendo "continues to fumble voice acting with stiff performances." VGC's only listed con is that the English cast "won't be to everyone's taste."
• The old rough edges. GameSpot says the remake "smooths over some rough edges, leaves others intact." Its weak spots are the original's weak spots: the Water Temple's water levels, a Shadow Temple leaning on its hidden-objects gimmick, and the Gerudo Fortress stealth section.
• Lost atmosphere and image quality. Polygon says Hyrule Castle Town "loses some of its former aura" without the fixed camera angles that sold its decay. Nintendo Life also notes shimmering in the distance and a resolution drop in handheld mode, where even Link can look fuzzy.

What changed from the original Ocarina of Time

The structure hasn't changed. Reynolds says it plainly: "this is basically the same game." Eurogamer's take, quoted by Kotaku, is that it's "more or less the game that people played back in 1998." The changes sit around that core.

The Hall of Fallen Foes offers boss rematches, though Nintendo Life calls it "a cool, albeit inconsequential bonus" and RPG Site says it's "lacking in substance." Zelda Notes in the Nintendo Switch App adds daily records, a location game and an ocarina quiz.

Back in June, we wrote that the remake has to compete with your memory, and the reviews bear that out. Most critics see the fidelity as the point. The ones holding back wanted something a veteran hadn't already seen. Master Quest was an open question then, and it isn't in the game, though Reynolds hopes an update adds it.

Can the Ocarina of Time remake win Game of the Year?

It can be considered. It launched on November 5, ahead of The Game Awards' cutoff of November 20 at 9 p.m. PT. The official FAQ says remakes are eligible in all categories, "if the jury deems the new creative and technical work to be worthy of a nomination." So the jury still has to decide how much of this is new, the same question the reviews are arguing about. We covered the wider race in our Game of the Year 2026 frontrunners guide.

Should you play the Ocarina of Time remake?

If you own a Switch 2 and have never finished Ocarina of Time, yes. TheGamer's Collin Macgregor says he envies anyone playing it for the first time, and VGC calls it the definitive way for a new generation to discover it. If you're wondering how it fits into the wider series, see our Zelda games in order guide.

Play it now if you're new to the game, or you know it well and mainly want to see it rebuilt with modern controls. Nintendo Life calls it a must-buy for Switch 2, even though it stops short of calling it definitive.

Think it over if you've replayed the original or the 3DS version many times and want a challenge. There's no Master Quest or hard mode at launch, and several reviews say it's easier than you remember. Extra playthroughs need a separate Switch profile.

Once you've finished, it's a good one to rate and write about while the comparison with your memory is still fresh. Perthro lets you log it, score it and see how friends who grew up with the N64 version rated it.

Sources

• Metacritic: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (2026)
• Metacritic: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998)
• OpenCritic: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• OpenCritic: the highest-rated game of 2026
• Game reviews: Nintendo Life, VGC, Game Informer, GameSpot, RPG Site
• Nintendo Life: review round-up
• Kotaku: review round-up
• TheGamer: review scores
• VGC: Metacritic ranking report
• VGC: Famitsu review score
• GamesRadar+: Metacritic report
• Nintendo Everything: everything new in the remake
• Nintendo: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
• The Game Awards: FAQ