When Link pulls the Master Sword from its pedestal, the world of Hyrule transforms from a playful childhood jaunt into a haunting, grown-up struggle. Seven years vanish, familiar haunts turn hostile, and the comfort of home fades. These are the moments that make Nintendo's 1998 classic worth revisiting, even when you know exactly what lurks outside the Temple of Time.
For the Nintendo Switch 2 remake, the challenge was to recapture that emotional gut-punch while making the adventure accessible to a new generation. Nostalgia can only carry a remake so far, especially when newcomers have no fond memories of wrestling with a clunky camera or pausing to swap boots. Fortunately, the remake has arrived to critical acclaim, debuting with a 96 Metascore—the highest-rated game of 2026 so far. That's just three points shy of the Nintendo 64 original's record-setting 99, but with a much larger sample: 80 reviews compared to the original's 22. It also surpasses the 3DS remake, Ocarina of Time 3D, which earned a 94.
What Critics Are Saying
Reviews give returning players plenty of reasons to dive back in beyond the shiny new graphics. GamesRadar+ awarded the remake five stars, with Anna Koselke calling it “a remake for the ages.” TechRadar's review highlights how freely Link moves through the world, thanks to new jump and dash controls and a fully rotatable camera. Exploring Kokiri Forest feels different when you're not fighting the controls.
Nintendo confirms the remake adds dedicated movement commands and right-stick camera control—changes that matter for players coming from Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom, whose expectations of controlling Link are vastly different from the N64 era. These tweaks make the older adventure easier to enter while preserving its more directed progression through dungeons, equipment upgrades, and carefully crafted puzzles. And yes, the infamous Water Temple gets some love. Reviews from TechRadar and Destructoid specifically praise the ability to equip and remove the Iron Boots via the D-pad. Anyone who remembers interrupting the action to manage those boots will understand why that's a big deal. The dungeon can still challenge your understanding of its shifting water levels without turning every equipment change into a chore.
However, veterans should note a caveat. RPG Site found that Link's expanded movement and streamlined experience made some stretches easier than remembered, and criticized the absence of a Hero Mode or Master Quest option. If you were hoping for a tougher return, keep that in mind. For newcomers, though, the reviews suggest an inviting way to discover why this particular version of Hyrule has captivated players for 28 years.
The remake also arrives amid a wave of nostalgia for classic Nintendo titles. If you're curious about other games that could get the same treatment, check out our list of Nintendo classics that deserve a remake. And for those new to the action-adventure genre, our guide to great sci-fi games for beginners might offer some inspiration.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time releases November 5 exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2.
