Nintendo has outlined changes to the Water Temple in the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, aiming to make the famously challenging dungeon easier to navigate without removing its original mechanisms.
In an interview published on Nintendo’s website, production team member HokWai Ng said the developers focused on improving playability. They adjusted the placement of objects to help guide players and made some changes to the layout, while retaining the dungeon’s core design.
Eiji Aonuma, who worked on the original game, said he wanted to address issues with the Water Temple, which he described as overdue work. Its complex structure and frequent item switching could make it difficult for players to track their location and direction, he said.
In the remake, switching items is easier, and some walls have been replaced with lattice-style structures. These let players see into nearby rooms and get a clearer sense of the surrounding space. The version shown also brings back wall lights from the Nintendo 3DS edition to help indicate places where players can change the water level. Link can also remove his iron boots without opening the equipment menu.
Aonuma said the original dungeon was designed to convey the distinct sensations of being underwater, including changes in sound and the feeling of entering a different environment. The remake’s adjustments seek to preserve that experience while reducing the navigational difficulties that became a defining feature of the original Water Temple.
Sources: IGN.