Nintendo has received widespread acclaim for its Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, with the title currently standing as the best-reviewed game of 2026 by a significant margin. The remake holds a score of 96 on Metacritic and 95 on OpenCritic. While this falls slightly short of the original Nintendo 64 release's near-perfect 99 rating, it surpasses the 2011 Ocarina of Time 3D re-release, which scored 94.
The critical consensus highlights a careful redrafting that honors the 1998 classic while making it more accessible for modern audiences. Keza MacDonald of The Guardian awarded the game five stars, describing the new art style as "hyperreal" rather than strictly realistic. She noted that updated cutscenes successfully amplified the epic drama of the original narrative without losing its essential melancholy or dark fairytale atmosphere.
Christian Donlan from Eurogamer also gave a five-star review, admitting he initially dreaded revisiting the game but was struck by how revived and enjoyable it felt. While he observed that some visual elements occasionally resemble generic third-person Unreal Engine titles rather than distinct Zelda aesthetics, he praised the "quietly transformative" gameplay tweaks. These changes allow the game to move at an astonishing pace, enhancing the experience of a title centered on the passage of time.
From a technical standpoint, Digital Foundry's William Judd described the remake as delivering an incredibly dark and atmospheric experience that fully leverages Switch 2 hardware. He highlighted a dramatic leap in performance, noting that while the original N64 version operated at a conservative 20fps, the new version targets and maintains a fluid 60fps. This consistency across docked and handheld modes significantly improves action sequences, platforming timing, and general exploration.
Polygon's Giovanni Colantonio argued that the remake underscores the greatness of the original by demonstrating how not a single moment feels wasted. He contrasted the bespoke nature of every side-quest and hidden grotto with modern adventure games that often rely on repetitive assets to fill time. Colantonio concluded that the Switch 2 version reminds players why Ocarina of Time earned its reputation as one of the greatest games of all time.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake is scheduled for exclusive release on the Switch 2 on November 5.
Sources: Polygon.