The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake plays even better than it looks

THE Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is quite simply one of the best video games of all time. Not only did it redefine a beloved franchise after moving from 2D to 3D after A link to the past, it stands alone at the top of Metacritic’s all-time rankings, one point higher than other legendary titles like SoulCalibur, GTA IV And Super Mario Galaxy 2. When Nintendo announced that it was remaking the classic 1998 title, the hype was more than understandable. And now that I’ve had the chance to play a preview of this new version for the Switch 2, I can confidently say that it plays even better than it looks.

It’s easy to focus heavily on the game’s updated visuals. While the original looked great for a 3D title in the late 90s, when most games were still confined to two dimensions, the N64 had its limitations and over 20 years later the game is showing its age. But with this remake, Nintendo has completely remodeled Hyrule and given it a romantic makeover worthy of a new version in 2026.

With its new graphics treatment, everything seems so full of life. Kokiri Forest is lush and overgrown, while the main square of Hyrule Castle Town is teeming with people and pets. Taller buildings and new alleys add a sense of depth and dimension that you didn’t really get in the original. But I would say things get even better when you focus on smaller details, like the textures of various elements. The wise old owl, Kaepora Gaebora, now appears wonderfully fluffy yet still distinguished, while items like the Deku Shield blend in even better with its surroundings. Instead of looking like a thick piece of cardboard with a swirl on it, you can actually see the bark it’s made of and how it’s as much a part of the forest as the rest of the village. Meanwhile, Link’s nose finally has a more natural shape, instead of looking pointy enough to cut glass.

Things get even better when you go exploring. Inside the Forest Temple, there are rooms with low-lying fog that swirls around as you search for items, adding to the spooky atmosphere. However, my favorite part is the new effects you see when Link swings his sword. Glowing particles burst when you come into contact with an enemy while his Spin Attack’s updated animation sends out waves of energy, adding even more prominence to our hero’s signature move.

My only minor gripe with the remake’s updated graphics is that the water doesn’t look quite right. For example, after going swimming, it almost looks like Link is covered in high fructose corn syrup instead of water. When you examine various streams and rivers, they appear to be filled with light blue jelly instead of good old H20. But the look of water is something that a lot of modern games still struggle with and it’s pretty easy to overlook given how good the rest of the game’s visuals are.

When it comes to gameplay, Nintendo has smartly decided not to mess with the original formula too much. You still rely heavily on Z-targeting (locking on to nearby enemies by pressing one of the Z shoulder buttons), which seems rather quaint these days. However, there is now an actual jump button to navigate platforms and obstacles, making running much more natural. There’s also a new sprint button to move quickly. That said, if you want to pretend it’s 1998 and roll around everywhere, you can do that too, and like the rest of the game’s movements, running, fighting, and traversing the world feels much smoother and less clunky than it did back then.

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Nintendo has also added cutscenes with full voice acting, which adds an extra level of gravitas to things like encountering the Great Deku tree for the first time. And like before, Navi still shouts “Hey, listen!” towards you, and although it can get annoying after a while, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The only small downside is that when you’re just running around town and talking to lower level NPCs, the dialogue is still mostly text-based, which can make Link’s limited speaking skills feel like they’re missing something at times.

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Other new quality of life features include the Threads of Time system which adds helpful story summaries and tooltips so it’s easier to remember what you were doing in the game and pick up where you left off. You also now have full control over camera positioning in case you get stuck in an awkward position, although I found I didn’t need it very often. Swimming has also been significantly improved and the inventory screen has also been reworked, so switching between tools and weapons is even faster than before. These are just some of the more obvious improvements; there are a ton of small or more subtle changes, like Link actually pushing things to open doors, full day/night cycles, adjustments to the game’s map and landscape and others. Hell, you can even hum or sing into the Switch 2 to play notes on the in-game ocarina if traditional button inputs aren’t your thing. And when we hear tunes like Song of Time again, it hits hard.

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There’s so much going on in the Ocarina of time remake, even for people like me who played it when it came out almost thirty years ago. The game still feels fresh and exciting while retaining everything that made it the classic it is today. This means that no matter if you’re a long-time fan or someone new to the franchise, there’s a lot to love and I can’t wait to explore the depth of all the changes Nintendo is making this time around.

THE Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 is available for pre-order now for $60, ahead of its official release on November 5.