Ocarina of Time review: Does Nintendo's Zelda remake match its original?
The long-awaited remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has been released, maintaining the core gameplay of the 1998 original while updating graphics for modern audiences. Critics and developers note that while the game remains a masterpiece, the shift in visual style has sparked some debate regarding realism.
Why it matters
As one of the most influential games in history, the remake serves as a case study for how developers balance nostalgia with modern technical expectations.
Image source, Nintendo By Tom Gerken Technology reporter Published 8 November 2026, 00:37 GMT The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was finally released on Thursday, after years of rumours that Nintendo would remake the game - considered one of the best ever made.
IGN called it "the biggest game of the decade" in their review , external when it launched in 1998 on the N64, and it set the standard for 3D games.
A lot of the things we take for granted in modern games - such as riding a horse, fighting with a sword and shield, or locking on to enemies with the tap of a button - were pioneered or perfected in Ocarina of Time.
It received an almost perfect score from critics and, decades on, remains the highest-rated game in history on Metacritic, which aggregates reviews.
So how do you remake what many consider a masterpiece?
Also covering this story
3 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time posts highest Metacritic user score ever despite review bombing
The Switch 2's Zelda: Ocarina of Time is already running on PC with DLSS 5 and frame generation
Can the Zelda remake capture the magic of the original?
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