Game review: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Switch 2)

I'm old enough to remember what it was like playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time back when it first launched in 1998. While I didn't own a Nintendo 64 at home, I did have the luxury of playing the game every school holiday at a family friend's house.

Unfortunately, I played the game years before YouTube existed, so I couldn't look up a guide on where to go or what to do. Not to mention, I was playing on an existing save file and did not know the story or quests.

Nevertheless, I still loved the graphics and memorable music at the time. It wasn't until 2016 when I bought a Wii U did I finally finish Ocarina of Time properly. Despite the stiff controls and outdated graphics, it was still one of the best games I had ever played.

Fast forward to 2026, and Nintendo has finally released a modern remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on a home console. A previous remake was made years ago, but it was only available on the Nintendo 3DS portable console.

Anyway, there are two ways to make a remake that will satisfy fans. One is changing a lot of things about the game to make it more acceptable for modern audiences. This is the case for the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. Some elements of the original game are there, but the story, gameplay, and graphics are totally different from the PS1 version from 1997.

Well, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the exact opposite of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. It is as faithful to the original game as possible because the story, level design, and characters are all the same. Not to mention, the gameplay is nearly identical, too.

The biggest difference between the two games is obviously the graphics. The N64 original only ran at 20fps with a resolution of 240p. This looked decent back in 1998, but younger players might not accept this.

Thankfully, the Switch 2 remake has had a big graphical overhaul. The game now runs at a buttery smooth 60fps, with the resolution ranging from 720p to 1440p – depending on if the Switch 2 is docked or undocked.

It might be the prettiest-looking Zelda game of all time, mainly because it uses a modern 3D game engine. It ditches the 2D cel-shaded look of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. It's probably the most realistic-looking Zelda game since Twilight Princess.

The story is left unchanged as Zelda and Link still have to prevent the evil Ganondorf from getting a hold of the Triforce. The only change to the story is that major cutscenes now have voiceovers. Link is still mostly mute, but other characters like Zelda and Impa finally have voice actors.

What I like most about this remake is that the gameplay has been relatively unchanged. Unlike Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed games, you don't need to level up to get stronger, plus bosses and enemies don't block or have annoying long health bars!

You just need to press the ZL button to target an enemy, and mash the Y button to use Link's sword. Holding down the ZL button also allows Link to block using his trusty shield. Link also has a ton of other gadgets to use to both kill enemies and navigate through the environment.

When Link is a kid, he can attack enemies from afar using a slingshot or boomerang. Once Link is an adult, he gets a hookshot to grapple to higher platforms. Both versions of Link get access to bombs that can blow up enemies or the environment.

Surprisingly, the Ocarina of Time remake on Switch 2 also does not dumb down the gameplay for modern audiences either. Sure, the game still has maps, but there are no waypoints or yellow paint to blatantly guide players on where to go all the time. You actually have to get clues from NPCs or learn new game mechanics to get around dungeons.

Yes, the dungeons are back, including the dreaded Water Temple! Thankfully, the Water Temple adds some visual cues for players to let them know which rooms raise or lower the water levels. The Water Temple is still the hardest dungeon in the game, but the other temples are easy to understand if you've played the game before.

As much as I love the gameplay and graphics of Ocarina of Time, it's the memorable music that will always put a smile on my face. It probably ties with Final Fantasy VII as my favourite non-licensed video game soundtrack of all time. The music has been rearranged in the remake for a more modern sound, but it's just as beautiful as it was back in 1998 when I first heard it.

It goes without saying that The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Switch 2 is a near-perfect remake. Older fans will love revisiting the game after 28 years, while newer players will finally understand why this is one of the best games of all time. If you own a Switch 2, you must buy this ASAP.