Ocarina of Time remake launches on Switch 2 with a 96 Metascore

Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake on November 5, 2026, making it a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.

The remake holds a 96 Metascore, making it the highest-rated title of 2026 so far, and it earned a 95 on OpenCritic. The original 1998 game remains Metacritic’s highest-rated title among critics with a 99, setting the benchmark against which the remake is measured.

Beebom lists launch-day critical scores of 5 out of 5 from VGC, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, and TechRadar, plus 9 out of 10 from IGN and Gamespot and 9.25 out of 10 from Game Informer. These scores appeared ahead of the launch as reviews became available on Metacritic and OpenCritic. The outlet says critics have praised the remake for faithfully recreating every aspect of the original. Eurogamer said, “Alongside great judgement and clever tweaks, this astonishing remake has a proper ace up its sleeve.”

ComicBook.com gave the remake a perfect score of 5 out of 5 and labeled it one of the greatest video game remakes ever made. Shacknews Managing Editor David Craddock gave it a perfect 10 and described it as “tour de force that redefines what remakes can be.”

GamingBolt published its review on January 1, 2026, characterizing the modern re-release of the 1998 title as a showcase of design confidence and a Nintendo flex. The review presents the release as either bold confidence or hubris, given that a formative 3D game arrives nearly 30 years later with few changes to core mechanics, and concludes Nintendo succeeded because strong design holds up. The outlet also says Switch 2 represents Nintendo’s first near-modern hardware in nearly two decades.

GamingBolt reports that the remake locks at 60 frames per second, up from roughly 20 frames per second in the original and the locked 30 frames per second of the 3DS remaster from 15 years earlier. The review also describes a hyper-detailed style leaning toward photorealism, departing from Nintendo’s recent cel-shaded approach, with dynamic lighting alongside physics-based fog, a full orchestral suite with live renditions of every song, and direct camera control on the right analog stick. It describes the remake as the best-looking game the company has ever made.

The GamingBolt review argues the original’s issues were mainly visual and technical rather than design-related, so Nintendo left the core adventure untouched while targeting presentation, polish, storytelling, and performance. It notes the original relied on MIDI music, while the remake swaps in today’s live renditions of every song, including a new night-time Kokiri Forest theme. The review also points to hitstun and attack sound effects as part of the audiovisual feedback.

GameRant notes that nearly three decades after the original Nintendo 64 launch, Nintendo put out an updated Ocarina of Time that is drawing nearly the same enthusiasm. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 holds a 92 Metascore after launching on April 24, 2025.

The remake’s Metacritic user score is 9.6 out of 10, ahead of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s 9.4 on the all-time user-score list. It reached 7,796 user ratings on November 8, 2026 and 9,534 by November 9, 2026, compared with 27,653 for Expedition 33.

GameRant warns the remake’s user-rating lead is less secure than the average suggests because Expedition 33 has far more ratings after launching more than 18 months earlier. The outlet says the coming months will matter more than the opening days in determining whether the remake holds its top user-score spot.

GameRant explains that any Metacritic account holder can submit a user rating even without buying or finishing the game. The outlet says ratings come from veteran fans of the original and newcomers playing it for the first time, including fans searching for secrets they remember from the Nintendo 64 game nearly three decades ago. The outlet’s reviewer awarded Expedition 33 a perfect 10 before launch and still stands by that rating.

Nintendo issued Version 1.1.1 for the remake on November 4, 2026, a small but important update that adds support for Zelda Notes. The app lets players explore using photos as clues and play the ocarina freely, though users must follow start-of-game instructions to configure it after installing the update.

ComicBook.com highlights quality-of-life improvements including a dedicated jump button, easier item equipping for tools such as the Iron Boots, and a fully third-person camera replacing fixed-camera areas. Players can now aim the bow or hookshot without shifting to a first-person perspective, and Nintendo added a Hall of Fallen Foes to showcase enemy redesigns. GamingBolt says items such as the Iron Boots, along with the Lens of Truth, are now faster and less awkward.

ComicBook.com says the remake features voiced cutscenes for characters including Zelda and Ganondorf, along with reworked cutscenes that clear up parts that confused players in the Nintendo 64 version. The outlet calls the storytelling upgrade the biggest improvement and praises the re-recorded orchestral score, though certain atmospheric tracks seem less moody than earlier versions. It also says child Link and Zelda models are a bit jarring, while other side characters, enemies, and bosses look great.

GameRant reports criticism of the updated look and relatively faithful approach, along with missing substantial new content and no Master Quest. GamingBolt lists the remake’s only drawback as sticking too closely to the original, while praising strong core design, sharp graphics, solid performance, and excellent pacing.

ComicBook.com frames its review around Zelda’s 40th anniversary and notes Nintendo gave reviewers an advance copy for review purposes. Beebom specifies the launch time as 12 AM ET. Nintendo is credited as both developer and publisher.

Beebom says GTA 6’s review embargo lifts in two weeks and that GTA 6 can compete for Game of the Year at The Game Awards. GameRant lists the remake’s ESRB rating as Everyone 10+ with content descriptors for Animated Blood and Fantasy Violence.