The Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake" had its review embargo lifted ahead of its November 5 release. At the time of writing, the game holds an average media score of 96 on both OpenCritic and Metacritic, temporarily topping both sites' charts for games in 2026.
On OpenCritic's historical rankings, the title was then tied for second place with a score of 96 alongside "Baldur's Gate 3" and "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," just behind "Super Mario Odyssey," which scored 97.
This remake is based on the 1998 original, featuring revamped visuals and audio, along with voice acting, quality-of-life improvements, and gameplay adjustments such as sprinting and jumping. Both VGC and The Guardian awarded it five stars; the former praised the visual overhaul, more cinematic storytelling, and modern blockbuster scale, while the latter explicitly noted that the reviewer's own childhood nostalgia influenced their assessment.
RPG Site gave a relatively lower score of 8/10, acknowledging that the new visuals and smooth controls further highlight the original's strengths, but criticized certain UI designs and pointed out that some changes reduced the sense of challenge, making boss battles feel too easy. Skill Up did not provide a numerical score but recommended the game, praising how the new visuals and voice acting enhance the narrative and noting that the classic soundtrack has stood the test of time. As more reviews come in, the aggregate scores on both sites may still change.