The remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has redesigned the Water Temple, focusing on improving issues from the original such as difficult navigation, slow movement, and frequent equipment changes. Eiji Aonuma, who helped design the original dungeon, described these revisions as "overdue homework" and instructed the team to adjust the original's high difficulty.
Spatial visibility is a key focus of these changes. Some walls that previously caused players to lose their sense of direction have been replaced with gridded structures, allowing direct views into adjacent rooms. The dungeon's walls, tunnels, environmental obstacles, and lighting have also been reworked, with visual cues like glowing pillars guiding players to new areas, helping them understand the overall layout and keep track of their location.
Underwater exploration will be retained. Eiji Aonuma aims to preserve the unique experience created by underwater sound and spatial design, while addressing the slow movement in the original version with more flexible controls for Link. Based on the limited footage shown so far, enemy placements and puzzle structures largely follow the original, though objectives may be easier to identify thanks to clearer visual cues.
Global gameplay adjustments in the remake also apply to the Water Temple. Players can switch items via a quick-select interface without repeatedly opening the menu, and navigation tools have been enhanced. Additionally, the game introduces full camera control and a universal jump ability, improving room recognition and movement flow while preserving the core features of underwater exploration and puzzles.