Several days after the release of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake, Metacritic has finally opened up player ratings. Players have given it an impressive 9.6 score, surpassing even Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Silent Hill 2 Remake. Although there was a wave of suspicious low scores attempting to drag down the rating, mainstream opinion remains focused on praising the visual upgrades and control improvements of the Switch 2 version.
A Masterpiece in Players' Eyes
Nintendo previously lifted review embargoes for media outlets and YouTube channels on November 4, but Metacritic only opened player scoring 36 hours after the November 5 release of the Ocarina of Time remake. So far, the game has received over 3,900 player reviews.
Of course, it is still too early to draw final conclusions, and the 9.6 rating may still change in the future. Currently in second place is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, with a player score of 9.4 and over 27,500 reviews, showing relatively stable performance. Silent Hill 2 Remake ranks third with a 9.3, while another recent Nintendo first-party title on Switch 2, Splatoon Raiders, sits in fourth. Additionally, Resident Evil 9: Requiem and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered have also received 9.3 scores, tying with this classic survival horror title from Capcom.
Many players who gave high scores highlighted the strengths of the Ocarina of Time remake. Some consider it one of the best-looking games currently available on handheld platforms. However, screen flickering issues in Hyrule's open areas have led some players to lament the lack of DLSS super-resolution technology in the game.
Are There Still Some Obvious Regrets?
Modernized controls and a less frustrating dungeon exploration experience are frequently mentioned positives in player reviews. However, some players have pointed out that certain changes in the Ocarina of Time remake have made the gameplay too easy. Therefore, the absence of the original's high-difficulty Master Quest mode is seen as a regrettable omission, as it would have provided a more challenging experience for players.
Despite currently topping the Metacritic player ratings, the Ocarina of Time remake has faced suspected malicious review bombing. An unusual number of 0-score reviews have appeared, along with baseless accusations claiming the game uses generative AI technology. Other negative reviews criticize Nintendo for not adding enough new content to the remake and relying too heavily on re-releasing older titles on the Switch 2 platform.
If Metacritic determines that certain reviews are spam intended to artificially lower a game's score, they can be removed. Players on social media have noticed that at least 30 to 40 such reviews have already disappeared.