Ocarina of Time remake reviews: 96 Metacritic, best of 2026
The Ocarina of Time remake has a 96 on Metacritic, making it the highest-rated game of 2026. Here's what critics said and how it compares to the original.
05th Nov 2026 10:30
Ocarina of Time remake reviews: 96 Metacritic, best of 2026
The Ocarina of Time remake has a 96 on Metacritic, making it the highest-rated game of 2026. Here's what critics said and how it compares to the original.
05th Nov 2026 10:30
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake has arrived with a 96 on Metacritic, making it the highest-rated game of 2026 on the same day it launches on Switch 2.
That score comes from more than 80 critic reviews, and every one of them is positive according to dlcompare's tally on November 4, so it's fair to say Link's latest trip back in time has gone down rather well.
How does the remake compare to the original Ocarina of Time?
The 1998 Nintendo 64 original still holds a 99 on Metacritic, the highest score the site has ever recorded, so the remake hasn't quite toppled its own legend, but it has comfortably beaten Nintendo's last attempt, as Ocarina of Time 3D on the 3DS sits at 94.
The new version also sits among the 30 highest-rated games on Metacritic of all time, with Nintendo Life spotting it at number 27 and dlcompare placing it at 24, and that position is likely to wobble a little as more reviews roll in.
What are critics saying about the Ocarina of Time remake?
GamesRadar+ handed it a perfect five stars and IGN gave it a 9 out of 10, praising it as a brilliant remake that also holds up as an adventure in its own right. Not everyone was quite so starry-eyed, though, as IGN felt the streamlined dungeons take a little of the magic out of solving them, and RPG Site's 8 out of 10 argued the remake is built with brand-new players in mind first.
It's a similar story over on OpenCritic, where the remake has a Top Critic Average in the mid-90s and a 100% recommendation rate, so anyone sitting on the fence is rapidly running out of excuses.
Switch 2's new top scorer
According to The Shortcut, the score also makes it the most critically acclaimed game on Switch 2 so far, which is quite the achievement for a game that first came out before a lot of today's Switch 2 owners were even born.
If you're planning to pick it up, we've rounded up the UK price, file size and what's new in the remake, including the free N64 box from last night's London launch.
Well, with reviews like these, it seems the only thing from 1998 that hasn't aged well is the Water Temple's reputation.
About The Author
Jake Bannister
Jake is GGRecon's Co-Founder and Operations Director. You'll find him covering our word game brain teasers, as well as sports games such as Football Manager and EA FC. He's also that teammate on your Rocket League team spamming "Wow!".
