Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake tops 2026 with 96 Metascore

Critics have scored Nintendo's Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time higher than any other game released in 2026. Reviews went live on Wednesday, November 4, the day before the game comes out on Thursday, November 5. The remake's Metacritic page showed a 96 Metascore from 81 critic reviews, all of them positive. That placed it at the top of the site's best games of the year, ahead of twin-stick shooter Sektori at 93, and at No. 24 on its all-time list, according to Video Games Chronicle. On OpenCritic, the remake averages 95. The 1998 Nintendo 64 original still holds a 99, the highest score on Metacritic.metacritic.com+3

Visuals, controls and music

VICE counted 46 perfect scores, including from GamesRadar+, Eurogamer, VGC and TheGamer. IGN, GameSpot and Nintendo Life each gave the game 90. Japanese magazine Famitsu, which published the first review, gave it 37 out of 40.vice.com+1

Nintendo Life called the remake "comfortably the most visually stunning work Nintendo has ever put out." The site also praised the new free camera, a jump button Link can use at any time, and orchestral versions of the familiar soundtrack. Mashable said the score was re-recorded with real instruments and singled out the new Gerudo Valley theme. Game Informer said the camera and active jumping make exploring feel more hands-on, while The Guardian's Keza MacDonald called the remake "a dream come true," according to Kotaku's roundup. NPR's review said the jump and sprint buttons make getting around feel more natural, and that the Water Temple is now "much more tolerable" than before.kotaku.com+3

Complaints about playing it safe

Even many top-scoring reviews had reservations. Nintendo Life called it "a very safe remake" that is "still essentially the same game." It criticized the remake for allowing only one manual save file alongside autosaves, and for leaving out Master Quest or "really any kind of hard mode," a gap it called "particularly glaring". RPG Site also objected to the single save slot.nintendolife.com+1

Mashable described Nintendo's approach as "respectable, if a little boring." Its reviewer estimated the remake is about 10% easier than the original. NPR's critic missed the original's carefully framed camera angles and said the long new cutscenes slow the opening hours. The critic argued that what was once an innovation has become "the safest of safe bets," but added that "some harmonies are worth turning back time for".npr.org+1