Ocarina of Time Remake First Review: NPR Calls It Safe

By GameDrop Staff · Nov 04, 2026 · Releases · 2 min read

Link in the Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2 — Image: Nintendo

The first review of the Ocarina of Time remake has surfaced ahead of Thursday's 5 November Switch 2 launch. NPR's James Perkins Mastromarino published it early, and its headline sums it up: "superb, streamlined and safe." The wider embargo had not lifted at the time of writing, so there is no Metacritic score yet.

Verdict (NPR): superb and faithful, but leaves the reviewer feeling "oddly bereft."
Praise: stunning visuals, better combat, jump and dash buttons, quick-access menu, Threads of Time.
Criticism: imprecise aiming, character designs that clash, slower voiced cutscenes.
Launch: 5 November 2026, Switch 2 only. Scores still to come.

What did the NPR review say?

NPR says the remake "enshrines its place in the gaming canon for generations to come," but that despite "stupendous production values and painstaking details" it left the critic oddly bereft. The review argues a decent remake should evoke how you remember a game rather than recreate dated controls and chunky graphics, and credits Nintendo with updating the experience in many small ways.

What are the good and bad points?

Per summaries from Notebookcheck and Hobbyconsolas, the review praises responsive combat, the new jump and run buttons, a quick-access item menu and the Threads of Time tapestry. Fully voiced cutscenes are a double-edged change: they follow the 1998 story but can slow players eager to explore Hyrule. On the downside, aiming is still somewhat imprecise, and some character designs, such as Nabooru's face and golden makeup, are distracting. One joke notes some upgrades now cost 500 rupees: "inflation has come to Hyrule." The Water Temple is also reported to be reworked, as covered by Polygon.

Version	Release	Metacritic
Nintendo 64 original	1998	99
Nintendo 3DS remake	2011	94
Switch 2 remake	5 Nov 2026	Pending

Scene from the Ocarina of Time remake — Image: Nintendo

When will the Metacritic score appear?

No official embargo date has been published. Past Zelda games have landed reviews a day before release, which would point to 4 November, but that is a guess from Tech Unpacked, not a confirmed time. We will cover the full critic roundup once scores are live. Until then, remember a single outlet is not a consensus.

Should you buy it?

If you want the story and dungeons with modern controls, early signals are positive. If you hoped for a bold reinvention, the "safe" label is worth noting. Check what changed versus the original, the India price and file size and the IST unlock time. Browse more launches on our launch calendar.