It's one of the many major gaming events of this end of year, and on Nintendo Switch 2 in particular: the release of the Zelda Ocarina of Time remake, officially out tomorrow, 5 November 2026. But the first reviews from the specialist press dropped just minutes ago, and the least we can say is that Nintendo appears to have pulled it off. With a 96% average on Metacritic, calculated from 81 reviews, this new version of the Nintendo 64 classic is quite simply the best-reviewed game of 2026. It sits ahead of The Witcher 3's remaster (92%), Resident Evil 9 Requiem (89%) and, more recently, Phantom Blade Zero (88%). It's a performance that places the Ocarina of Time remake among the highest-rated productions in Metacritic history: it currently occupies 27th place in the overall rankings, level with monuments such as Elden Ring, Half-Life, Metal Gear Solid 2, Skyrim and even Zelda Tears of the Kingdom and Zelda The Wind Waker.
The remake doesn't beat the original
But one question had been hanging over this release for several weeks: would the remake manage to match the 99% of the original, released in 1998 on Nintendo 64? We now have the answer, as its 96% falls three measly points short of the all-time record, though it's still an exceptional result. It has to be said the bar was set particularly high, and it's worth remembering that Nintendo's remakes and remasters generally score lower averages than their original versions. Ocarina of Time 3D, released on 3DS in 2011, picked up 94%, five points below the N64 game. Link's Awakening on Switch dropped to 87%, against 90% for the Game Boy version, and Skyward Sword HD saw an even sharper fall, going from 93 to 81%.
The international press largely shares this enthusiasm, in any case. Eurogamer and VGC, for example, award it 5 stars out of 5, while Destructoid and MyNintendoNews don't hesitate to slap a perfect 10/10 on it. IGN and Nintendo Life, meanwhile, go for a very respectable 9/10. The return to Hyrule seems to have made a particular impression on journalists who discovered the game on Nintendo 64, but the improvements on offer should also let newcomers fully enjoy this adventure. In France, the first reviews are just as enthusiastic. Gameblog and Puissance Nintendo hand it a maximum 20/20, while Jeuxvideo.com is a touch more measured with a 17/20. Gamekult and ActuGaming each give it an 8/10. Reviewers praise above all the quality of the visual overhaul, how smoothly it all runs and the work done on the soundtrack, now re-orchestrated. The quality-of-life options also bring real flexibility to the adventure, without undermining what made the original so charming.
It's not all perfect, mind. Several reviews regret a modernisation that is at times too cautious, with few genuine new additions for those who already know the game by heart. The difficulty could also have been cranked up, as some sections have been simplified, and the absence of a Master Quest mode is keenly felt. A few mechanics and sequences also betray their age, despite all the work done elsewhere. These reservations remain in the minority given the scores collected overall. Nintendo has clearly preferred to respect the 1998 work rather than try to transform it wholesale. The result therefore doesn't dethrone the original in the Metacritic rankings, but comes close enough to remind us just how much of a benchmark Ocarina of Time remains, even 30 years on. The remake is out on 5 November, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2, and screenactu's review will arrive once we receive the game, because unfortunately we're not part of Nintendo's review programme that allows the game to be played in advance. That's life, as they say, but our score will end up on Metacritic eventually, since we're listed there.
