Ocarina of Time Remake Scores 96 on Metacritic. What Every Review Agrees On, and the One Complaint

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2 launched on November 5 and, a week on, sits at 96 on Metacritic from more than 80 critic reviews, every one of them positive, making it the highest-rated game of 2026 so far. The round-up at GGRecon and the tally at dlcompare agree on the score and on the odd footnote that it still trails the 1998 original, which holds Metacritic's all-time high of 99.

We haven't finished it ourselves (a week isn't enough, and we make browser games, not console reviews), so this is a reading of what the critics say, where they agree, and the one place they don't.

The scores

Price is $59.99 digital on the US store. There's a small Metacritic accuracy dispute floating around, with one listed 100 that the outlet itself gave as 98; it doesn't move the average.

What everyone agrees on

Three things come up in nearly every review:

1. It's a real remake, not a texture pack. New visuals, new camera, modern controls, and it holds up as a game you'd play fresh in 2026 rather than as a museum visit. IGN's "adventure in its own right" line is the typical framing.
2. It's faithful. The structure, the dungeons, the music cues, the beats people remember from 1998 are where they were. Nobody complains that it changed too much.
3. It plays safe. This is the praise and the criticism in one sentence. Reviewers describe it as conservative: a near-perfect version of a thing that already existed, rather than a reimagining.

The one complaint

The recurring criticism is about the dungeons being streamlined. Several reviewers say the remake smooths the puzzle-solving (clearer signposting, less time lost figuring out where to go), and that this takes "some of the magic" out of the moments where the original made you work for it. RPG Site's 8/10 is the clearest version of this: a remake designed with newcomers in mind first, which long-time players will notice.

Whether that's a flaw depends on who's holding the controller. If you played it in 1998 and want to be stuck in the Water Temple again, you may miss the friction. If you're playing it for the first time, the friction was never the point.

Should you buy it?

• Never played it: this is the version to play. A 96 isn't nostalgia; the reviews from people who came to it fresh are the same as the ones from people who didn't.
• Played it on N64 or 3DS: the reviews suggest you'll be happy but not surprised. If "safe" is a problem for you, wait for a sale.
• Don't have a Switch 2: it's a Switch 2 exclusive, and a $59.99 game isn't a reason to buy a $499.99 console on its own. If you're already thinking about the console, Black Friday bundles are two weeks away.

If you like the puzzle-dungeon part specifically

The thing people love about those dungeons, the room-by-room logic, the "aha" when the pieces connect, is a kind of play that works in a browser too. Two of ours are built around exactly that feeling: Pipe Connect 3D is 240 levels of turning 3D pipes so the water runs from tap to drain, and Tile Twist is the flat, one-thumb version of the same idea. And for the "think three moves ahead" muscle, Chess Citadel has a daily checkmate puzzle that takes two minutes. None of them is a Zelda game; they're free, they're instant, and they scratch the same itch between sessions.

Sources: GGRecon review round-up (November 5, 2026), dlcompare's review tally (November 4), Metacritic and OpenCritic as reported there. Checked November 12, 2026.

FAQ

What is the Ocarina of Time remake's Metacritic score?

96, from more than 80 critic reviews, all positive, as of November 12, 2026. That makes it the highest-rated game of 2026 on Metacritic. OpenCritic shows a Top Critic Average in the mid-90s with a 100% recommendation rate. The 1998 original holds a 99, the highest score on Metacritic.

Is the Ocarina of Time remake worth it if I played the original?

Reviews say it's a faithful, polished remake rather than a reimagining, so returning players get the game they remember with modern visuals and controls. The repeated criticism is that the dungeons are streamlined and lose some of the original's friction. If you want the old difficulty, that may disappoint; if you want to replay it comfortably, it's the best version.

What's the main criticism of the Ocarina of Time remake?

That it plays it safe and simplifies the dungeons. Several reviewers say clearer signposting takes some of the magic out of solving them, and that the design leans toward newcomers. No review in the round-ups we read rated it below 8/10, so the complaint is about tone, not quality.

When did the Ocarina of Time remake come out and what does it cost?

It launched on November 5, 2026, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2, at $59.99 digital on the US store. It is not available on the original Switch or any other platform.

Is the remake harder or easier than the original?

Easier, by most accounts. The structure and bosses are the same, but navigation and puzzle signposting are clearer, which is the source of the "streamlined dungeons" criticism. First-time players will find it approachable; veterans will finish it faster than they did in 1998.

Do I need a Switch 2 to play it?

Yes. The remake is a Switch 2 exclusive and does not run on the original Switch. If you don't own one, consider whether other Switch 2 games justify the console; Black Friday bundles are expected in the last week of November.