Back when the Nintendo Switch released, I was hyped for what would be its great initial game. Breath of the Wild. I’d been familiar with The Legend of Zelda before then, playing the likes of Phantom Hourglass and A Link Between Worlds, but never to the point of completion. Never fully immersing myself in their worlds. Breath of the Wild changed that. So, I wanted to try out the ultimate classic. Ocarina of Time.

Remade for the 3DS in 2011, I finally gave it a chance in 2017 after completing Breath of the Wild. Of course, the Switch was starting to take all my attention, so it quickly got put aside. What I had played, however (up to first becoming adult Link), I did enjoy. So, with the announcement that Ocarina of Time was getting another remake for the Switch 2, I knew I wanted it. To finally fully experience this classic adventure that many hold as the crowning glory of the franchise.

It looked so lovely, and playing it for myself, I’m finding myself enjoying all the details that have been put into it. The light falling through the trees of Kokiri Forest. The waterfalls of the Zora River. Death Mountain towering in the distance. Even smaller details such as the way the blades scatter in the air when cut. Landing on the water to float down the river. Such detail also helps bring the cinematic cutscenes to life.

One such cutscene starts the entire adventure off, seeing child Link’s nightmare of what will come to pass. The Great Deku Tree telling the fairy Navi to get Link, and Navi’s flight through the forest to reach him. The voice cast do a great job with these characters, though Link is still as quiet as ever. The personalities they convey match how I read the non-voiced dialogue, which also shows the strength of the character designs.

Wandering through Kokiri Forest, I grab rupees, get myself a shield, find the sword in the hidden passage, then head for the meeting with the Great Deku Tree. Who sets me to dealing with the monster within him. This introduces the mechanics of the dungeons within Ocarina of Time. Where I’m exploring various rooms, solving puzzles, fighting off enemies, as I work toward where the boss hides.

Each dungeon is unique in design and mechanics, with new equipment found within them being taught organically. This also comes into the boss fights, where the weak point of them usually relates to something I’ve been doing throughout a dungeon. Such as firing at things with a slingshot. Navi is also on hand to give hints on how to tackle an enemy when locked on to it, too.

With that first dungeon complete, the real quest begins. Leaving Kokiri Forest for an adventure across Hyrule. Getting out onto Hyrule Field for the first time feels so freeing after the time spent in the forest. There’s the feeling that the world is free to explore. And free to explore it is, though the quest is linear in how it wants me to complete it. So, after a good wander around Hyrule Field, it’s onto Castle Town and the grounds of Hyrule Castle.

Again, everything looks so great. There’s a life to Castle Town that just wasn’t there with the 3DS version. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I can fully explore it now instead of the camera being locked to the fountain. Letting me see the details up close, talk to the people of the town. The route up to the castle, and its gardens, similarly are full of detail now.

As the adventure continues, I find new places. Each with their own unique design. Same goes for the people who inhabit them, such as the aquatic Zora. Each dungeon presents me with new challenges, new enemies to encounter, and a boss that is almost a puzzle in itself. Then comes the standout cutscene in the Temple of Time that brings me to using adult Link. Oh, how I loved that entire section.

Ocarina of Time might be a concise package with its tightly woven world and dungeons, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t extra things to be finding. There’s many minigames to partake in, golden skulltulas to find, and a lot of fun interactions to be had with the residents of the places I visit. And though the world is tightly designed, I still find myself exploring it much the same as I have other worlds.

The Breath of the Wild UI is very prevalent with this remake. Menu designs, the item switch, even the way the name appears for major characters. And much like with Breath of the Wild, there’s a quest tracker so people can be reminded of what they were up to previously. As for the music, need I say anything? It is such a joy with its many themes, whether that be the ocarina songs, those of locations, and even in cutscenes.

It really has been a joy playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with this new remake. Though smaller in scale compared to Breath of the Wild, it is still packed with everything I love about that game and the series in general. Easy to understand combat, unique locations and dungeon puzzles that fit them, lovely music and interactions… It’s no wonder that I give Ocarina of Time an easy recommendation.

Images Taken From:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time | Nintendo Switch 2