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Ocarina of Time’s Switch 2 Remake Opens With a 96 Metascore
Reviews published November 4 put the Switch 2 remake at a 96 Metascore, making it 2026’s highest rated game on Metacritic at the time; review counts and rankings were snapshots that varied as coverage accumulated. Critics praised the visual overhaul and updated controls, but NPR called the remake safe and missed som...
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- Reviews published November 4 put the Switch 2 remake at a 96 Metascore, making it 2026’s highest rated game on Metacritic at the time; review counts and rankings were snapshots that varied as coverage accumulated.
- Critics praised the visual overhaul and updated controls, but NPR called the remake safe and missed some of the original’s carefully composed camera angles.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: How was Nintendo’s Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time received when reviews went live on November 4 ahead of its Novemb. Article summary: The available reporting describes an overwhelmingly enthusiastic reception when reviews appeared on November 4 ahead of the November 5 launch, with the remake reaching a 96 Metascore and becoming the year’s highest-rated. Topic tags: general, general web, news, user generated. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts w
The Nintendo Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time earned an early 96 Metascore when reviews went live on November 4, the day before its November 5 release. The reception was strongly positive, with praise for the presentation and modernized controls—but some reviewers felt the remake played it safe and lost touches of the original’s visual framing. 36
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A 96 Metascore—and changing review counts
On November 4, GameSpot reported a Metacritic score of 96 based on 81 reviews, putting the remake at the top of the site’s 2026 rankings at that time. The same report listed Sektori at 93. 36 Other coverage captured different totals as reviews came in: VGC reported 70 reviews and said the game had reached No. 24 on Metacritic’s all-time list, while The Independent counted 80 reviews and 46 perfect scores. These are time-specific snapshots, not one fixed review count or ranking.
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The reported OpenCritic figure also varied: one roundup listed a 95, while another described a 96 Top Critic Average. Those figures reflect different reports and should not be treated as a single settled score. 11
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The high aggregate reflected broad enthusiasm, but not a wall of perfect marks. Famitsu’s four reviewers scored the game 9, 9, 9 and 10, for 37/40. 18 A launch-day roundup also listed 9/10 scores from IGN and GameSpot, alongside 5/5 reviews from GamesRadar and Eurogamer.
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What reviewers liked about the remake
Review coverage highlighted the refreshed visuals, updated environments, orchestral soundtrack and newly voiced dialogue. Critics also pointed to a freely adjustable camera and updated controls as quality-of-life improvements. 25
The new movement options stood out to NPR’s reviewer: jump and sprint buttons made getting around feel more natural, and combat felt smoother. IGN praised optional motion aiming, while noting that it could make shooting challenges and other side activities easy to clear on the first attempt. 17
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Nintendo’s changes to the Water Temple aimed to make it easier to navigate without replacing its core dungeon mechanisms. The studio retained the underlying design while improving playability, including clearer sightlines through some walls and easier item switching. 19
The trade-off: modernization without a major redesign
The remake’s close relationship to its source material was both a strength and a reservation. GameSpot described it as reverent, praising how it updates some gameplay elements while keeping the original’s design ethos intact. NPR, by contrast, called it “superb, streamlined and safe.” Its reviewer missed the original’s thoughtfully composed camera angles and objected to losing a particular top-down view in Hyrule Castle. 38
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That tension helps explain the reviews: many critics saw a careful way to revisit a classic, while others wanted more of the remake to challenge or reinterpret the original. The evidence supports a standout critical debut, not the claim that every outlet gave it a perfect score or that every reported feature and criticism was confirmed.
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Reviews published November 4 put the Switch 2 remake at a 96 Metascore, making it 2026’s highest rated game on Metacritic at the time; review counts and rankings were snapshots that varied as coverage accumulated.
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Reviews published November 4 put the Switch 2 remake at a 96 Metascore, making it 2026’s highest rated game on Metacritic at the time; review counts and rankings were snapshots that varied as coverage accumulated. Critics praised the visual overhaul and updated controls, but NPR called the remake safe and missed some of the original’s carefully composed camera angles.
Sources
gamespot.comThe Ocarina Of Time Remake Has Claimed 2026's Review Crown, But GTA 6 Could Have Something To Say About It
npr.orgZelda: Ocarina of Time remake is superb, streamlined and ...
videogameschronicle.comThe Zelda Ocarina of Time remake has shot to the top of Metacritic's best games of 2026 so far, makes its all-time top 30
independent.co.uk