The Zelda 40th anniversary celebration is finally here! And Nintendo is all ready here to sell us knick-knacks and games in celebration! Whether it’s a concert series, already announced amiibo, some new and exciting amiibo, Ocarina of Time-themed…Ocarina, and even some licensed action figures. We also know the title of the upcoming Legend of Zelda movie called: The Legend of Zelda.
Well, that one could have been an email. Most exciting of all though is the full unveiling of the Ocarina of Time remake for Switch 2 and man does it rock my socks as it appears Nintendo has finally “Hired this man” and gave us a true glimpse into what a modern Zelda would look like.
I have thoughts, excitement, and some nitpicks. Does the aesthetic and gameplay differences veer too far away from Ocarina of Time’s identity or does it fall right in line with a modern and nostalgic blend?
What IS That Art style?
Eiji Aonuma described the remake as a modern graphical overhaul while retaining a sense of nostalgia, but it definitely leans into the side of the modern over the nostalgic by with a stylized yet realistic art style with a sort of wooden esque noses and large doll like eyes. It also appears that every inch of Link himself is coated with high-fidelity materials and almost Celtic like accents, with literally no texture left behind as it appears.
Characters across the board also have a similar style to link, but with notably less detail, which seems like a little bit of a disconnect but it’s too early to tell. The enemy variety though seems to carry a very menacing and dreary vibe, which is appreciated. I’m already cowering over the idea of Below the Well. I’ve seen criticism over how Zelda herself looks, but she reminds me of a younger Twilight Princess Zelda.
The atmosphere gives a bit more of a modern, almost UE5 look and lighting with taste of stylized wistfulness. Kokiri forest is rightfully very foggy and Hyrule Field is rightfully very bright and lush. I don’t think this game engine is UE5, though, since the lighting, physics, and lack of anti-aliasing give me more of an impression of Nintendo’s in-house Zelda engine. This might also mean that the official Zelda team developed this remake!
The art style is definitely something to get used to. It deviates heavily from the original ’90s anime style book and gives more of a Western Laika stop motion (Wildwood) meets Tim Henson’s Dark Crystal. I like all of these things, but it’s not what my idea of Ocarina of Time would look like at first glance.
Gameplay Changes
Gameplay seems like an overall step up and slightly sideways. What does this mean? Well, like newer Zelda games, you can jump and sprint! The presentation, similar to newer Zelda titles, is very bouncy with dramatic hair and clothing movement. Directional attacks look like they have made a return and hitting things looks epic. Items though seem to be delegated to one button, like Skyward Sword which is a…choice.
God forbid you want quick access to arrow and bombs. That’s more of a nitpick, but I’m also here to nitpick. The pause menu was revamped to something more similar to the Links Awakening remake, and I don’t like it. But that’s only because the original stone carved look was so iconic and this one is just a step down.
The revamped Ocarina system seems fun and intuitive as well as the decision to voice characters in cutscenes. Link will definitely be silent, but I’ll welcome still these changes if it doesn’t get too uncanny with the new art style.
Closing Thoughts
Ocarina of Time is one of the best video games ever made, and is very much do for a remake. But as with all remakes, will the changes to the art style and gameplay do justice to the 1998 original and 2011 3DS Remake? Time will tell, but I’m more than excited for this remake.
In any case, if you want something high fidelity and more close to the original aesthetic, Henriko Magnifico just updated with OOT 3D 4K texture pack to be one screen compatible and it’s glorious.
For all things Zelda 40th Anniversary, like the super clean Switch 2 console, Pro Controller, action figures and more, see below!
