Ocarina of Time remake: Nov. 5 date, $60 price and what’s new

The Ocarina of Time remake launches on November 5 on Nintendo Switch 2 and is available to pre-order now for $60 in the US. It’s a Switch 2 game, and Nintendo hasn’t mentioned a version for the original Switch.

This is the game’s second remake. The 3DS got an updated version years ago, but the Switch 2 version is a much bigger rebuild. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma has called it a “faithful interpretation” of the original rather than a one-to-one copy.

The most important change is how Link moves. The original handled jumps automatically when you ran off a ledge. The remake gives Link a proper jump button and a sprint, and previewers say he handles a lot like the Link of the two most recent open-world Zelda games, Breath of the Wild and its sequel. You can still roll everywhere like it’s 1998 if you prefer.

• Free camera: the right stick now gives you full control of the camera at all times, replacing the old trick of tapping a shoulder button to snap the view behind Link.
• Z-targeting stays: you still lock on to enemies to fight them, which keeps the original’s combat rhythm.
• Motion aiming: weapons like the slingshot support gyro aiming, where you tilt the controller to aim.
• Faster inventory: swapping tools and weapons has been reworked to be quicker.
• Better swimming: one of the original’s clunkiest parts has been improved.
• Sing to play: use your own voice through the console’s microphone to play ocarina notes, or stick with buttons.

This is where the remake surprises people. Nintendo hasn’t just repainted old rooms. It has changed some challenges to fit the new controls.

One example from early in the game: the hidden Kokiri Sword used to sit at the back of a small maze, with a rolling boulder to dodge. It was really a lesson in recentering the camera. With a free camera, that lesson no longer makes sense, so the chest now sits on a raised platform in the middle of the room, and you need the new jump to reach it. Old tutorial out, new tutorial in.

Other changes make the world feel more logical. A floating platform inside the Great Deku Tree has become a crumbling bridge built into the room. The Forest Temple keeps its familiar layout but adds new cutscenes for its villains. A recent combat trailer also shows expanded fighting on horseback with Epona and a redesigned Dark Link, the shadowy mini-boss in the Water Temple whose fight looks more complex than before.

Major cutscenes now have full voice acting, and yes, Navi still interrupts you with her famous catchphrase. Everyday conversations with townspeople are still mostly text, and dialogue has been expanded so characters have more to say than they did in 1998.

• Threads of Time: story summaries and tips that remind you what you were doing, handy if you play in short bursts.
• Zelda Notes: a new feature Nintendo has highlighted alongside improved ocarina support.
• Hall of Fallen Foes: a museum where statues of defeated monsters stand with info placards. For bosses such as King Dodongo, you can replay the fight and chase a best time, similar to the 3DS version’s Boss Challenge mode.
• Living world: full day and night cycles, a busier Castle Town, and small touches like Link actually pushing doors open.

Visually, hands-on reports describe a lush, detailed Hyrule running at a smooth 60 frames per second, with music that sounds like it’s played by a small group of real musicians instead of the original’s synthesized tracks. Kokiri Forest is overgrown with moss and mushrooms, Link’s tunic has visible stitching, and sword hits throw off bright particle effects.

The one common complaint so far is water, which at least one previewer said looks more like syrup or jelly than water. It’s a small issue, but worth knowing if you’re expecting perfection.

If you own a Switch 2 and love Zelda, the early impressions are very strong, and $60 is standard pricing for a major Nintendo release. If you’re new to the series, the added jump button, free camera and recap tools make this the friendliest way yet to play a famously influential game. If you’re unsure, there’s little risk in waiting for full reviews, which should land around the November 5 launch.