The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is not only the highest-rated video game ever made (with a near-perfect 99 score on Metacritic) but is also still considered by many to be the best entry in the franchise over 25 years after its release. This is simply one of those titles that everyone should play at least once in their lives, as it quite literally reinvented the way video games are played. Fortunately, the whole world will be able to re-experience this timeless adventure one more time just before The Legend of Zelda movie hits theaters.
During the latest Nintendo Direct presentation, a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was announced, set to arrive on Nintendo Switch 2 later this year. Many questions are still up in the air, as Nintendo refused to showcase any gameplay or even pan the camera around Hyrule Field to give us a better idea of what to expect. So while we wait for some much-needed answers, it's time to break down the three big ways in which the remake can improve upon the original N64 title (aside from the graphical enhancements, of course).
3. A Hyrule Field with no loading screens and more secrets, characters, and side quests
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time presented the very first 3D rendition of the kingdom of Hyrule, with the central field acting as a "hub" from which players could travel to other areas such as Death Mountain or Zora's Domain. Many people know this extensive map like the back of their hands, so the key shouldn't be to change it, but rather to make it feel more alive.
For starters, there should be no loading screens when traversing from one area to another, giving the world an "open-ended" feel without fully going open-world like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Additionally, there should be more hidden caves and treasures that make exploration feel worth it. Perhaps new tunics could be hidden across the map, or we could even find brand-new characters that give us completely new side quests, each with their own unique rewards. Why not even expand the amount of heart pieces players can obtain?
One of the best systems in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom was the inclusion of NPCs with fleshed-out daily routines who react dynamically to the weather. While there's no need for the Ocarina of Time remake to reimplement this system in its entirety, perhaps key characters (such as the Running Man) could have this level of reactivity to the world around them.
2. Upgraded controls, more replayability options, and a better UX
Hey, listen! While The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time redefined how video game players move through 3D space, some of its mechanics are a bit outdated now. The most obvious is the camera, as you constantly need to press a button to center it directly behind Link to see the way forward. The remake must address this issue and give us the option to freely move the camera around, as is the case with any third-person game nowadays. But why stop there?
Remember how tedious it was to pause the game, go to the inventory, equip the Iron Boots to go to the bottom of a body of water, and then have to pause the game again, go to the inventory, and unequip the Iron Boots to start swimming? Yes, the UX should definitely be reworked. Fortunately, the Nintendo Switch 2 has more buttons than a Nintendo 64 controller, so players can now bind the use of an item directly to one specific button of their choosing. These minor improvements need to be present once the remake drops.
Nintendo could even go all the way and improve the player's experience by allowing them to replay any specific dungeon at any specific moment. They could also add a boss-rush mode, similar to the one found in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. That way, we could experience our favorite moments without having to start a new save file from zero.
1. The Temple of Light should finally be playable
Let's start by addressing the obvious: Would a Light Temple be amazing to play through? Yes. Is it really coming our way in the Ocarina of Time remake? It's a very long shot. Nintendo isn't known for putting in the most effort when crafting its remasters or remakes. And even when it does, there aren't huge portions of cut content suddenly added back into the mix. However, if by any sort of miracle we get a brand new dungeon in one of the most acclaimed video games ever, it would be nothing short of legendary.
When Link jumps forward in time, he must acquire six Sage Medallions to enter Ganondorf's castle. Five of these are hidden behind intricate dungeons, each with its own boss battles and unique items to collect. However, the Light Medallion is simply... handed to players without requiring them to overcome any trial. It was eventually revealed that the medallion was supposed to be found in the Light Temple, which was ultimately cut from the game. So, now is the perfect opportunity to bring that dungeon into light (pun intended).
Sometimes the original vision of a game can't be fully realized due to time constraints or technological limitations. While the original Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was nearly flawless, there were still some elements left on the cutting room floor. This could be Nintendo's best chance to finally deliver on everything they had planned for their most acclaimed game to date and give us a taste of what was supposed to be all those years ago.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake will be released in 2026.
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