Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Gameplay Revealed for Switch 2

Remember the rumors? After months of speculation, Nintendo finally confirmed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake back in June. But that reveal was all cinematic—no real gameplay. Now, during today's Nintendo Direct for Zelda, we finally got a proper look at the remake in action, and it looks absolutely stunning.

The Switch 2 exclusive stays true to the 1998 original's art style, but with a major visual upgrade. Link's hat and tunic now show detailed stitching and embroidery, and you can even see little berries on his cap. The lighting is gorgeous too—sunlight filters through the forest as Link heads to the Great Deku Tree. It's like a beautiful memory brought to life.

But here's the big gameplay change: Link now has a dedicated jump and dash button. That might sound trivial to younger players who grew up with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but for those of us who struggled with the N64's limitations, it's a huge deal. The original Ocarina of Time didn't have a jump button; Link would auto-jump at ledges. Now, with manual jumping and dashing, the possibilities for combat and exploration open up. How this will affect dungeon design wasn't discussed, but it's intriguing to think about.

I'm honestly relieved. My biggest fear was that this would just be a simple remaster with a fresh coat of paint. But from what we've seen, the remake is faithful yet modernized enough to feel fresh for veterans and newcomers alike. It's a delicate balance, and it looks like they're getting it right.

Ocarina of Time is often hailed as the greatest Zelda game ever—at least until the Switch era rolled in with Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. It was the first 3D Zelda, a trailblazer that set the standard for everything that followed. Over the years, it's been ported and remastered multiple times, with the 3DS version often being considered the definitive one due to quality-of-life improvements like tweaks to the dreaded Water Temple.

Now, the remake is set to launch on November 5 for Switch 2. Will you be picking it up? Or are you more hyped for something else? Let me know in the comments!