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NewsReported · three outlets agreeNintendoIndustry

◆ Origin · reported byGamesRadar+ · Nov 4, 2026, 11:06 UTC

Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is 2026's highest-rated game on Metacritic, at 96

GamesRadar+ reports the Switch 2 remake, out Thursday, Nov. 5, tops 2026's Metacritic list. Critics praised it, with some reservations.

Written by AI from the sources below

First published Nov 4, 2026, 17:21 UTC · Updated Nov 4, 2026, 23:16 UTC · Today's edition · All stories from Nov 4, 2026

Link, in a green tunic with sword and shield, stands before burning ruins at night beside The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time logo.
FIG. 1 · 1200 × 676 pxImage: Nintendo

GamesRadar+ reported Wednesday, as reviews arrived, that Nintendo's Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the highest-rated game of 2026 on Metacritic. Nintendo Life counted a Metascore of 96 based on 81 critic reviews at the time of its report. GamingBolt notes that is three points shy of the N64 original's 99. VGC reports the remake made Metacritic's all-time top 30. It launches Thursday, Nov. 5.

Famitsu scored it 37/40, from four critics' scores of 9/9/9/10, Nintendo Life reports. IGN and GameSpot each gave it a 9, according to GamingBolt.

The praise had limits. Nintendo Life's review headline calls it "A Stunning Remake, But Not Quite Definitive." Game Informer's calls it "Exceptionally Familiar." GamingBolt reports that GameSpot criticized certain elements.

Digital Foundry's tech review, by John Linneman, calls the remake "One of Nintendo's Best-Looking Games Ever" and a ground-up recreation for Switch 2. Per Nintendo Life's summary, resolution runs from 1080p up to 1440p docked and from 720p to 1080p in handheld mode, where level-of-detail distances are more aggressive and textures are downgraded. Nintendo Life says Linneman had only a couple of minor nitpicks.

What critics said

OutletVerdict
Famitsu37/40 (9, 9, 9, 10), per Nintendo Life
IGN9: "an exceptional remake of an incredible game and a rich adventure that stands on its own," per GamingBolt
GameSpot9, per GamingBolt
Digital Foundry"One of Nintendo's Best-Looking Games Ever"
GamesRadar+"Pure magic – the biggest, boldest remake I've ever played"
VGC"Nintendo's timeless masterpiece"
The Verge"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time never gets old"
Nintendo Life"A Stunning Remake, But Not Quite Definitive"
Game Informer"Exceptionally Familiar"
Destructoid"Remasterpiece"
Siliconera"A Stunning Remake"
TABLE 1Scores only where the text we hold gives one; otherwise the outlet's own headline. A sample of the reviews, not all of them.From each outlet's feed or headline, Nov. 4; links go to the review, or for IGN, GameSpot and Famitsu to the report giving the score

Sources

Built on the original report; other outlets' headlines are commentary, every claim attributed.

◆ Origin · reported byGamesRadar+ · Nov 4, 2026, 11:06 UTCThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake Metacritic score makes it the highest-rated game of 2026How we know: earliest seen · what an origin is

Tick-tock · UTC

  1. 1Nov 4 03:55Famitsu's score, the first reviewNintendo Life
  2. 2Nov 4 11:00reviewNintendo Life
  3. 3Nov 4 11:00reviewVGC
  4. 4Nov 4 11:06first report we saw of the Metacritic standingGamesRadar+
  5. 5Nov 4 11:26tech reviewDigital Foundry
  6. 6Nov 4 11:45all-time top 30VGC
  7. 7Nov 4 12:02first of 2 follow-upsSkill Up
  8. 8Nov 4 13:30Digital Foundry's findings, as Nintendo Life summarized themNintendo Life
  9. 9Nov 4 13:47reviewGame Informer
  10. 10Nov 4 14:15Metacritic count at 81 reviewsNintendo Life
  11. 11Nov 4 16:01IGN's and GameSpot's scoresGamingBolt

Added reporting

  1. Nintendo LifeOcarina Of Time Remake Tops Metacritic's GOTY List, And It's High On The All-Time Ranking · 14:15 UTC
  2. VGCThe 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 · 11:45 UTC
  3. GamingBoltThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake is Now 2026’s Highest Rated Game Among Critics · 16:01 UTC
  4. Nintendo LifeThe First Review For Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Switch 2 Is In · 03:55 UTC
  5. Nintendo Life"Worth Your Time" - Digital Foundry Delivers Its Tech Review For Zelda: Ocarina Of Time · 13:30 UTC
  6. Digital FoundryReview: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake - One of Nintendo's Best-Looking Games Ever · 11:26 UTC
  7. Nintendo LifeReview: The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (Switch 2) - A Stunning Remake, But Not Quite Definitive · 11:00 UTC
  8. Game InformerThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (2026) Review - Exceptionally Familiar · 13:47 UTC
  9. VGCZelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Review: Nintendo’s timeless masterpiece · 11:00 UTC

How others are covering it · 2 outlets

Commentary published after the origin, headlines verbatim. Repeating it is not confirming it. What a follow-up is

  1. Skill Up on YouTubeI strongly recommend: 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (2026)' - Review · 12:02 UTC
  2. KotakuZelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake Reviews Make It 2026’s Highest Rated Game · 12:08 UTC

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