GameCentral has gone hands-on with the remake of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time, playing the entirety of the Forest Temple. The preview confirms the game is a graphical masterpiece, though some choices, such as manual jumping and voice-acting, may divide fans.
A graphical showcase for Switch 2
The preview dismisses the notion that Nintendo has never been interested in high-end graphics, recalling that the SNES was more powerful than the Mega Drive and the N64 was marketed as cutting-edge hardware. The GameCube was also more powerful than the PlayStation 2, and its failure led to Nintendo's shift with the Wii.
The Switch 2 has lacked a showcase from Nintendo itself, with only third-party ports demonstrating its power. The Ocarina Of Time remake changes that, impressing with visuals that are not as photorealistic or technically complex as GTA 6 but still breathtaking in the two or three hours played. The preview also expressed confidence in the remake's gameplay updates for the 28-year-old original.
Familiar locations with enhanced detail
The preview was split into three sections: the beginning in Kokiri Forest, the start of the Great Deku Tree dungeon, and Hyrule Field and Castle Town. The largest section was the whole of the Forest Temple, the first dungeon tackled as adult Link.
Kokiri Forest is described as potentially the most impressive area, with unnecessary detail and a living, breathing feel, with insects buzzing and pollen floating. Despite the graphical detail, its layout is essentially identical to the original, including minor characters that are visual clones of each other. The Deku Tree has a mild makeover, closer to his Breath Of The Wild look, while the Deku Baba now has a drooling, root-like tongue and Skulltulas look more like actual spiders.
Hyrule Field remains the same size to preserve pacing and accessibility, though a new run ability speeds traversal. The game also retains the same load times as the N64 original. Castle Town, previously made up of pre-rendered fixed camera scenes, is now a fully 3D environment with more detail, new buildings, and a day/night cycle. A fifth bottle to collect is also hinted at.
Gameplay changes and new elements
The Forest Temple appears as a 1:1 remake at first, but eagle-eyed players will notice more wood panelling, making it resemble the Spencer Mansion from Resident Evil. The Wallmasters are still panic-inducing, but their shadow warning is now more obvious. Other changes include a pool of acid during a Stalfos fight, a different room layout for a spinning carousel of platforms, no time limit for moving the poe sister, and a new spin attack for Phantom Ganondorf.
A brand new element is Fairy notes, short messages in hard-to-find spots that add background lore. The preview found one in the Forest Temple and another on a stone outside Castle Town, suggesting at least one per major area.
The preview was not keen on the manual jumping, which replaces the original's automatic jumps, raising the barrier for entry for casual gamers. It also lamented that Link can no longer be renamed, likely because his name is spoken aloud in dialogue. The voice-acting in Kokiri Forest is described as cheesy, though there is not much spoken dialogue overall, with Navi communicating via text bubbles.
The preview concludes that while not all choices are agreeable, they did not spoil the experience. The biggest question is whether the old-school, non-open world formula remains engaging in 2026, but the graphics are astonishingly good. The remake, like the original, is filled with secrets, wonder, and endless charm.
Formats: Nintendo Switch 2. Price: £49.99. Publisher: Nintendo. Developer: Nintendo EPD. Release Date: 5th November 2026. Age Rating: 12.
