It was really no surprise that the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake would receive high marks from critics. A remake of one of the most respected games from the fifth console generation, Ocarina has built up an almost mythical status over the last three decades that pretty much guaranteed this remake would garner praise. What I didn’t personally expect is that it would debut as the highest-rated game of 2026, where it currently sits on Metacritic with a 96 average.
This places Ocarina of Time ahead of such heavy hitters as Sektori, Big Walk, Doom: The Dark Ages – Revelations, and Mina the Hollower. It’s surprising how many good games have released in 2026 (mostly because I’m a grumpy old man who hasn’t truly clicked with anything) and how, despite that, Ocarina still managed to rate higher than them. I haven’t personally played the remake yet, so I can’t confirm or deny if people are simply hyping up nostalgia. One thing I will say is that I do believe the original Ocarina of Time mostly holds up, so I’m not shocked people still gravitate towards it.
As Nintendo Life points out, expanding the score criteria to “All Time” instead of just 2026 puts the Ocarina of Time remake as number 27 on Metacritic’s list of “Best Games of All Time.” The N64 original still sits at number one with an overall 99 score, the only game to do so, with 2-15 ranging between 98 and 97. Numbers 16-34 are all 96, which means the Ocarina remake could slide up or down depending on when more reviews come in. Since it already has 81 reviews, I’m not sure its score will change much in the coming days and weeks.
Now, obviously, review scores and general consensus mean nothing without context. If you’re simply looking at a number, you won’t be getting the full gist of what each critic is saying about their experience with a game. Numbers provide a decent shorthand for quantifying how one feels, but they’re also subjective. A 10/10 to me might be a 1/10 to you. It’s always wise to read reviews from outlets you trust to see if you will gel with something, or even just to get a different perspective on something you enjoyed/hated.
Still, it’s pretty stunning that a remake of a 28 year-old game would manage to top the charts again.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
