Nintendo's Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is now the highest-rated game of 2026, posting a Metacritic score of 96 as the review embargo lifted. That mark places it among the 20 highest-rated games of all time on the aggregator and inside its all-time top 30 ranking — though still short of the near-perfect score the 1998 original holds.

The first verdict came from Japan's Famitsu, which awarded the remake 37/40, a score GamesRadar+ noted puts it roughly level with the 3DS version rather than the N64 classic. Western outlets followed with broad acclaim: VGC called it a 'timeless masterpiece' whose smart updates and restorations keep the adventure essential, while Eurogamer leaned into how the remake lands for players who first explored Hyrule decades ago.

The consensus so far is that Nintendo has modernized one of its most revered games without sanding off what made it work. For a company that has been selective about full remakes of its flagship catalog, the reception suggests the Switch 2 treatment of its 1998 landmark has paid off — and sets a high bar for whatever Zelda project comes next.