Nintendo’s Zelda 40th Anniversary Direct has given us the first gameplay deep dive, showing how the 1998 N64 classic has been updated for Nintendo Switch 2, from a new detailed art style to new control additions like a jump button and motion-control aiming. However, from this first look, it also looks like the game will be sticking closely, if not identically, to the original game’s layout.
The environments shown in the starting Kokiri Forest area are a lot more detailed, and you can now see them from a new perspective thanks to a free rotating camera. However, you can also see that the minimap the bottom-right of the screen shows the layout of the area is almost identical to the original game.
Glimpses of the first dungeon, Inside The Great Deku Tree, also have a similar layout. There are nonetheless some modern touches, such as how when Link reaches the chest containing the slingshot, he has to across a wooden path that collapses whereas in the original this was a floating collapsing platform.
The surest sign came from our first look of Hyrule Field, which has been the topic of speculation over whether this iconic location would be expanded to a size that would reflect the scale of a modern open environment. From the panning of the camera showing familiar landmarks like Death Mountain and Hyrule Castle Town, it looks like the size and scale of the world is staying very close to the original, including how you still load in between areas rather than traverse a whole seamless Hyrule.
Nonetheless, the minimap of Hyrule Field does appear wider and so it doesn’t rule out the possibility of new activities and side quests. Link can also now sprint across the map and jump at any time, which may also open up new options.
Although Ocarina of Time may not be hugely expanding the original on a similar scale as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, it’s also reflected in its $60 price point for the digital version of the game, which is still less than the full price of new releases–the physical edition will, however, cost $70.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on November 5.
