As someone who has played the original The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time more times than I can count, I’ve been fairly open about how much I’m looking forward to seeing what Nintendo has done with its Switch 2 remake. I initially wanted the remake to be a completely new experience, but even after learning that it would remain largely faithful to the N64 classic, I’ve found myself getting increasingly excited about the changes that have surfaced through early hands-on previews. However, there is one change in particular that has me a little concerned about the direction Nintendo might be taking with some of the game’s puzzles, and it’s one I never really expected to have an issue with.
Now, I understand that Ocarina of Time is almost 30 years old, and I wouldn’t expect Nintendo to bring it back without making some adjustments to accommodate modern players. In fact, many of the changes revealed so far have been improvements that I think the original game could benefit from, especially when it comes to controls and navigation. But after learning that a tree used for the Hookshot at the entrance to the Forest Temple has been replaced with a more obvious target, I’m beginning to wonder whether the remake might be sacrificing some of the original game’s immersion for the sake of accessibility. And if Nintendo has made that change in one place, who knows how many other parts of the game have received similar treatment?
Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake Replaces a Natural Hookshot Point With an Obvious Target
In IGN’s hands-on preview of the Ocarina of Time remake, Logan Plant pointed out that the tree branch Link originally used to reach the Forest Temple’s front entrance has been replaced with a more traditional Hookshot target above the door. In the N64 game, players needed to realize they could use the Hookshot on the branch to pull themselves up to the entrance, which was a fairly straightforward interaction once they understood what the item was capable of. Now, rather than asking players to recognize an ordinary part of the environment as something they can interact with, the remake apparently makes the intended destination much more obvious.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
I know that probably sounds like an incredibly small change to be concerned about, and in the grand scheme of things, it is. But one of the things I’ve always appreciated about Ocarina of Time is how naturally its environments encourage players to experiment. The Forest Temple, in particular, is one of the most atmospheric locations in the entire game. Being able to use something as ordinary as a tree branch to reach its entrance fits that environment, whereas a clearly marked Hookshot target feels more like something placed there specifically for the player. The objective is the same, but the way players arrive at the solution is different—and ultimately, it’s just a tad too gamey.
Now, rather than asking players to recognize an ordinary part of the environment as something they can interact with, the remake apparently makes the intended destination much more obvious.
Unfortunately, this apparently isn’t the only instance of the remake replacing an environmental interaction with a more recognizable target. Plant also mentioned that a section inside the Great Deku Tree now has Link shooting an eyeball target rather than a ladder, which suggests Nintendo may be taking a similar approach elsewhere. On top of that, another change spotted in the preview involves an area in Hyrule Field where a possible hidden entrance is now indicated by cracked ground, rather than remaining completely invisible as it would have in the original game. None of these changes necessarily ruins the experience, of course, but taken together, they do make me wonder just how much Nintendo has altered the way players are expected to discover things on their own.
That said, I can understand why Nintendo would want to make interactions like these easier to recognize, especially for players experiencing Ocarina of Time for the first time. The remake’s significantly more detailed environments could make it harder to distinguish which objects the Hookshot can attach to, and I wouldn’t want new players spending an unreasonable amount of time trying to figure out something as simple as reaching a dungeon entrance. Plus, the original game wasn’t always perfect about communicating what players were supposed to do next, so I’m certainly not opposed to Nintendo addressing some of those shortcomings. I just hope it hasn’t gone so far in making everything recognizable that it takes away some of the satisfaction that comes from figuring things out without being explicitly shown where to look.
Ocarina of Time Remake Needs to Be Careful About How Much It Makes Obvious
Of course, it’s important to remember that the hands-on previews have only covered a relatively small portion of the remake, so there’s no telling how extensively Nintendo has made changes like these throughout the rest of Hyrule. And to be fair, not every adjustment revealed so far has made the game easier. Some of the Forest Temple’s combat encounters have actually been made more challenging, including the Stalfos fight that now features a pool of damaging acid where there was originally a hole in the floor. But with other changes making secrets more visible and environmental interactions more obvious, I can’t help but wonder what the Water Temple, Shadow Temple, and some of the game’s later dungeons might look like now. I’d hate to go into a familiar room expecting to figure out what Nintendo has changed, only to find that the solution is practically being pointed out to me.
Still, I don’t think making Ocarina of Time more accessible to new players is necessarily a bad thing, and I’m certainly not suggesting Nintendo should have left every one of the original game’s more obscure mechanics untouched. What I would hate to see, though, is the remake lose some of that feeling of discovery that made exploring Hyrule so memorable in the first place. I’ve played the original enough times that I already know where most of its secrets are, and one of the things I’m looking forward to most is having a reason to search those familiar places again. If Nintendo has introduced new puzzles and surprises while making some of the old ones more approachable, I’m all for it. I just hope that when I finally get my hands on the remake on November 5, I’ll still be able to look at something as simple as a tree branch and wonder whether there’s more to it than meets the eye.
- Released
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November 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
