To preface, I love LoZ and have played all the games. I watched it live this morning. Nothing surprising, but I really liked this direct. The opening is really good because the series has great...
To preface, I love LoZ and have played all the games.
I watched it live this morning. Nothing surprising, but I really liked this direct. The opening is really good because the series has great music. For someone whose played all the games, it got me in my feels.
I'm not super excited for the live action movie, but I'm surprised they didn't drop a trailer here. I like that there is no subtitle. It's just "Legend of Zelda". So they're not adapting one game specifically. But they are building a movie that honors the series.
The remake looks really good. Obviously the fidelity is good. But I think the art direction is great. Young Link looks cute as a kid should. We only saw a bit of adult Link, but he looked great. The environment and everything else looks really good. VA for cut scenes is also cool. Nintendo lags behind on that, so I appreciate them doing it here.
The castle town looks more fleshed out with more to do. I assume it will be the same for the other places you visit. For people who like to explore and interact with NPCs, like myself, this will add more content in the gameplay. It's not Fable level of depth, but fun nonetheless.
Not surprised by a Switch 2 edition. I'm probably going to trade my OG Switch 2 to get one. If they drop the joycons separately, then I'll just get that.
Overall, I'm happy with this direct. I still want a Twilight Princess remake since I never finished that game.
If you're technically-inclined enough, there's a decompilation of TP available. I played it on my Steam Deck at 60fps plus a texture pack to improve the graphics slightly and it was a phenomenal...
If you're technically-inclined enough, there's a decompilation of TP available. I played it on my Steam Deck at 60fps plus a texture pack to improve the graphics slightly and it was a phenomenal experience.
I started the TP recomp a few days ago, it's called dusklight. It looks amazing on pc - I tried putting DLSS 5 on it too for shits and gigs, can't say I recommend that however!
I started the TP recomp a few days ago, it's called dusklight. It looks amazing on pc - I tried putting DLSS 5 on it too for shits and gigs, can't say I recommend that however!
It looks like every fanmade render of the last 15 years: uninspired, inconsistent art direction, too many reflections, everything looks like shiny plastic, too many details but only on the main...
It looks like every fanmade render of the last 15 years: uninspired, inconsistent art direction, too many reflections, everything looks like shiny plastic, too many details but only on the main character.
Technically it's certainly prettier than many Switch 2 games, but Link absolutely looks like he doesn't belong to the world, and it's even more noticeable when he's around other NPCs.
I'm surprised folks here are positive on it, other Zelda fan spaces I'm in are like "the man has been hired". I… find the graphics to be a little uncanny, personally. I don't mind most things but...
I'm surprised folks here are positive on it, most other Zelda fan spaces I'm in are like "the man has been hired".
I… find the graphics to be a little uncanny, personally. I don't mind most things but the character models look weirdly plasticky.
It's not strictly an art direction issue because, in the official renders, young Link looks absolutely adorable. So I really wonder what's going on with the lighting.
haha."This man" tends to represent whoever at that moment is delivering the "HD remake" trailer at the moment. It because an interestingly half-praising half-mocking gesture in multiple...
haha."This man" tends to represent whoever at that moment is delivering the "HD remake" trailer at the moment. It because an interestingly half-praising half-mocking gesture in multiple communities. Praise for the work done to achieve such results, but mocking because the art direction is often inconsistent and maybe even goes against the design philosophy of the series.
Sonic also has this meme thrown around quite a bit.
I don't know. After some 10 minutes of comparing renders vs. in-game screenshots, maybes it's the eyelids? The eyes seem a bit too flat in gameplay, which is an understandable and common way to...
I really wonder what's going on with the lighting.
I don't know. After some 10 minutes of comparing renders vs. in-game screenshots, maybes it's the eyelids? The eyes seem a bit too flat in gameplay, which is an understandable and common way to texture faces. But it'll be a subtle detail you catch that stands out when everything around the character (and on them) is so detailed). And because of course that the eyes are what immediately draws you to a character.
But the faces are pretty much my only uncanny moment. Environments look very nice, and while I usually don't love excessive bloom/fog many realistically lighted games tend to do: I think it worked well here to give the style a more "fairy tale" feel to it.
Old games interestingly have that same thing with books where our imagination fills in so many of the gaps. What a remake or remaster of an old game would look like in one person's minds-eye...
Old games interestingly have that same thing with books where our imagination fills in so many of the gaps. What a remake or remaster of an old game would look like in one person's minds-eye probably greatly differs from another.
Like the 3DS remake, this looks very far from what Ocarina of Time feels like to me. There's a recent video of DLSS5 injected into World of Warcraft and, as AI does well, it averages the look of the game to align with the most popular graphical effects and engines. This new Ocarina of Time looks like that, like an averaging, which I feel is a shame for such a rich world as Ocarina's. That isn't to say there isn't any art direction - I like how far apart the character's eyes are, and they have a kind of 'carved from wood' look if you pay close attention, which adds up in a subtle way.
But then, I have the original to go back to when I want what Ocarina means to me. I can, and I do.
I'm trying to say it 'looks like' AI averaging, not to say that it literally is. Sorry to weave AI into this, when I know it doesn't strictly apply. Modern Lighting is not one toggle, it's more...
I'm trying to say it 'looks like' AI averaging, not to say that it literally is. Sorry to weave AI into this, when I know it doesn't strictly apply. Modern Lighting is not one toggle, it's more powerful and customisable than ever, and art teams can do incredible and unique things with it - which is important now more than ever. I don't think Nintendo chose to do that here.
I find it interesting, myself as an AI and DLSS5 hater, and someone that isn't even a Nintendo fan anymore (and very critical of them these days), and someone that has a hell of a soft spot for...
I find it interesting, myself as an AI and DLSS5 hater, and someone that isn't even a Nintendo fan anymore (and very critical of them these days), and someone that has a hell of a soft spot for the original OoT, I thought the remake actually looked great for the most part and even retained some of the feel. Just hit us very differently I suppose
I don't feel like it got bland or averaged out in the way the art is handled in this remake. It all looks pretty great to me.
Well, except young Link... who looks a bit wonky to me for some reason and just a bit "off"
Maybe the nostalgia is so strong that it's significantly affecting my perception of how the remake looks. I'm surprised there's a lot of people critical of it. That said, I'm not really "up to date" with a lot of modern gaming titles, and definitely far outside of any console ecosystems and such, so maybe I just have expectations set differently than a lot of others on this one. My expectations when it comes to Nintendo are fairly low so this to me I thought was a pleasant surprise
Because he looks like and has the facial proportions of a porcelain doll. It's also on the Switch so this game will run at a smooth 40fps with these graphics. I mean.. I'm being a sourpuss but I...
Well, except young Link... who looks a bit wonky to me for some reason and just a bit "off"
Because he looks like and has the facial proportions of a porcelain doll.
It's also on the Switch so this game will run at a smooth 40fps with these graphics.
I mean.. I'm being a sourpuss but I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the recreation of a legendary game on a console that runs on half horsepower on a good day.
The original game didn't just set the bar, it created the bar.
If this runs well and has some of the charm the original janky Zelda entries had it may very well be a good game.
Unrelated, but hearing Matt Mercer revisiting his role as Ganondorf seems like a good choice.
I'm not sure where this perspective comes from. The Switch 2 has pretty excellent performance in its class, especially per dollar compared to competitors.
I mean.. I'm being a sourpuss but I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the recreation of a legendary game on a console that runs on half horsepower on a good day.
I'm not sure where this perspective comes from. The Switch 2 has pretty excellent performance in its class, especially per dollar compared to competitors.
Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World and Splatoon Raiders target 60fps and seem stable, and this is hardly more graphically complex than those. The Switch 2's basically on the same order of...
Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World and Splatoon Raiders target 60fps and seem stable, and this is hardly more graphically complex than those.
The Switch 2's basically on the same order of capability as the Steam Deck: some specs are a little lower, others a little higher (e.g. more CPU cores but lower clock speed, faster RAM but less of it), but it has higher resolution output (at up to 120Hz) and likely delivers better real world performance in a lot of cases due to developers actually targeting the hardware.
The thing plays Cyberpunk 2077 and has been collecting PS4 ports that look pretty damn close to the original releases. This is nothing like the original Switch's situation.
I think that proves my point though. That's previous gen. The PS4 launched thirteen years ago. It runs those games at a similar level as a PS4 too. When you're creating current year blockbusters...
and has been collecting PS4 ports that look pretty damn close to the original releases.
I think that proves my point though. That's previous gen. The PS4 launched thirteen years ago. It runs those games at a similar level as a PS4 too.
When you're creating current year blockbusters there are a lot of people that think you're doing the game a disservice if it's an unstable 20-40 lag fest.
For games that want to boast higher fidelity, the Switch isn't helping.
The PS4 (and PS5) is also about 30x the volume? And requires a wall socket? It’s a matter of the laws of physics that a thin portable powered by a battery has worse performance than a monolith...
The PS4 (and PS5) is also about 30x the volume? And requires a wall socket?
It’s a matter of the laws of physics that a thin portable powered by a battery has worse performance than a monolith powered by an AC plug.
Relative to its peers, the Steam Deck is 50% or more expensive depending on config, has worse performance due a worse GPU, and is about 2 times heavier. There are portables more powerful than the switch 2, but they’re not only well over $1000 but are heavy as hell.
I feel like both of you and @redwall_hp are misunderstanding me as you're defending the console when that isn't what I'm criticizing. I think the Switch is fine for what it is. I also think...
I feel like both of you and @redwall_hp are misunderstanding me as you're defending the console when that isn't what I'm criticizing.
I think the Switch is fine for what it is. I also think releasing games that probably feel mediocre to play because of the unstable frame rates can be a problem.
Let's boil it down to saying it should stick to its lane. It's great for first party Mario games. Less so for your Cyberpunk, Elden Ring, Duskbloods type of games. And I think with the way the OoT remake looks, it's aiming to be part of the latter three.
I'm under to pretention the Switch isn't good for a handheld, I'm saying they may be trying to bite off more than they can chew because let's face it, it performs about as well as a thirteen year old console while trying to play games that need current day hardware to perform.
Firstly, it is absolutely unreasonable to expect current generation graphics on a handheld device.
Yes, which is why I question the release of games that may require current gen hardware.
You're kind of fighting against a ghosts to begin with - from the footage so far, OoT runs at 60 FPS (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nw4Hma2nxU). There's no reason to think it runs at any...
You're kind of fighting against a ghosts to begin with - from the footage so far, OoT runs at 60 FPS (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nw4Hma2nxU). There's no reason to think it runs at any less.
It's great for first party Mario games. Less so for your Cyberpunk, Elden Ring, Duskbloods type of games
I don't see the difference. Especially something like Cyberpunk. The main area where frame rate really matters is something heavily timing and reflex based.
Ironically, Mario is a game where steady FPS matters way more than a cinematic FPS, where you can realistically beat it while sporting a blood-alcohol percentage of 0.2 because it's not supposed to be a challenge of your reflexes and hand-eye coordination.
Zelda really isn't the kind of game where you need >30 FPS anyhow. Remember, OoT ran at 20 FPS on the N64. It's not a reflex game, it's a slower, more deliberate adventure where it's more about puzzles and exploration.
Perhaps I am fighting ghosts, but I never intended to have to go this deep into it when it was at best a musing on how it could potentially suck to have an underpowered machine deliver an...
Perhaps I am fighting ghosts, but I never intended to have to go this deep into it when it was at best a musing on how it could potentially suck to have an underpowered machine deliver an inconsistent performance. It's the consistency of quality, or lack thereof, that'll make it or break it. Not the frames itself. Though the indication it plays at 60 is a good sign that I hadn't seen.
The original was designed around 20fps. This remake looks much faster than the original too which again shows that you need consistent frames more than anything. If at any point in time during Ganondorf Tennis you experience frame drops, you will feel it in your timings.
I stick to my point: it needs to feel smooth or it will not feel good and the Switch has shown it struggles with similar large scope games. I'm worried is all.
Firstly, it is absolutely unreasonable to expect current generation graphics on a handheld device. That's never going to happen. And Nintendo long ago realized there was more money in the...
Firstly, it is absolutely unreasonable to expect current generation graphics on a handheld device. That's never going to happen. And Nintendo long ago realized there was more money in the GameBoy/DS/etc line than their other market.
A small group of people actually care about performance. The original Switch sold over 156 million units and the best selling game of all time is Mario Kart. The people who worry about frame rates and other capital-G gamer stuff are not representative of the game-playing world as a whole. (Splatoon Raiders was a recent hit as well, topping sales charts in several countries, but US-centric gaming media largely ignored it. I personally bought two copies, because co-op is fun.) I expect that to be functionally irrelevant to the sales of the OoT remake. Whether people care about such an old title is a bigger factor.
Nor is it new for Nintendo to not chase the absolute best graphics and performance. The original Ocarina of Time struggled to get 30fps on a console that was underpowered compared to the state of the art: the N64 was a joke compared to the (older) PlayStation, and especially the PS2 that shipped a year after OoT.
Considering every first party Switch 2 title so far has run at a smooth 60fps (minor exception being DK, which is mostly 60 but allows it to dynamically dip to 30 in certain sections), I have no reason to assume this one won't.
? The N64 was the more powerful console, in terms of pure polygon pushing. Where the PSX had an edge was much more memory available to games because of discs. This meant games could do things like...
the N64 was a joke compared to the (older) PlayStation
? The N64 was the more powerful console, in terms of pure polygon pushing. Where the PSX had an edge was much more memory available to games because of discs. This meant games could do things like pre-render graphics, which many did.
But even if you’re comparing SM64, you can clearly compared to something like FF7, that the N64 had more ability to render detailed polygons (and the pre-rendered backgrounds really don’t hold up today, not that that would have been a concern).
It wasn’t until the Wii that Nintendo went competing on aspects other than pure specs. The GC was very competitive, and more performant in many ways, than the PS2 and OG Xbox.
Oh yeah, don't even get me started on Nintendo hardware. I'm with ya there. To me, Nintendo hardware, which I would not touch with a 10-foot-pole in 2026 (though tbf same goes for all consoles) is...
Oh yeah, don't even get me started on Nintendo hardware. I'm with ya there. To me, Nintendo hardware, which I would not touch with a 10-foot-pole in 2026 (though tbf same goes for all consoles) is a prison their IPs are trapped in. I continuously wish that Nintendo had become a software/game-only company the way Sega did, or at a minimum, didn't keep their IPs permanently trapped and exclusively tied to their hardware
I believe the original OoT ran at 20 FPS, so I suppose it's truly lore accurate to elect for a "good but below standard" FPS today. Contemporaries on PS1 (RE2, MGS2, FF7 were mostly 30fps, and...
It's also on the Switch so this game will run at a smooth 40fps with these graphics.
I believe the original OoT ran at 20 FPS, so I suppose it's truly lore accurate to elect for a "good but below standard" FPS today. Contemporaries on PS1 (RE2, MGS2, FF7 were mostly 30fps, and maybe even 60fps in some non-game areas)
I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the recreation of a legendary game on a console that runs on half horsepower on a good day.
It would be lovely seeing this pushed on a good PC, but I suppose Nintendo has conditioned me for 20 years now to accept that it gladly sacrifices raw specs for its gameplay loop.
You're right, it ran at 20 fps during the days 30 fps was noteworthy. Not that anyone cared about fps those days. I certainly didn't. But most of us do now. It's simply the existence of high...
You're right, it ran at 20 fps during the days 30 fps was noteworthy. Not that anyone cared about fps those days. I certainly didn't. But most of us do now. It's simply the existence of high fidelity solid 60fps games that makes the Switch look like a rather poor investment.
Not just that, when it likely can't keep the frames stable it'll just feel sluggish and slow. I'd rather have a game made around a stable 20fps than one that fluctuates between 40 and 60. Now, this is of course mostly speculation. There is a slim chance it runs well.
Looks beautiful. Child link looks a little wonky but the overall environment looks fantastic and very true to the OoT style. They said the preorder link is out but I don’t see it in the eShop yet....
Looks beautiful. Child link looks a little wonky but the overall environment looks fantastic and very true to the OoT style.
They said the preorder link is out but I don’t see it in the eShop yet. Either way, I’ll preorder it when it’s available.
I do think it looks respectfully and beautifully done. I grew up on the early LoZ games. N64 OoT was a huge hit for me (though almost zero interest in any post-N64 Nintendo IP releases). Never...
I do think it looks respectfully and beautifully done. I grew up on the early LoZ games. N64 OoT was a huge hit for me (though almost zero interest in any post-N64 Nintendo IP releases). Never owned a GC but Smash or something else was fun at a friend's house or whatever.
The remakes are the main thing on Nintendo's platform I'd still be interested in (no interest in modern Mario/Donkey Kong/whatever else) - just Link's Awakening and OoT. Maybe Animal Crossing as a singular non-remake title
Nintendo just kinda lost me after the N64 era. I dipped a toe in during the Wii days and regretted it and just as an ecosystem/company as a whole they really just lost me (but all console companies did, really). I'm long past the point of owning consoles anymore, so any good IPs trapped in Nintendo's ecosystem will be unreachable territory for me (that is until the time when it is able to be emulated)
That said, with it being the 40th anniversary of LoZ, it's nice to see it mostly being given a good treatment with some respectful nods to the past to try and retain some of the feel of the original.
I do think they still got a bit gimmicky/novelty with it (which is Nintendo's M.O., I know...), and of course there will be all sorts of (probably overpriced) nostalgia-bait products to go along with it. Things where I think "oh that's neat" but are just something to sit on my shelf collecting dust that cost me too much because I liked it as a kid. But hey if that brings you joy, that's fine! I have plenty of skulls and trinkets, and cassette tapes and vinyl collecting dust similarly that bring me joy. (I just realize how easily I'm initially woo'd and swayed by nostalgia and somewhat have come to resent how easy a company can get its hooks in me that way...)
I might just be old man yelling at Nintendo-shaped-cloud at this point.
The one place they may still be able to get me is the LoZ concerts/orchestra, though.
I am going to buy this instantly, and possibly also the Ocarina. I loved OOT as a kid. It's the game I replayed the most. I am cautiously hopeful for a master quest and I might try to 100% it
I am going to buy this instantly, and possibly also the Ocarina. I loved OOT as a kid. It's the game I replayed the most. I am cautiously hopeful for a master quest and I might try to 100% it
I fully expect that we'll see a slew of videos where people play a variety of instruments to play the songs in-game. Releasing the ocarina now and showing the microphone interaction is brilliant...
I fully expect that we'll see a slew of videos where people play a variety of instruments to play the songs in-game. Releasing the ocarina now and showing the microphone interaction is brilliant marketing, and if I didn't have several unplayed instruments I'd pick up an ocarina too.
I'm whelmed. Visually, it looks pretty much like I expected based on the initial reveal. Maybe a little too glossy in some places, but the redone environments like Hyrule field and castle town...
I'm whelmed.
Visually, it looks pretty much like I expected based on the initial reveal. Maybe a little too glossy in some places, but the redone environments like Hyrule field and castle town look nice with an appropriate modern scale. Decent framerate is a plus too - I didn't mind playing the original at the time, but looking at gameplay footage now makes it feel pretty choppy.
A lot of the effort outside the visuals seems to have been put into gimmicky stuff like the physical ocarina, which I'm neutral on at best, but the only big quality of life issue with the original gameplay (the camera) has been fixed, so maybe there wasn't much needed there in the first place. I don't think the jump button will make a big difference one way or the other. Maybe it'll feel a bit more interactive to have to push a button instead of automatically jumping when needed?
I rarely replay games so won't be picking this up, but it looks like a good time for anyone who hasn't played the original.
I think the bigger benefit of a jump button is that you get more control during the jump. Going back to OoT, jumping in the slightly wrong direction is an issue because you're locked into a...
I think the bigger benefit of a jump button is that you get more control during the jump. Going back to OoT, jumping in the slightly wrong direction is an issue because you're locked into a straight line. I imagine adjusting that made it seem more reasonable to just make the jump completely intentional.
This looks really cool. It won't convince me to give Nintendo any money again but I have to say I'm impressed how close to the OG concept art they were able to get. I think I'll start a new...
This looks really cool. It won't convince me to give Nintendo any money again but I have to say I'm impressed how close to the OG concept art they were able to get.
I hope it does well, it looks like a remaster + extended content, which in my eyes could spell a return to form for LoZ. I think with the art style, it's just a classic you can't please everyone....
I hope it does well, it looks like a remaster + extended content, which in my eyes could spell a return to form for LoZ. I think with the art style, it's just a classic you can't please everyone. They've been trying different things almost every generation and maybe stick with any particular art style for two games before moving on to something new.
The characters are a bit uncanny, but I'm excited overall. I think it's trying to thread the needle where they modernize the graphics a bit (detail, lighting/shadows, materials, etc) without crossing into hyper realism or losing the soul of the original game. I think they did a decent job with the world/atmosphere, but IMO the character design misses the mark. Unfortunate, but not the end of the world.
So... I assumed that they looked at the Resident Evil Remakes and thought it was a good idea. But one thing that went well for those remake is that they had a lot of cinematic aspirations and it...
So... I assumed that they looked at the Resident Evil Remakes and thought it was a good idea. But one thing that went well for those remake is that they had a lot of cinematic aspirations and it goes well with the current trend of thinking that a video-game is "better" because it looks like cinema.
I'm not entirely convinced it works here. At least there's no problem because of the visual noise all those added details bring (what is interactable and what is not?), but it still I feel it lacks personality.
I'll wait to see the dungeon and gameplay, which is usually where Nintendo shines.
This looks like ass, guess Nintendo finally HIRED THAT MAN. Nintendo is clearly just a shambling corpse at this point. Gamecube is where they died, they survived on casual bucks, and all the...
This looks like ass, guess Nintendo finally HIRED THAT MAN.
Nintendo is clearly just a shambling corpse at this point. Gamecube is where they died, they survived on casual bucks, and all the talent slowly left the company.
To preface, I love LoZ and have played all the games.
I watched it live this morning. Nothing surprising, but I really liked this direct. The opening is really good because the series has great music. For someone whose played all the games, it got me in my feels.
I'm not super excited for the live action movie, but I'm surprised they didn't drop a trailer here. I like that there is no subtitle. It's just "Legend of Zelda". So they're not adapting one game specifically. But they are building a movie that honors the series.
The remake looks really good. Obviously the fidelity is good. But I think the art direction is great. Young Link looks cute as a kid should. We only saw a bit of adult Link, but he looked great. The environment and everything else looks really good. VA for cut scenes is also cool. Nintendo lags behind on that, so I appreciate them doing it here.
The castle town looks more fleshed out with more to do. I assume it will be the same for the other places you visit. For people who like to explore and interact with NPCs, like myself, this will add more content in the gameplay. It's not Fable level of depth, but fun nonetheless.
Not surprised by a Switch 2 edition. I'm probably going to trade my OG Switch 2 to get one. If they drop the joycons separately, then I'll just get that.
Overall, I'm happy with this direct. I still want a Twilight Princess remake since I never finished that game.
If you're technically-inclined enough, there's a decompilation of TP available. I played it on my Steam Deck at 60fps plus a texture pack to improve the graphics slightly and it was a phenomenal experience.
Ohhh cool! I'm definitely interested. Probably wouldn't get to it soon, but I'll put it on my gaming backlog list.
I started the TP recomp a few days ago, it's called dusklight. It looks amazing on pc - I tried putting DLSS 5 on it too for shits and gigs, can't say I recommend that however!
It looks like every fanmade render of the last 15 years: uninspired, inconsistent art direction, too many reflections, everything looks like shiny plastic, too many details but only on the main character.
Technically it's certainly prettier than many Switch 2 games, but Link absolutely looks like he doesn't belong to the world, and it's even more noticeable when he's around other NPCs.
I'm surprised folks here are positive on it,
mostother Zelda fan spaces I'm in are like "the man has been hired".I… find the graphics to be a little uncanny, personally. I don't mind most things but the character models look weirdly plasticky.
It's not strictly an art direction issue because, in the official renders, young Link looks absolutely adorable. So I really wonder what's going on with the lighting.
Is that about a specific man, or that it is just one man, or?
edit: found this explanation on reddit:
haha."This man" tends to represent whoever at that moment is delivering the "HD remake" trailer at the moment. It because an interestingly half-praising half-mocking gesture in multiple communities. Praise for the work done to achieve such results, but mocking because the art direction is often inconsistent and maybe even goes against the design philosophy of the series.
Sonic also has this meme thrown around quite a bit.
Really? Reaction seems pretty positive to me, especially on this trailer vs the gameplay demo since that had more young like solo time.
I guess the ones I hang out in, then
I don't know. After some 10 minutes of comparing renders vs. in-game screenshots, maybes it's the eyelids? The eyes seem a bit too flat in gameplay, which is an understandable and common way to texture faces. But it'll be a subtle detail you catch that stands out when everything around the character (and on them) is so detailed). And because of course that the eyes are what immediately draws you to a character.
But the faces are pretty much my only uncanny moment. Environments look very nice, and while I usually don't love excessive bloom/fog many realistically lighted games tend to do: I think it worked well here to give the style a more "fairy tale" feel to it.
Online gamer fan spaces being full of haters? I’m shocked. SHOCKED!
Old games interestingly have that same thing with books where our imagination fills in so many of the gaps. What a remake or remaster of an old game would look like in one person's minds-eye probably greatly differs from another.
Like the 3DS remake, this looks very far from what Ocarina of Time feels like to me. There's a recent video of DLSS5 injected into World of Warcraft and, as AI does well, it averages the look of the game to align with the most popular graphical effects and engines. This new Ocarina of Time looks like that, like an averaging, which I feel is a shame for such a rich world as Ocarina's. That isn't to say there isn't any art direction - I like how far apart the character's eyes are, and they have a kind of 'carved from wood' look if you pay close attention, which adds up in a subtle way.
But then, I have the original to go back to when I want what Ocarina means to me. I can, and I do.
You’re just seeing modern lighting effects, not AI “averaging.”
I'm trying to say it 'looks like' AI averaging, not to say that it literally is. Sorry to weave AI into this, when I know it doesn't strictly apply. Modern Lighting is not one toggle, it's more powerful and customisable than ever, and art teams can do incredible and unique things with it - which is important now more than ever. I don't think Nintendo chose to do that here.
I find it interesting, myself as an AI and DLSS5 hater, and someone that isn't even a Nintendo fan anymore (and very critical of them these days), and someone that has a hell of a soft spot for the original OoT, I thought the remake actually looked great for the most part and even retained some of the feel. Just hit us very differently I suppose
I don't feel like it got bland or averaged out in the way the art is handled in this remake. It all looks pretty great to me.
Well, except young Link... who looks a bit wonky to me for some reason and just a bit "off"
Maybe the nostalgia is so strong that it's significantly affecting my perception of how the remake looks. I'm surprised there's a lot of people critical of it. That said, I'm not really "up to date" with a lot of modern gaming titles, and definitely far outside of any console ecosystems and such, so maybe I just have expectations set differently than a lot of others on this one. My expectations when it comes to Nintendo are fairly low so this to me I thought was a pleasant surprise
Because he looks like and has the facial proportions of a porcelain doll.
It's also on the Switch so this game will run at a smooth 40fps with these graphics.
I mean.. I'm being a sourpuss but I can't help but feel underwhelmed by the recreation of a legendary game on a console that runs on half horsepower on a good day.
The original game didn't just set the bar, it created the bar.
If this runs well and has some of the charm the original janky Zelda entries had it may very well be a good game.
Unrelated, but hearing Matt Mercer revisiting his role as Ganondorf seems like a good choice.
I'm not sure where this perspective comes from. The Switch 2 has pretty excellent performance in its class, especially per dollar compared to competitors.
Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World and Splatoon Raiders target 60fps and seem stable, and this is hardly more graphically complex than those.
The Switch 2's basically on the same order of capability as the Steam Deck: some specs are a little lower, others a little higher (e.g. more CPU cores but lower clock speed, faster RAM but less of it), but it has higher resolution output (at up to 120Hz) and likely delivers better real world performance in a lot of cases due to developers actually targeting the hardware.
The thing plays Cyberpunk 2077 and has been collecting PS4 ports that look pretty damn close to the original releases. This is nothing like the original Switch's situation.
I think that proves my point though. That's previous gen. The PS4 launched thirteen years ago. It runs those games at a similar level as a PS4 too.
When you're creating current year blockbusters there are a lot of people that think you're doing the game a disservice if it's an unstable 20-40 lag fest.
For games that want to boast higher fidelity, the Switch isn't helping.
The PS4 (and PS5) is also about 30x the volume? And requires a wall socket?
It’s a matter of the laws of physics that a thin portable powered by a battery has worse performance than a monolith powered by an AC plug.
Relative to its peers, the Steam Deck is 50% or more expensive depending on config, has worse performance due a worse GPU, and is about 2 times heavier. There are portables more powerful than the switch 2, but they’re not only well over $1000 but are heavy as hell.
I feel like both of you and @redwall_hp are misunderstanding me as you're defending the console when that isn't what I'm criticizing.
I think the Switch is fine for what it is. I also think releasing games that probably feel mediocre to play because of the unstable frame rates can be a problem.
Let's boil it down to saying it should stick to its lane. It's great for first party Mario games. Less so for your Cyberpunk, Elden Ring, Duskbloods type of games. And I think with the way the OoT remake looks, it's aiming to be part of the latter three.
I'm under to pretention the Switch isn't good for a handheld, I'm saying they may be trying to bite off more than they can chew because let's face it, it performs about as well as a thirteen year old console while trying to play games that need current day hardware to perform.
Yes, which is why I question the release of games that may require current gen hardware.
You're kind of fighting against a ghosts to begin with - from the footage so far, OoT runs at 60 FPS (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nw4Hma2nxU). There's no reason to think it runs at any less.
I don't see the difference. Especially something like Cyberpunk. The main area where frame rate really matters is something heavily timing and reflex based.
Ironically, Mario is a game where steady FPS matters way more than a cinematic FPS, where you can realistically beat it while sporting a blood-alcohol percentage of 0.2 because it's not supposed to be a challenge of your reflexes and hand-eye coordination.
Zelda really isn't the kind of game where you need >30 FPS anyhow. Remember, OoT ran at 20 FPS on the N64. It's not a reflex game, it's a slower, more deliberate adventure where it's more about puzzles and exploration.
Mario, again, is exactly the opposite.
Perhaps I am fighting ghosts, but I never intended to have to go this deep into it when it was at best a musing on how it could potentially suck to have an underpowered machine deliver an inconsistent performance. It's the consistency of quality, or lack thereof, that'll make it or break it. Not the frames itself. Though the indication it plays at 60 is a good sign that I hadn't seen.
The original was designed around 20fps. This remake looks much faster than the original too which again shows that you need consistent frames more than anything. If at any point in time during Ganondorf Tennis you experience frame drops, you will feel it in your timings.
I stick to my point: it needs to feel smooth or it will not feel good and the Switch has shown it struggles with similar large scope games. I'm worried is all.
Firstly, it is absolutely unreasonable to expect current generation graphics on a handheld device. That's never going to happen. And Nintendo long ago realized there was more money in the GameBoy/DS/etc line than their other market.
A small group of people actually care about performance. The original Switch sold over 156 million units and the best selling game of all time is Mario Kart. The people who worry about frame rates and other capital-G gamer stuff are not representative of the game-playing world as a whole. (Splatoon Raiders was a recent hit as well, topping sales charts in several countries, but US-centric gaming media largely ignored it. I personally bought two copies, because co-op is fun.) I expect that to be functionally irrelevant to the sales of the OoT remake. Whether people care about such an old title is a bigger factor.
Nor is it new for Nintendo to not chase the absolute best graphics and performance. The original Ocarina of Time struggled to get 30fps on a console that was underpowered compared to the state of the art: the N64 was a joke compared to the (older) PlayStation, and especially the PS2 that shipped a year after OoT.
Considering every first party Switch 2 title so far has run at a smooth 60fps (minor exception being DK, which is mostly 60 but allows it to dynamically dip to 30 in certain sections), I have no reason to assume this one won't.
? The N64 was the more powerful console, in terms of pure polygon pushing. Where the PSX had an edge was much more memory available to games because of discs. This meant games could do things like pre-render graphics, which many did.
But even if you’re comparing SM64, you can clearly compared to something like FF7, that the N64 had more ability to render detailed polygons (and the pre-rendered backgrounds really don’t hold up today, not that that would have been a concern).
It wasn’t until the Wii that Nintendo went competing on aspects other than pure specs. The GC was very competitive, and more performant in many ways, than the PS2 and OG Xbox.
Oh yeah, don't even get me started on Nintendo hardware. I'm with ya there. To me, Nintendo hardware, which I would not touch with a 10-foot-pole in 2026 (though tbf same goes for all consoles) is a prison their IPs are trapped in. I continuously wish that Nintendo had become a software/game-only company the way Sega did, or at a minimum, didn't keep their IPs permanently trapped and exclusively tied to their hardware
I believe the original OoT ran at 20 FPS, so I suppose it's truly lore accurate to elect for a "good but below standard" FPS today. Contemporaries on PS1 (RE2, MGS2, FF7 were mostly 30fps, and maybe even 60fps in some non-game areas)
It would be lovely seeing this pushed on a good PC, but I suppose Nintendo has conditioned me for 20 years now to accept that it gladly sacrifices raw specs for its gameplay loop.
You're right, it ran at 20 fps during the days 30 fps was noteworthy. Not that anyone cared about fps those days. I certainly didn't. But most of us do now. It's simply the existence of high fidelity solid 60fps games that makes the Switch look like a rather poor investment.
Not just that, when it likely can't keep the frames stable it'll just feel sluggish and slow. I'd rather have a game made around a stable 20fps than one that fluctuates between 40 and 60. Now, this is of course mostly speculation. There is a slim chance it runs well.
Looks beautiful. Child link looks a little wonky but the overall environment looks fantastic and very true to the OoT style.
They said the preorder link is out but I don’t see it in the eShop yet. Either way, I’ll preorder it when it’s available.
I do think it looks respectfully and beautifully done. I grew up on the early LoZ games. N64 OoT was a huge hit for me (though almost zero interest in any post-N64 Nintendo IP releases). Never owned a GC but Smash or something else was fun at a friend's house or whatever.
The remakes are the main thing on Nintendo's platform I'd still be interested in (no interest in modern Mario/Donkey Kong/whatever else) - just Link's Awakening and OoT. Maybe Animal Crossing as a singular non-remake title
Nintendo just kinda lost me after the N64 era. I dipped a toe in during the Wii days and regretted it and just as an ecosystem/company as a whole they really just lost me (but all console companies did, really). I'm long past the point of owning consoles anymore, so any good IPs trapped in Nintendo's ecosystem will be unreachable territory for me (that is until the time when it is able to be emulated)
That said, with it being the 40th anniversary of LoZ, it's nice to see it mostly being given a good treatment with some respectful nods to the past to try and retain some of the feel of the original.
I do think they still got a bit gimmicky/novelty with it (which is Nintendo's M.O., I know...), and of course there will be all sorts of (probably overpriced) nostalgia-bait products to go along with it. Things where I think "oh that's neat" but are just something to sit on my shelf collecting dust that cost me too much because I liked it as a kid. But hey if that brings you joy, that's fine! I have plenty of skulls and trinkets, and cassette tapes and vinyl collecting dust similarly that bring me joy. (I just realize how easily I'm initially woo'd and swayed by nostalgia and somewhat have come to resent how easy a company can get its hooks in me that way...)
I might just be old man yelling at Nintendo-shaped-cloud at this point.
The one place they may still be able to get me is the LoZ concerts/orchestra, though.
I am going to buy this instantly, and possibly also the Ocarina. I loved OOT as a kid. It's the game I replayed the most. I am cautiously hopeful for a master quest and I might try to 100% it
I fully expect that we'll see a slew of videos where people play a variety of instruments to play the songs in-game. Releasing the ocarina now and showing the microphone interaction is brilliant marketing, and if I didn't have several unplayed instruments I'd pick up an ocarina too.
I'm whelmed.
Visually, it looks pretty much like I expected based on the initial reveal. Maybe a little too glossy in some places, but the redone environments like Hyrule field and castle town look nice with an appropriate modern scale. Decent framerate is a plus too - I didn't mind playing the original at the time, but looking at gameplay footage now makes it feel pretty choppy.
A lot of the effort outside the visuals seems to have been put into gimmicky stuff like the physical ocarina, which I'm neutral on at best, but the only big quality of life issue with the original gameplay (the camera) has been fixed, so maybe there wasn't much needed there in the first place. I don't think the jump button will make a big difference one way or the other. Maybe it'll feel a bit more interactive to have to push a button instead of automatically jumping when needed?
I rarely replay games so won't be picking this up, but it looks like a good time for anyone who hasn't played the original.
I think the bigger benefit of a jump button is that you get more control during the jump. Going back to OoT, jumping in the slightly wrong direction is an issue because you're locked into a straight line. I imagine adjusting that made it seem more reasonable to just make the jump completely intentional.
This looks really cool. It won't convince me to give Nintendo any money again but I have to say I'm impressed how close to the OG concept art they were able to get.
I think I'll start a new playthrough on my 3DS.
I hope it does well, it looks like a remaster + extended content, which in my eyes could spell a return to form for LoZ. I think with the art style, it's just a classic you can't please everyone. They've been trying different things almost every generation and maybe stick with any particular art style for two games before moving on to something new.
The characters are a bit uncanny, but I'm excited overall. I think it's trying to thread the needle where they modernize the graphics a bit (detail, lighting/shadows, materials, etc) without crossing into hyper realism or losing the soul of the original game. I think they did a decent job with the world/atmosphere, but IMO the character design misses the mark. Unfortunate, but not the end of the world.
So... I assumed that they looked at the Resident Evil Remakes and thought it was a good idea. But one thing that went well for those remake is that they had a lot of cinematic aspirations and it goes well with the current trend of thinking that a video-game is "better" because it looks like cinema.
I'm not entirely convinced it works here. At least there's no problem because of the visual noise all those added details bring (what is interactable and what is not?), but it still I feel it lacks personality.
I'll wait to see the dungeon and gameplay, which is usually where Nintendo shines.
This looks like ass, guess Nintendo finally HIRED THAT MAN.
Nintendo is clearly just a shambling corpse at this point. Gamecube is where they died, they survived on casual bucks, and all the talent slowly left the company.
I'm sorry what? Please provide more arguments.
Be careful what you wish for