Taking my first steps out of Link’s treehouse and into Kokiri Forest, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake came to life. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma described this as a “faithful interpretation” of the Nintendo 64 original, and that term stuck with me as I explored Hyrule for more than an hour. This is far from a 1:1 remake: I found familiar rooms containing redesigned challenges that change how the world and player function. I spoke to old friends who had new things to say that added texture to Hyrule and its people. And, I unpacked how its updated controls and detailed art design redefine its old-school combat and puzzle solving for the modern day. This remake isn’t about scope; it’s about depth. The Zelda series is full of old stories, and the Ocarina of Time remake presents itself as a legend retold, with clear theatrical inspirations that have completely changed how I’m approaching it.

First, a quick word about spoilers. I know some of you have never played the N64 game, meaning Ocarina of Time will be a wholly new experience. So, I’m only going to talk about explicitly what I saw in the three chunks I played during the preview. Two sections were split across the first 90-ish minutes of the adventure, while the third and largest section was set in the first dungeon you play as Adult Link, which happens at roughly the one-third mark of the story. So, there will be no spoilers for anything outside of what Nintendo chose to show us.

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